Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 14:53:08 -0800
Reply-To: Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Pensioner <al_knoll@PACBELL.NET>
Subject: Re: VW supplied reman. 2.1
In-Reply-To: <200701221750.l0MHoVuP016312@nlpi049.sbcis.sbc.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:02:15 -0500
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: VW supplied reman. 2.1
>>>>>
Hi Frank,
It's only a good deal if the build quality is high, and the install
done right. Not all dealers are willing or competent to work on
vanagons, either.
I winder what happens if you break down in Upper Podunk Wyoming, and
the local dealer hasn't seen a Vanagon since 1991???
<<<<
I'll second the first paragraph. However, in Upper Podunk Wyoming, a rural
agricultural area where almost any competent farmer can fix almost any
mechanical device you may not be so SOL as you might think. If something
breaks he fixes it chop-chop, he has to. The local John Deere fellers or
such can also fix almost anything mechanical. However troubleshooting why
your radio quit is not in their particular line of business nor is knowing
much about your ECU, printed circuit dash wiring or the bad smell from the
heater.
As many have graciously hinted, for those of us with 17yr old almost unique
vans, learning to fettle about successfully and understanding all the
basics, owning and reading the venerable Bentley, carrying those tools and
spares not likely to be found along your route or at your destination, along
with general repair materials to improvise, adapt and overcome is the order
of the day.
Long gone are the fine cherman mechanics who could fix anything from a
kubelwagen to a 911S using metric slip-joint pliers and old soviet submarine
parts. Now we have only Stephan, Mr. Schwaia, Fred's Garage, Black Rock
Motors and the Kombihaus and the BusFarmers, who know the ins and outs. As
the support for your ancient and crumbling conveyance continues to
evaporate, it behooves you to take the reins and learn to do what will be
necessary to keep the ride rollin' and then practice in a warm, well-lighted
place using only the tools you brought in the van as if your fixing the
failure is all that stood between you and the Jihadists.
Preventive Maintenance goes a long way towards peace of mind and infinite
understanding of your beast of burden.
Do some every month, at least LOOK at stuff and see what it looks like when
it IS working. So you can understand what it looked like before it broke.
Now JB Weld, real steel bailing wire, Cloth duct tape, hose repair tape, and
other such things as quick set epoxy are really handy. All the things you'd
need to fix a boat stranded on an unfamiliar beach, like.
Visit your loco er local recycler and get a few german wiring harnesses or
at least a bunch of wire from one or two including perhaps some connectors
and a few relays and fuses. Now you have the repair materials to fix yours.
If you modif*ckate your van by wiring in various interesting accessories
MAKE A DETAILED WIRING DIAGRAM based on the track pages in the Bentley and
clearly annotated so you can fix your modif*ckations should you have to.
Pick up a bicycle box from the local purveyor and make a foldable cardboard
"creeper" for getting out and under. I use a discarded plasticised
corrugated sign kept on top of the engine cover. Easy to slide around on
and shelters your backside from the inevitable rocks, thorns, glass and
scorpions under where your ride died. You don't expect it to go nips up in
a warm, clean, well lighted place, do you? Ask vanmanbajadan about field
maintenance and repairs in the bush.
At the very least, practice changing a tire or two. A cellphone and a
credit card only works where there is service and landline phones. Squirrel
away a few Franklins in the van just to pay for that out-in-the-tules repair
in cash. If you never venture beyond the gates of the city then you may be
able to just get by. However carry that Bentley. Even the most modest
mechanic can usually read and understand if he has a manual to do it by.
No, esmerelda, Mitchell, AllData and the like don't have very good details
on Vanagons. Get used to driving that "unique whip" and that entails. Be
humble. Owning a high maintenance lady like ours can be a humbling
experience, so get a good start.
Understand basic physics, electricity, and simple mechanics so that you can
more accurately describe the failure to someone on the list like Benny,
Frank, Mark, Dan, Karl over the phone, in the dark, in a paybooth, in the
Mojave Desert. (Mojave phonebooth, May She Rest in Peace)
Read the gospel according to Mark, Frank, BennyHuot, Dennis, Jim, and
others, there is wisdom and knowledge there. Zen and the art of Motorcycle
maintenence is a good read while you wait for the parts to arrive. Keep the
phone numbers of your local favorite mechanics in the back of the bentley
along with Ken and 1/13th and Peter and Ron and your local parts supplier.
Or you can just stay there safe and warm on the porch. The view rarely
changes.
Entropy is inevitable, the rate of entropy is up to you.