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Date:         Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:47:54 -0600
Reply-To:     "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\"" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      In Missoula, overfilled oil
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

My trust in Steve's Place in Bend, Ore., just went down a whole bunch. Last night, when I was unhooking the Westralia from the van, I noticed the safety chain was oily. The dipstick revealed that the chimps had overfilled the oil when they changed it last week.

I've heard here that overfilling is a Bad Thing (1.9l).

I'm tempted to just leave it as is so when I return I can take it back to them and demonstrate the problem, get them to take some out, and clean the mess up.

Should I? Could I?

The van has done a great job pulling me up and down some amazing grades, with no hot temps and no oil warning light.

If the most sensible thing is to get the excess out, my options are:

1. Buy the requisite tools and clamber under the van to do it. Recalling that I don't enjoy getting under the thing and don't have the tools, I'd need: (A) a pep talk, (B) a list of required tools and supplies, and (C) a brief description of procedure. This is a 1.9l engine.

I used to change the oil in my 71 bus every 3,000 miles, and there were crushable washers, a gasket, and two sizes of wrenches needed. And I don't know how I would have just dumped a small amount of oil unless I just let the downpour soak my hand when I reached back up to plug the leak. Hints?

or,

2. Find a good shop here in Missoula. Anyone have a strong recommendation for some non-chimps in Missoula?

The cabin doesn't have Internet, I'll check the list every so often the next few days when I get into town.

Thanks, all.

Oh -- the lesson here is if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. Unless you're as unskilled as I am, in which case it's a coin-toss. -- Rocky J Squirrel 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Bend, OR KG6RCR


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