Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Thu, 30 Sep 2010 12:17:09 -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: Always Look Under a Bus!
Comments: To: "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

the lesson of course is to check fuel hose clamps once in a while for tightness.

and also, generally , on *any* hose clamp on any sort of hose, after a number of warm-up-cool-down cycles...the clamps can use a little bit of tightening more.

the best fuel injection hose clamps in my opinion are the band type with a screw ( not like the typical screw hose clamp, where a worm gear tightens on teeth on the part that goes around the hose, not that kind ) ..

so band clamp with a side screw .. the come in plated metal and stainless. think I saw the stainless ones on BD .. these are as used on mercedes and other fine euro cars.

personally, I do not like the crimp type clamps. I want everything to be real easy to work on ....and 'work-on-able' .. for troubleshooting .. I want to be able to undo fuel hoses, check whatnot, but it back together etc. without have a 'one-time' hose clamp that has to be cut off, then tossed in land fill or metal recycling.

I want one I can undo, then re-use forever. band clamps are smooth on the underside, don't cut into the hose covering etc.

fwiw, I have seen a vanagon running just fine without a hose clamp on a fuel injection hose before... just old and hard fuel hose that was stuck on there well enough not to leak.

glad you found that fuel coming out of there ~!

oh, here's a tip.. every time you shut off the van and get out ...walk back and sniff in the left upper rear air intake .. if there's coolant leaking, or rubber burning, or leaking fuel... very likely you'll smell it right there in that vent. ( the right side is blocked off somewhat of course, but not the left one )

another ....whenever returning to your van , as you approach ..look for fluids underneath it.

get this, I got a super fine zero rust , non-dented 87 GL with rebuilt 2.1 engine underneath the burnt top-engine parts, rebuilt trans, all kinds of great goodies ...with engine fire for 500 bucks... and ....they guy had pulled into a coin car wash .. noticed light smoke tendrils coming out of the right upper air vent .. justified in his mind that it must not really mean anything, and drove off. Shortly thereafter ....hole crap the back end of the van is on fire !!

*so many* vehicular fires are preventable. They all are actually. And this guy had the writing on the wall ...what is there to not notice that might be bad about smoke coming from the engine area ????

the other trick is getting them out fast. I've gotten at least 3 or 4 engine fires on vehicles out in the first 20 seconds, or less even. Five minutes later its often too late. Scott www.turbovans.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter T. Owsianowski" <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2010 4:53 AM Subject: Always Look Under a Bus!

> Nothing like a Vanagon to keep you humble and alert. > > Fired up JoesVan last night in the barn in prep for Buses by the Beach Bus > Boo this weekend. Brought it down from the barn, idling in the driveway - > thought: Mmm...smells a little rich. Went in the house to get wallet to > go > fill up the tank. Looked underneath on way back to driver's seat and OMG! > Fuel pouring out of left side of motor , vaporizing on now hot exhuast!. > Shut it off right away and pulled out all the bedding and hatch. > Thankfully, found out quickly the screw from left fuel rail clamp had > backed > out making the clamp loose on the hose. Cleaned up and tightened up all > fuel hose clamps, then went in and did a search for good hose clamps and > found some crimp style for sale on the Samba. When we did the rebuild > over > the winter we used cheaper ratchet types - knowing they cut into the hose > after a while and were not as good as original. Didn't think they got so > loose so quickly, though. > > Question - what are the best clamps to use on the stock 2.1 fuel clamps? > Any > good alternatives like the one one the Samba? > http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=693850 > > > > The bus keeps you alert! > > > Pete > '79 Westy "Aardvark" > '87 Westy "JoesVan" > WWW.Busesbythebeach.com


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