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Date:         Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:38:41 -0500
Reply-To:     Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Rubber...Our best friend...Our worst enemy
Comments: To: Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net>
In-Reply-To:  <0b7e01ca803f$8e1f9590$aa5ec0b0$@net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I agree completely -- I have my van inspected every year for stuff like this. My injunction to the mechanic is: "if you have any doubt about a hose or belt replcae it -- I also have every clamp checked for tightness." Having said that I will note that I carry a spare alternator belt (you can get that rock that flies up and cuts your belt) -- also carry a sort of hose patch kit (a number of pipe clamps and a section of slit hose that I could probably make work for most hoses in a beside the road emergency). Of course since I took this approach I haven't been at the side of the road -- knocking on wood.

You ariplane analogy is an excellent one :-)

Cheers, Doug

On Fri, Dec 18, 2009 at 7:09 PM, Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote: > Richard, > > This is a classic example of a "plan to fail" approach that most of us fall > into. > > I also used to carry around parts most likely to fail. I'd keep spare belts, > coolant hoses, ignition parts, a coil, etc, etc until I realized one day > that I was planning to fail instead of maintaining so that my machines don't > fail. > > So, I went a complete different way. I routinely inspect wear items like > brake pads & such. I change out my brake fluid every 6 months. I replace > belts & hoses when they start to show wear or at 2 year intervals, whichever > come first. I find out what hard parts are likely to fail with age and I go > ahead and replace them at reasonable intervals. > > I no longer carry around tool boxes or spare parts - I don't need them. I'll > even drive my 77 Corvette across country without tools - I don't need them. > > I've done this for 15 years now and yes I've had breakdowns - 4 of them. But > all 4 were catastrophic failures that I could not fix on the side of the > road anyways. > > Oh, and I drive 40K - 50K miles a year. > > > Another way to look at this is - airplanes don't carry around spare > parts...... > > > Thanks, > Tom Hargrave > 256-656-1924 > > Our Web Sites: > www.kegkits.com > www.stir-plate.com > www.andyshotsauce.com > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of > Richard A Jones > Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 5:24 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Rubber...Our best friend...Our worst enemy > >> btw......the hoses that wear the most are the ones that get the hottest - >> usually ones on top of the engine. > > Soon after I got my '87 Syncro in 2001, I asked my mechanic about > replacing hoses.  He has many years of experience with many > Vanagons, and he commented that there were four hoses that > were the most common to fail.  I put spares of those four on > board and drove for years until a hose started spewing coolant > at Syncro Safari '08.  It was one of those four. > > I'd look up which four and give part numbers but my Syncro > is at the mechanic's getting a bunch of new hoses--connected > to a Subaru 2.5 engine.  ;-) > > Richard >

-- http://www.dougalcock.com


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