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Date:         Sun, 22 Feb 2004 19:46:56 -0600
Reply-To:     "Warren.K.Lail-1" <wlail@OU.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Warren.K.Lail-1" <wlail@OU.EDU>
Subject:      Questions re Billy Bones
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Thanks Chris, Jason, Phil, and others, for your kind words of support at this critical time! We've had four days of great weather here in central Oklahoma, so I've been taking advantage of it! I got up this morning and found in the archives how to replace those short stubby sections of hose on the fuel injectors and so now the entire fuel injector rack is ready to install. I used those little AMA Swedish clamps and they seem to work fine (got them for .70 each at Volks Cafe). I cleaned up my injectors as best I could (soaked them in parts cleaner, then shook'em out real pretty-like, and hit the contacts with WD40. Hope this was okay.

Around about noon, my old buddy Lizzo showed up and we raised Ole Billy's 'art and guts back up in to his belly. He didn't squirm a bit. Bolted everything up, connected all of the water pipes and tomorrow after work we will begin to connect the exhaust system. I hope to replace the exhaust system soon, but for now I'm going to go with what I have.

Questions: 1. I replaced the fuel lines that come from the injectors and cross and meet in the middle of the engine. The old lines had what appeared to be heat shielding on them. It's old, yellow, and brittle, and definitely not a look I'm trying to achieve with my new engine. So I want to know whether these sleeves/shields are critical. If so, does anyone know where I can purchase new ones for a reasonable price.

2. I'll be putting fluids in ole Billy's veins within a day or two. I've purchased a phosphate free ethlyne glycol (2 gallons) and intend to run that for about 500 miles or so (to make sure nothing's leaking) and then change it out and use the VW stuff. I've bled my system before, but never from absolute bone dry. Suggestions appreciated. I've heard there are places where bubbles can form and cause problems. Should I return the stuff from FLAPS and just run the VW stuff from the outset?

3. I would like to run synthetic oil in Billy but I've heard that I ought to run traditional lube in my new engine until it is broken in (apparently to allow the rings to seat properly). If this is true, what kind and for how many miles? After the break in period, what is a good synthetic brand to run? I plan to change the oil every 500 miles for the first 2000 miles, but if I'm running synthetic, how often should the oil be changed (with normal 20W50 I change every 3,000 miles)?

4. I've been trying to find a tranny I could afford, but for now ole Billy's got to dance with the gears that brung' him. I wish I had thought about this before reinstalling the tranny, but now I want to try that Redline MT90 (I can't find it at my FLAPS - anyone know a good source?). How hard is it to fully drain the tranny now that it's installed and are there any tricks involved?

5. Billy's power steering pump is leaking and I'm thinking now may be a good time to replace it (I'm thinking of robbing the nice dry pump off of my 87 GL). Is the PS system pressurized (my buddy Lizzo thinks it is)? If I crack that system, does it have to be bled? If so, how?

6. How could I have lost or misplaced so dang many bolts, nuts, and washers?

Billy Bones' sez he knows his anchor's still draggin' bottom, but he wants to thank ye all kindly fer all yer ad-vice n' such tryin' to help him get his sea legs again.

More questions to come, guaranteed.

Warren 88 Westy "Billy Bones" (in dry dock) 87 GL


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