One thing Pirsig never factored in was the spiraling disaster that is rebuilt assemblies. Tomorrow I will pay $140 for a rebuilt alternator for my diesel Vanagon. The problem is that I paid one of the list vendors that much for the item originally—exactly 11,678 miles ago, a Bosch Premium Rebuild.    When you are on the wrong end of the life cycle curve on starters and alternators, preventive maintenance becomes catch-and-release. As soon as you install the thing, start looking for the next one.   
  

  
Jim
  

  
  

  
  
>   
> On Jul 1, 2019 at 10:37 AM,  <Jack Elliott (mailto:pdaxe2gto@gmail.com)>  wrote:
>   
>   
>   
>  I just see my van as entropy in action. Also an engineer (though  
> electrical, not mechanical) I view it as a system of parts that are  
> imperfect, a kludge of things that will work for a while. It's gonna break.  
> In a big way, or a small way, the oncoming heat death of the universe makes  
> itself known. I stay alert for signs of weirdness and try to understand  
> them, see if they are significant or not, and address them accordingly to  
> the best of these guesses and the best of my ability. I rely on the  
> knowledge of others whenever I can. Adding a passenger, a SO for example,  
> who does not share my willingness to accept the inevitable, will greatly  
> reduce the sometimes pleasurable aspect of dealing with a breakdown and  
> solving the problem creatively. IOW, if getting someplace on time is  
> critical, if there are others with me that will not get a kick out of being  
> stuck somewhere because an oil filter blew off (it happened to me due to my  
> ignorance of filter threads, another story), then it's gonna have a Bad  
> Time. Masochism in action? To paraphrase my son, "any d*****bag with a  
> credit card can have a reliable car." Sometimes just getting somewhere  
> without trouble is in itself accomplishment enough.  
>
> That, plus people think these vehicles are totally cool and wish they could  
> get one.  
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 1, 2019 at 8:02 AM kenneth wilford (Van-Again)  <   
> kenwilfy@comcast.net>  wrote:  
>
> >  I look at the van as a never ending restoration project. You start with  
> >  the things that affect your safety and reliability first like brakes,  
> >  steering, suspension, the engine, the transmission. Once these have been  
> >  inspected and repaired, then you can move on to creature comforts like AC  
> >  and cosmetics. The problem is most folks focus on the creature comforts  
> >  and cosmetics first and expect the mechanicals will be fine as long as the  
> >  van looks good (new paint or wheels), and has a great sounding radio (I  
> >  guess it is fun to rock out while you wait for the tow truck).  
> >   
> >  Also one of my customers chants this mantra, "Don't let perfection get in  
> >  the way of good enough." You have to know when to say when on any  
> >  project. If you are seeking perfection you will never find it. But if you  
> >  are seeking functionality and safety you should find it in enough measure  
> >  to feel confident in your Vanagon. I use Progressive insurance which  
> >  includes a nice towing and roadside assistance plan, which I think every  
> >  car owner should have no matter what they are driving.  
> >   
> >  That is about it. I know the aircraft mechanic, engineer, etc. tends to  
> >  over analyze and over think the repairs or restoration of the van. Usually  
> >  this leads to lots of great plans, ripping everything apart to do a  
> >  "proper" restoration, and then abandoning the project when life gets in the  
> >  way. Avoid this. Instead, do the basics, get it running and safe, and  
> >  then enjoy it for the summer or two before doing the "full monty" on it.  
> >  That way you can decide if you really want to do that, or if you want to  
> >  sell it to someone else, or if you are "gasp" satisfied with the van even  
> >  with the quirks and imperfections. Some of them came from the factory...  
> >   
> >  Ken  
> >   
> >  On Mon, Jul 1, 2019 at 10:28 AM Alex MeVay  <alex@mevay.org>  wrote:  
> >   
> >   >  I've also been interested in exploring this, and I think Richard S  
> >   >  gave some great points.  
> >   >   
> >   >  I'm 5 years into my Vanagon, and it's given me the highest highs and  
> >   >  lowest lows of any vehicle I've owned. Some of the recent trip  
> >   >  reports have done a good job capturing the highs. As for the lows:  
> >   >  after endless weekends and evenings of work, sitting there staring at  
> >   >  a half-busted van and a to-do list that never gets any shorter... Rod  
> >   >  sticking through the oil pan (I-4) one day before your long-planned  
> >   >  trip down the CA coast with your SO... You know the routine.  
> >   >   
> >   >  At first, I approached the van like I would my other projects: as an  
> >   >  engineer (my day job). I would think through each repair and upgrade  
> >   >  to make sure it would last at least 1,000 years (or say at least 30),  
> >   >  and add to the todo list anything that might ever fail ever. This was  
> >   >  a recipe for negative thoughts and feelings about the van. I  
> >   >  struggled, even to the point of having impure thoughts about  
> >   >  Sprinters. At some point, I stumbled across this article, which I  
> >   >  found extremely helpful:  
> >   >   
> >   >  https://worldpowersystems.com/PROJECTS/wabiTekSabi/index.html  
> >   >   
> >   >  Among other points, it encourages thinking about objects as processes  
> >   >  or situations, not perfected Platonic ideals. Instead of thinking  
