Date:         Fri, 13 Oct 1995 09:45:39 MST
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike White" <MIKE.WHITE@law.utah.edu>
Subject:      '57 Deluxe Update!

Oh, what the fahrvergn=FCgen, here's my '57 Deluxe Update for the last
few weeks:

Well the old Pioneer has been having some trauma these last couple of 
weeks.  In fact she sat in the driveway for about three weeks (Yes, 
the three weeks in Utah when the weather was not too hot, nor too 
cold to comfortably drive her.) slowly peeing on the driveway.  (Oil 
that is... black gold, texas tea.)

Anyhow, she was a sick girl.  Everytime I tried to start her, she 
would take more and more time to start up.  I couldn't give it any 
gas or it would not even fire.

I tried everything a backyard mechanic could, save it be Voo-doo toy 
busses.  (Don't think the thought didn't cross my mind.)

Anyhow, about last week I was at the end of the line.  I wanted to 
take the Pioneer and drive it off a cliff.  So I had a friend come 
over, and he just screwed with the carb adjustment and (semi)vrooom.  

NOW DON'T THINK I DIDN'T TRY THAT!  I tried every combination 
possible, but never got anywhere.  

Anyhow, he thought the accelerator pump was going, because it would 
die if you gunned it.  So we took it down to his house the next 
night, and pulled the carb.  (I never knew it was so easy!)

Turns out some little BB thing in the bottom of the carb bowl was 
loose in there.  Once that was replaced, and secured with the pellet 
looking thing that holds it down there by the accellerator pump, she 
was happy as could be.

On Wednesday, I decided it was time for her fall tune-up.  So, off to 
a real mechanic to work on it.

I fell bad because I am scared to drive her at times.  Ever since I 
destroyed the Audi, I am a lot more concerned about safety.  (Go 
figger.)

Anyhow, I decided it was time to get the brake problems fixed.  If 
the brakes are applied hard, you automatically turn RIGHT abruptly.  
Besides this, and the fact that you just don't slow down that much 
when pressing hard, the rear right wheel will lock up under hard 
braking on occasion.  A few months ago I replaced the front rubber 
brake lines, and that seemed to help significantly, but I remain
TOTALLY JEALOUS of my friends '64 whose brakes will actually LOCK if 
you press hard!  HOW WOULD IT BE?  (Probably safer than my no-stop 
brakes.)  

I talked to the shop that is working on it, and they said the 
adjustment of the pads was correct (I did do soemthign right!), and 
the shoes are in excellent shape.  The cylinder's aren't leaking, and 
he wasn't exactly what was causing it.

Any suggestions are welcome.  I want it to stop quickly (relative 
terms).

So next, I asked him to check out the steering.  I have this vision 
of it going, and me finding a tree to connect with.  The mechanic 
said that he recently heard a story of a guy that had the steering 
box which is by the leverarm on the axle break off, and lose his 
steering.  ACK!
I presume that it would most likely break under stress (ie. turning 
wheels when stopped) rather than going around a corner at speed.  
Let's just hope.

Anyone heard a like story?

Lastly, I am considering getting a Webber progressive carb.  He has 
a rebuilt for $75 which sounds good.  Apparently the problem is 
finding an intake manifold with the two intake holes.  He says the 
Webber will help the 1776cc out a _lot_.

Does anyone out here have one they would like to sell?

Other than that, the Pioneer is ready for me to take out cruising 
tonight!  It's been too long since I drove it, and it was fully 
functional.

- Mike White 

[Mail: mike.white@law.utah.edu   -   mwhite@eng.utah.edu]
Visit my own webserver [http://fpc99.law.utah.edu/]