Date:         Mon, 11 Dec 1995 18:02:48 -0800
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         wabbott@mtest.teradyne.com (William Abbott)
Subject:      Little Martha running, but not driving yet (long)

	Thanks for all the good wishes and particularly to
my beloved brother Ian, who did a lot more than half the work,
and Bradley, the Kautzes and the Rubins for making the party afterwards!! 
We took care of a pick-up-truck-full :) of problems, starting at 8:00am on 
Saturday and 9:15am on Sunday, working until dark.

	The engine is in and runs! I've forgotten how to start a
carburetted car, so I cranked about 60 seconds over a 5 minute
period without luck, then Ian got it to cough and then run! Starts
easy, runs strong. I'm VERY pleased. So far I'm pretty happy with the ECI
engine.

	Problems solved:
* Paint rear apron. Let Rustolem cans soak in hot tap water first. Works great.
* Heater flap lever broken off. Fabricated replacement, Midas welded it.
(I donated the four cans of canned food remaing in my kitchen to their
annual relief drive. This is a good time to ask for favors :) )
* Attach air-cleaner support. Grade 8 1/4-20 bolts & fender washers, avoiding
the main chassis beam. Two bolts on the outside of it, two on the inside
and one through the inner fender. Split-ring lock washers. Remind me to
under-coat those... Of COURSE Grade 8 are overkill ;)
* ECI supplied wrong (early) tin ahead (fif) of crank pulley. Replaced.
We avoided this opportunity to put on a custom degree pulley. Pure stock.
I sure hope the one notch in it is really TDC.
* No foam seal on dog-house air-duct. Buy weatherstip, install.
* Entire elecrical system dead. Connect third ring lug :)
* DPO installed powerbooster and speakers blocking access to fuse pannel. Junked
* No turn signals/flashers. Turn signal switch ok, replace blown fuse, works.
* No brake lights, replace bulb (L), fix broken wire (R).
* Right headlamp has no low beam. DVM shows 8.8 v at connector. but also
shows the bulb is good... Buy new bulb and just to make sure, touch surface
of old T4 halogen lamp (That's a no-no- finger oils cause differential 
expansion, break bulb!) New bulb doesn't fix it. Must be a resistive
connection... troubleshoot later...
* battery it came with no good. Go to Sears. Computer recognizes Type II
as a Truck, lists no available battery. Ian looks in the book and figures
out its a Group 42. Dinky little battery, 750 CCA! Buy it, install it,
all lights much brighter!
* Shift coupler pointed-bolt hard to start. Next time, try it before installing!
* Shift coupler roll-pin hard to hold while screwing in expander. Try 14MM
socket, to fit stamped hex shoulders. Doesn't really work. Vice grips work.
* Engine cranks, won't start. Smell of gas at tail pipe. Check, no spark!
DVM says 12V at coil, turn it over by hand and watch the points open and
close. Push coil-to-distributor hot wire home at both ends. Works.
* Engine cranks, won't start. Non-carb-guy at throttle. Ian gives it a pump
and then lightly pedals the accelerator over the first 1/2 of its range,
starts up and runs like a champ.


	Remaining details:
	Install:
	Axles
	Air Cleaner
	Muffler
	Charcoal canister & breather hoses
	Rear apron
	Rear bumper
	Driver's door lock
	License plate light
	New wires for right side rear side marker
	Under-nose pedal and control cover

	Adjust:
	Accel cable
	Clutch cable
	Shifter? 


	Troubleshoot:
	Resistive right front head light wire
	dome (interior) light doesn't work
	Emergency Flashers doesn't work
	No instrument lights
	Inspection revealed a pair of red wires with a red spade lug
just hanging around by the fuse box... we wimped out and didn't pull
the fuse box to have a look... yet...

	Work on some day:
	Ignition lock (no key lock- vehicle runs on a toggle switch & 
pushbutton...)
	Connect radio with some speakers
	Fix small holes in truck bed
	Replace engine cover with NOS part on hand.
	Replace rusty torn-up screws holding bed gates with new
screws, one or more on each side secured so someone doesn't just walk
off with the gates...

	Minor mystery:
	I bought a left and right lever kit for my superbly 
restored heater flaps... how in the world do I connect them??? The
lever kits have a barrel-nut connector on one end, and an open slot
in the other end. I understand the barrel nut- that could connect
to the heater control cable from the front console. But why not just
connect the cable directly to the barrel nut connection on the
heater flap???

	After using up the barrel nut parts and the speed-nut that holds
the lever to the heat exchanger, the only part left is a spring. Huh? 
Where does this spring connect to? How does all this connect to the
heater flap arms? 

	We'll have to see: 
	Shifter seems vauge even by my old 914's standards... I didn't 
try with the engine running, maybe it will make sense then. may have to 
troubleshoot when axles are installed :) I'm not looking for trouble
so I presume it works until I am forced to say otherwise.

	Soon, soon!

	Put me down for XXL sleepers with size 13 booties, and Jean
takes an XL with woman's size 10 booties :) The cats say they don't
*want* any help sleeping!

	Cheers all!
	Bill