Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 08:45:10 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Gas pedal push rod comes unseated
In-Reply-To: <005101ca446c$beb721f0$6401a8c0@PROSPERITY>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the nice overview of the sitch, and the adviso to keep the
moving bits in the linkage lubed and clean.
The bottom of my stabilization boot is as flat and featureless as the
underside of a steam iron. And it's so large that there is no way it could
hook under the gas pedal -- the brake pedal and heater housing on the
sides keep it from sliding far enough either way to grab an edge. The only
explanation that explains how the pedal got lifted off the push rod is
that the boot froze to the pedal.
I think I enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime event.
It's snowing today, two inches so far. I have some errands to run. But if
the pedal comes off again, I'll know why.
It's going to be interesting walking on snow in a plastic boot with a flat
smooth sole. If I'm not back by dinnertime, send out a search party. I may
seek refuge in a warm pub.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
On 10/3/2009 2:01 PM Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> I experience that rod becoming disconnect from the gas pedal, once in a
> great while, on vans here and there, and I just put it back, and it's no
> big deal at all - not like it's a chronic problem or especially weak
> area at all.
>
> I also suspect that many vanagons throttle cable systems, and that bell
> crank underneath the floor .....don't get cleaned/lubed enough.
> Drag builds up slowly over time .......like where the cable slides
> through the forward white plastic tube. If that has old whatever in it,
> or moisture......
> removing the cable, blowing out the tube with compressed air, then
> adding a nice lube putting the cable back in ......
> and some spray lube to the bell crank area ........that all helps to
> keep the thing working.
>
> I suspect the ski boot just caught the gas pedal wrong, is all that
> really happened.
> On both shift linkage and throttle cable..............cleaning and
> lubing and just 'psychic healing' it throughout, .....can be really
> nice, and make you realize how sticky/gummy they've been all this time.
>
> a particular warning on automatic transmission vanagons .
> The aft end of the throttle cable goes onto a ball pivot on the
> transmission lever - right where you can hardly get at it, or even see
> it really clearly - hoses, pipes, and stuff jammed all around that area
> up in there - but if that ball pivot gets rusty .........I've seen it
> keep the transmission from shifting up properly, or consistently
> ......at least shoot a quality spray lube up in there to that ball pivot.
>
> just wantin' to keep 'me running as smoothly, safetly, and reliably as
> is reasonably possible - and a shot of lube doesn't take but a half
> second to apply often.
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rocket J Squirrel"
> <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 1:17 PM
> Subject: Re: Gas pedal push rod comes unseated
>
>
>> Oh, okay, that's the push rod that I referenced as shown on Bentleys
>> 20.31
>> in my OP. It had somehow pulled out of the plastic horns/groove on the
>> underside of the gas pedal. The 90-degree portion on the right side of
>> the
>> Van Cafe photo is the bit that snaps into the pedal. And you've had
>> trouble with the other end, which goes into a hole on the part called the
>> Relay Lever in Bentleys.
>>
>> My van is at 80,000 miles so I would not expect the teat/barb at the
>> lower
>> end of the push rod to be as worn away as yours. And when the upper
>> end is
>> pushed into its home on the underside of the pedal it snaps in quite
>> firmly. I can't see any way that frozen water in the linkage could
>> separate the two, since the pedal isn't trying very hard to pull upward
>> away from the push rod.
>>
>> But -- now here's an odd thought -- maybe some liquid water on the bottom
>> of my stability boot froze to the pedal and when I lifted my foot to
>> apply
>> brakes when going through a roundabout, I pulled that pedal right off the
>> push rod. My foot had been on the pedal for about a minute prior to
>> hitting the roundabout.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
>> Bend, OR
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/3/2009 12:52 PM miguel pacheco wrote:
>>
>>> Michael, here is the link to the VanCafe's picture :
>>>
>>> http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_794_1397/accelerator_pedal_linkage___linkage_rod.html
>>>
>>> On the picture, you can barely tell, all the way on the left, how it
>>> should be shaped............
>>> Miguel
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 1:48 PM, miguel pacheco
>>> <mundopacheco@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Michael, I'm not anywhere near my Bentley, but I can look later. As I
>>>> recall, the vertical link that drops from above, has one 90 degree
>>>> bend at it's lower end (I realize it has another on the other end, but
>>>> this is what is actually visible, beneath floorboard.) It should have
>>>> that barb, almost at its end. Without it, you should be able to reach
>>>> up there and without too much resistance, pull it right out of the
>>>> linkage. I'm going by fuzzy memory here, but I think I'm close
>>>> enough.......
>>>> Miguel
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 1:38 PM, Rocket J Squirrel
>>>> <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> Hi Miguel,
>>>>>
>>>>> My accelerator linkage is usually a bit sticky when I first press
>>>>> on it,
>>>>> I've been thinking about getting some bits refreshed.
>>>>>
>>>>> That "teat/barb" thing that you had trouble with -- does it appear
>>>>> on page
>>>>> 20.31 in Bentley's so I can see what you're referring to?
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>>>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
>>>>> Bend, OR
>>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 10/3/2009 12:28 PM miguel pacheco wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Michael, maybe you had the classic freezing of a tiny bit of water
>>>>>> within the accelerator cable conduit. This usually happens the first
>>>>>> time you push the pedal and I realize you had already driven some
>>>>>> distance, but I'm just saying.
>>>>>> Your linkage may be worn and needs replaced. I did 350K miles on my
>>>>>> first Syncro.....at 300K, the little teat/barb that keeps it all
>>>>>> together, under there, wore away enough that it would not stay
>>>>>> together any longer. At that time I had a parts van and was able
>>>>>> to do
>>>>>> a quick swap. I just discussed this with a fellow Vanagonaut, and he
>>>>>> mentioned that he purchased all these bits, new, from VanCafe, though
>>>>>> I have not substantiated it yet. If it is available, new, I would do
>>>>>> it. This is one of those things that will make your life miserable,
>>>>>> I'm sure you know.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Miguel
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sat, Oct 3, 2009 at 1:09 PM, Rocket J Squirrel
>>>>>> <camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>> On 10/3/2009 11:32 AM Stephen Grisanti wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Same thing happened to me about a year ago on the city's
>>>>>>>> six-lane main
>>>>>>>> drag. [...] Â Never felt anything suspicious leading up to it
>>>>>>>> and never
>>>>>>>> found a reason for the pushrod to have come loose and it hasn't
>>>>>>>> happened
>>>>>>>> again. Â Various Vanagon parts just letting us know they're
>>>>>>>> there, I
>>>>>>>> reckon.
>>>>>>> Yeah, that's probably as good an explanation as we can expect.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Because I checked out Karl's suggestion. The rivets have not come
>>>>>>> loose
>>>>>>> at
>>>>>>> the front of the pedal, the thing has no side-to-side
>>>>>>> wiggleability. And
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> cannot think of any way that the smooth flat plastic bottom of this
>>>>>>> stability boot, the sole of which is a rectangle with rounded
>>>>>>> corners,
>>>>>>> about 5'' wide and 13'' long, could have glommed onto the pedal and
>>>>>>> lifted
>>>>>>> it off the pushrod.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Antigravity or something.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>>>>>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano,
>>>>>>> Calif.)
>>>>>>> Bend, OR
>>>>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>>>>
>>>
>
>
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