[Vwdiesel] Rabbit droppings # 141 --- ( &

Mon Jan 17 11:08:42 EST 2005

_G-P-G_(tm).......I love it !

I await the results with bated breath.

Mike in NB

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [SMTP:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
> Behalf Of Val Christian
> Sent:	Monday, January 17, 2005 11:01 AM
> To:	h_hagar at prcn.org; vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> Subject:	Re: [Vwdiesel] Rabbit droppings  #  141 --- ( &
> 
> Hagar,
> 
> Diodes.  Si diodes are cheap, and 20 amp or 50 amp diodes are readily
> available at the local electronics junk dealer for $0.25 in single
> quantities.  One or two diodes works great for dimming DRL.  Halogen
> bulbs shouldn't be run too cool, however.
> 
> Fuses.  With all my Rabbits, I've had the glow plug fuse go on 
> every single one, as near as I can remember.  The zinc gets soft,
> and eventually the necked part erodes.  Again, to my knowledge and 
> recall, I've never had a shorted busbar or glow plug.  Not to say
> that it couldn't or wouldn't happen.
> 
> My Ford tractor has glowplugs, and since it sits outside all the time, 
> they get used allot.  Especially when it's cold outside.  I have 
> probably 2600 hours on the engine, and never replaced a glow plug.
> As near as I can tell, without close exam, they are all working OK.
> Differences?  As near as I can tell: 1. They are operated manually
> and only work for pre-glow, with a spring loaded momentary contact
> ignition switch.  The indicator for them is a loop of nichrome 
> wire, which "glows" through a 6 mm apeture.  In the winter, it melts
> snow, in the cold rain, the shield around it steams, in daylight, it's
> nearly impossible to read.  The result is that frequently I underglow.
> The engine is a three banger, so I'd expect that if a plug failed, I 
> would know it.  The point of all this is that it's a manual system.
> 
> When I had the Rabbit with the fog light switch activating the glow 
> plug relay, I never went through glow plugs, until the car started
> ingesting crankcase oil pooled in the intake manifold.  My experience
> is that manual glow plug systems (at least on VWs) end up being 
> more reliable than automatic systems.
> 
> Ammeters.  Why not just outfit each VW with two meters.  One to 
> monitor charge/discharge of the battery, excepting the starter load.
> The other to act as a loadmeter, and show the power output of the 
> altenator.  With this change in place, many of our varied current
> monitoring problems would be easy.  All the time.
> 
> Val
> 
> ps: Poor man's blockheater idea...run glowplugs at 6volts or 8 volts,
> overnight, for that warm engine start in the morning.  A DPDT 
> switch/relay on the GP line, and a higher current, low voltage 
> source to the GP curcuit, when "plugged in".  A 4 amp wall wart
> 14 Vdc supply could keep the car battery all topped off for that 
> "rapid start" in the morning.  Who needs a block heater, with all
> that messy installation, and fear of coolant leaks, when you
> can use _Glow-Plug-Glow_(tm).
> 
> pps: I'll stick an old glowplug in a old cylinder head in the garage
> tonight,
> and connect a 6 volt battery charger to it.  It should be good and cold
> tonight (0F), so I can run out at midnight, and check the cyl head 
> temp with a passsive IR pyrometer.  That will not begin to estimate
> the heat transfer to the engine block, but it will give some idea as 
> to the possible effectiveness of such an approach.  And if the 
> glow plug has burned out in the morning, it will start to hint at
> the feasibility of the idea.  (Hopefully I get the driveway clear
> early enough in the evening to get this done.)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > 
> > If I ever finish my investigations about why the plugs go south.
> > According to Val Christian  ---  it will be posted under Glowplugs.
> > 
> > Bying a Rabbit ?   if it is 10 F or below  now is the time --  Selling a
> > Rabbit ?   July  80 F or better    ---perfect.
> > 
> > I am talking about VW Rabbit Diesels  1977  to 1984    ---1.5L NA    =
> > 1.6L NA and 1.6 Turbu.
> > 
> > If you have no problems starting ?   at  10F    soaked for 24 hours  no
> =
> > blockheat ?
> > 
> > no need to read on.   .. You got the picture .        In this forum we =
> > posted many many
> > tricks to get her going.
> > 
> > # 1.   Make sure all 4 plugs are glowing.   -----Go to Canadian Tire and
> =
> > get a 34-0114-0
> > Ammeter    60 -0-  60   6.99 dollars Canadian.      IMHO  it is one fine
> =
> > looking
> > instrument   ---with   mounting hardware  and kightbulb.7 or 8 nuts  =
> > perfect for plugs.
> > 
> > Mount two 12  inch     pieces of  # 10   flexible wire.   No need to =
> > disconnect
> > anything.    .   One end to  glowbuss one to positive on battery  -- and
> =
> > just read
> > it like it was a Voltmeter.  In a snowdrift ?   --I would  anytime.
> > 
> > Equus Products Inc  CA  92708.     Same as my Dashboard  Digital.
> > 
> > The Fuse is mounted on firewall in a black block   1.6  X  2.0  inch . =
> > cover on fuse comes off
> > really easy--just pull no tools needed.
> > 
> > The fuse is  a  flat strip of foil    10 thou  Inch (US garbage) thick
> =
> > by  235 .35   wide=20
> > by  1.7 inch plus 400 Thou long..
> > 
> > I sit her with 5 brand new fuses    clearly stamped 50 A.       Normal =
> > fuses of that type
> > is Zinc    melting point  419.50 C.    Aluminium  660.32 C.
> > 
> > I have dissected all and I mean ALL   the  electrics on a  1980 VW  =
> > Rabbits  ----and let me tell you if  you drive with a junper in place of
> =
> > a 50 cents Canadian fuse link ----  Not a good idea .  -----    The =
> > jumper like  Bart Wineland made is superb  ----use  say 10 thou
> > Aluminium to get home.  (To get a proper fuse).
> > 
> > The VW fuse will not carry 50 Amps for any lenght of time   ---my guess?
> =
> >   less than an hour.
> > 
> > IMPORTANT :    Find reason before jumpering,.
> > 
> > READ my lips  ---after glow on my Turbo is being removed PERIOD .   At =
> > 18 dollars Canadian?
> >  As soon a alternator kicks in     the voltage on plugs are too high for
> =
> > my liking.
> > For Afterglow  ----11 Volts  is not bad..
> > 
> > If Val Christian is correct that heatters are like Lightbulbs     =
> > Westinghouse is my source,
> > 
> > 
> > If plug is %100 volts   Watts are 100%  Life  100%.
> >              %108 volts   Watts are  112% Life    50%
> > 
> >              %  92 volts   Watts are   88   Life   310%.
> > 
> >  That should tell you that    --- reducing  voltage is a GOOD Idea.
> =
> > 
> > 
> > Best way ?      DIODES    silicon. type.   expensive but not for me   (
> =
> > 20 liter bucket
> > of dumpster diodes)   One sitting on my postal scale  ---250 gr. #  =
> > 18840100  8031.
> > 
> > Mark Shepherd   what did the Diodes set you back  ---let us know  =
> > numbers.
> > 
> > Today is sunday  16 jan 2005   and  the  half sassed Viking is up to his
> =
> > ass in white syuff.
> > 
> > 
> > Hagar.
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vwdiesel mailing list
> > Vwdiesel at vwfans.com
> > http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel
> > 
> 
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