Date:         Thu, 31 May 2007 19:39:15 -0700
Reply-To:     mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mad madeline <mac10wv@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Speaking of Gas.... the long and the short of it
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Hi all,
  Tuesday am I backed my van out into the street, stopped,  and shut it down in order to put the trash can away.  (No comparison between the two intended.)  As I walked toward the rear of the van I couldn't help but notice the drip drip drip under the engine.  I rolled the van forward a couple of feet, got out, and looked.  At first glance I thought I had a whopping oil leak on a new rebuilt engine.  I poked a finger in the liquid and I didn't have to get it all the way to my nose to realize that it was gas!  This... after replacing all the gas hoses and misc. items from front to rear and thorughout.

  Upon investigation, I realized that hose on the forward sid of the nylon coupler that boldts to the firewall was the source of the leak.  The hard-to-get-to hose clamp was loose.  I unboldted the fitting enough to stick a screwdriver in and tighten it.  Moved the fire extinguisher to the front seat and stopped every so often to check.. Wallah... no more leak... all the way to work.  Then this morning, the puddle repeated itself.  Oh no!!! Mr. Bill!!

  Being dressed in a suite and with a job interview on my calendar... I looked on the internet to find a vw repair shop close to my Phoenix home ... fearing a fire before I got the van there.  I found a place called Montz VW off Thomas in Phoenx.  They agreed to fix the gas hose today.  So I dropped it off and took the bus to work... which was an interesting in and of itself... but I won't digress.

  Small shop, great service.  In their investigation they noticed we had replaced the hoses with short sections (original configuration) connected to a longer plastic hose.  Goes like this:  Fuel filter short hose to long plastic thin hose to short rubber hose to coupler to another rubber hose.. etc.  They showed me where the plastic hose diameter does not quite fit the rubber hose diameter, and how the hose clamp actually crimps the plastic hose so tight that it buckles and leaves a gap for gas to leak out of.  Newer vanagons came with a brass bushing inside the plastic hose to keep this specific problem from occuring.  They replaced the entire length, plastic and rubber, with one solid piece of rubber.

  But here's the best part:  Along the way they noticed my shifter was hard to get into first gear (started two weeks ago)... and they adjusted the linkage so it works smoothly.  And also along the way they questioned my rich running, hard to take off flat/bogging running condition.  I agree to let Mark install a new ox sensor and air box adjustment work.  ( all of which people had suggested on this list but which we just never got around to trying).  I had my doubts, but when he described how he hooked up a voltage meter to the ox sys and found it to be low... I knew he was following the Bently.  So I took a risk and agreed to let him have a try at it.

  Result?  The van runs now as good as the new Westie we bought off a delivery truck in 1985!  Talk about smooth acceleration and idle!!  Wow... no stumble, no flat spot, high energy... great stuff!

  So now after this long story on only Thursday... I have nothing to complain about on Friday!!!  Cheers to a great weekend and good vanagon adventures!!  Madeline




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