<attn: the first half of this message was composed a few weeks <?> ago. 
then the server crashed while typing it, and i just got around to sending 
it..The epic continues, and ends...:(

Well, due to many <6> roomy's moving i have been trying to figure a way 
to get my bus moving again <since the bug's arnt quite up to even beeing 
pushed..>

(i dont remember what i've said on this before, so i start afresh..)

the poor 1800 engine once FI'd, now w/ a weber progressive, ran like 
major crapola before <that is, before i pulled it, my tranny in my bug 
died, my bug engien went in bus...what fun!...and then the bug engine ate 
itself for brunch> it felt like a BIG vaccum leak (where does vaccum go 
anyway? it leaks and does the vaccum just disperse...>adn it seemed like 
maybe it was blowing exhaust ou the top side of the engine..al sparky 
plug's tight..but it DID run! but the vaccum leak was unfindable. It also 
studdered like a sticky valve...anyway, i had pulled the motor to look at 
it, when the bug died, and i went into emergancy mode. You know. 
SOMETHING WILL RUN!. and put the 40hp in the bus...odd combo btw..:) at 
least for that year..

so i stripped the motor down, not paying much attention, since i hadent 
planned on accualy reassembleing it...and found that the heads <on #1 and 
#4> had nice big holes in them. at the top...straight up through the 
first fin. and in #2, it appeared that someone dropped a screw down 
there, due to the nice looking imprints.. on #1, the intake valve seat 
looked real bad. looked like the metal around the seat started to melt away.
uhg. and on #3, there was a nice chunk of metal taken out of the piston. 
no obvios source, just a chunk. thankfully not althe way through.

well, the engine is now reassembled. with loctite's <? not sure on MFG> 
epoxy stick stuff stuck in the holes. of course, not bothering the read 
"the book" before reassembleing it, i did NOT put the pushrod tubes in 
properly. <this i slap my slef very often for> and by the time i found 
out, the epoxy is solid.  so, with the pushrod tubes not sealed all to 
well, the engine begines the assembly.

a sheetmetal puzzle. still have at least three pieces left over. and 
there were pieces mising to begine with.

i think the one that goes between the alternator and #2 is not 
there..<know its not there. could find anything to fit.> and the same 
with #4 and th oild cooler. <that is if there is anything that is 
supposed to bethere...>

and the #2 exhaust pine holderonthingy <thats part of the pipe sticking 
off the heater box> is broken off..so its stuck between the pipe and the 
engine..sandwitched.. 

get the engine in, and realise that i forgot that i cannot assemble the 
rear engien hanger  withe the bar trapped in the eninge. cause of the 
damn trailer hitch. great. oh well. so the poor thing just hanges of the 
tranny now.  <how much trouble will tis cause?> but so did the 40.

it runs great, compaired to the way it was before. cannot set the timing 
proper <?> since i lost t eh ring. i have a picture of it hanging on a 
wall in my mind. bu there is only a fan belt on that wall. from the 40.
so i set it as close by ear as i can with a engine i am not that familiar 
with. it would be nice to have a base to start from...:(

the fuel gauge doesnt work, so i have a "reserve tank" of 1.5 $'s worth. 
<at 97c per gallon> thats ridding behind thedrivers seat.
btw, where do i figure out how to reach the sender?

oh yeah...apparently, while the engine sat in the nonclosable doorway 
while we caught alot of water from hurricane whatsit. so, we get the oil 
in it, and run it. not even t

<at this point the server crashed, and i have since lost most of the 
train of thought.>

The next day, after getting the bus full of my housefull of stuff back to 
moms house, i figured it would make it for another trip. First of course 
i would get some oil, and some of the miraculous stop leak that the 
Autozone around here sells for 49cents a bottle. Two bottles, the second 
2 quarts later stoped the big mofokin leak in my ol' 40 when it was in 
the bug. <leak, as in the flywheel seal was quite split>
The closest place was about 10 to 15 miles away.

on the way, i pass a white Thing. right as i pass him he is pullin of to 
the side of the road no smoke or anything, but still. He waves me on, put 
i turn around at the next place you CAN turn around a bus, and go back. 
Turns out he ran outta gas, since his gauge is broke. but he already 
called his friend on his cellphone, so after chating for a minute or so, 
i continue on my merry way. I decide to myself right then though that 
turning back was worth it, even if the bus doent make it, since i've had 
so many people NOT stop for me.

