Another full round of jinxes

I had become increasingly annoyed at the looseness of the gears. In neutral, the shifter flopped in a rectangle about 4x4 inches. I also ended up in the wrong gear sometimes, because the movement was so loose. Everything else was fine with the car, or so I thought, and I didn't want to jinx it, but I went to Phat Phoo's  anyway and asked what could be done. He said the bushings would need to be replaced. Ok, I thought, it would be great to get that taken care of after all these years.

When I picked up the car after the gear repair, Mr. Phoo said it shifts real nice now, but to me it didn't seem that much different. I wasn't totally sure - maybe the only improvement possible isn't that noticeable. A few weeks later I noticed that the second gear had trouble engaging. I had to double shift it, meaning put it in and out a few times until it stuck. This was extremely annoying because it meant that at an intersection, I had to start in first, try to get into second, and run in neutral a few moments until I could get the gear in, while the rest of traffic accelerated past me, or was stuck impatiently behind me. I learned a different method, which was to put the car in second while waiting at a stop. This required testing it with a slight gas push (since it didn't engage predictably), which required a certain minimum distance to the next car. I then started in second, which is of course not nearly as peppy as starting in first, and there's a higher risk of stalling, especially uphill.

I asked Mr. Phoo again what my options were. I forget exactly what he suggested, but it was expensive. Once again I thought maybe I had hit the reasonable limit of what is fixable on this old car. I decided to wait some more and ask around.

After the summer I returned to Gainesville and by then had decided to just fix this problem once and for all. I wasn't very happy that I had the gears fixed, couldn't notice a difference, and then the second gear malfunctioned. But, Mr. Phoo is the only shop that is nearby that has been willing and confident enough to work on the car. On the other side of town there are more options, which I had explored the years before, but the long distance really discouraged me. Also, Mr. Phoo had been very good so far, and lots of people recommended his shop. So I returned.

One day I was about to get in the pickup, which had been sitting in the hot and humid summer in a shady spot by my wooden shed (it will stay in the sun next time!). I opened the door, and it was very moist inside. To my horror, some kind of mildew had developed on the seats, both of which had been in pristine condition ever since the interior custom job. I was very upset. I looked into how to remove this stuff. Distilled vinegar was the non-toxic recommendation. I put on a mask, gloves, and sprayed vinegar everywhere. This is supposed to kill the organisms and then one can wipe them off with soap and water. I was able to get all of it off, but it has left some stains, which hopefully Wally can re-stain at some point later on. Some paint areas have chipped anyway, so the interior could use a touchup, anyway.  Again, I was in a quandary, because I had to decide whether I should just declare the pickup as my "dirty car" or whether I wanted to keep on going making it a beautiful "classic". I decided to put this off a little while and get the gears fixed first.

After about two days of letting the car fully dry out after the cleanup I brought it to a detailing place to let them shampoo the interior and give it a professional once-over. The car looked and smelled really nice now, except for the remaining stains. I check in on Mr. Phoo, who is nearby, but he wasn't in, which meant another day of waiting to get started the task which had started this round of problems.

The next day I got in the car and my son got into the other car so he could drive me home from the repair shop. Just outside our property gate I noticed that I couldn't feel the gas pedal. It had just disappeared. I couldn't tell if it had fallen through or disconnected from the piston. My first thought was "problem number three, here we go." My second thought was: "I didn't even know this was possible; what a traumatic idea - the gas pedal can just disappear like that? Glad it wasn't the breaks. Glad it wasn't on the road." I called AAA. The guy who came with the tow truck was very into the car, even asked about  buying it, but I wasn't ready for that. As usual, I felt I was just a one repair session away from a perfect car, so why sell it for less than all the money I put in? As he was loading the car up, he noticed that both front tires had been worn down on the outside edges, due to camber. He said the left one is about to blow. Ok, good, I thought. Problem number four. Maybe the jinx is turning around in that the need to get the gears fixed prevented me from driving the car on the road without a gas pedal and with tires about to explode. "Glück im Unglück" as they say in Germany, "Luck in bad luck" meaning "every cloud has a silver lining." The tow to the shop was certainly worth my time now. And my son didn't have to drive me back; I could just drive along with my other car. All tasks were no longer accumulating but contracting neatly. This is the moment which I call "reaching the top of the hill." I can see what's ahead and it's a smooth downhill roll from here. Or another analogy: "I've got all my stuff together and I can pack my bag."

