Date:         Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:57:03 -0500
Reply-To:     Pete O <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Pete O <pnoceanwesty@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Busted Down Near Tekonsha, Michigan
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

The plan was to take JoesVan to In Laws in Saginaw for Thanksgiving, then
head down to our friends house in Albion for a weekend gathering and sleep
in the bus.  Stayed on two lanes for 1st 90 miles, then pulled onto 69 near
Tekonsha and much to my horror, saw crazy blue/white smoke billowing out
behind in the headlights of the truck behind.

(Don't you love those "pucker" moments?) Pulled over immediately and after
much crawling around under with 80 mph traffic whizzing by, determined the
Transmission was leaking onto the hot exhaust again.  First thought was,
"thank God it's not the motor loosing coolant!"  This trans oil leaking
happened two winters ago in the cold and I had a professional trans garage
reseal all gaskets and rings,  They used a full kit. We have been on the 4
and 5 hour drives with not a drop leaking both summers since then.  So, we
called AAA and went home on a hook with a very nice flatbed driver. The
good part was we had gone just 95 miles and thus saved the $3.75 per mile
overage fee.  AAA is good, but that one hefty fine for going over 100!

Question for those in the know:  What would cause these new seals to fail?
I assumed when it happened before, it was age related.  Do you think the
transmission or transaxle is generating heat somehow and causing the seals
to compromise? It was shifting and driving normally up to the point I saw
the smoke.   I have not had a good look yet in the barn, so don't know
exactly where it is leaking from - it seemed like there was more on the
driver side that the other.

Thanks for any thoughts/info and Happy Thanksgiving to all our bus brothers
and sisters!  We are off to Grandma's house in the Ford Taurus.

Pete
'79 Westy "Aardvark"
'87 Westy "JoesVan"
WWW.Busesbythebeach.org <http://WWW.Busesbythebeach.com>