Good luck Craig, you've got the bug!   :)

On 7/14/07, Syncronicity1 <syncronicity1@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Perhaps this is among the best posts on the list.  Thanks Craig!
>
> Roland
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> craig cowan
> Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 8:06 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: exaust removal woes
>
> I was thinking long and hard all day today as to what it is i'm to do to
> dig
> myself out of this hole. And i was graced by a meeting of fellow vanagon
> owners....and it made me wonder "why you do it".
> I thought i'd share my story of why i love vanagons, and why my bus needs
> a
> new heart. If your bored, read on. If your not.....don't, you don't have
> time. Stop right here and go be busy. Have a good day.
>
> I appreciate the sudgestions, help, and most importantly time. I am in a
> very horrible predicament to say the least. I've been leaning towards a
> subaru conversion since the day i found out what a vanagon was (ya, i
> litereally bought one without EVER seeing one in real life and just knew
> "they have engine problems, the subaru fits right and adds power"). As of
> tuesday, its been exactly one year since i bought my vanagon. I have
> driven
> it roughly 1000 miles in that time period, 90% of which was in the first
> month. It worked very well for the first month, then died all at once. Now
> i'm in the predicament of my life. I am a recent highschool graduate who
> plans to attend slippery rock university of PA next year which is about an
> hour from my house. I was told i can keep a car up there assuming its the
> vanagon (parental incentive to make it work). I spend all my free time
> (Literally ALL of it) either on the list, or tinkering with my bus.....but
> nothing will fix the problems at hand. I work 10-12 hour days 6 days a
> week
> at slightly above minimum wage just to try to save enough money to put a
> conversion together, and i might be getting a "night job" at a body shop
> which wont pay....but will allow me to work off the required work that my
> bus desperately needs (rust is eating it!). I simply cannot afford to pay
> to
> get this thing working, yet cannot justify putting a $4K engine conversion
> into a $2K car that has been imobile for 9 months. At this point, i'm
> working solely to feed my love of vanagons, i spend no money, have no free
> time, and come home exausted.....but with the ambitions to start ANOTHER
> job. Why do i do it?
>
> That question has come up more times than i'd like to count. But i sure
> wish
> there was a nickel or dime every time....because i'd be rockin a SVX
> powered
> Syncro Westy at this point!
> I somehow fell in love with vanagons all at once. A pal had one stashed
> under a tarp rotting behind their house, and offered to sell it to me. I
> had
> a love for VW busses, had no idea there were different models, and went
> home
> that night and searched "1988 Volkswagon Bus Water-Cooled" based on the
> knowledge i had and what he had told me. Needless to say, it was horribly
> unsuccessful. Over the next week i devoted every waking moment of my time
> to
> researching these beasts untill i convinced my parents to come take a look
> at it. At this point in my life i was suffering from sever depression and
> in
> constant pain from a recent car accident.....i was not recovering well and
> they saw the first smile i'd had in a long time. This alone made them
> willing to buy their first foreign car, their first stick shift car, their
> first "old" car, and their first rusty car all at once, to allow (and
> teach)
> a highschool junior to drive....because it was a dream of his. I will
> never
> cease to be amazed by that selfless act. I had little mechanical
> understanding, i had no ambition to actually "do anything" with the car,
> couldnt drive stick.....COULDNT EVEN DRIVE. I would go outside and sit in
> it, i'd go read a book in it.....i was in constant pain and would emerge
> from my silver lair with a bright smile on my face, the world knew that
> somehow....this "PIECE OF SHIT" made me happy, and it was the only thing
> that would! They used it to motivate me to get good grades, they used it
> to
> motivate me to continue my recovery process, they motivated me in more
> ways
> than i'll ever understand. I had no job and would survive year to year on
> MAYBE $500 that i would find through holidays, birthday money, and
> occassional yard work.......and yet i was always volunteering to sink
> every
> cent of it into the car. They never let me.
>
> The point is, the line has been drawn. From this point forward, they are
> no
> longer happy with the vehicle, they are no longer willing to support the
> cause, as it hardly motivates me do to its lack of motion (though i've
> heard
> my parents telling their friends about the smile they see on my face when
> its driven by me!) I'm working my ass off and trying to make money in all
> the available odd jobs, but it limits my time to work on it. I am reaching
> the point where i can afford to get some work done, but an ambitious head
> replacement (would do both sides probably) is not
> economical.....especially
> knowing the fuel-injection system is less than amazing and i know there
> are
> problems. This problem wont fix it, it still wont be "working" the way its
> supposed to. I'm trying my hardest not to give up, but its getting hard.
>
> I figured out how to cook rice and tea REALLY well and taught myself to
> love
> um, so thats all i eat and drink at work (I Figured out it saved me $100 a
> week!!! From the first few weeks of going out to lunch and dinner, buying
> drinks, etc). I dont sleep much (no time!) and when i do.....i dream about
> a
> Volksagen bus and how beautiful and proud it will stand when freshly
> repainted, running a subaru 2.2, and my interior customizing is complete.
> People are telling me now that its more practical for me to try to cut my
> losses, sell the bus, and buy one in better shape for say $4K or
> $5K......but i would loose all this. I just cant do it. I love this bus
> like
> i've never loved anything else in my short life. My boss/head of our
> service
> department knows that, knows i wont be able to pay the bill....and knows
> hes
> going to take a loss. My fellow highschool seniors took up a collection!
