Date:         Thu, 17 Apr 2003 09:19:17 -0400
Reply-To:     Mike Collum <collum@MFX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Collum <collum@MFX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Essential Tools

<snip>
awwwww........would'nt you know it...........last year after driving
hours thru the desert of baja, my van broke down just as i reached a
town.......and right across from a mech shop too......once in a life
time expereince says me............just like hitting a
jackpot..............james
<snip>

That's like hitting the big one in the lottery, for sure!!

The only time I considered using a shop was on  a trip (yep ... 1300
miles from home) with 4 passengers when I blew the tiny coolant hose on
the pipe from the right head to the water pump.  I replaced the little
hose only to find (later) that I had also cracked a head.  Anyway, I had
a chronic overheating problem.  After about a hundred miles of going
only 10 miles, overheating, waiting for it to cool,  I learned of a good
Vanagon mech only 56 miles from where I was, but after getting there,
found him to be so busy that he couldn't see me for two weeks.

Rather than leave the van and try to figure out how to get the 5 of us
home, I decided to nurse the van back to the house where I had the time
and tools (didn't have 'em all with me that trip, anyway).

What I had to do, in order to go any distance at all, was loosen the
bleeder bolt at the radiator so I had a constant bleed of combustion
gasses and coolant.  That way I could go about 30 miles before I got the
"Low Coolant" alarm (but no overheating).  Soooo ..... every 30 miles
for the 1300 mile trip I had to stop and top off the expansion tank.  I
was using 4 anti freeze jugs that I refilled with water at rest stops.
I got pretty good at it by the time I got home.  I can also tell you
about EVERY rest stop along the entire route!

Mike

'84 GL 7 pass auto
'85 GL Westy 4 speed