Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:07:41 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Dot 3 brake fluid question-Now Brake Fade
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I shift between 2nd and 3rd manually on my auto trans 85 Wolfsburg Weekender
all the time.
Wouldn't drive it any other way.
there is not a whole lot of harm that can come from downshifting it
manually.
and............since we're sharing stories...I was in a big RV one time with
about 10 people on board, and ..........the shift linkage was adjusted
incorrectly so it couldn't get first, or lowest gear. We headed down a
steep narrow mountain road.......probably in 2nd, with an automatic, going
about 25 to 30.
Before not too long ..........the driver said he couldn't get it slowed down
enough ...............we pulled into a turn out at about 4 mph and I jumped
out and threw a log piece that was right there in front of a front
tire........and that didn't do anything. I jumped back on thinking I should
stay with the thing and I could do the most good there. About another 400
feet down the road there was a small dirt road going up into a logging
clearing..........and we got it stopped. That was close actually.
It was a narrow winding steep road.........and a big ole heavy thing like
that..............it would have to just crash off the side of a turn, were
it not for that logging spot we pulled up into that was luckily right there
when we needed.
I adjusted the shift linkage so 1st could be gotten, and after a cool off
period, we proceeded without incident.
here's one of my sayings about car accidents.....
they are ALL preventable............whether it's stupid driving, dumb car
design, or poorly engineered or not well maintained road ...........all
accidents are preventable. The only ones I'll say are not preventable (
beside staying at home or in bed ) or a meteor falling and hitting your car
, or perhaps an overpass collapsing from an earthquake. But all the
rest........even a terrorist attack.......they are all human actions that
could have been done differently.
But all normal accidents are totally preventable.
Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: "J Stewart" <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: Dot 3 brake fluid question-Now Brake Fade
>>>...A person would have to be clueless or dense to get heavily into
>>>serious
> brake fade...<<
>
> I drive in the Smoky Mountains quite a bit, and it's my experience
> that there are plenty of cluless people out there- you can smell them.
> <EG> They're often seen parked in the turnouts staring at a smoking
> wheel.
>
>
>
> Ahhh, yes, reminds of the one and only time I have experienced it. It was
> back in 2002, had just bought my first Vanagon Westy, an '84 with an
> automatic, and I bought it on Ebay. Had to go from Virginia to Lancaster
> Ohio to pick it up. After meeting the seller and going to the DMV to
> transfer the title and get temporary plates, the seller then tells he had
> rebuilt the trans himself-his first time ever working on a transmission.
> From Lancaster I went down and picked up Rte. 50 heading east to Virginia,
> which of course took me through West Virginia. In West Virginia I
> encountered some pretty steep grades, and in a vehicle I knew and trusted
> I would have downshifted to use engine braking, but I was afraid to
> manually shift this trans after he told me he had rebuilt it. I could just
> picture ATF all over the highway with parts falling off. Had to ride the
> brakes more than I would have liked to. Made it home, though, and the
> trans never did give me any problems-just about everything else
> did, but not the trans! Jeff
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