Date: Tue, 2 Jun 1998 23:06:06 -0400
Reply-To: "Joseph J. Liasse" <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Joseph J. Liasse" <jliasse@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Subject: Re: Maitenance Philosophy
I think the operative phrase in your message is; "The type of maintenance I
want to do." If you want to do it, what care you about what "they" say?
From your message I take it that you are into things mechanical a little
more than the rest of us. You apperantly like to mess around with them while
the rest of us do so only out of necessity.
If we all seriously examined our priorities I think we would find that
few of us *needed* to get our Westies. Another cheaper vehicle would have
served any need we might have had; but we WANTED them for the recreation
they could provide. If you like taking yours apart and putting it togeather
then you are getting an additional recreational bonus from yours that the
rest of us is missing because we think of such things as work. If so, enjoy
and to hell with the critics.
While you are spending money on replacing parts that may not actually
need to be replaced, the rest of us will be spending money for towing
because of not replacing parts that needed it and replacing Westies that may
have lived longer had we your philosophy. In the end I think your way will
be prove cheaper.
I admire your philosophy and wish I had the ambitition to make it my
own. If you ever decide to sell it please give me first crack. I KNOW it
will be in great shape. And please provide me with a list of your critics. I
want to make sure I check their Vans with a fine tooth comb before a deal is
closed.
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven X. Schwenk <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM <Vanagon@VANAGON.COM>
Date: Tuesday, June 02, 1998 2:48 AM
Subject: Maitenance Philosophy
>I read Cory's recent observation that all vanagons fall within one of
>three categories with great interest. the categories were something
>like: (1)low mileage not yet in need of repairs; (2) 100,000 mile range
>needing or soon to need some significant maitenance; (3) 100,000+ range
>where significant maitenance needs have been ignored, often to the point
>of some type of mechanical failure.
>
>My van is in the near-100,000 mile range. I find that people think I am
>crazy for the type of maitenance I want to do, such as: replace all
>motor-tranny mounts; replace all front end bushings; replace all wheel
>bearings; replace water pump (keep old one with 50k miles as spare);
>rebuild alternator; replace rear swing arm bushings; replace coolant
>hoses/fuel lines; do a pre-emptive head gasket replacement. These
>maitenance tasks will be spread out over the next 9-to-12
>months...unless I need a new transaxle$$$. I have done
>brakes/shocks/replaced rear cv's/lubed front cv's/02 sensor/AFM/coolant
>temp sensor/changed all fluids/tune up in the last few months, among
>numerous other things.
>
>Am I really crazy for appraoching vehicle maitenance this way and
>wanting to replace things before they break? My mechanical background
>is maintaining racing dirt bikes, and this is how I approached
>maitenance in that context: any mechanical failure was a failure of the
>mechanic to anticipate and pre-empt it. And a mechanical failure during
>a race was the ultimate shame and failure. Hence, for every hour of
>track time, the bike got about 4 hours of prep/maitenance time. Also,
>peak performance could be had only with a bike maintained at specs.
>
>A production road vehicle is a little different, of course. I have done
>a fair amount of moderate off-roading, though, and a little where
>conditions were pretty rough...so althjough the vehicle has been well
>maintained, it has had harsher treatment in some respects than a purely
>pavement vehicle. At 100,000 miles, I would expect that many of the
>components mentioned above will have begun to wear and could fail here
>and there over the next couple of years. Maybe just replacing one will
>not make a big difference, but doing all of them (and what others?)
>should result in some tangible improvement in performance....even if
>it's just in the way the vehicle "feels". Not only that, but the peace
>of mind knowing that the vehicle is in top condition given the costs of
>a breakdown way out in the backcountry seems worth it to me...on top of
>the satisfaction of keeping a really neat vehicle in prime condition.
>Besides...I hate doing things piecemeal one at a time. Does anyone else
>share my maitenance philosophy?
>steve
>1990 syncro westfalia
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