Sunday, July 25, 2004
Oh how things get all mixed up and backwards. Yeah, I ordered the rebuild kit and sho'nuff it's back ordered and won't ship until August 5th. That's right, I said August 5th. Oy. So the poor girl sits in the back awaiting her major surgery. The good news is that the book came in and I can read through the whole procedure multiple times. That should get me good and educated before jumping in.
I'll let ya know when the kit arrives. And then, it's greasy time!
I'll let ya know when the kit arrives. And then, it's greasy time!
Monday, July 12, 2004
Well, after much deliberation and a lot of hmmmm's and haaaaaa's I've decided to go ahead and do the unthinkable. I'm pullin' the engine and rebuilding her!
You say, Vaughn, surely you've gone mad and would never consider trying such a thing!
I laugh at your comment. I may be an amateur, but I'm no coward! Ok, it took a little to get here. I mean, I'm no fool either. I'm not gonna go pullin' the engine out if all I need is a new well placed gasket. But, after some research and by research I mean question askin' on the net I think I know the problem. You see, one fine gentleman pointed out that I may have worked some rings loose and the oil was forced out when the engine got hot. After poking around under the car I think this sounds like the most likely problem. I removed my valve covers. The left side was normal, dry-ish and looked good. The right side was covered, I mean covered in oil. It seems to me that the rings are loose on those cylinders and the oil was forced through there and many other places in that neighborhood.
Sooooo, today I ordered an engine rebuild kit from the fine folks at JC Whitney. It should be here soon along with the book titled "Rebuilding Your Aircooled Volkswagen Engine." Between the kit, the book and the help of my trusty sidekick everything should be fine. Oh, don't you worry, there will be many a picture.
You say, Vaughn, surely you've gone mad and would never consider trying such a thing!
I laugh at your comment. I may be an amateur, but I'm no coward! Ok, it took a little to get here. I mean, I'm no fool either. I'm not gonna go pullin' the engine out if all I need is a new well placed gasket. But, after some research and by research I mean question askin' on the net I think I know the problem. You see, one fine gentleman pointed out that I may have worked some rings loose and the oil was forced out when the engine got hot. After poking around under the car I think this sounds like the most likely problem. I removed my valve covers. The left side was normal, dry-ish and looked good. The right side was covered, I mean covered in oil. It seems to me that the rings are loose on those cylinders and the oil was forced through there and many other places in that neighborhood.
Sooooo, today I ordered an engine rebuild kit from the fine folks at JC Whitney. It should be here soon along with the book titled "Rebuilding Your Aircooled Volkswagen Engine." Between the kit, the book and the help of my trusty sidekick everything should be fine. Oh, don't you worry, there will be many a picture.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Fair warning, this is a retro post.
Um. Today, I had to get to set. I'm working on this short as a Second AD and my ride was late, eh hem, so I had to drive to set. No problem, the bug is good, the bug is strong. And all was well until I got to the 118. Those who aren't from these parts may recognize it as the Ronald Reagan Freeway that leads to his library/eternal resting place. But I digress. So I'm on the 118 and I realize I'm losing speed. 65, 60, 55, 50. Hmmm. That's not right. So I downshift thinking, for some reason, that might help. It does, for about 5 seconds. 60, 55, 50, 45, 40...uhoh. Like a WWII fighter pilot, I'm goin' down. Around this time I note the blue smoke coming from the engine. Blue smoke, blue smoke means oil burning. Oil suddenly burning can't be good.
It's not.
Finally the car drops to 30mph. I throw in the towel and pull off to the shoulder. Just as I do the oil warning light goes on. A 74 Super Beetle has two warning lights, both are bad. The car stops in a cloud of blue smoke and I jump out, throw open the engine compartment door and look under the car. Yikes! Oil is pouring from the front of the oil pan. Yeah, I'm not going anywhere.
I flip open the phone and call set to tell 'em the bad news. Wait, check that, first I flip open the phone and take a picture!
Then, I call and we decide that it might be best to try and get me to set (4 miles away) and then call a tow truck to get the car home at the end of the day. So, they send a Production Assistant with an armful of oil to me. I pour a quart in, she seems to hold it. I start the car, with some hesitation she roars to life and I drive her the 4 miles. I park, she drops her oil. Now, I still consider myself an auto amateur, no delusions of car grandeur here. No sir. So, I do what I can and put the car right out of my mind and walk over to the house we're shooting at. Turns out, almost the entire crew saw me on the side of the road...of course, no one stopped. That's the way it is in the age of the cell phone. Why stop? He has a phone. I mean, no matter, no hard feelings. Nothing anyone could have done anyway. It's the thought that counts.
So later that day I call AAA. Fortunately I had just upgraded to AAA Plus and with that I get 100 miles of free towing per incident. Well, I was 35 miles from home, so that was noooooo problem.
What to do about the old girl? I dunno.
Um. Today, I had to get to set. I'm working on this short as a Second AD and my ride was late, eh hem, so I had to drive to set. No problem, the bug is good, the bug is strong. And all was well until I got to the 118. Those who aren't from these parts may recognize it as the Ronald Reagan Freeway that leads to his library/eternal resting place. But I digress. So I'm on the 118 and I realize I'm losing speed. 65, 60, 55, 50. Hmmm. That's not right. So I downshift thinking, for some reason, that might help. It does, for about 5 seconds. 60, 55, 50, 45, 40...uhoh. Like a WWII fighter pilot, I'm goin' down. Around this time I note the blue smoke coming from the engine. Blue smoke, blue smoke means oil burning. Oil suddenly burning can't be good.
It's not.
Finally the car drops to 30mph. I throw in the towel and pull off to the shoulder. Just as I do the oil warning light goes on. A 74 Super Beetle has two warning lights, both are bad. The car stops in a cloud of blue smoke and I jump out, throw open the engine compartment door and look under the car. Yikes! Oil is pouring from the front of the oil pan. Yeah, I'm not going anywhere.
I flip open the phone and call set to tell 'em the bad news. Wait, check that, first I flip open the phone and take a picture!
Then, I call and we decide that it might be best to try and get me to set (4 miles away) and then call a tow truck to get the car home at the end of the day. So, they send a Production Assistant with an armful of oil to me. I pour a quart in, she seems to hold it. I start the car, with some hesitation she roars to life and I drive her the 4 miles. I park, she drops her oil. Now, I still consider myself an auto amateur, no delusions of car grandeur here. No sir. So, I do what I can and put the car right out of my mind and walk over to the house we're shooting at. Turns out, almost the entire crew saw me on the side of the road...of course, no one stopped. That's the way it is in the age of the cell phone. Why stop? He has a phone. I mean, no matter, no hard feelings. Nothing anyone could have done anyway. It's the thought that counts.
So later that day I call AAA. Fortunately I had just upgraded to AAA Plus and with that I get 100 miles of free towing per incident. Well, I was 35 miles from home, so that was noooooo problem.
What to do about the old girl? I dunno.
