JIm,
  Where is Fairborn, OH.? I sure would like to see your Adventure
Vanagon at the Show here in Pgh. PA this sunday> Any change you can
make it?

            Eric                   86-VW4x4
            vw4x4@fyi.net          86-SS Syncro
            Pittsburgh, PA USA     1936-Chrysler
            www.my.treeway.com/emz

On Sat, 16 Sep 2000, James Sperl wrote:

> Hi.  I'm happy to say that we're back on the road with both of our VWs.  The
> NB came out of the body shop just right and the Syncro has a new Luk HD
> Syncro clutch which I got from the BD.  As it turns out, I hit a stroke of
> real luck (I needed it after the NB rolled into the van with the door open
> and a week later the clutch on the Syncro quit) when I was referred to
> Davidson Imports in Fairborn Ohio.  Funny thing was, I'd actually started at
> a different garage but since I've got a hightop, they couldn't raise the van
> high enough and referred down the street to their friend.  (I'm new to
> Ohio.)  Imagine my surprise to pull into Jim Davidson's and see a beautiful
> white Westy out front a silver vanagon on his outside rack, and a blue
> vanagon on the side.  Thought we were having a vanagon convention, the most
> I've ever seen together for a long time.  Turns out the Westy is Jims and he
> works on Vanagons quite often.  His shop was immaculate and he seemed very
> knowlegeable even though I believe he said he'd only worked a couple of
> other syncros before.
>
> If anyone has read this far, remember my clutch had only gone 25,000 miles
> since last replacement.  Turns out it was a bad pilot bearing.  So, $400 to
> replace a $4.00 item.  He mentioned several possibilities for the premature
> failure including a missing felt pad behind? the pilot bearing but I
> honestly don't remember the other reasons.  I mention this only because as I
> listed to him talk about finding locktite on some bolts which aren't
> supposed to be loctited, what appeared to be non-replacement of other
> seals/rings which are considered standard clutch replacement items on a
> vanagon, I was once again made aware of the value of a good mechanic.  I'd
> had my clutch replaced by someone in Alamogordo NM who may have never done a
> Vanagon before (had to pull the tranny twice because of a main seal leak the
> first time), had the driveshaft misaligned so the van practically fell apart
> at 30 mph (and he wondered if that was normal) and smashed the starter cable
> up against the frame so hard that it rubbed through the rubber cover on my
> 10 miles home, wrecked my battery, caused me undue stress and work and
> forced me to get towed home.  So those of you who don't do your own work and
> have found a good mechanic, please, please count your blessings.  This three
> weeks without my van was (I think) caused by poor mechanicship but I believe
> life here in Ohio will be fine now with an expert vanagon mechanic just 2
> miles from our home.  It was fun to get back in my van and drive away with
> confidence. Jim Davidson, the confidence I've developed in him in just one
> job is significant.   When I see him driving a Westy and having other
> Vanagon customers, I feel even better.   His number is 937-878-7464.
>
> Cheers,
> Jim Sperl
> 91 Syncro Adventurewagon
> 99 NB TDI
> Fairborn OH
>
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