The final bill was high, but it was a long list of fixes, which now, once again make me feel the car is complete, which means I feel complete —however pathetic that sounds. The camber was due to faulty tie rod ends and lower ball joints, the need for an alignment and other stuff, which I had been told about before. I also had them change the oil, which looked low and hadn't been changed in a few years. I am especially excited about the gears which feel like those on a new car now, very precise and tight. I asked about why this improvement on the gears couldn't have been done in the first place — this was what I had in mind originally, and Mr. Phoo's guys explained that initially they replaced some of the gear bushings, but this time around were able to locate a pristine, complete kit of bushings and didn't charge me the full price for the second attempt. I will accept that. The rabbit lives on.

Here's the final list of repairs:

Replace rack and pinion boots
Replace inner tie rod ends & lower ball joints and outer tie rod ends
Install shifter bushing kit
Replace gas pedal bushing
Replace 2 tires (Michelin)
Perform alignment
Change oil + oil filter

Electrical problems

I've been having a lot of battery problems lately, ever since I had the dash gauges installed. For a while, the battery would slowly lose power, even if the car wasn't being run. The battery light was still going off after acceleration, as it should. But, I had to keep charging the battery externally and bring a second one along just in case. Then, eventually, the battery light wouldn't go off anymore. I cleaned the battery connectors and reconnected the battery wires, but without any results. Then I wiggled some wires under the dash, and that solved the problem. I felt proud of myself for having "fixed" the problem, like a real amateur. Soon the battery light stayed on again. I tried the wiggling again, but this time it didn't work. Since I never really diagnosed the specific problem, I didn't know how to fix it this time.

One day I went to Terry's Automotive with the hope that they would just do a bit more of a professional "wiggle" of the wires and fix the situation. But, they felt that the wiring was so unorthodox to begin with, not following any schematics, and jerry-rigged by so many mechanics that they didn't think they would be able to fix it quickly. They recommended an electrical expert, Circle R Auto in town.

On the way to Terry's I had stalled on the road. I thought maybe I had let go of the clutch and didn't think that much of it. The day before I had gotten a new batch of biodiesel and I think its cleaning properties clogged the fuel filter, so I was now dealing with the fuel starvation problem again. This meant that the car could only drive for a mile or two, would stall and then the undercharged battery would have to start the engine again, as well as heat the glow plugs. This compounding of problems grew quickly, and I stalled out on the road about six times on the way home. I had a second battery in the truck box, fortunately. I learned that after the truck stalled, that it helped to wait about 5 minutes, and then it could restart and go for another mile. My son Bruno was with me, and he really didn't enjoy this experience. He hasn't been in the truck since. I never quite knew if we'd make it home or not, whether to call a tow truck, or keep on trucking. I broke down one last time in front of our gate, and then made it home.

I changed the fuel filter, filled up the filter and the lines with biodiesel and the fuel starvation was fixed. But, I still had the problem of the battery not charging. Two days ago, I finally had the time to bring it to Circle R Auto, where Roy said that the alternator was already partly damaged and the wiring was creating a permanent drain on the battery. The money damage shouldn't be too bad and I am looking forward to a more robust electrical system.

The flat tire

Since I first got the Rabbit pickup, I was unhappy with its hard, bumpy ride. Some shocks were replaced early on by my mechanic, but that didn't improve things noticeably. All the mechanics I talked to said that different shocks wouldn't really help, and that softer shocks would make the car less tolerant for heavy loads. Still, I see other pickups, which can take a lot of weight, have a very smooth ride. I still suspect that some kind of luxurious shocks should be able to improve the situation - we'll see.

As a possible alternative to replacing the shocks, I've been looking into replacing the tires. Today, having the additional motivation of prescience concerning an impending flat tire, I went to Town Tire, which has always been very helpful with advice, and good service, to ask about replacing the tires with more plush ones. They said the tires look like they're still relatively new, from 08, and that they don't recommend changing them. I appreciated the honesty. One of the tires has been losing air, though, so I said I would return soon for a diagnostic, and also regarding the question of changing the shocks. My urge was just to change the tires right there and then, for safety's sake. I should have listened to my instincts.

My wife needed me to pick up an antique bathtub in a nearby town, so I drove with the pickup towards High Springs, FL. For the first time, I drove the car on the highway. I didn't try to go past 65 mph, not wanting to push my luck. I hit some kind of object on the way -  it felt like a rock or piece of metal bounced off the bottom of the car. I decided not to take it too seriously, and the the car didn't seem to be affected by it. But, deep down it did spark some anxiety. My ride on the highway was only about 15 minutes, but soon I was glad to exit alive.

