Date:         Tue, 12 Dec 1995 12:02:00 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      RE: Holiday Trek II


>I am getting my things together for my holiday adventure of driving
>a 65 bus from Kansas City to Atlanta next week.  Last words from
>Jon were "sketchy steering, low engine power, probably ignition or
>vacuum leaks".


Been there, done that with the V6anagon, Dave. Good luck!

Any chance you can get Jon or somebody there, to do a compression
check before you leave? You might find unwelcome info-- but it's much
better to get it now, than to get it the hard way later.

"Low engine power" sounds a little ominous to me, mostly since this
is sometimes accompanied by "overheating", and occasionally "engine
goes boom" if one cylinder is not carrying its share of the load.
If there are indeed vacuum leaks, it might have a burned valve or two.
You can fix the leaks before you drive it home, but the damage may
already be done. You'd need to be a better mechanic than me (entirely
possible!) to fix that, and it might stop you if you don't.

IMHO your adventure has two parts: (1) Getting the bus home, and (2)
Fixing what's wrong after you get it home. Step (1) is the one I'm
concerned with-- is there anything about this bus that will get you
stuck on the side of the road in a snowstorm, with a long trail of parts
littering the road behind you, fifty miles from the nearest help?

If a compression check isn't possible, maybe get the PO or other
cooperative party, to crank the engine over with the center wire
removed. Listen for an occasional hiss as each cylinder rises on its
compression stroke. A hiss in one cylinder, where no others hiss,
may indicate a burned valve, badly carboned valve, or possibly broken
rings.

You can often drive long distances with a burned valve-- don't get
me wrong. It depends on how severe the damage is. If one cylinder is
a little under the weather, it might not interfere with your trip.
But if one is completely dead, the resulting vibration and laboring
could mess you up big time. I'd hate to drive a car 1,000-plus miles
in that condition.

If I were you, I'd try to find out more about that "low engine power"
before setting out into the great unknown.

Again, good luck!

Steve Maher    smaher@gi.com   '80 V6anagon
                               '71 VW Transporter