Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:02:14 -0500
Reply-To: Jarrett Kupcinski <kpcnsk@SPRYNET.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jarrett Kupcinski <kpcnsk@SPRYNET.COM>
Subject: Re: bill of materials needed-r&r fuel tank hoses and seals
In-Reply-To: <20060820060113.54622.qmail@web56503.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
I know the situation you're in, and while the advice to replace all
the fuel-line related stuff before hand is the safest (as you know),
it's not necessarily practical, given your situation. (Of course a
fuel-fire isn't practical either, but we'll ignore that, shall we?)
If you're willing to risk it (and it sounds like you are), here's
what I'd do:
1. Order the necessary parts from your favorite vendor, and have
them shipped to your future address.
2. Forget the official bill of materials. You won't find the
specialized parts except at a dealer or good VW mechanic, so you'll
have to improvise if those aren't handy. Get under your van (with
Mr. Bentley, if possible) for an hour and identify your trouble
spots. Look carefully. Evaluate each section of the fuel system and
decide whether it can make the trip as-is.
3. Go to your FLAPS and buy the closest substitutes you can for the
hoses, plus enough hose clamps to do the job. Forget trying to find
the grommets. Get some appropriate RTV while you're at the FLAPS in
case you've got to make a temporary repair to an existing one.
4. Go to Walmart and buy a new fire extinguisher. Hell, it's
gasoline. Buy two, they're cheap.
5. Go home and reflect on what you're doing. Know that since you're
not fixing it right, it could go horribly wrong. If you're still
determined, go to the next step.
6. Drop the tank, and prepare to be discouraged. It's probably
worse than you think it is. A job with all the right parts and tools
should take a decent home mechanic about 3-4 hours. Give yourself
5-6 hours, since you'll have to think about the best ways to address
each problem. Take your time. Fix each problem to the best of your
ability as if your life depended on it. It does.
7. Promise yourself, your van, your god(s), and anyone traveling
with you that you're going to fix it right AS SOON AS YOU ARRIVE in
your new home.
8. Go online to somewhere like roadhaus.com and look up all the VW
mechanics between your start and destination. If you're aircooled,
look on AIRS for people who might be able to help. Put these lists
in a safe place to take with you.
9. On your trip travel safely and attentively. If anything seems
amiss, stop immediately and check it out. Don't push your luck.
10. Arrive safely and fix the problem with the new parts that are
waiting for you.
On Aug 20, 2006, at 1:01 AM, nick greenaway wrote:
> i think its a chance i can take, as i plan on two 600 mi. days (san
> antonio on the first day, biloxi on the second) as well as two
> shorter days afterward, i dont plan on spending much time hangin out
> at stuckeys :) really, though, i dont have time for parts to arrive.
> the repair has to be done as of wednesday, thursday morning i turn in
> my keys to the house, so its a case of having to make do with what i
> got.
>
> n.
> --- Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM> wrote:
>
>> And you'll be ok with it driving cross-country like that? What
>> happens if
>> your 'repair' goes south on you in Hindend Nebraska, or some doofus
>> flicks a
>> butt under your van in the parking lot of a Stuckey's?
>> It's a gas leak. Fix it.
>>
>> Robert
>> (p.s.: grab me a pecan log while you're in there)
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "nick greenaway" <ngreenaway@YAHOO.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2006 9:48 PM
>> Subject: Re: bill of materials needed-r&r fuel tank hoses and seals
>>
>>
>>> ok, if its so specialized, the parts; maybe i have to shadetree
>>> engineer it. maybe a tube or two of RTV would hold the gas in
>> till i
>>> have a mailing address long enough to order the real parts i
>> need?
>>> nick
>>>
>>> --- Old Volks Home <oldvolkshome@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Good Luck. Many of the pieces necessary are specialized items,
>>>> like the
>>>> grommets, plastic crossoverpipe, etc., which are DEFINITELY NOT
>>>> available
>>>> from the FLAPS like Autozone, Checkers, Kragens, Carquest,
>>>> O'Reilleys......Even the filler seal is only available from the
>>>> dealer or
>>>> the list vendors like Bus Depot, Vanagain, Van Cafe, etc. And
>> the
>>>> dealer
>>>> does not stock any of this stuff anymore, it's only special
>> order,
>>>> with as
>>>> long as a week for it to come depending on which regional
>> warehouse
>>>> it comes
>>>> from.
>>>>
>>>> You may have to suck it up and call one of the list vendors on
>>>> Monday to get
>>>> a next day or 2 day shipment to El Paso if you wanna "get 'r'
>> done"
>>>> before
>>>> Thursday.
>>>>
>>>> You may be able to get the correct sized hoses from yer local
>>>> vee-dub supply
>>>> house. Most of them are 5mm ID hoses, the same that are used on
>>>> carb model
>>>> bugs and buses, about 3 foot worth.
>>>>
>>>> Have a floor jack handy to lower the tank down and follow the
>> rest
>>>> of the
>>>> procedures in the archives. It's about a 3 or 4 hour job
>> depending
>>>> yer
>>>> skills. I spent the weekend taking my time on mine because I
>> had
>>>> other
>>>> stuff to do while performing this outa many other maintenance
>> tasks
>>>> on
>>>> mine. Whatever you do, don't rush the job.
>>>> --
>>>> Jim Thompson
>>>> 84 Westfalia 2.1 "Ole Putt"
>>>> 73 K Ghia Coupe "Denise"
>>>> 72 411 Station Wagon "Pug"
>>>> oldvolkshome@gmail.com
>>>> http://www.oldvolkshome.com
>>>> **********************************
>>>> On 8/19/06, nick greenaway <ngreenaway@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> id be more than happy to support a vendor who takes time to
>>>> support
>>>>> the list(actually, id prefer to), however thursday is my last
>> day
>>>> in
>>>>> el paso(hopefully, never to return!). nonetheless, i dont have
>>>> time
>>>>> to wait for something to arrive by mail, so i have to know
>> what
>>>> to
>>>>> scrounge up locally(the movers will be here monday so that day
>> is
>>>>> shot when it comes to wrenchin and scroungin). the local
>> veedub
>>>> shop
>>>>> closes at 5, but other than the filler seal, i imagine
>> everything
>>>>> else should be obtainable at autozone or somewhere like that
>>>>> thanx
>>>>> nick
>>>>>
>>>>> --- Robert Fisher <refisher@MCHSI.COM> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> The list vendors sell a kit for this job. The archives have
>> all
>>>> the
>>>>>> info you
>>>>>> need.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Robert
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
>
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