Re: Boiling Guilia Super

[Scott Fisher <sfisher71@domain.elided>]

--- Bernie & Diana Bennett <bennetts@domain.elided>
wrote:
> Timothy:
> Scott brings up some good issues but don't panic
> about the down on power stuff:
> 
> > Timothy Leigh Rodgers <timothy@domain.elided>
> > wrote:
> > > Driving from Santa Barbara up San Marcos Pass-
> > . . . good stuff deleted. . .

One of my first dates with the woman who celebrated
our 23rd anniversary with me last Sunday was a picnic
at Cachuma Lake, at the top of San Marcos Pass, after
spending the earlier part of the day at Solvang up in
the Santa Ynez valley.

> Timothy don't panic, altitude also robs an engine of
> power unless carbs
> are re-jeted. How high was the altitude?  9-10K feet
> and more makes a
> notable difference, it's less of a problem in SPICA
> or other fuel
> injected cars which have altitude compensation.

The Santa Barbara Flood Control District's web page
(gotta love Google) says it's 2200 feet, but there are
some straight, steep runs that will tax a 1300. 
(Actually, I've driven up that road in a 1275, come to
think of it, and there were a few places where I
wanted to get out and push...)

Now, the 3900-foot passes in the Siskiyous that I
traverse on my monthly trips between Portland and San
Francisco *are* high enough that I can feel some power
loss, even in Spica (and other) fuel injected cars; I
notice a bit of a loss from around the 3000-foot mark
on up.

So Bernie's right about the effects of altitude on
engine power, but the coast range near Santa Barbara
(where San Marcos Pass runs, on its way from the coast
to the Santa Ynez Valley) isn't anywhere near 9-10k
feet.  

However, the effect of STEEPNESS on 1300s (at least in
the upper gears) may well be something Timothy
noticed;  once in the Junior I had to drop all the way
down to third gear on the freeway from Pleasanton to
the East Bay (assuming that cal.berkeley.edu address
gives Timothy any chance of knowing what road I'm
talking about).  Once I crossed 5000 RPM, it felt like
a second engine kicked in, but with traffic keeping me
below 3000 or so in 5th gear, the 1300 wasn't
generating enough power to pull the grade (not with
four people and our luggage in the car).

But if you end up driving through Colorado, Timothy --
better bring a turbo. :-)

--Scott Fisher
  Tualatin, Oregon
.
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