Worst thing I ever did was take my newly acquired Westy to a Speedy Lube and
got sold a bill of goods.
I let them change the manual transmission grease not knowing that a good
quart and a half would still reside there with a full draining.
They flushed the tranny with solvent and so I had about 3 quarts of good
fresh 90 wt and 1.5 quarts of solvent thinning the good 90 wt out.
They also installed 10-30 motor oil (but it didn't hurt anything).
My transmission failed in the 3/4 slider area within 1000 miles of hard
highway driving.
I think age and 140K on the tranny played a part but I'm sure the thinner
grease mix also enhanced the speed at which the tranny failed.
I just wish someone on the list had told me OR at least one of the Door Stop
manuals had mentioned the tranny thing.

Stan Wilder
Engine Ceramics
214-352-4931
www.engineceramics.com

----- Original Message -----
From: <JordanVw@AOL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 9:42 AM
Subject: Re: Worst thing you ever did to your Vanagon?

> In a message dated 8/13/05 12:38:43 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
xtabe@YAHOO.COM
> writes:
>
>
> > Here's another interesting one:  What's the
> > worst thing you ever did to your Vanagon?  I'm
> > thinking maintenance/repairs but I guess high
> > centering it would qualify...
> >
> >
>
>  on a '87 vanagon i used to have -   worst thing i did - take it to jiffy
> lube..and watch as the monkey "lube tech"  left my drivers door open and
had my
> van up on 3 wheels supported by the drivers door.
> (some of you may remember this a few yrs back)
>
> chris