I totally agree. I used to get the job done to just get the job done.
Not anymore, and it make a difference.
Even with that, I pack all my tools, fluids and a cell phone before I
test drive my work any distance.
We're all human, and a moment of distraction or forgetfulness can mean
a long, drawn out and always expensive, repair down the road
(literally!)  And, then, the same can be said for the guys that made
and QC'd the part!
It's a wonder ANYTHING runs at all!

Jim C

On Sep 15, 2008, at 10:46 AM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:

> 1. the tune up parts themselves, in waterboxer vanagons, especially
> if real
> Bosch ones, last REALLY well, and are not the weak link at at.
> 2. it takes about 4 to 6 minutes to look under the distributor cap and
> remove one spark plug for inspection.
> 3.  whenever you touch or work on  a car, you introduce
> opportunities for
> something to be different, or not right, when it might have been
> just fine
> beforehand. I would not, for example, change the fuel lines and then
> hand
> the van over to someone to go on a trip.
> That is REALLY asking for trouble. You don't truly, truly know your
> fuel
> line work is good until the thing has worked properly for a few
> weeks, and
> you've inspected your work a time or two in the meantime.
> 4.  Really............here is a Scott Foss Turbovans Shazam quote :
>
> "It's not the parts, it's the workmanship."
>
> people think 'changing parts' is fixing cars. It's not. The real
> repair and
> improvement, or restoration back to full health relies about 80 % on
> workmanship, and only 20 % on the parts installed.
> Example :  .......tdi sycnro Vanagon, Symptom : horrible 2nd gear
> sycnro
> action. A shop changed the pilot bearing, which was toast........The
> shop
> installs a waterboxer pilot bearing with just *nothing* for a pilot
> bearing
> dust seal.  That pilot bearing will just turn to dust, like the
> first one
> did, in maybe two and a half years, and then like the first
> incorrect pilot
> bearing, it'll contribute to tearing up the 1,500 dollar or whatever
> it was
> sycnro transmission rebuild job.
> A proper diesel pilot bearing with built in dust seal is the right
> part.
> About half the waterboxer clutches I take apart..........the felt
> dust ring
> seal is missing, because the little metal ring that retains it is
> missing,
> likely because it was removed by the machine shop to surface the
> flywheel.
> They of course forget about that tiny part. The shop forgets about
> it, It
> goes back together with no pilot brg. dust seal..........and a few
> years
> later, the little rollers are rusty dust.
> I see this ALL THE TIME.
>
> it's the Workmanship, not the parts.
>
> And when I work on vanagons, I find myself restoring this or that,
> treating
> rust, replacing things left off, tightening loose stuff , or whatever.
> There is far, FAR more to REALLY fixing and restoring back to full
> health
> than just installing a part or several.
> I'll even say this, installing whatever part........is really only
> 40 % at
> the most, of 'REAL repair and bringing  back to full health'  is.
> do good work, have fun !
> Scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Sullivan" <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 9:50 AM
> Subject: Re: Tune Up or Not?
>
>
>> Well, my kid wants the van for the weekend, so will do the lines on
>> Wednesday so I don't regret it. Thanks all.
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 15, 2008 at 11:43 AM, Stephen Grisanti
>> <bike2vcu@yahoo.com>wrote:
>>
>>>  I applaud your intentions, but have always found that doing
>>> something
>>> uncalled-for generally results in the unintended and unwanted.
>>> But that
>>> could just be me.
>>>
>>> Stephen
>>>
>>> --- On *Sun, 9/14/08, Michael Sullivan <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>*
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> From: Michael Sullivan <sandwichhead@GMAIL.COM>
>>> Subject: Tune Up or Not?
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 5:01 PM
>>>
>>>
>>> Kinda feeling lazy today and was gonna replace rotor, cap and
>>> plugs. I
>>> will
>>> be doing the fuel lines in a week or so. Van is running great and
>>> wonder
>>> if
>>> I can do another chore and just keep the tune-up parts on hand. Just
>>> don't
>>> know when last done from PO and don't want to make trouble later
>>> on, but
>>> if
>>> it aint broke....  Opinions?
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael in San Antonio
>>> 91GL AT 'Gringo'
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael in San Antonio
>> 91GL AT 'Gringo'