Date:         Fri, 6 Jul 2001 23:11:03 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject:      Re: System Failure: What Next?
Comments: To: PSavage <psavage@SABER.NET>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Ms. P,

A little paranoid are we? LOL!!

Kidding aside, for long trips, it would be appropriate to carry along a
spare water pump, just in case. And the appropriate tools and sealants
to do the job......it may happen to you at the most inconvenient time or
place.

As for the tranny, most get cranky and hard to shift before they die.
Sudden, un-announced failures are few. Do happen, but not normally.

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

PSavage wrote:
>
> My '85, with 227,000 original miles & 50,000 on the
> rebuilt engine (done at 175,000 miles) had one previous
> PO.  When I bought the van nearly two years ago, the PO
> had died & except for being told about the rebuild, I inherited
> *no records.
>
> The van is so clean, inside & out, with great original paint,
> that non-Vanagon folks can't believe it's seventeen years old.
> I love my mysterious PO, who lovingly cared for this beauty
> for so long.  But I wish I could channel the PO!
>
> Since I bought my '85 I have adopted a premtive approach
> to maintenance:  swapping things as appropriate in attempt
> to avoid disaster south of the border, where I travel every
> winter for 4-5 months.
>
> I am especially concerned about my *tranny, as I have no
> idea if/when it's been rebuilt, tho it's operating fine now.
> I have fears of water pump failure on the road, since it's
> not a simple thing to swap.  The fuel pump doesn't scare
> me, since it's easy.
>
> With 50,000 miles on my rebuild, I hope my heads won't
> start leaking next winter in Mexico.  Is there a rule of thumb
> re when to look for heads to leak?  I had the coolant flushed
> last summer & used Autobahn.  I feel it's safe to assume my
> PO used correct coolant before that.  I carry Bars Leak in
> my travel kit.
>
> If the tranny starts to go bad, what are the symptoms?
> Do trannys go bad slowly?  I've got a manual tranny.
>
> Feedback, please!
> Phaedra
> '85  Westy 4-speed