March 29, 2015

The day began with “hafta”:  Hafta do some vacuuming,  hafta do some laundry, hafta do some cleaning.  I was raring to go outside to the bus, but really…there comes a time when responsibility sets in.  A little music got the day going.  I’ve been on a Van Halen kick lately, not sure why.  I like both VHs – DLR and Van Haggar:  they offer different styles and that’s cool by me.  Fortunately, I am not a 100% responsible person, and after an hour or so, things were decent enough to let me go outside and I brought the music with me.

I felt like a kid in a candy store; I had all my tools out so I dove right in.  First I cleaned the wires on the distributer cap and used the liquid electric tape to seal those better.  I also cleaned other parts of the engine with rubbing alcohol.  I tried to get started on the belt, but it was a little intimidating.  I am looking VERY forward to getting those books.  Eventually, I had determined which nuts needed to be loosened and got it started.  It wasn’t long before I understood exactly what needed to happen, only it couldn’t:  The video showed a ratcheting/wrench set and I didn’t have one.  The crescent wrench worked ok, but the pulley turned every time I turned the nut.  I couldn’t find the slot to hold the pulley back.  I did everything possible, to no avail.  To ease my frustration, I got the terminal put on the wiring for the marine battery, but the grounding wire was too short.  I was stuck on either job, so I got everything back together again and headed off to Auto Zone.

Today, I officially met Alex, who has seen me, but not helped.  He was lost from the get-go as he is a Chevy guy, but he did suggest the pulley and the nut might need to spin in separate directions.  We went inside to get Rick, the manager, who knows VWs – only when I showed him the issue, he said I had already lost him as this pancake engine is different from the open VW bug engine. Well, shoot.  I mentioned what Alex had suggested, and he said that could work and he went inside to get the tools.  The problem was, while they had a 22 mm ratchet and I also needed a 24 or 25 mm.  Tomorrow I’ll go to a tool store owned by own of the parents at my kid’s school.   

Back at home, I got the marine battery hooked up with a little wire finagling, then I played around to see if the crescent wrench could play the role of a ratchet wrench, but to no avail.  I climbed in my bus to see if there was any reaction from Lizzie…nothing.  Not even a little blurb of joy from her.  I’m thinking I’ll have to figure out how to rewire the battery with the right kind of wire, the little 12 volt wire does nothing.  At some point, Annie went on a neighborhood hike.  I called and called, no answer from her, either.  Maybe she and Lizzie are in cahoots?  I heard my name being called and I knew…my neighbor Carol had Annie in her arms as she walked up the street.  After I put the dogs in the back yard, Carol and I played in the bus.  She used to have a similar one when she was 19 and told me stories of her parrot hanging out on the steering wheel.  How fun!  After we were almost eaten by mosquitoes, Carol headed back home and I loaded the pups in and we went for a cruise.  

  

I am at peace when I drive that bus.  I see why the drivers I have always seen look so relaxed.  It’s a whole other world.  I love the fact that it has the Porsche engine – no wonder I channel my dad when I’m in this car – I hear him in his 1972 911 Targa, shifting gears.  Granted, the Porsche sounded a bit different – shriller and faster, but it is definitely the same.  My Volkswagen Rabbit didn’t sound like this at all.  It’s good medicine, being in that bus.  It is a project, certainly, but I was filled with such in joy getting my hands dirty (despite the soap I bought at the shop, I can’t get all the grease off), reaching into the engine and getting to know her.  Good, good day.

Pictures:  Made in West Germany.  I remember those days, going through the airports in Frankfurt with soldiers and their rifles everywhere.  Different days, yet not so very different at all;  My assistants, making sure everything inside is in proper working order; The 10 mm is missing...of course it is, it is the one I wanted; Beautiful dropping of the sun.