Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2000 22:04:34 -0600
Reply-To: The Blackhams <steph@uswest.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: The Blackhams <steph@uswest.net>
Subject: Clanging my way through Oregon
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We left two weeks ago for a week long trip to Oregon to see Neo Traditional
developments and scenery in Oregon. We left the SLC area Monday AM and
slipstreamed a series of semi's through a very windy Idaho and ended up
monday night at a forrest rest stop east of Prinville. Got up Tuesday Am
and drove up 26 on our way to Portland. Pretty drive. Stopped in Sandy,
Oregon for some gas and while I started it up I heard some loud clanging.
Pulled it over and looked under the lid. I noticed that both fastening
nuts on the AC compressor are gone. Great!. Where am I going to find these.
Pulled my head out of the engine compartment and looked around. Luckily
right across the street is a Napa Auto parts. So off I go to Napa and
purchase the two lost bolts. Start it up again and it still is clanging.
OK back to the engine compartment. In inspecting the rear of the engine in
search of the noise I see that one exhaust manifold stud is missing. Off
to Napa. After burning my hand, I secured the exhaust manifold. Start it
up and still clanging. Further examination, I note that the Cat converter
and muffler are also missing bolts. I must have been raining nuts and
bolts all the way to Oregon. Fixed these, but it is still clanging. I
stick my ear deep into the engine cavity. The noice is coming from the CAT.
I have heard of this before but this is the first time it has happened to
me. Evidently a piece of the CAT broke loose and is ringing the CAT like a
bell. It only does this at Idle, so I am pretty sure it is a broken piece
of the inside of the cat which is held in place strongly by the exhaust
during open throttle so it doesn't clang then. Oh. this is fun. At every
stop light, everyone looks around to see who's ringing their bell. We'll we
just rolled up the windows and turned up the AC and tried to look like we
didn't notice all the attention for the rest of the trip.
I have one question though of my Oregon compatriots. Your gas station laws
seem to me to be rather odd. I love your state and you are very freindly
people but I have to ask why you put up with this. You can't pump your own
gas at a service station in Oregon. They have what looks to me to be self
service convenience stores, but an attendant (usually a pimply faced
teenager) has to pump the gas. For this service they extract what appears
to me to be an exorbadant 20-30 cents per gallon over prices in adjoining
states and they don't even do the windscreen. In my teen age years I too
pumped gas for a living (Hamburgers, malts and Beattle records), but that
was 40 years ago and the world has changed, good or bad. What gives
Oregonians?
Have fun
Steve Blackham
Centerville, Utah
77 Bus converted to camper (westy top)
87 Weekender (the clanger)
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