Date:         Fri, 19 Jul 2002 00:32:12 -0400
Reply-To:     Tracey <boatshop@INTERCOM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tracey <boatshop@INTERCOM.NET>
Subject:      Update on Power Steering Boot SNAFU
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Well we didn't meet our deadline to have our new '85 Westy state inspected prior to our trip to Maine(from MD). The hold-up was with the power steering boots. I had posted a message to the list las week explaining how I had received 2 sets of boots from a local VW shop, neither of which were the same as the ones that needed replacing. Well we drove our reliable '93 Honda Civic up north and took our vacation anyway...stopping along the way at a small VW shop in rural Maine. Just out of curiosity we wanted to ask the mechanics if they had any PS boots from a  *rabbit*..my husband noticed that the ones from our Westy looked alot like those on one of his old Rabbits'. True enough..they were similar to the Rabbit PS boots, but were even more similar to those on a  newer Jetta. Hmmmm..so anyway , the nice mechanic informed us that the repalcement boots for the '85 Westy neeed a rubber GROMMET that fits into the small end of the boot, thus adapting it to the even smaller tie rod diameter.( Our original boot did not need this, it was made small enough)...and these grommets are not available from a dealer or FLAPS, as they only come with new tie rods.Since we don't need new tie rods, we had no way of knowing this. The mechanic gave us 2 of the grommets from some tie rods he had (no charge!) laying around. 
So now we can finish the rebuild fo that PS rack and put fresh boots on for our MD state inspection. Wish us luck!