WEll, about 1 mile later, i'm having to climb these hill in 2nd. the bus 
just has NO power! and the smoke from the oil leaking from the pushrod 
tubes and burning on the heater boxes is really gettin bad. The guy in 
the Cherokee behind me has his windshield wipers on trying to get the oil 
off the window,<:)> and keeps waving just one finger at me..hmm..

Next hill, and its FIRST gear, and still slowing. Top of the hill, i see 
a spot i can turn off, and i do. clutch goes in, engine goes pht, stops 
running. I coast as far off road as i can, and right as i get out, a 
white LaBaron pulls in front and out hops some guy. Turns out he's a off 
duty cop, just wanting to know if its going to catch fire <how optimistic!!>.
He helps push it off the road, and asks if anyone is on their way. I ask if 
i could use his phone <i see the antenna> and pulls up the ON duty cop, 
with his lights justa flashing. Thankfully no firetruck showed up, cause 
in that town, if you dont pay the "donation" each year, they charge you, 
AFTER they arrive. 

So i use the cops phone, and as i do, a friend i havent seen in a few 
months pulls up in her MINT autostick 69 beetle. <envyenvy>
The cop asks if i know the tag number, since the lid is up, i say no, not 
mentioning that the plates are off my 68 beetle, <and, besides that, are 
registered to to cars in this county. A 89 ford bronco too. dont ask, i 
have no idea how it happened.> and i tell him i havent registered it in 
my name yet, since i only bought it yesterday, BUT it IS insured. <the 
story's we have to use to keep outta to much trouble..>

my friend with the 69 heads on home, since another friend w/ his truck 
should be arriving shortly, and he does. I assume the bus will start 
after it has cooled a bit. 

We come back that evening, but the bus just goes clugclugphhht, ans ince 
we dont have time to tow it back we continue about our business. 
NOTE: this is the friday before Lolopalooza in Rockingham NC, the nearest 
occuring one, and the radio station has a bus going, and gave tickets 
away. since my friend works for the radio station, he of course had 2 
free tickets, one of which was a birthday present to anothe friend 
<drives a 74 super, red>. 

The next morning, skinny little me, and 2 slighly <uh hmm> overweight 
friends crowd into the front two seats of the 74 super. I am to take the 
car back, and whatnot.

Well, after seeing a light blue 73 super, a red 72 super <which was for 
sale, and he wanted WAY to much for it..>, a blue ghia, and a checkered 
bug <which we saw as it headed down the road. the othe 3 were waiting for 
the bus too.> the bus arrives. the radio rep passes out the tickets, and 
whaddayaknow, but some people didnt show, so, just enouh tickets were 
left for those who wanted to go that were standing there! Including me!!
So, for that saturday, the bus sat on the side of the road. When we got 
back, we were all to tired from staying up all the previos night to get 
the bus, so we had to wait till sunday night. <since towing vehicle w/o a 
dolly, tow truck, or towbar is illegal in this state, and that WAS the 
most heavily traveled by cops road in colubia county, we had to do it at 
night>

That night, we got there w/ one hour to spare before the little red tag 
said the cops were going to impound it..:)

we towed it home, and i retired it.

!.........................
                          The not so Keen one
       xi8940@freenet.fsu.edu                .........................!
   \\  //			http://www.armory.com/~y21cvb 
^\\ \XX/ //^  '68 Beetle	Links to a few pics of my VW's
  \\//\\//    '74 Super
   \/  \/     '75 Rusty Westy-Canadian Model

y21cvb@armory.com xi8940@freenet.fsu.edu lorn@armory.com jg8bt@cyberspace.org
chantry-raistrick@csra.net 76004.3235@compuserve.com