Just as I came off the exit ramp, wondering why that experiment turned out so well, a woman in a car told me my right rear tire was very low. I pulled over into a gas station. The tire was completely out of air. I added air and it just blew out of an 1/8 inch hole. I guess today is my flat tire lesson from the internship on wheels.

I called the nearby City Boys Tires and Brakes and they said they'd be available for another 20 minutes. This time table added stress to the situation. Some guy in a pickup truck yelled: "Kickass pickup!". That cheered me up a little (I chose to believe he wasn't messing with me). Inside the gas station store I got advice on some products that fix tires. A jovial, bearded man recommended this tire fix product which involves a thick, needle-like object and sticky rubber strips, as well as the tire foam solution, which he said is very effective and easy to apply. I tried the tire fix option first, but was too anxious to get it to work. The instructions didn't make any sense to me, although I understand it in principle. Then I just screwed in the foam can into the tire valve and it blew up the tire, while coating the inside. I was very impressed. I will from now on always carry one of those in the truck bed box.

I hastily made it to the tire place and the tire actually held up. I considered just driving onwards, but sensed that this might not be safe. I had no appointment, so waited a while to have the tire looked at. A guy came out and asked "What's Biodiesel?". I explained briefly. He seemed giddy at the sight of the car.

Recently some cable dropped out from under the dash, which disconnected the glow plug and the radio and iphone charger. I hadn't really cared before, but today I was very dependent on my phone since I needed directions to the place for picking up the tub, and my family was going out to dinner and I needed to stay in touch. My phone was losing battery already. I asked him to have a quick look at the cable, and he immediately found the right place to plug it back in. Then he drove the car into the shop.

After some waiting and planning the next steps of the day, I was told the tire was too blown out to repair and that they didn't have any replacements. They did notice the spare under the car, but that had dry rot and wasn't usable. Also, some of the bolts were too long to attach the spare tire anyway. This meant I was stuck there. I looked into taking a cab home, but that was going to be over $90. I called my wife arranged her picking me up after the dinner and paying for the tub in High Springs, just to ensure the sale. All in all, it was a strange day, but I always enjoy being out in the country and having a good topic with people.

Lessons learned:
I now know what's meant by dry rot. Always carry a quick tire fix, such as a tire foam can. Know the real age of your tires and carry a functioning spare that fits the bolts, plus the tools to change it. Practice changing a tire before you need to. Have a backup charging solution for the phone: flat tire = no transportation = phone is the most important object.

Building a home fueling station

Today I finished the long planned improvement of my fueling station. Originally I just used 5 gallon "cubies" to pour directly in the tank (maybe that's what caused the eventual "obstruction" in it.) That system was very annoying because holding the fuel containers for that long caused cramping in my hands and my back.

Then I bought a used 55 gallon drum, built a solid shelf for it out of 4x4 wood planks so it could "gravity feed" into the car using water tubes and a water gun normally used for lawn care. Those hoses and fitting quickly deteriorated due to the biodiesel.

I got more concerned about the cleanliness of the fuel and the convenience of the fueling so I added a fuel gun and fuel filter to the line. But the fuel line is too long (12 feet) and constantly sags. I tried having it cut, but no one was able to do it. Adding fuel to the drum never really worked well. I tried using a "drill pump" and ingenious little device that attaches to a regular electric drill and suctions fuel from one place to another, but it takes a while and doesn't work well with hoses that fold easily.

I remembered seeing images of people's setups with the drums on the ground, vertically, with a pump on top. I started looking into electric pumps, but the 120 V versions are too expensive, and the 12volt versions all use car starter cables and don't have a "bung" (the pipe that runs from the pump to the bottom of the drum). Online, it seemed most people were using hand pumps. These pumps are not expensive, and it looks like they are one of those classic designs that has long lost its copyright protections, so there are many versions. A design like that will probably work very well having proved itself over the decades. Many come in red, which happens to match the fuel tank nicely, as if they were a single unit. At Amazon, which had the most choices and the same prices as Northern Tool, and better prices than Tractor Trailer Supply, I chose the "Advanced Tool Design Model ATD-5009 Rotary Barrel Pump with Telescoping Pipe"  although I think most of the others would have been fine as well.

I thought I was getting an outlet with a threaded end, but it was just thickened a bit, so I had to rethink how to attach it. At Home Depot I found a reinforced 1 inch transparent tube, which fit perfectly. Using hose clamps I attached it to the outlet and the fuel gun and filter end. I kept the strong 4x4 planks on top so I could pour fuel into the tank from above, while the cubies sit suspended, and attached a (red) funnel, which greatly improves adding fuel to the drum. Then onto the funnel I can add a filter (such as an old t-shirt or sheet or a 5 micron cloth filter) which means no more bucket to bucket filtering. I also added a shelf to contain all the cubies. I can definitely recommend this setup.

