cjohnson@zinfandel.UUCP (cjohnson) (12/24/85)
I am thinking about buying a new Subaru Rx 4WD Turbo. I
am impressed by it for several reasons, including the fact
that it has a front-rear differential (the only model Subaru
makes with one).
The problem is that it seems it should have more power,
considering that it has a 1800cc Turbo charged dual overhead
cam engine. When I test drove it, I felt a definite drop
in power around 5000 rpms, but it seems to me that with the
push rod valve train eliminated the engine should rev much
higher than that.
I therefore believe that there is some sort of a rev limiter
somewhere and am curious about how easy it might be to find
and remove it. A friend also suggested that the waste gates
on the turbocharger might be at fault.
Any suggestions or other ideas out there in net-land?
(P.S. I heard that speedometers had their limits bumped up
because people were pegging them, then driving with no idea
how fast they were going - 85 mph feels pretty slow in some
cars.)
--
Chris Johnson
{ucbvax,dual,ihnp4}!zehntel!cjohnson
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====================================================================fritz@phri.UUCP (Dave Fritzinger) (12/30/85)
> I am thinking about buying a new Subaru Rx 4WD Turbo. I > am impressed by it for several reasons, including the fact > that it has a front-rear differential (the only model Subaru > makes with one). > > The problem is that it seems it should have more power, > considering that it has a 1800cc Turbo charged dual overhead > cam engine. First, a correction-the Subaru does not have a dual overhead cam engine. What it does have is a flat four (a "boxer" engine, like a VW beetle) with a single overhead cam for each bank of cylinders. I also believe that the engine does not have any sort of rev limiter-it just isn't happy at high rpm. Why this should be I don't know, since a "boxer" engine is the best balanced arrangement for a four cylinder engine-after all, look at the Porsche flat six(in the 911). Anyway, I don't think that I would recommend a Subaru as a car if what you want is full time four wheel drive, since the Subaru system is designed as a part time system, and is not designed for full time use. If you want a full time 4wd car, save for an Audi, or wait for one of the other cars with full time 4wd that will be released in the near future from BMW, VW, and numerous other car companies. -- Dave Fritzinger, Public Health Research Institute, NY,NY {allegra!phri!fritz} "I think. I think I am. Therefore, I am,...I think." Moody Blues
djw@lanl.ARPA (12/30/85)
In article <484@zinfandel.UUCP> cjohnson@zehntel.UUCP (cjohnson) writes: >I am thinking about buying a new Subaru Rx 4WD Turbo. I >am impressed by it for several reasons, including the fact >that it has a front-rear differential (the only model Subaru >makes with one). Please check that the emergency brake cable is attached to the rear wheels... Anyone who is serious enough about driving to pay the extra bucks for 4x4 will need the emergency brake sooner or later. There are many instances that require you to be able to apply a little drag to one end of your car while accelerating the other end; almost all of these circumstances are dangerous. If you pull on the emergency brake ( as in brake failure at high rate of speed on bumpy pavement ) the car will spin around to put the slower end last. > >The problem is that it seems it should have more power, >considering that it has a 1800cc Turbo charged dual overhead > >I therefore believe that there is some sort of a rev limiter >somewhere and am curious about how easy it might be to find >and remove it. A friend also suggested that the waste gates >on the turbocharger might be at fault. > >Any suggestions or other ideas out there in net-land? > It's obvious that this car is not what you really want... It probably doesn't have a rev limiter and the waste gate is undoubtedly correctly set on a dealership's demo car. Anyone who is trying to find Jeep innovations in a Stupidroo should go to a Jeep dealer and drive the new turbocharged Cherokee. Unless Stupidroo has attached their emergency brake cable to the rear wheels or you NEVER plan to drive on snow, ice, or water over 1/2inch deep; don't buy this car. It'll kill you all the way up to dead... ( I guess there could be something said for a quick method of doing a 180 degree turn while maintaining the same speed and direction of travel... and if you're going to crash, It's better to crash into something with you gas tank first... ) And I don't care what you get, sounds like you really want an Audi ( and I like DKW's even less ) Quattro or that new Renault rally car ( see the new Four Wheeler magazine ). I drive a Dodge Pathfinder 4x4 Van. I have owned a 1961 jeep pickup, a 1972 Chevy blazer, a 1982 Toyota 4x4 wagon and a 1961 jeep cj5. The cj started with it's 4banger and we installed a high performance 289 and when that blew up a 302. During the above period I put >2000 miles per month commuting across a >9000 foot pass in the Jemez Mountains. One winter over 35 families bought Stupidroos for the daily commute... ( I don't know why; they were Physicists and they all seemed to figure the problem the same way. ) Only 3 Stupidroos made it through the entire winter. I think it was a combination of aluminum or weak transmissions/clutches in 30 below zero weather. You can argue that they've fixed that... Go right ahead; I don't care. Dave Wade Los Alamos National Laboratories Computing and Communications Division Consulting Office