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Date:         Thu, 6 Mar 2003 22:35:19 -0800
Reply-To:     Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mark Belanger <belanger@FLUID.COM>
Organization: Fluid, Inc.
Subject:      Nice folks, or half a dozen people who didn't rip my throat out
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Pokes(and especially Michael Bertin),

There's been a lot of brown stuff flying, but the most freakishly scary part of this list are how nice the people have been. For those of you following my pig-headed pursuit distributor retribution, a good dozen people, mostly behind the scenes helped me get my van running again. I'd like to single out a few:

/Ward Smith - location unknown; wherever it is, they sell beer/ Ward spent a good part of an evening walking me through how to troubleshoot the a dead van. His guidance helped me isolate it down to the ignition system(OK, so I know the ECU is technically part of the fuel injection system, but work with me). For a novice mechanic, troubleshooting is the hardest part and the guidance was key.

/Damon Campbell - Fremont, CA/ This guy is my new hero. Sight unseen he answered my call for a loaner ECU and instead loaned me an *entire ignition and fuel injection* system to test my components with. That's how I confirmed it was the damn Hall Sender. On top of that, once I got into trouble removing that pin from the distributor shaft, he offered to help me build a tool using his company's machine shop to help get it out. On arrival, he actually wound up building the entire thing using a metal lathe and a big aluminum cylinder, which worked on the first try. He's spent quite a few hours of his time helping a complete stranger.

To the vets on the list: Damon's trying to rebuild his first engine and could use some mentoring. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. You won't be disappointed.

/Al - Sacramento, CA/ Like Damon, Al contacted me out of the blue and offered me an ECU sight unseen. Fortunately, Damon's offer saved me a trip to Sacramento, but thanks anyway, Al. Much appreciated.

/Peter of Volks Cafe - Santa Cruz, CA/ Peter had a replacement Hall Sender, but was closing an hour before I could get to his shop on a Saturday. There was no chance I'd be able to get there before the following weekend, but he agreed to leave the sender outside for me, again sight unseen, despite all the crap it could have caused him. Saved me a week. Now, don't pester him to do the same, as it was a one shot deal.

/Stan Wilder - some bunker in the Mexican desert/ Stan, who seems to have done a thing or two with the van spent a lot of time with me trying to figure out what the hell was going on with my distributor and to see if he could help me deal with the pin. He gave me a lot of good advice even though he's never *actually* seen a water-cooled distributor. Plus he cracked me up a few times.

And Stan, thanks for the tip about the firecracker. I haven't been so regular in years...

/Bruce of Tassi Auto - Daly City, CA(off list)/ Lastly, Bruce, the owner(I believe) of Tassi in Daly City spent a good thirty minutes and at least one of his staff helping me find a "bakelite" washer and seal for the shaft. Mine had completely crumbled. Yeah, that's right. He spent close to $35 in shop labor rates helping me track down a part that he charged me $1 for. Net profit to Bruce: -$34. Did I mention, I'd never spent a nickel there before? Oh, and here's the topper: he pulled it off a shop distributor because you can't get any of the parts of a distributor individually, just in whole.

There are some damn nice people on this list and who seem to drive Vanagons in general, so it's not worth getting too worked up about some throat removal.

Thanks people, -MB


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