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Date:         Fri, 30 Apr 2004 10:55:12 -0700
Reply-To:     Jim Kennedy <JK@PROJECTDESIGN.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Kennedy <JK@PROJECTDESIGN.COM>
Subject:      Great Friday Road Trip Story
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

B a c k when I drove an air cooled '70, my wife and I were heading up to Glacier Nat. Park from San Diego, when I began to experience vapor locking / chugging. Finally, in the middle of nowhere on a 2 lane Idaho road it was too bad to continue. So I removed the fuel pump, then all the screws holding the thing together. Of course it was sealed tight, and what do I carelessly do with a screwdriver? Of course, I pried it apart and successfully stabbed through the diaphragm, ruining the device. So picture the scene. I'm sitting in the open 90 degree sun with a ruined dripping fuel pump in my hands, 25 miles from the nearest town, with my wife in the front seat reading her novel thinking everything is great. This is in about 1985, before cell phones and all that. You know how it is when you feel scared and stupid at the same time. Then in a flash I had a solution. Of course I had my full tool kit and even a cordless drill (God told me to bring this when I was packing). I emptied the 1 gallon can of Coleman fuel and filled it with gasoline. I drilled a hole between the rear storage deck and the carb. Then I took my extra fuel line and did a siphon from the gas can to the carb, and propped the gas can between our bags so as not to tip over. I drove at 50 and made 25 miles to town (25 mpg+), where to my joy and surprise I purchased a new fuel pump for $20.

We still talk about that day.

Jim 87 GL San Diego


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