Date: Thu, 14 Dec 1995 14:27:36 -0700
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: plima@indirect.com (Peter J. Lima)
Subject: '79 Bus. . .grounded again (sigh)
Hope I don't look silly replying to my own post. . .it's the simplest way
for me to update y'all on the continuing saga of "Scarecrow" (so named
because 1. It needed a "brain" for a long time and 2. It's spent most of
it's time sitting in fields immobile.)
>Well, I feel better now. It's runs pretty decent, actually (I've only had
>it a few hours, and just went home with it and spent an hour crawling all
>around inside with Windex and towels spiffing everything up -- hasn't >
been washed in a year I bet.) The garage wants me to come back after 500
>miles or so to flush (?) the fuel tank, some gunk in it I guess
"Gunk" which, while on the freeway at 60mph, created a bluish smoke from the
exhaust. Is it just cleaning itself out, or is the carb maladjusted? I.e.,
burning too rich? (if it was oil it'd be black, not blue.) Should I be
slightly perturbed since I just spent $1313.16 (on credit) to fix it? I
would expect the mechanic would make sure this sucker will pass emissions or
at least warn me.
Anyway I'm grounded again. . .the blue smoke attracted a smokey on the
freeway who, upon doing a computer check of my (previous owner's) California
plate, discovered it to have expired a year ago. So I was cited for
"fictitious plate" and a couple of other things. The cops took the plate
off and forbade me to drive the thing until I got the problem squared away.
Oh well.
>I may have messed up the emergency brake -- drove it for a while and
>forgot to release it. Then again, if it was working properly it should
have >killed the engine in 1st gear, yes? It still seems to work though.
It still seems to work. . .maybe when I'm back for the 500-mile check I'll
have 'em adjust the brakes again (rear.) I always use the 1st gear as a
back-up brake anyway, since Phoenix is mostly flat. (I'm sure someone will
reply with reasons why the 1st gear alone is _not_ a reliable emergency
brake! But heck, this ain't San Fran.)
More exciting stuff later, I'm sure. . .
PJL
'79 Bus
'58 Bug