>
> Old MacDonald had a Bus
> VeeWee VeeWee O
> And on that Bus he had some CV JOINTS!
> VeeWee VeeWee O
> With a WHINE-WHINE here, and a WHINE-WHINE there
> Here a WHINE, there a WHINE, everywhere a WHINE-WHINE.
>

I was wondering what that whining from my right rear wheel was - could
it be the CV joint(s)?

Last week I ordered the Bentley book as a first step towards my
independence from dealers with suspect integrity. But, of course, I
risk ruining poor Cassie ('89 Westy, 95k miles) by thinking I can
repair more than I really can. I continue to live with the image of my
'71 Beetle (yellow, named Kato, as in Peter Sellers' "little yellow
friend" in Pink Panther movies....), engine out, disassembled, Idiot
book in hand, trying to get it all back together...I was not a natural
mechanic...just ask the mechanic to whom I took Kato to put it back
together RIGHT...

But, that was 15 years ago - I'm older (yes) and smarter (maybe...) now
and feel confident that I can perform various repairs on Cassie,
especially with the deep well of knowledge available on the net.

I welcome comments on whether a beginner should work towards the
following repairs during the first 6 months of learning:

	1. If the WHINE is from the CV joints, can I tackle this repair
	   as one of my early projects with the Bentley book?

	2. I was told by the dealer that I have $800 of repairs to the
	   cooling system (radiator leak, water pump leak, maybe
	   more?).  I know I consume/leak coolant - I always check to
	   top it off every 100 miles or so - so I know I have a
	   problem. Can I replace the radiator? The water pump?
	   Whatever else might need repair?

Also, what list of basic tools should I plan to buy as an initial
investment? How much do these cost (for reasonable quality tools) I
welcome the advice from the numerous Vanagon sages out there....

Steve