Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:08:09 -0500
Reply-To: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fuel pump folly (little Vanagon content)
In-Reply-To: <1C3DEBA9-BC8D-4BDC-A1F6-5B0A2275B6E6@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
No, that was long long ago, when I used to buy them by the pair to have a
spare to cannibalize. But those two toned (country and city) horns were the
most reliable things on the car. I did like the hand crank to start the
engine and doubled as the lug wrench and jack handle (or tripled I should
say.)
Nobody at the time has seen a scissors jack in this country, hardly. For
years my family referred to a scissors jack as a renault jack. In fact, I
think it is still at my mom's making the jack the best thing about the car.
If you know anyone with a Dauphine who needs a chrome hubcap with the
center bolt, or any of those weird lug nuts, send them my way.
Rear engine watercooled. No doubt an inspiration for the vanagon (ducks as
he hits send).
Jim
On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Steve Cotsford <cotsford@aol.com> wrote:
> Dis donc ! Si tu vas jurer en francais, il faut l'ecrire correctement.
> C'est "merde! ", pas "merdre" and putting "alors" after it adds some
> weight. The tone was understood anyway ;-)
>
> You are indeed brave to own a Dauphine. Does it still have both horns
> fitted?
>
> Steve
>
>
> On Apr 26, 2013, at 12:38 PM, Jim Felder wrote:
>
> > That is a good point about the accessibility of vanagon stuff. I shudder
> to
> > think about working on some of the cars I see.
> >
> > Speaking of inaccessibility, ever try changing a master cylinder on a
> > Renault Dauphine (of course you haven't, you wouldn't be stupid enough to
> > own one). Well I am not proud to admit it, but I figured out where it was
> > located and cut an access hole with a cold chisel and did the job from
> > inside the "boot."
> >
> > Merdre! C'est la guerre.
> >
> > Jim
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 26, 2013 at 11:21 AM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Been a bad month for my cars. First the fuel pump died on my '03
> Ranger.
> >> I
> >> had plenty of warning for about a year, but you know how it goes. Since
> >> it's been cold and wet here I had AAA tow it to one of their recommended
> >> shops figuring maybe a $200-$300 repair. Next day I get an estimate of
> >> $900
> >> for a new fuel pump!!! Paid them $105 to tell me what I already knew
> and
> >> had AAA tow it home where it sat for a couple of weeks while I waited
> for
> >> the weather to improve, and that's when the new Vanagon heat valve
> started
> >> leaking. So, the breakdown was fortuitous, since I likely would have
> been
> >> on a trip when it leaked later.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> The truck conked out in the Lowe's parking lot about a mile from home
> too,
> >> so I guess I still have pretty good "Carma." Oh yeah, I killed the
> trucks
> >> original 10 year old battery trying to start the car (beat another dead
> >> horse), so there's another $100. I've got to get over this compulsion
> to
> >> wait until something breaks before I fix it.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Went to NAPA and bought a Bosch replacement pump for $98 (Rock Auto had
> the
> >> same pump for $64 but I was in a hurry). I opted to remove the bed
> with my
> >> engine hoist to replace the pump since the tank had a lot of gas in it,
> and
> >> dropping the tank would be difficult without a lift in any case. About
> two
> >> hours later I torqued down the bed bolts and patted myself on the back
> for
> >> saving $700. Of course, if I had just towed it home and ordered the
> pump
> >> from Rock Auto I'd have saved $835. As I was putting my tools away I
> >> noticed a hose clamp on the ground and quickly realized I had forgotten
> to
> >> hook the filler pipe back up, the last step in installing the bed! I'd
> >> have
> >> figured that out sooner or later, and hopefully not while wearing my
> dress
> >> shoes.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Turns out the fuel pump is in an assembly bigger than a shoe box with
> the
> >> sender, back pressure valve, venting, etc. and Ford only sells the whole
> >> thing for $350. Tax to get to $900 is $82, so the labor on that repair
> was
> >> $468 at an independent shop. Yikes.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> The Vanagon fuel pump takes about 15 minutes to replace! Inaccessible
> >> in-tank pumps are a really dumb idea. The assembly did have
> >> quick-disconnect connectors for the hoses though, which was the only
> easy
> >> part of the job.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> BTW, I live in a DIYer's paradise! Both Lowes and HD one mile, NAPA 2
> >> miles, O'Rielly 1 mile, Sears tools 2 miles (on the way to NAPA), Harbor
> >> Freight, 5 miles. I got to buy a new tool for my collection too, a Torx
> >> T-50 bit for the bed, and only NAPA had one. Life is good in the big
> city,
> >> but I still order 95% of my parts online.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Have a great weekend, and I won't be under my cars (I hope)!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Stuart
> >>
> >> Seattle
> >>
>
>
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