The interior restoration is finished

Today I finally picked up the car from L and S, with finished interior. It looks very much like my design, except for the strip in the door panels and the armrest being black. At first I was surprisedby this, because that wasn't part of the plan. I does look nice, so I will try to live with it for a while. It wasn't easily possible to put a round bass speaker in the front of the side panels, so they had to be put in the back. Also Wally's guys discovered a very rusted area underneath the driver's side, which they replaced with a part of some metal door. They added sound proofing, which has made the ride quieter, but not by as much as I had hoped. The passenger side belt buckle that the car came with was broken and couldn't be repaired. I am still looking on for a replacement. I have one person whom I paid already, but there have been delays.

The color treatment of the plastic and all the other color related treatments look absolutely perfect. I'm very happy with it. It's actually strange to see it done, since I've been visualizing it for so long. When I show it to others, they view it as perfectly normal, as if the car had always looked like this. That's actually a good sign, because I didn't want to go overboard on the restoring, rather, keep it as if "in original condition" so some extent.

Picture 1: Before. Original, but sprayed over, "Autumn Tan". Very seventies.

Picture 2: My mockup in Photoshop. Disregard the steering wheel cover.

Picture 3: The interior gutted. A frightening sight. Notice the rusted floorboard.

Picture 4: A job well done. Looks too perfect to reveal all the work that went into it.

Interior restoration: finding the parts

I have been in touch with Wally at L&S here in Gainesville about getting the inside of the car redone. I had toyed with the idea of doing it myself, which would have been educational. I am trained as an artist, after all, so I should be able to restore the inside of a car to some extent. However, there is a lot to know about taking the car apart and back together again, and most of my attempts just to remove the dash have failed. And restoration is a skill set, and talent, which takes decades to develop. I think if I were able to do it at all, it would take me a very, very long time. In any case, L&S will do a great job.

I showed Wally the car and he had reservations about the dash, and many of the plastic parts. The plastic had been painted once before and it is very difficult to remove that paint. It has to be removed, not painted over, because the plastic actually gets more stained than painted, if I understand correctly. The dash also has cracks, which can't really be fixed. Plastic shrinks and expands daily and over the years, so any fix to the crack, will also move, but differently, and eventually show another crack. He did a test on one of the pieces and said he wouldn't be willing to go ahead with it as is, because it wouldn't be a good job in the long run, and his reputation is at stake.

Wally recommended finding again all the major parts, like the dash and the front pieces again, somewhere, with the original color on them.

This was a major blow, and I started imagining having this crummy, smelly interior to live with. Eventually I did find a seller on VWVortex.com who seemed to have all kinds of parts. His name is Scott and he is located south of Orlando. I contacted him via the site and instant messaging several times, but communication was slow.

After a lull in communication (and trips to New York and Europe, which put me out of touch), I asked which day of the week was good for picking up and we were able to agree on thursday. He was reluctant to ship, and I wanted to see what other stuff he had, so driving out seemed best, despite the long distance. In any case, I drove out there (3.45 minutes from Gainesville) with my son Bruno. Scott had all the interior parts, except the seatbelt and seatbelt components, in a very nice greyish blue, which was almost exactly the color I had imagined for the truck. This would mean that whichever stain went on top of the first color would work much better in terms of possible unevenness. He even had the window washer reservoir, which I had been looking for. He also had the AC vent knobs that I was in the middle of recreating. It was very exciting to assemble all these parts which had been hard to find for so long. Things sometimes become worth more than gold, because one has looked for them for so long. His backyard was like a priceless treasure in my eyes. Never before had I seen an assortment of car related objects that seemed so familiar to me — familiar because he, too, was dealing with the same model car. He had several VW caddies in various states of disrepair.

He was nice enough to accept my offer of $120 everything. At first I said $100, but I was so happy have completed so many of my searches, that I gave him a little more, for the great condition dash and all the interior parts, plus steering wheel, fluid reservoir and AC knobs. Individually I would have had to pay more for each, and he was glad not to have to list them all on ebay or elsewhere.

Building a new fuel tank

Mickey and I were unable to find a used fuel tank. I did find someone in town who claimed to be able to solder the tank back to functionality, but it was expensive and I wasn't sure it would really work, since Mickey was very skeptical about it. Mickey found a place that could actually build a tank, which was very tempting to me: not only will the tank be new and clean, but it could also be somewhat larger.

