Date:         Mon, 15 May 2000 11:55:07 -0400
Reply-To:     John Fried <john@DATAKNIGHT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Fried <john@DATAKNIGHT.COM>
Organization: dataKnight, L.L.C.
Subject:      Decisions, decisions...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Let me start with an apology... this post is not about a Vanagon
problem. But in the few weeks I have been on this list, I've grown to
value and trust the judgement and advice I've seen here, so here goes.

My wife's '89 Plymouth Voyager (hey, it starts with "V" and is a similar
shape<g>) has 104K miles on it. Recently, the in-dash oil pressure gage
drops rapidly to zero when she stops in traffic. The garage put an oil
pressure gage on it and it reads about 25-30 lbs at 2000+RPM, drops to
5-7 lbs at idle (out of gear) and to about 2 lbs or less in gear. They
are suggesting a new oil pump at minumum or a complete lower engine
rebuild. It seems to me like the pump is working but that the bearings,
etc. are worn so much that they can't hold the pressure -- but I'm not a
mechanic.

I'm on the cusp of deciding to:
  A) try new oil pump (~$500),
  B) rebuild (lotsa $$),
  C) fill it with 50wt oil until it dies, or
  D) get rid of it.

My wife really likes it but I'd rather put my $$ into sprucing up our
'85 Westy...<g> My question is, "Does it sound like a bad oil pump or is
it a sign of impending doom?" I need to make a decision soon, as now she
now is driving our Westy in all that daily stop-and-crawl traffic in the
hot, sunny South...

Reply direct, if you wish, so as not to create too much non-bus mail on
the list. Thanks again for your help.

John Fried
'85 Westy