[Vwdiesel] Mileage test 84 Rabbit. --- ( hagars Pickle Jar day ? ) conclusion.

[H.Hagar]

For you newbies who just dropped in --this exercise started with me trying
to establish the exact fuel consumption of a 1984 Rabbit 1.6L Turbo.

I took a BIG pickle jar and ran the fuel from it. That way I could see the return
fuel and consumption while driving.  -- And fun it was.

It started out simple -- but then Loren made me add a thermometer to the Jar.To
get a handle on heat loss in the pump.  So a ONE day test became a one week
deal. (2 weeks?).

It was a happy test all the way.   The rabbit a 20 years old car still turning in more
than 60 miles per gallon (Imp) and the heat loss is not bad , and can be ignored.

James Hansen and Val Christian and some other fellas were more right than I was.
Val suggested the heat loss from flyballs whipping the fuel would be in the order of
25 watts, or so. ----- that is what it looks like.   We have no way of getting a handle
of fuel flow circulating in Vane pump ---so we have to give up here.

In Lee's favor is the fact that the more fuel used ---jar heated less. 

Was it a wasted time exercise ? --- not for me it was.  I learned a lot about
hydraulics and thermo dynamics.

Sunday morning (yesterday) I filled up pickle jar and headed for Lund.  . That is about
34 Km of twisting mountain road max 60 Km/hr.north of here. One hairpin turn is 
hard to do even for a Rabbit.   The outcome ?   Never had to use the LDA. distance ?
34 Km.  fuel used ?  1.3 Litres. Turbo showed 4 to 5 PSIG most of the time. Lots of
time in  gear 3 and four, little in 5.  --cost in fuel ?   .
83.9 x 1.3  = a dollar and 9 cents. 

It was hot --so I drove with windows rolled down  ---what does the turbo sound like ?
NOW I know.

Doug Ferguson mentioned the polishing of turbo blades. No I did not. But I got
turbo 05 mar 2003  and it hardly turned --it was gummed up with soot.
Running it extra lean --sure blew the crud out of it.  A few weeks ago it vibrated
for a couple of days --then it got smooth --and started howling.And now she works.
Kind of loud going up them thar hills.

It took more than a year for the turbo to get going ? --wow.

Come to think of it there is a cleaning fluid for jet turbines ?  ---will it work here ?

Why LUND ?  because I was out of beer --and the Volks Beerstore there is open
on Sundays.  Doc say no beer but --shit what does he know ?.

One can of beer ?   1.49 dollar Canadian  355 ml. --- now that is disgusting.

Hagar.

PS: yes even in sickbay some fun can be had.