Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2002 22:04:17 -0600
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1@JUNO.COM>
Subject: Friday - Raindrops falling on my head.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
The day started out as generic boredom with me planning a trip to a 50
mile distant bone yard to explore what I thought was a Porsche 914
engine.
The drive was uneventful other than periodic rain.
Upon arriving at the bone yard I requested some pricing on what they
wanted for the engine (at this point I'm still thinking its a 914 engine)
and was told I'd have to wait until the yard manager got back in twenty
minutes.
I asked if I could go on back and take some measurements.
After trudging down the gravel road I entered no mans land of shoe top
high mud laced with old radiator clamps and shock absorber bushings with
a sprinkling of small rusty fasteners on the surface.
I located the old bay Westy that contained the hidden treasure, a
complete engine, disassembled just waiting for me and my micrometers. (I
had already bought the heads, lifters, push rods three months ago).
Armed with my Tom Wilson book I located the partially rusted crankshaft
and took my measurements ............... sure enough it could be a 914
Porsche but could be a 1700/1800 cc VW just as well.
I dug through hubcaps and other non VW debris to locate the crankcase
just to discover that it was indeed a 1700/1800 cc VW engine.
I located a couple of pistons and identified them with the help of Tom to
be just generic VW parts.
Just as I finished up my measurements the rain started again and was
really pouring.
I opened the door on a neighboring BMW that still had the door glass and
waited out the storm.
Not long just about ten minutes.
I returned to the yard office to meet Peter the manager and I presented
my case to him, laying the ground work to negotiate a price for the
parts.
At this point I mainly wanted to take something home that would pay for
my 100 mile round trip to the yard.
Without much enthusiasm I asked what he wanted for the remaining engine
parts and he said $100.
I countered with the "its a rusty crank" move.
He countered with those are all new parts.
I countered with, "show me one".
He realigned his case and said ok; $80.00
I squared off with "I can get a whole engine from Tammy, next door, for
$100.00.
He said $80.00 again and I said I'd get back to him.
The drive back to Dallas was once again a wet rainy trip.
Once arriving I had some lunch and laid out a few VW parts in the garage
that needed some investigation as to which file drawer they might best be
organized in.
I keep some of my shade tree VW operation under a fabricated overhang at
the back door of the garage.
I gathered up a set of New Mahle cylinders, my honing stones and a
variable speed drill in preparation to lightly hone the cylinders for a
slight improvement in fit.
The new stones I had purchased were still in the highly secure shrink
wrapped packaging.
One quick look and I new that they would not fit my present cylinder hone
so I decided to get a few more miles out of my old stones.
I began to chuck up a cylinder in my older than Strom Therman vintage
vise.
Not a big deal, right?
Not for me, the heavy vice crank handle dropped and pinched the living
daylights out of my finger.
You can enter your own words for my two word exclamation.
Rather than be outdone by this vicious piece of manually operated
machinery I got into my spare parts and installed two fuel injection
rubber seals over the round ball knobs on the handle to keep this from
happening again, perfect fit.
Worked fine.
Still in inventory when I need them.
After a little worrying with my newly acquired blood blister I chucked up
a cylinder in the vise and went for honing solvent.
Finding none I opted for Gulf Charcoal Lighter Fluid.
After a few 1200 rpm passes I noticed that the fluid was too thin and
slinging everywhere.
I slowed the drill and noticed that the cylinder had a slight blaze
hanging on to the lower side of the cylinder and little droplets of fire
falling into my five gallon catch bucket.
Well good for me ................ I'll save that Gulf Lighter Fluid for
something else and use Marvel Mystery Oil instead.
I completed my honing process with the MMO then marked my piston arrows
with big liquid paper arrows so I wouldn't have to squint when I
installed the pistons on the rods in my next procedure.
So folks that is how you totally waste a rainy day.
Stan Wilder
________________________________________________________________
Sign Up for Juno Platinum Internet Access Today
Only $9.95 per month!
Visit www.juno.com
|