I was in Europe at the time when Mickey told me that the tank had been rebuilt and it has a capacity of 20 gallons (instead of 13 gallons). This made me very happy, because it means that not only can the car drive a long time due to efficiency, but also because of the large tank. It means that if I were to go at 50 mpg, which I doubt, I could get to NYC from Florida on about one tank. For about 40$, with (close to) minimal pollution. Reality of course is less optimal, but in terms of hypermiling, this is becoming quite a car. Add to this the  biodiesel non-volatile nature, which allows carrying containers of fuel inside the car, and I should in theory be able to drive extremely long distances without having to find a fueling station.

So, the tank obstruction, which seemed to be an insurmountable problem, has lead to a great improvement.

The fuel tank needs to be replaced

The obstruction in the tank requires a serious cleaning. Mickey had a place near the shop try to clean it, but the effort failed. In the meantime I have been researching fuel tanks for the VW pickup. It's apparently a real problem. There are quite a few people looking for a replacement tank for this model, without much luck. Although the pickup is identical in many ways to the regular model rabbit of its time, the fuel tank is different for the pickup. Not many of these pickups were made, so now there is a shortage of tanks. There are sites which claim to have the right tank, but the pipes in inlets are usually not in the right place.

It's interesting how the internet can give a very clear impression of "absence". All mentions of my holy grail are either missing or mentioned as impossible, or claimed without reputable backing. After a while, it seems that the object of search is hard to get. But, of course the internet is vast and the search can always continue. Maybe one hasn't searched enough. Is calling people directly a time-saver here?

This is really one of the low points in dealing with the pickup truck. There doesn't seem to be a solution here. 

Maybe this is what will kill the entire project ...

An obstruction in the tank

Mickey from Best Motor Works says the car has serious gas starvation issues, due to an obstruction in the gas tank. I was worried about something like that. To use a biological metaphor, this is the equivalent of having fainting spells and the doctor tells you it's not the arteries, it's the heart - meaning it's a major problem. Mickey suggests as the first step to try cleaning the tank out. A place next door to the shop can do the job.

Engine loses power

Today I showed my son Oscar how to drive stick. He did very well. In the process I noticed a lack of power on the gas pedal. Then the engine started stalling. I tried it again a bit later and the next day.

This is very disappointing because I had gotten used to the car being reliable. Now it intermittently fails to run, which means I can no longer trust it for trips.

This time I don't think its the fuel lines, or the alternator/battery. Here we go again.

Bubbles in the fuel lines

I called Smitty regarding the motor dying. He suggests changing the oil filter as a first step. Glad to have a reason to learn about that. He will have one ready for me today to pick up. I'm optimistic, but I think it could also be the fuel pump, although that has been replaced recently.

Over a period of several weeks I tried introducing cleaning fluids (Magical Mystery oil, based on Smitty's advice), and just learning about how fluids pass into the the engine. I learned that getting rid of the bubbles in the fuel line makes the engine run smoothly.  I built a custom funnel with interior air outlet to be able to pour fuel into the lines directly. Then I video'd the bubbly fuel lines, sent it to a friend and he said that's the problem (or a symptom). Another friend concurred that the bubbles are the sign of the problem. But what is the culprit? Fuel filter? Faulty fittings? Fuel injection pump. In the end I went to a mechanic, Mickey Figueroa from Best Motor Works,  which my friend Jack Stenner recommended. This mechanic was closer by than Smitty when I broke down, and I really wanted to try to drive the car there instead of relying on AAA. Maybe this mechanic will a different view of things, maybe even break the "curse of the rabbit."

Fixing the lack of acceleration, the alternator, the leaking hoses

I recently picked up the car again [4/23/09], after Smitty made some effective fixes. The main fix was the rebuild of the injection pump. The car really feels differently now and is able to accelerate fast enough to make it onto a highway. Also, the battery no longer drains [I've had no problems starting the car since then —3/14/10]. Here is an email I sent to Smitty, and below is his email after his fixes.

Hi Smitty and all,

[unrelated deleted]

Below a listing and report on the car issues.

Long story short:

Could we make this car reliable? It eats batteries, fuel lines spurt fuel, and it can't accelerate enough to avoid being honked at or get on the highway.

It's an extremely traumatic car to drive. No one in my family wants to go near it. 

Long story itemized:

1. Fuel lines spurt fuel. Several of the fuel lines have cracked open and spurted fuel, once to the point of emptying the tank in a few minutes. Are they the wrong lines, or were they put in wrong?

