Date:         Mon, 23 Jan 1995 1:51:27 -0500 (EST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "If I only had a brain.." <SULLIVAN_JAG@ccsua.ctstateu.edu>
Subject:      71 Westy that won't start

Hi

	I'm new to this list and I have a problem ( I suppose we all do once and 
a 
while). So I 
thought I'd see if I could get any thought provoking (or maybe not so thought 
provoking) responses 
to my problem. So here goes.
I have a 71 Westy that won't start. (easy enough problem to fix right : )
This sky-blue (no not puke yellow) campmobile has been sitting for about a 
year and a half now. 
(about half of that in garage). I basically only use/used this vehicle for 
vacation trips, it's not a daily 
driver type. (if it was I'd be up the creek right now, eh?)
	Before I parked her (1+ yrs ago) I had taken the Westy to Washington DC. 
On 
the way 
back the Westy wouldn't start via the starter but would pop start. So I parked 
her, planed on 
working on it, and never got around to it until now. So here is what I did. I 
rebuilt the carb (solex 
34pict3), put on a new cap, points, (why is it plural when there is only one?) 
and rotor. Drained the 
old gas and poured in some new stuff, and put a new/rebuilt starter in the old 
girl.
	OK everything sounds hunky-dory up to this point. I put a battery in her 
and 
turn her over 
and what kind of appreciation do I get for the work I've done... nothing. No 
pop, no sputter, not 
even a backfire or two :( So I'm unhappy. I really don't need to have the old 
Westy in tip top shape 
right now I just need to move it a little before I go away for a few months 
(to Virginia not the funny 
farm : )
	Personally I think the old girl is punishing me for being inattentive 
for the 
past year and a 
half, but I suppose there must be a more logical explanation out there. That's 
why I'm posting this I 
guess.
	As an aside, I have some manuals and other stuff I would be more than 
willing 
to 
photocopy or possibly scan and e-mail, but I have to look in the glove box to 
see exactly what they 
are. ( I think I have a 70 campmobile manual and maybe a 71 campmobile manual)
	Oh as a last couple of questions/ comments I was wondering if anyone had 
any 
info on the 
silly electric fridge that came with the 71 Westy setup. Darn thing is made by 
electrolux, I thought 
they only made vacuums (kinda fitting though, as its not working which really 
sucks : )
	Also I have an auxiliary gas heater, not the under floor type but a 
large 
torpedo looking 
thing that resides in the engine compartment. It's actually work but not well. 
It comes on and it fires 
the gas, but it cuts off almost immediately so the air that blows out isn't 
really all that warm. I think 
the temperature control is not set right, but I'm slightly afraid of messing 
with this piece of 
equipment for fear that I'll screw it up and turn my little campmobile into a 
uncontrollable rocket 
powered land vehicle that explodes. 	If anyone feels like posting the name 
and 
# of that fellow 
in NJ who works on the gas heaters I would appreciate it. I actually met him 
once about two years 
ago at the Litchfield CT bug show, he seemed like a real nice guy. (I also 
seem to recall him 
wearing liederhosen :) Unfortunately I didn't have the money at the time to 
employ his expertise, I 
also managed to lose his name and phone # :(
	Lastly I must warn you that, as I am moving to VA  I won't be on this 
list 
for long. ( I leave 
in about 2 weeks) I'll be there for 4 months and I don't know if I'll get 
internet access or not (I'll be 
in the Petersburg area). I'll still have this account but the long distance 
bills might get fairly large (as 
this account is at my school, CCSU, which is in Connecticut) so I won't be 
able to remain a 
subscriber for long.


Thanks to any and all who try to help.

Jay Sullivan  SULLIVAN_JAG@CCSU.CTSTATEU.EDU
recent collage graduate, soon to be vagrant :-)