Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2016 15:30:13 -0500
Reply-To: KIM BRENNAN <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: KIM BRENNAN <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: My van is HOME!!!!
In-Reply-To: <CAEwp_cTQdXiFaOWzV5ecKeqX+65rhH4bb7eNFacGKe0PyAVfpQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
You’ll get better fuel economy with ethanol free gas.
pure-gas.org <http://puregas.org/> to hunt down places that sell it.
> On Feb 26, 2016, at 10:04 AM, Marc Perdue <mcperdue@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> After 7.5 MONTHS, I brought my baby back home yesterday!!! The
> engine's been completely rebuilt, with a balance crankshaft and lots
> of other goodies (I don't have the parts list here just now). Because
> of the ridiculous length of time it took, and acknowledging my
> patience, he threw in the trailing arm, some exhaust work, and over
> $900 in other parts at no charge. It's too soon to tell ultimately
> what it's going to be like, but I do have some observations.
>
> 1) He replaced the water pump and thermostat and some cooling hoses
> that I didn't know were near gone until after they came off. It's a
> wonder they hadn't already leaked. My van had NEVER had the correct
> thermostat in it since I owned it. The temperature gauge had always
> stayed at the low end and I thought it was never overheating, except I
> was always blowing out hoses. Now, it gets up to temperature fairly
> quickly and stays there, middle of the gauge. From what I've
> understood from being on this list over the years, this is what it's
> supposed to do.
>
> 2) I had another problem from the time that I have owned the van that
> I have been chasing down. I'll drive the van the 2 miles to work in
> the morning (I know, it's horrible for the van; I'll be changing my
> route to lengthen that) and it drives fine. I start it up in the
> evening to go home and it stalls every time I come to a stop and runs
> rough as a cob. This problem persisted through an engine change. After
> that engine change, I think I changed everything but the throttle body
> and the distributor. Well, now the distributor's been changed and the
> problem appears to be gone!
>
> 3) Having a newly rebuilt and balanced engine, not quite blue-printed,
> ported and polished, I expected it to run smoother than it had
> originally, but it doesn't. I'm hoping the engine builders on the list
> can help me out here, because I don't know. He claims that the rings
> and such need to wear in and that it will smooth out over the next 500
> miles or so, at which point I will take it back for some adjustments.
> I do remember having to do this with my Boston Bob engine, I just
> don't remember it running quite so rough at first.
>
> 4) Since I had his ear, I asked him about oil recommendations.
> Pennzoil 10W-30 in the winter, making good oil pressure. I had never
> been able to run 10W-30 before without setting off the oil buzzer.
>
> 5) I got on the road and realized I was low on gas, but hadn't asked
> him about gas recommendations, so I called him. He recommend
> ethanol-free regular gasoline, said it was easier on the valves or
> some such. I was driving into a massive thunderstorm as he was telling
> me this, so I couldn't catch everything he was saying.
>
> So good to have her home!
> Marc Perdue
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