Date:         Wed, 18 Dec 2024 08:53:06 -0800
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Subject:      Re: Off topic but fun, Wife saves the car engine
In-Reply-To:  <E6479F80-3989-47EB-B707-E255E3EC440D@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

Always great when someone speaks up to save us!

In 2013, I lived in an apartment near Santa Clara University.  The
landlord was often there to do maintenance, and one day he asked me to
check my Westy, because he noticed drips of fuel on the ground from my
carport and down the driveway (which he proudly kept very clean and sealed).

I started up the Westy and inspected the fuel lines closely with a
flashlight, taking care not to get anything caught in the fan belt!

Right away, I could see copious drips from the cracking fuel lines near
the injector rails, still plastic, probably original.

I immediately contacted Dick's Automotive Transport in Saratoga to load
up the van on their flatbed and carry it to Peninsula Automotive, across
the street from Dick's shop.  I wasn't willing to drive it even that
far.  The transport was $94.

Peninsula changed all of the fuel lines, the firewall fuel fitting, and
the plastic injector rails with aluminum rails.  Also an oil change, and
a used left tail lamp assembly, the bill came to just over $1,000.

(GoWesty didn't renew ANYTHING when they installed the overhauled 2.2L
engine in 2009.  I wish I had known to tell them to go wild!)

I had Buslab renew all the fuel lines again in 2019, 46K miles later.
Together with a TON of other work, the total was $3,500.

I sold the Westy in 2021.  I was glad to be able to tell the buyer I had
learned a lot over the years and to pass on to him a van with many
important improvements!

https://sbw.org/sbwsty/