2. The batteries fail constantly. I always carry a second fully charged battery for this case, and need it often (like on the way to the shop yesterday). When I got the car originally it came with a dead battery. I don't think this problem has ever been solved. It's either something with the alternator or it's some kind of spike or short, I would guess. Somewhere in the system, energy is being drained. I checked them with a voltmeter while revving the engine, and there is power coming through, maybe too much, but you might want to test that again.

3. The engine is very weak. I know it's a weak engine to begin with, and I know it's better than how it was before, but there must be a way to get it to be within reason. Did they really sell consumer cars in the 80's that couldn't get on the highway? Is the turbo for real or not? If not, can it be replaced? Can the engine be replaced? Smitty, you mentioned moving the fuel injection closer up. Let's try that or whatever else you can suggest. What are the different options and costs?

4. One of the belts is very loose. It makes a rattling noise when starting the car and goes away when you rev the motor, or after second gear. It doesn't always do this, so you may not notice it immediately.

5. The AC vent used to at least blow air from the left vent. Now it makes a screeching noise. How much would it take/cost to get the vents or even the AC to work?

6. The clutch is "high" according to several people who've driven the car. Can that be adjusted?

7. When going in reverse the rear lights don't light up.

8. I looked under the car. It looks rusty. Is that safe? If so for how long? What can I do about it?

9. The window washer fluid mechanism isn't really working.

10. There is a disconnected wire near the front of the motor, possibly to relay the temperature? Could you resolve that?

Long story long:

I have been gradually adding biodiesel to the diesel mix. When it was running mostly biodiesel, I dared take a trip with the car to Orlando with my wife (using smaller roads). I charged the second battery as insurance against the inevitable battery failure. When I got to Ocala cars started honking at me. I'm used to that since the car doesn't accelerate normally. Then I noticed smoke coming from the front. I stopped and looked under the hood. The whole motor area was covered in biodiesel. I turned on the motor and noticed a fountain coming from one of the valves. A man came by who claimed to work on diesels and using a knife, took off the problem hose (one of the small ones), cut it short, and put it back on. I had called AAA already so they had recommended the local VW dealer. When the hose seemed to be fixed I went by the VW dealer just to have them check it out for safety. They were very excited to see this type of car, none of them had before. This amused me, but also worried me. In the end they turned one of the fuel input valves somewhat in order to avoid chafing and also replaced another hose because it was cracked (this was a different hose than the one that had broken).

Back on the road about a half and hour later, I checked the car just out of anxiety. One of the large hoses had split at the end and was leaking fuel in large amounts. It had emptied the tank, which had been half full. That hose had not been a problem before, so I still don't know if it broke later, or was involved earlier, or if the VW guys accidentally broke it. I was near an auto parts store, bought some clamps and reattached the hose with multiple clamps so it wouldn't bend. We drove to a gas station to fill up and from there managed to drive home. The next day the battery was dead again.

I tell the story because I don't know exactly what caused the (three) hoses to fail, and why they failed in such quick succession. I had been using biodiesel, but it's supposed to take months before they degrade, and these were supposed to be the Viton hoses, so they shouldn't degrade at all. When I do the hose check (pinching the hose into an L shape) they seem fine. Could it be the shaking of the motor; do they all need to be clamped to avoid bending?

I have ordered more of the 1/8 inch hose to replace the one (with the fiber sheathing) that the Ocala VW people put on. That one seems to be "sweating" already.

Anyway, have a look at the car. I can be reached by email or phone anytime. Please keep me informed of possible solutions and costs in advance.

thanks and good luck

Max Becher

Hi Max,

Well after reading your letter I realize that we've got a challenge on our hands, however after looking closely at the problems it came down to two things (1) get much more power and be able to get the car started whenever you want without any reserve power.

First lets get the car started and do so always, the wiring harness from the alternator was changed, secure the alternator belt by repairing/welding  the alternator bracket to maintain the correct belt tension and alignment. However with the belt in position and New harness to the alternator we are reading just over battery voltage as output, we have to replace the alternator after doing so re check output alternator now reads 66amps at 13.46 Volts {Perfect} with these numbers this car should always start unless someone leaves the lights on to drain the battery.

