Club 80-90 Forums

Van is brilliant on the flat but when hills come the power fades. A few have just put the top of a 2.1 on a 1.9 DG bottom. Would it make much of a difference getting up hills?

2.1 top end is same as 1.9, it's the bottom end that's a different stroke.
no easy change, 2.1 with 1.9 carb is the usual mod (not very visible to insurance companies adds appeal)

I've clearly misunderstood! Does 2.1 bottom end make a tangible difference to getting up the hills?

What's the actual problem here? My dg is nippy up and down the dales and is bog standard apart from the LPG, admittedly my panel van is as bare as can possibly be.

Yes yoy will have about 10% more peak torque

Yes, 2.1 has more power, with 1.9 carb or with injection system.

next post is 2000

It'll do 75 on the flat if I let it, it's quiet and smooth so I don't think there's anything wrong. On a long slow shallow gradient it'll go below 50 anything steeper, even The Downs it'll be sub 40 carrying a family of 4 plus camping gear on LPG with Auto-box. (wondering if the box needs a service - changed filter and ATF last year)

I found the 2.1 makes the van more drivable (autosleeper with a weight of 2.3 tonnes.)
noticeable on gradients, I can actually accelerate up them whereas I used to lose speed.
The 2.1 is a 1.9 with a bigger stroke, ( a long stroke engine ) most motorcyclists will understand that term and what those engines deliver.

I have the same engine and box as you, the auto box makes it feel very gutless on hills but it will climb almost anything very slowly. You need to use the 2 and 1 lock on your gear change if it tries to keep you in top . It does like to use top if it can and let the torque convertor do more work but sometimes it is better to give it more revs and lock it in second. The Auto is a lovely box for cruising but it does sap a bit of power when climbing!!! I tried cross foxes pass in mine 1:3 and It made it in second but only at 12mph. I got overtaken by an impreza on a blind bend who's driver had lost patience!!! I am about to build a 2.1 for it to see if it will help a small amount. The only other way is a 2.2 subaru engine for which kit is available for £1500 plus the engine, but i would rather mine was a VW.

That's interesting. I did go down to 10 on a really steep hill, I thought my engine was about to die. It changes up to third at 40 so I do slip it into 2nd. I probably need to adjust it