Date:         Sun, 23 May 2004 23:13:15 -0400
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Price of too many vehicles
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

So today, being a lovely hot day, with the 17 year cicadas booming
loudly enough to wake me from a solid night's sleep, I decided to
finally get around to the other maintenance items on my Vanagons.

First off was to replace the skylight I had scraped up with a new one I
got from The Bus Depot. Hmm, interesting thing here was that the
original(!?) was thicker, but not two layered. it also was tinted a
little less than the replacement. After nearly burning my naked feet on
the asphalt (did I mention it was blazing hot?) I finally put shoes on
to complete the job (after copious amounts of fluid replacements.) A
nice clear skylight.

Then I cleaned the dust off the engine (finally got that done 2 weeks
after Syncro de Mayo Este) and tuned up the AC. Then I vacuumed the rug
and finished cleaning the rest of the little bits of debris out of the
Westy.

Then I got out my hammer and started tweaking a bump at the rear hatch
(something I inherited from the previous owner). It was an odd bump in
that it was in the hatch OPENING, not the actual hatch. Not a big
deal...until I ran on the dusty fireroads of the GeorgeWashington
National Forest and sucked in a bunch of dust through that minor little
bump. It's much better now.

Next was the GoldBrick. Time to change the oil on this Syncro. Got down
with my trusty 13mm socket and looked up at an unfamiliar underside.
Blimey. I've been working on the Westy so much recently I'd forgotten I
had aTiico engine in the GoldBrick. Okay, back to the tool bin to get a
17mm wrench for the Tiico's oil drain plug.

Then I got some engine cleaner and cleaned up some of my boo-boos of
the past, making for a nice clean engine compartment. Tweaked the AC
here a bit too (topping off the HC-12a freon that I use) so that the AC
is nice and cold. Added a bit of water (have to change the coolant
another weekend).

One more service call on the Westy (to fix a torn CV boot), and it will
be ready for the next outing (right in time for Memorial Day. )