Date:         Mon, 4 Jan 1999 22:39:30 EST
Reply-To:     SSGSPEAR@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Brad Spear <SSGSPEAR@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Trip Report and other things
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Just made the trip from here, Burnsville, MN to there, Hillsdale, Rockville,
and Indianapolis, IN and back over Christmas.  Temps were pretty much the same
here and there although I thought they would be MUCH warmer there.  The trip
down started out pretty much uneventful, just the usual cold weather cut out.
I have got to get that wiring harness!  When I stopped to get gas in El Paso,
IL, I noticed oil on the back window.  Just a few drops, but more than enough
to notice.  The closer I got to Bloomington/Normal the more oil was on the
window.  When I got on I-74 the oil light flashed, couple of times, really,
just thout I was seeing things, then the buzzer went off, fortunately, right
by a rest area.  Put the oil I had with me, one quart, and went to the next
exit and got few more.  Stopped at Wal-Mart in Champaigne and got a case and
topped off the oil.  That got me as far as Hillsdale when the buzzer went off
again.  Topped off again.  When I got to Rockville, one more quart.  My Dad
suggested that there may be a build up of pressure in the case from piston
blow-by, the engine does have 175,000+ miles on it, and to try taking the
filler cap off and covering the filler with a rag to see if the breather was
clogged.

Well, on the trip back, I only lost one quart, which for 650 miles is still
not good but a lot better than nine!  So, I have to look at that.

I also have to do the front left outter CV joint.  It just went out on the way
home from work today.  I found out that two wheel drive Vanagons are not
anywhere near as good in the snow as four wheel!

Now I just wish it was warmer in the garage.  Not heat there except what comes
from the house.  It's about -10 outside and +10 inside the garage.

Oh, well, such is life!

Later all!

SFC Brad Spear
'72 Westy (Needing cylinder heads)
'87 Syncro GL (Crippled)