Date:         Sun, 2 Aug 1998 22:14:19 EDT
Reply-To:     TStone8359@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Stone <TStone8359@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Vanagony: Was Maiden Voyage
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-type: multipart/mixed;

Took off for Colorado Wednesday.  Completed most of the items on the "to do"
list before we left.  Bus ran like a dream.  We have never been more confident
of the condition of our vehicle before.  The problems mentioned before were
mostly resolved.  Fixed two vacuum leaks which made it idle perfectly.  Put in
new antifreeze (phosphate-free) and water.  Ran cool.  Refilled gas tank at
230 miles or so, so did not run out again.   Not enough time to swap tanks.
Now the killer.  We were about 700 miles from home, near Topeka, KS, when the
rattling became unbearably loud.  I had tried everything to find the source
and could find nothing.  The engine still ran good, oil pressure was normal,
etc. but LOUD.  Decided to have it towed.  Found a shop in Topeka that did
mostly bug stuff, but would help me diagnose.  I dropped the trans, expecting
to see a disintegrating clutch disk or fragmenting pressure plate.  Nothing.
Next step was to see if the flywheel was loose.  Tried to loosen the bolts
more, but they would not budge.  What did budge, though, was the flywheel
itself.   Took it off and found that the end of the crankshart was broken.
End of the road for the vanagon.  Rented a car and went back home, grabbed the
"Crapsler", and went back to Topeka to pick up gear, clothes, etc. and headed
to Calif.   We are now in San Diego.  Had to be here by noon Sunday, so really
had to move out.  Not much fun driving that far, seeing so many of the places
we wanted to visit, but could not stop.  Have seen 20-30 Vanagons so far, all
are running.  We are greatly disappointed ours isn't.

Plan is to go up to Sacramento at the end of the week, get a new engine from
AVP, and head back home, this time taking our time.  By the time the Westy is
running again, the summer will be over and the kids will be back in school.
Maybe next year.

Tom
Bloomington, IL
'85 Westy

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