> >   >  about the van as an object I have thus far failed to perfect, it's  
> >   >  better to think about the process and context: the exchange of driving  
> >   >  the van, doing maintenance. A van by itself is meaningless...add a  
> >   >  driver, a 2-lane road, and that exchange of energy, and now you're  
> >   >  going somewhere. Instead of asking myself, "Is it perfect?", I  
> >   >  learned to ask, "Will it get me to the desert and back in relative  
> >   >  safety and comfort?" This is a much lower standard, but it gets more  
> >   >  to the heart of why I think we all do this. It acknowledges that,  
> >   >  even before you tighten that last bolt, the process of decay and  
> >   >  failure has started. All is flux, but that's OK.  
> >   >   
> >   >   
> >   >  Turning to more concrete matters, I think what Richard said about your  
> >   >  eyes and seat being the OBD hits the nail on the head. Being  
> >   >  mercilessly vigilant about understanding every creak, drip, vibration,  
> >   >  and smell is the best way to avoid big problems. You don't need to  
> >   >  fix it all, but I feel you need to understand it. For every issue or  
> >   >  warning sign, I ask:  
> >   >   
> >   >  What is the root cause?  
> >   >   
> >   >  How bad is this if it fails? (annoyance, or end of trip?)  
> >   >   
> >   >  Is it likely to fail all at once, or slowly get worse? (Will I have  
> >   >  some warning that a repair is required?)  
> >   >   
> >   >  Is there a possibility of cascading failure? (i.e., bad engine  
> >   >  mount->trashed exhaust)  
> >   >   
> >   >  Can it be repaired in the field?  
> >   >   
> >   >  Running through these questions for each issue helps me prioritize  
> >   >  repairs and understand the risks I am taking (or lack thereof) each  
> >   >  time I head out on a trip.  
> >   >   
> >   >  What other philosophies or mind-tricks have helped you enjoy Vanagon  
> >   >  ownership, or simply get out and back safely?  
> >   >   
> >   >  Alex  
> >   >   
> >   >   
> >   >   
> >   >   
> >   >  On Sun, Jun 30, 2019 at 10:32 PM Richard Smith  <smirby@gmail.com>  wrote:  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  On reliability:  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  I commend everyone who works on reliability, and I think it is  
> >  something  
> >   >  we should all be mindful of. Without the "RE" you have a liability. __  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  On the "my wife/husband hates my van because it is unreliable" theme, I  
> >   >  like to approach that problem from three directions:  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  1. Manage expectations. I start every (longer) trip with a reminder  
> >  that  
> >   >  we could get towed, and that it shouldn't be seen as a disaster. This may  
> >   >  appease the karma gods - I haven't been towed yet - but it also sets the  
> >   >  tone for whatever calamity arises.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  2. Live in the moment. If our cars didn't falter from time to time, and  
> >   >  we drifted along in uncaring bliss, would get get to meet those  
> >  exceptional  
> >   >  people who rise to the occasion? Every breakdown that I have had has been  
> >   >  just as interesting as the rest of the trip.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  3. Invest in your ride. Do the things that need doing, when they need  
> >   >  it. Replace the fuel lines. Make sure the brakes, tires, suspension are  
> >  all  
> >   >  in good condition before you set out. This won't make it never break  
> >  down,  
> >   >  but it will remove some of the failure points. We don't have a lot of  
> >   >  sensors telling us what is wrong, so your ears (and seat) are your "OBD"  
> >   >  system.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  We often mistake the reliability that we see in others' vehicles for a  
> >   >  completely trouble-free experience. They, too, have had their share of  
> >   >  breakdowns, its just that we don't see them. In my time owning Vanagons  
> >   >  (and a '73 bus before that), it has been no worse than lots of other  
> >  cars,  
> >   >  and better than many.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  For most of us, our vanagon is  >30 years old. This carries with it a  
> >   >  weighty responsibility in maintenance but also the need to embrace the  
> >   >  uncertainty that it brings with it.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  Despite all this, it remains a joy to own, and if that comes with a  
> >   >  frisson of excitement because of the chance of breakdown, I'll take it.  
> >  Not  
> >   >  for everyone, to be sure, but that's how I am dealing with it.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  ...r  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  On 2019-06-30, 5:37 PM, "Vanagon Mailing List on behalf of Richard  
> >   >  Koerner"  <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com on behalf of rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>   
> >   >  wrote:  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >  Which brings me to a last point. A few months ago someone  
> >  mentioned  
> >   >  reliability as their main goal with their Westy. I am very interested in  
> >   >  ideas about reliability that anyone might share.  
> >   >   >   
> >   >   >   
> >   >   
> >   
> >   
> >  --  
> >  Thanks,  
> >  Ken Wilford  
> >  John 3:16  
> >  www.vanagain.com  
> >   
>