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Date:         Sat, 5 Feb 2005 05:53:04 -0600
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <maxjoyce@IPA.NET>
Subject:      Re: What I'd like to see in a Vanagon...
Comments: To: Hans Achter <hansachter@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <BAY19-DAV13CDDAC1D4986108944E74D2700@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

I carry a large Contico storage box in my 90 GL that has most of the spare parts, motor oil etc I would need for an emergency. I also carry a 1 gal. metal can of Coleman camp fuel in there along with the antifreeze, brake fluid etc. Since most camp folk carry some of this on camping trips in their vans, I don't see the harm in carrying the full gallon(would never carry a partial can due to othe vapors waiting to explode) and I have used the can on a dozen or so occasions since 1997. I will pour the can in with a partial tank of gas if I go a year without using the existing can to rotate the stock. I also carry a Chevron Techron(fuel injector cleaner) bottle with the bottom cut out to use as a funnel as when you run the tank dry, you don't need to spill a drop!! This will get you another 15-20 miles, depending on conditions. The Coleman fuel burns just fine in an emergency situation and someone once told me that the octane level of the white gas was around 104, but I'm no chemical engineer to dispute or confirm that. The last time I had to use it, the engine did knock a little under load, but that may have been due to using the Wal Mart brand gas and not the Coleman. Could also have been borderline on age too.

If you do run the tank really dry(as opposed to shutting it off at the first hint of stumbling) and after getting the gallon in the tank, you have trouble starting it,I have found that releasing the pressure in the fuel rail with that 7 mm stainless bolt back by the distributor will bleed the system of the air pumped in by the empty fuel pump. You should wear eye protection(or at least be careful when doing this) and have a rag to catch what little fuel or mist will come out. Fires back there don't improve the situation one bit!! Be careful if you totally remove that tiny bolt as if it drops in to a small cavity back there, it's not magnetic and a rear bear to retrieve. Not a bad idea to keep a spare in the tool box just in case.

DM&FS

At 05:19 PM 2/4/2005, Hans Achter wrote: >That's a novel idea, but I might have a better one... >I always carry three or four bottles of gas-line water remover (Heet or >Christy or the like) under >the back seat. They just contain alcohol, methanol or isopropyl >usually. If I know I'm not going >to make it or at the first sign of hesitation I shut off the van and pull >over and dump them all >into the gas tank. I've used that trick several times to get 5 or 10 >miles more. You have to dump >them in when there is a little fuel left in the tank - the engine has >trouble running on it >straight. >It's much better than carrying a can of gasoline because the narrow >bottles store easily, don't >leak, they are pretty safe, are fairly cheap, and it doesn't seem to >degrade like gasoline even a >year or more of storage. >I guess it gets all the water out of the tank to boot! >-Hans > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "No Name Available" <Trvlr2001@AOL.COM> >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> >Sent: Friday, February 04, 2005 3:27 PM >Subject: What I'd like to see in a Vanagon... > > >Well folks, >I just spent the last hour walking to a gas station. >Not much fun, >Especially when I had a substantial amount of cash in my pockets ! >Is there any way we can hook up a couple >of high voltage wire to the drivers seat, >that would shock the s*** out of me, >so I would pull over & get some gas???? :o) >seriously, how about a light first, then a buzzer??? >How could we fix this up? >thanks all, >John C. >SLC, UT.. >85 Westy >90 bad bus !@!1$%$^@$#%^&


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