Now we look at the performance Problem, Repair all fuel leaks and try to check injection pump timing, with the Jig in place I am still not able to set the timing where it is suppose to be, Now this is a set up I have used for over 25 Years but after not being able to get the reading on my dial indicator I am now convinced that my dial indicator has died, so I ordered a new dial indicator after getting the new tool try again to set the Injection pump timing Still I cannot get the numbers that I want, remembering we had to install an electric Fuel pump earlier to try to fix a hard start problem, I came to the conclusion the injection pump is faulty, since this is an expensive part I was sure that I had exhausted all other possibilities that's when I called you to tell you we have to get the Injection pump Remanufactured, I called the diesel pump company and explained to them the problem I was having in trying to set the injection pump timing and of course he explained to me that the stator/shaft that the pin for the tool sits on in the pump is worn down and would have to be replaced, once you gave me the ok to proceed we removed the pump packaged it and sent it out, we received it three days later and installed it on the car, we were able to set the pump timing in less than forty minutes and at the settings the manufacturer recommends, since we had already secured all the fuel lines previously all we had to do was to road test this car. WOOOW We have a new car, we can now spin the front tires at will take third gear all the way to 50 miles per hour we have driven this car for the last couple of days since I knew you were not around here, You are now going to enjoy this car as you intended when you got it.

We also fixed the windshield washers.

[unrelated deleted]

Thanks

Smitty

The popping fuel lines

I have been gradually adding biodiesel to the diesel mix. When it was running mostly biodiesel, I dared take a trip with the car to Orlando with my wife, using smaller roads. I charged the second battery as insurance against the inevitable battery failure. When I got to Ocala cars started honking at me. I'm used to that since the car doesn't accelerate normally. Then I noticed smoke coming from the front. I stopped and looked under the hood. The whole motor area was covered in biodiesel. I turned on the motor and noticed a fountain coming from one of the valves. A man came by who claimed to work on diesels and using a knife, took off the problem hose (one of the small ones), cut it short, and put it back on. I had called AAA already so they had recommended the local VW dealer. When the hose seemed to be fixed I went by the VW dealer just to have them check it out for safety. They were very excited to see this type of car, none of them had before. This amused me, but also worried me. In the end they turned one of the fuel input valves somewhat in order to avoid chafing and also replaced another hose because it was cracked (this was a different hose than the one that had broken).

Back on the road about a half an hour later, I checked the car just because of anxiety. One of the large hoses had split at the end and was leaking fuel in large amounts. It had emptied the tank, which had been half full. That hose had not been a problem before, so I still don't know if it broke later, or was involved earlier, or if the VW guys accidentally broke it. I was near an auto parts store, bought some clamps and reattached the hose with multiple clamps so it wouldn't bend. We drove to a gas station to fill up and from there managed to drive home. The next day the battery was dead again.

I tell the story because I don't know exactly what caused the (three) hoses to fail, and why they failed in such quick succession. I had been using biodiesel, but it's supposed to take months before they degrade, and these were supposed to be the Viton hoses, so they shouldn't degrade at all. When I do the hose-check (pinching the hose into an L shape) they seem fine. Could it be the shaking of the motor; do they all need to be clamped to avoid bending?

I have ordered more of the 1/8 inch Viton hose to replace the one (with the fiber sheathing) that the Ocala VW people put on. That one seems to be "sweating" already.

Biodiesel in Florida

There exists a very convenient site, Biodiesel.org from the The National Biodiesel Board (NBB), which helps you find biodiesel stations. It gives you a very clear image of the extent to which biodiesel retail stations are available so far, and which states are more active in the field. On the map [below is an updated map with the Gainesville location taken out - 2/28/10], every purple square represents a biodiesel station. Forida doesn't look so bad on the map, but the reality is different. Many of these stations either don't sell full biodiesel (at B20 or above, meaning a 20% blend of biodiesel and regular diesel), don't sell ANY biodiesel, or don't even exist.

The biofuel situation around here is very interesting. My town, Gainesville, FL, prides itself on being very progressive environmentally. There are all kinds of projects going on at the University, it is the first US city to adopt the German solar power feed in tariff system, there are many housing developments which try to be as green as possible, the city has one of the most extensive bike lane systems, and so on. But when it comes to biodiesel there is really no support whatsoever, at least not for the consumer. The nearest biofuel station is about 50 minutes away, and they usually have only B20, maximum, a 20 percent blend with regular diesel. In short, there is no biodiesel anywhere near Gainesville. The closest reliable biodiesel station is three and half hours away, Glover Oil (number 12 on the map). Shame on Gainesville. Sure, occasionally something pops up on Craigslist, but then you have to buy bulk, etc, and don't know what you're getting. Considering the warmth (which is good for biodiesel because there's less "gelling") and the abundance of farming opportunities, as well as the very large number of trucks that roll through the state, this city and county should really be at the forefront of this opportunity to progress and contribute positively.

