Repair jobs/fix you are embarrassed of.
04-10-2007, 01:02 PM
#32
Poseur
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Since this has moved to more than just Porsches....
Late one night in January in New England my fiance and I were enjoying a movie at a nearby movie theater and hopped into the 3 year old VW Vanagon GL of mine for a run back to drop her home. As I started it up the accelerator pedal went to the floor,--but the throttle cable was no longer connected! I no longer had throttle control. Being reasonably well dressed and not desirous of crawling around under the van in -10F weather in the dark to sort this out I resorted to trying a different approach.
Leaving her in front in the driver's seat, I went to the back of the van and opened up the engine compartment, setting the lid aside. I was able to run the throttle myself by hand. I then directed my girlfriend to drive the car back to my place while I controlled the throttle. I said, it's a standard "H" pattern. She replied, "a what? I can't drive a stick." I could't believe it!
After a few minutes of training she gingerly put it into first and with us coordinating, she let out the clutch as I feathered in some power from the rear throttle control. We finally got going down the road. Being around midnight helped as there was little traffic out there! We had it all the way up to third gear at one point! We finally got home whereupon we parked the van and I returned her home in the 911 turbo.
Epilogue. I discovered that VW's engineering and design leaves a little to be desired. They built the throttle cable for the Vanagons in two sections and had them joined at the lowest point. Unfortunately, it leaves an opening into which water can run, splashed up by the front wheels. Couple that with subzero air temperatures and you suddenly have a frozen throttle cable. I have since sealed up that junction thoroughly myself (and moved the heck out of subzero temperature areas!)
Late one night in January in New England my fiance and I were enjoying a movie at a nearby movie theater and hopped into the 3 year old VW Vanagon GL of mine for a run back to drop her home. As I started it up the accelerator pedal went to the floor,--but the throttle cable was no longer connected! I no longer had throttle control. Being reasonably well dressed and not desirous of crawling around under the van in -10F weather in the dark to sort this out I resorted to trying a different approach.
Leaving her in front in the driver's seat, I went to the back of the van and opened up the engine compartment, setting the lid aside. I was able to run the throttle myself by hand. I then directed my girlfriend to drive the car back to my place while I controlled the throttle. I said, it's a standard "H" pattern. She replied, "a what? I can't drive a stick." I could't believe it!
After a few minutes of training she gingerly put it into first and with us coordinating, she let out the clutch as I feathered in some power from the rear throttle control. We finally got going down the road. Being around midnight helped as there was little traffic out there! We had it all the way up to third gear at one point! We finally got home whereupon we parked the van and I returned her home in the 911 turbo.
Epilogue. I discovered that VW's engineering and design leaves a little to be desired. They built the throttle cable for the Vanagons in two sections and had them joined at the lowest point. Unfortunately, it leaves an opening into which water can run, splashed up by the front wheels. Couple that with subzero air temperatures and you suddenly have a frozen throttle cable. I have since sealed up that junction thoroughly myself (and moved the heck out of subzero temperature areas!)
04-10-2007, 02:08 PM
#33
Rennlist Member
Speaking VWs, that is the reason why the first Porsche 356 was not a Porsche. It was a VW. Porsche wanted VW to see what could be done with VW if Porsche had input. Unfortunately for VW, they did not listen to Porsche.
Maybe they will listen today, as Porsche heads in to make some changes...
Maybe they will listen today, as Porsche heads in to make some changes...
04-10-2007, 10:48 PM
#34
Instructor
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: new england
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some of these things remind me of modifications the last owner experimented with his [now my] 911. take for example kill switches. he had 6. 2 in the engine compartment, 2 in the boot and 2 hidden in the cabin. or his deluxe carbeurator tuning system. he decided he wasn't getting enough gas into his float chambers, [weber's] so rather than adjust the tab, he simply put the floats back in upside down. hmmm.... the nearest I can figure is that this guy must have been mostly senile.
one more
his fuel pump died [it was an old p.o.s] so rather than replace it, he decided that by tapping on it he could get a few more miles of it. he ended up tapeing a small hammer glued to a spring on the side of the engine bay next to the fuel pump. the cars motion caused the hammer to rap incessantly on the fuel pump. whether this was a joke, an on the road fix, or the musings of a demented mind, I will never know....
one more
his fuel pump died [it was an old p.o.s] so rather than replace it, he decided that by tapping on it he could get a few more miles of it. he ended up tapeing a small hammer glued to a spring on the side of the engine bay next to the fuel pump. the cars motion caused the hammer to rap incessantly on the fuel pump. whether this was a joke, an on the road fix, or the musings of a demented mind, I will never know....
