Date:         Mon, 13 Feb 1995 20:02:55 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         wabbott@townshend.Corp.Megatest.COM (William Abbott)
Subject:      Degreasing, ECI rebuilt, Red Rock

	Well I wasn't sick (finally) and it wasn't raining (finally)
so I did my degreasing experiment Saturday. 
	I used the cross-memeber that holds the back of the engine
(pulley end- front is front) since it was big and really gunky. I sprayed
an 8-inch wide stripe of Simple Green on the left edge, buttered an
8 inch stripe of Orange hand-cleaner on the next 8 inches and sprayed 
Permatex hydrocarbon degreaser aerisol on the last 8 inches of the gunk.
	Oh yeah, each strip went around both sides of the crossmember.

	(this was on at least 1/16 inch gunk (2mm) composed of oil, dirt,
grease, dirt, exhaust soot, etc.)

	I thought I had some Westley's Clear Magic but I must have used
all of it.

	Then Ian and I went off to Bugformance to buy bits and pieces
(including a new fuel hose, Sami- thanks for the warning!). 

	2 hours later, we came back, and I took my scrubber brush to
the presumably softened gunge. On the stripe done with hand cleaner,
I got right down to the metal immediately. On the other two stripes,
I got a lot of awful stuff loosened, but didn't get down to the metal.

	After a thorough scrub and rinse, I used a bit more orange hand 
cleaner and the brush to take off the rest of the gunge down to metal. And I 
caught the rinse water in a trash-can so I can let the hazardous stuff
settle to the bottom. I'll decant the water off the top next time there's
a big rain storm.

	So my conclusion is that orange hand cleaner is the best
for degreasing really nasty stuff. Plus its not toxic, it has a
long working life since its a gel and any residue will make your car
smell like oranges! My friend Kevin got a gallon of it at the car parts
club on Sunday!


	Now I've got to finish cleaning the small number of tin bits
I'm re-using and paint them with the beloved Rustoleum.


	The ECI rebuilt engine arrived Wednesday, just like they
said it would, and it looks BEAUTIFUL. It came all put together, 
smelling slightly of gasoline. Its timed, its been run, it has
the clutch mounted, tin installed, NEW generator, new-looking
carb, a nice printed warantee (3 years/ 100,000 miles). All this
for $1731, tax and frieght included. I'm impressed. It looks like
a new engine. Truth is, the only visible used parts are the case
and the intake manifold- and maybe the distributor.


	Bob Kenyon said he'd seen my name on the list of Red Rock
attendees- I'm not sure I can make it- I've lost track of everything
in the last two weeks and work has slipped badly. I'll look at back
digests to see when Red Rock is and etc, but please don't anyone
count on my being there! Sorry!!

 
	Bill Abbott
	
	VWs: 70 Single Cab Pickup, 93 Corrado
	Cats: Moustache and Georgi Zhukov
	Best Fish Recipe: Pan Blackened Catfish
	Favorite Flannel Pattern: McNab (natch!)
					
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