Dead battery again

The battery died. I used the old fashioned battery charger, a Schumacher, which I bought a version of after I borrowed Smitty's, charging the car battery on low amp for half an hour and then the 50 amp. That didn't work. Then I detached the battery from the car and put the charger on the battery on low for half an hour, then reattached, that worked. Some connecter in the car must be interfering.

The battery keeps losing power after its charged. I think the alternator is messed up. I'm thinking of getting a second battery and keeping it in the tool box, just for security, until the alternator is fixed.

Below is the charger I used. It has helped me out many times. Its only disadvantage is that it needs to be plugged into a wall outlet. It has three settings, 2amp, 10amp and 50amp. I hear that recharging batteries quickly is not good for the battery, for some reason. The longer and slower you do it the better. Using the 2amp setting, and letting it charge for more than a half hour sometimes does the trick. If it doesn't, then a higher, faster setting may work, but this degrades the battery a bit. I really don't know what I'm doing here, but learning by doing. The interface on this charger is really ridiculous - I still don't really get it. On the face, the amp numbers descend from left to right. In the little window however, the needle shows power ascending from left to right, and then the percentage-charged numbers descend left to right again. The device looks like something that has worked so reliably for so long that no one has ever criticized its insane labeling.

Must have truck tool box!

My current obsession is truck tool boxes. The caddy has very little room in the front and in the bed, everything just rolls around. So, as a substitute for a trunk, as a place to put tools, groceries, anything that one doesn't want taking up space in the front cab, one needs a truck tool box. There are many kinds: some go across the sides, some sit along the sides, some just sit inside. There are also many kinds of door systems: some open as one piece, others have a "butterfly" system. And there are generally three classes of quality: "good," "better," and "best," as in lower class, middle class, and upper class. The class system seems to mainly refer to the way the metal is treated, and most noticeably what kind of latches are used. The best of them have very smoothly operating latches, the worst (a.k.a "good) ones have tinny, easily sticking latches. Oh, and there's the rattling. A good box won't rattle due to all kinds of seals and buffers.

Yesterday I went to Sears. I had researched online truck tool boxes again and came upon Delta truck boxes. Sears seemed to have a lot of them. I went to the store and discovered they only had three in the showroom. The sales woman kept me waiting for a long time, but was very polite. She remembered a box that was in the back, a returned item. She took a while (forgiven) and then returned with a packaged truck box. I helped her pull the box out and she went to get the measuring tape. She returned a long while later (forgiven). We measured the box and it fit my truck perfectly. I thought that the fact that it was a rejected item it could be reduced in price, but not so. They wanted about  $279 plus tax.  I left my name, mentioned returning. The saleswoman asked for a call back if I didn't want it. In the end I found another store selling a similar item for less, and gave her a call back to say I wouldn't buy it (am I forgiven?).


I was really looking forward to buying that toolbox. But we needed some feed from Tractor Supply Company. I had checked out their boxes a few times, but couldn't make up my mind. I decided to see their inventory in person one more time. It turned out they had a Delta truck box as well, and it fit perfectly. It was a pleasant experience, not only to finally use the truck for getting feed, but also to get the box at a decent price. It was $229 instead of the higher Sears price of $279. But they tell me there's a difference in the latches, etc.  I guess I'll be the wiser when things become annoying. 


At least I finally got the truck box in place. It looks great. Gives the whole truck a different feel. "In the right light" the truck "almost looks handsome" quoting Lawrence of Arabia, in this case the diamond pattern of the toolbox reflects on the back of the "cab," joining the composition. I went to the supermarket this evening, for no real need, just to see if the supermarket bags would fit. They didn't. But they will with a little adjusting (crushing).  


I also considered the depth of the truckbox. The deeper the truckbox, the more you can put in it. Sorry about that obvious bit of information. However, the more shallow the truck box, the more you can put into the truck bed, like the things that are long, such as lumber and drywall for example. What is the ideal shallowness of the truckbox? If you buy 4x4's or a lot of drywall then the truckbox could get in the way. This is the variation that you see along the streets of rural America. Each person has to decide which is more important, the length of the truck, or the height of the space underneath the toolbox. Well it goes on, and until you actually have to deal with your particular problems as a craftsman of some sort, you won't really know why certain choices are best.  People can tell a lot about you from your truck box. Each pickup truck is a reflection of that person's needs and purposes, as well as his/her economic ability or desire to meet those needs. Ah, the signifiers of the country side, an entire world to explore.