"webmonkees" (kayoteq-of-the-forest)
08/23/2013 at 07:07 • Filed to: None | 1 | 1 |
So, if you remember from the "Steamed" epic, I had a head gasket leak, caused by a series of scratches on the head between the gasket and the guts.
Of shopping or fixing. Realizing that it's just a pile of stuff if it's not fixed, drive down to the shop. watch the coolant levels.
A few days later..
Come back, see something I've never seen in the shop: the service manual.
Idle Regulator: expensive little gadget. Not working.
Okay, it's old, things happen. Rough idle? okay, it's been through a bit.
Um.. Idle Regulation. Not related to non-idle.
"It's out of gas. got a can?"
Of course I do. I get a gallon, come back. Look at gauge. About two gallons in there.
"Your fuel filter's clogged." Good time to notice that. However I had neglected to put the filter in the front where he could find it during the procedure.
Okay, we have gas. Car starts. Hey, anything's possible.
Vroom sputter VroOO M sput sput VA-ROOM!
The junction between the front exhaust and the cat was lacking bolts. The assembly fell off, well, down. Sounds great. Oh, and the tilt of said pipe made contact with the rear bumper so as in to melt it a wee bit.
Either a: He unbolted the pipe to make installation of the exhaust manifold easier, then forgot he did it. "I didn't unbolt that". Or I've been driving two months with a junction with no bolts. Or it had them and all four vibrated off with no other indication. Not like backpressure would loosen a unbolted exhaust. Maybe parking overnight somebody wanted a catalytic, who knows. I'll leave that to alien researcher theorists.
Oh.. so now I'm trapped, having nearly cussed the guy out. I had one problem, a leak in the head gasket. Reassembled, I have about $2-300 worth of parts to add, that may or may not have failed from age. I am a bit neglectful on my maintenance.
So it's down to the 'fuel filter'. If this fixes it, then great. Otherwise..Damn.
I should take it out in rebuilt VW aircooled*. About $500 off. He wins anyway.
*I would rank his vw aircooled skills above working with these newfangled wet ones.
Repair Collapse Syndrome : The process of repairing one problem may lead to a series of other problems, by both normal and extraordinary means.
Lorinserc230
> webmonkees
08/23/2013 at 08:50 | 0 |
Thats rough, it always seems to happen. The worst story about mechanics I have is my brother took his jeep wagoneer in to get some faulty wiring fixed. The thing promptly burned to the ground shortly after he picked it up. Cant prove it was related, but what are the odds...