Date:         Fri, 4 Apr 2003 09:48:59 -0800
Reply-To:     Jeffrey Earl <jefferrata@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey Earl <jefferrata@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Goofy Coolant Refresh Idea
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I like this idea of perpetual replenishment.

In fact, I utilized a variation of this very concept
many years ago on a '78 Datsun B310. Rather than drain
and refill the engine oil on a specified service
interval, I made a habit of simply adding a quart
every week or so, depending on its current consumption
rate, so I never had to drain it. Often I would simply
wait until the red light and buzzer sounded, then add
3 quarts. Every year I might change the filter too.

I didn't mind carrying all these bottles of oil in the
back seat, as they helped balance the weight of the
can of gasoline I always carried back there too. See,
the car's fuel tank had a leak about an inch from the
bottom so anything more than about a half-gallon would
drip out onto the pavement while parked. I lived in
constant fear that some yahoo in a parking lot would
casually toss his cigarette butt and ignite the pool
of petrol lying beneath, sending my rusty but beloved
Datsun up in flames, so I always kept the tank nearly
empty.
Just before running an errand, I would add just the
amount of fuel needed to get me there, and no more. I
became quite adept at estimating the required number
of 'glugs' from the fuel can: 8 glugs from home to
work, for example. Six glugs from work to the bank
plus 9 glugs to the taco drive-thru place plus 4 glugs
to home = 19 glugs.

I'll try and think of some other ways in which these
methods can be applied to our Vanagons, but salt-water
exotic fish and algae blooms have no place in our
cooling systems.

Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"




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