> (Pretty unscucessful, but its the thought that counts, we had bracelets
> that
> said "Make a difference") Its well known that i'd sell a kidney to get a
> conversion, but know that my liver and kidneys may get a good workout in
> the
> near future as a freshman in college. I have total strangers who know me
> as
> "the bus man"......its the only one in my area. I am so unbelievably proud
> of my work so far and would love to continue it.
>
> I just thought i'd have to share my story of "WHY I DO IT". I know there
> are
> some on the list that will hate it, they'll say it somehow doesnt deal
> with
> vanagons and we should stick to "what tires are the best" (My hankook
> RA08s
> have held up well for all 10 miles ive been able to put on them!), but i
> dont care. I know some of you have similar loves for these cars, some of
> you
> dont. To some of you, its a car that you can take to the home depot on
> saturdays. To me, its hope, its a smile. Deal with it.
> Theres no point to this, i just hope my struggle can give hope to someone
> else. Stick with it. Thank you all for your help so far, even those of you
> who have no idea who i am or why i'm writing this. I may not be a famous
> name like "Bob Donalds" "Benny Boy" or "The Bus Depot", but i'm trying my
> best and know that someday....i'll have a bus that will make Benny Boy say
> "See, there are TWO good looking '85's in the world!!"
>
> I hope your day goes very very well, all of you. Thats the best i can do.
> I'd give you all a hug, a shake of hand, you all deserve it. But thats
> simply the best i can do. When i'm a rich man, you'll all get a
> worthers-original mailed to your door for the rediculous cost of postage,
> but for now....just have a nice day!
>
> -Craig Cowan
> 1985 Vanagon GL converted to custom Camper
>
>
>
>
> On 7/14/07, Bob Donalds <donalds1@verizon.net> wrote:
> >
> > I use a shop in Santa ana Ca to do my EDM work mostly on head studs for
> > WBX
> > engines
> > Jerry's broken drill and tap they can handle it BUT maybe its time to
> take
> > step back and look at the bigger picture
> > and consider a good used head or a new pair of heads or A fresh
> longblock
> > I have any and all of those options available here at the engine
> exchange
> > how can I help you
> >
> > Bob Donalds
> > Boston engine
> > 508 358 6264
> > in the shop today and tomorrow afternoon working on my own vans
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Evan Mac Donald" <macdonald1987@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 9:04 AM
> > Subject: Re: exaust removal woes
> >
> >
> > > The process is usually called "EDM" and should be easier to find if
> > > searched for that way. Basically, a high-energy arc discharge is used
> to
> > > vaporize the metal at the point of the electrode. Kind of like arc
> > welding
> > > in reverse. Many prototype parts shops use this process to cut metal
> > > plate, and also to bore small diameter, deep holes. Since there is no
> > > actual "bit" removing the metal, it cannot break off and get stuck.
> > > Changing the voltage / amperage parameters allows for better removal
> of
> > > different materials. It may be cheaper, though, to get a new head...
> > >
> > > pdooley <psdooley@VERIZON.NET> wrote:  Even "good" bits will have a
> heck
> > > of a time drilling through a tungsten
> > > carbide drill bit.
> > >
> > > The one method I have heard about to do this is spark erosion.
> > > Apparently some kind of device is hooked up which sends a concentrated
> > > spark
> > > through the broken off bit and erodes it away.
> > > Sounds pretty slick, but that's all I know about it.
> > > I have never seen it done or know about equipment availability.
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf
> > Of
> > > dylan friedman
> > > Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 10:36 PM
> > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > > Subject: Re: exaust removal woes
> > >
> > > to do it the right way and have it work when you are finished, the
> head
> > > should come off and use a drill press and good bits to make a hole for
> > an
> > > extractor. I have had similar issues in the past. I don't mess with it
> > in
> > > the van. I pull them and do it so it will last and not make matters
> > worse.
> > >
> > > dylan
> > >
> > > craig cowan
> > > wrote: So today my day at work started
> > > as any would (except discovering the trash
> > > truck put a sizeable dent in the nose of the vanagon......which will
> be
> > > repaired free of charge), and the mecahnics at my work started working
> > on
> > > my
> > > vanagon. I popped in from time to time to check the progress. The goal
> > was
> > > to replace the manifold gasket at cylinder 1, so the manifold had to
> > come
> > > off as the studs were damaged. Of the 4 bolts that connected to the
> > heads
> > > and 2 that connected to the collection pipe (1.9L) The collection pipe
> > > bolts
> > > came right off, and 3 of the head nuts. One was not so lucky. It
> snapped
> > > and
> > > the mechanic welded a nut to the stud and started backing it
> out.....it
> > > was
> > > working really well....till it broke the stud halfway inside the head.
> > > So......out comes the tungsten carbide drill bits.......a very
> accurate
> > > and
> > > perfectly executed drilling went horribly wrong when the bit broke off
> > > flush
> > > with the head. "You cant drill out a drill bit" boss mechanic
> > said.....so
> > > over the course of the weekend the entire staff is trying to figure
> out
> > > how
> > > to fix this without removing the head (or even if the head comes
> > > off.....what do you do?)
> > >
> > > Sudgestions so far include "Burn it out" though i dont know how,
> > "Stronger
> > > Drill Bits" which are on order but have low expectations, and "replace
> > the
> > > head".
> > >
> > > Any ideas are greatly appreciated!!!!!!
> > >
> > > -Craig
> > > '85GL (which isnt having its best day)
> >
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.5/899 - Release Date: 7/13/2007
> 3:41 PM
>
>
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.5/899 - Release Date: 7/13/2007
> 3:41 PM
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com