Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2016 18:50:21 -0400
Reply-To: Dake Collins <wuwe423@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dake Collins <wuwe423@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Ownership Misadventures
In-Reply-To: <CA+az7_6-QKLt+p_PFuZ6hL9i1UgYc7789JEfT44D=80UA8CGSQ@mail.gmail.com>
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John,
I’ve been following your saga with interest and no small portion of empathy. There are many variations of your saga out here in VanagonLand but few as well told. Why do we place such high value on our vans go to such extremes to keep them rolling? For me the answer is simple - I’m addicted.
> On Mar 30, 2016, at 11:10 AM, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> For those following my ownership misadventures - I finally got a newly
> rebuilt tansmission installed and a new clutch - only to immediately have a
> severe oil leak appear. This leak I could not repair myself, so off to the
> local guru shop for fix'in. Turned out to be a ruptured oil pump seal.
> Small wonder there was so much oil.
>
> After the repair, I picked up the van at the shop and started home. I was
> on a county road, and stopped at a service station to check the oil and
> water. I pulled out on I-20 from Atlanta to B'ham, went a quarter of a
> mile when suddenly the alternator light and oil pressure buzzer and light
> came on. WTH????
>
> I quickly turned off the engine, turned on the flashers, and coasted to the
> side of the road. By the time I stopped I already had my suspicions
>
> As suspected from the sudden appearance at speed of the alternator light
> and oil pressure light and sounding of the buzzer, the alternator/coolant
> pump belt had failed.
>
> I checked under the back seat for my spare belt, found it and pulled it
> out. BUT - sitting there in the growing darkness - I had a problem created
> by my own hand!! My tool box was sitting in the garage at home. I didn't
> have tool one in the van. I learned long ago that if you own a vanagon, you
> don't go anywhere without a box of tools. I had taken everything including
> the toolbox out of the van and had the van tranported by AAA to the shop.
> When I went to pick the van up, being only a short drive, I FAILED to take
> the tool box with me. So there I was, on the side of I-20, in the dark, a
> continous stream of tractor-trailer rigs whizzing by me at 6-8 feet away,
> with spare part - and no tools!!
>
> My best bet was to call Jim Connell, of Jim's Aircooled VW, help. He had, I
> learned, gone home sick earlier in the day. But, he called on his grandson
> to come to my rescue. In about 20 minutes the lad showed up in a supremely
> tricked out Jeep, with approriated tools. He got right on it and had the
> new belt on in just a few minutes.
>
> I started the engine, and he checked it and all seemd well, and buttoned it
> up. As I pulled away, I went 25 ft. And the oil pressure warning light and
> horn came on. Once again, I stopped on the side of I-20.
>
> Jim's grandson pulled up behind me. I told him what happened and he
> immediately reached dowm and felt for the oil pressure switch wire, found
> it disconnected from the switch, and reconnected it. Problem solved. Turns
> out when that particular belt fails, it will knock that wire loose almost
> every time.
>
> Again, down the road. This time I made it home with no problem. I now have
> Vanagon wheels on which to ride.
>
> Durst I ask - what next?
>
> John
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