Date:         Wed, 19 Apr 1995 01:06:36 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         ACommons@aol.com
Subject:      My Trip so far

Hi all!  It's Andy Commons (acommons@aol.com) here, writing in from Houston
TX (My parents house). Well, we made it from seattle in the 82 Westy, but the
westy is in the shop....  Here's the story so far.

Got a tune up a few days before I left, packed the van up, and headed off.
 Had the John Muir Idoits Guide safely tucked stored in the van, hoping
murphy's law would only give me need to use it if I didn't bring it!  Oh
well.  Did pretty well until the middle of Idaho, when we hit a piece of
shale rock that had fallen on the road. It was about the size of a brick, and
tore a 4 inch gash in the FR tire. Bent the wheel rim a bit too.  I think
Kristin purposely aimed for the rock to get back at me for putting her slip
in the dryer a few days before, shrinking it to 1/2 it's size.  - Nah, both
were accidents.  Anyway, here we are with a pretty suspect spare (1st time
I'd ever looked at it), so we put it on and limped into Clayton Id.
 Population 20 (100 if you count the dogs).  Met a nice dead-head who had a
72 vw camper a mile away, with 5 new tires, but a blown engine.  Swapped
wheels and tires with me for $20 and a beer, and we were on our way again.

Next unplanned stop was really a fail to start!  Woke up a few days later
after spending the night in a KOA campground in ELY Nevada. (look it up just
for fun).  About 4 hrs nw of Las Vegas.  Van won't start.  I get out the
Idoits Guide, and try everything.  I have spark, I have it timed, finally
call AAA, and they tow me to town.  I should have become suspicious as I rode
into town in the front of the tow truck, as the people saw my van on the
back, and would just point and laugh.  I wasn't laughing about an hour later
when after calling every garage in town I was told by every one, - Oh, a VW?
 I won't touch it! - Or - Hey, I can't plug my computer into THAT!  What are
you, crazy?  The only guy in town who WOULD look at it said he was booked
until at least Wednesday.  Folks, this was Friday noon!
So I got out the idoit book again, and kept trying things.  Fuel Pump -
Check, Coil - Check.  Finally, at 5:00, I convinced one of the mechanics to
come in on Sat am to look at it.  We spent the night at Motel 6, and called
Glenn Zeisesnes, a great builder of VW engines out in KS.  He suggested it
could be a problem with the cold start valve or the altitude adjustement.
 (we were at 6500 ft above sea level).  Tried pulling the wires to the 5th
fuel injector. and it started, but then died.  He heard a bunch of hissing
and began finding bad hose after bad hose.  they were crumbling in his hands
as he tried to take them off.  New hoses and $70.50 later, we was off to
Vegas.  

Performance seemed poor, but we decided to press on towards Houston (a
mistake as we later found out).  Through Albuquerque, down through Truth or
Consequences NM (and a great hostel with healing water hot springs)  (should
have poured some on the engine),
and accoss Texas (with some great camping along the way) to Houston.  Off to
the shop, compression check done. #1 - 95   #2 - 25
#3 110  #4 115.  Mechanic takes the head off, and finds the exhaust valve on
the #2 cylinder has been pushed all the way up into the head!  So as I head
for Mexico tomorrow am by plane, Astrid (the van's name) is waiting for her
new (not rebuilt) head installation.

Other issues... (and one I could use a little advice on).
As the car gets hot (ie, I've driven say 50 miles) it gets real hard to pull
out of 1st when after a stop light/sign.  Also, making a vibration sound in
2nd and 4th.  And lastly, when I've done a lot of stop and go, begins to
refuse to go into 1st at all.  it's like something is swelling up somewhere
and holding onto my gear shifter.  Thoughts?

Also, chirping noise from FL brakes at Highway speed (no foot on brake pedal)
Loose attenae (but I've got the FAQ on fixing that one)
Speaker wires in back too short and get pulled out when putting stuff in
upper compartment in back. (easy to fix)
FR speaker sounds blown.  Low bass sounds make it buzz loudly.
(I think some foam has fallen in the way)
Still need to find more vaccum leaks I think - but mechanic is on it.
A little worried about the other two cyldrs (3&4) as they are showing lower
compression then when we left).
Gas smell in car when we fill it up.  I suspect a leak in the filler pipe, or
the fitting between it and the tank.
Drain in sink broke when I tried to tighten it to stop a leak.  Need to find
a hose that fits. 
Line from City Water hook up to Newly installed fauced leaks.
Grrrr. i just had this installed. He was supposed to check his work better.
Fan on fridge burned out during propane setting.  it sounded like it was
getting slowed down (ie rubbing on something) and finally went).  Will use it
sans fan until my return.
Both visor clips broken. (My fault - will order parts upon my return to
Houston).

So that's it.  If you want to drop me a line, address it directly to me, as
I'm not subscribed to this list while I'm gone.  I'll write again when I get
back to Seattle (but I have 2 months without a van to enjoy in mexico).  PS.
We have been having a pretty darn good time despite our van woes.  Saw Zion
Ntl Park, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and lots of desert.  Texas blue bells
(state flower) are in bloom.

Andy Commons
ACOMMONS@aol.com