Winston Trickles Back to Blazer... VERBOSE!

[msinabottle]

All right, perhaps you had noted my sad little asides that Winston seemed to be leaking a bit of hydraulic fluid onto my nice Van Cafe heavy rubber mats, right after Larry and the Mechanics at:

Blazer Automotive
3718 S. Broadway
Englewood, CO 80113
Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30
303-722-3032

had replaced his transmission and clutch, and did a very good job of it. For those of you who have been waiting breathlessly for the transmission autopsy--you're all dead, it's been weeks. But we finally DO have the transmission autopsy, on why Winston's transmission suddenly started grinding when shifting into 4th! It was...

THE 3/4 Syncro Slider Hub!



Go fig. I knew I was doomed when the build dates on the engine and the transmission matched, and doomed I duly was. Anyway...

It wasn't a lot of fluid--I cleaned up the first drip, I had a week or two with no recurrence, then after driving him in city traffic for a long day, I had a big drip. I got out my flashlight and found a very slim thread of brake fluid running down to the end of the brake pedal and called Larry. I thought it could either be some loose fitting from the new clutch job, or that the new brake master cylinder they'd installed last year was leaking.

Larry said that it sounded to him more like a shot clutch master cylinder. I made an appointment to bring in the van. I at once scurried back here and started browsing and using... The Search... and I had to admit that it sounded as if Larry was right. I also found from mentions here on the site and that good URL that replacing the clutch master cylinder is a relatively easy job, even the Haynes awards it a mere two wrenches, well within my range. I could relatively easily do the job myself...

BUT...

To quote Pee Wee Herman, everyone has a big 'but...'

Larry had made the diagnosis. I had not known what the problem was. Larry had always treated me fairly. And I had already made an appointment for today to bring in the van...

WHAT TO DO?



Actually, I didn't agonize that long or that much--honor and fairness to Larry, I felt, required that I take the Van in and let him do the work. They've treated me well, I owed them that, at the least.

I had some consolations for doing the right thing--such adjustments as would be needed on a new clutch master cylinder would be done by very, very experienced people. Every time Blazer works on Winston, they look him over, and trained eyes might well catch things mine would miss and forestall a disaster down the road. And there was always the chance that it WAS their master brake cylinder and Blazer guarantees their work... So I prepared myself to take a financial hit and moved on.

Winston this morning started right up despite 30 degrees outside, looks like I switched over to the winter 10W30 just in time. Ran perfectly all the way down, heater pumping out lots of warmth, and perhaps that warm floor air is annoying in Summer, but it sure felt great this morning. Larry was surprised that I was going to wait, and pulled a mechanic off another job to work on Winston, I protested that he didn't have to do that, but he said it wasn't a problem.

A few minutes later Larry and the mechanic--whose name I ought to know--ducked back into the office and asked me if I was sure there was a leak! I told them where to see the spill, they at once found it, and I had time to chat with a fellow looking for 'moon' hubcaps for his Splitty--Larry had three new, one used--and another fellow who had sold his Vanagons when broke and was hoping to find that Larry had one. He didn't. I sent him here. They are drying up, America! If you've long been wanting one, better think about it now...

I asked Larry if he thought the slave cylinder should be replaced when he did the main one, he says that he treats things well and lets them go when they go--he didn't routinely replace them both together. I thought his experience was worth noting.

Larry had quite a lot to say today about people who abuse their machines vs. those who try not to force ANYTHING and who slow down before driving over railway tracks, who don't force their vans into gear barring emergencies, that sort of thing... I'm still getting the hang of a manual and was grateful for the lesson, nobody at Blazer thinks I'm the least bit cruel to Winston!

Chatted with Larry about the oil crisis--both the one of supply and the one where they're phasing out the zinc and the phosphorus in our motor oil. Castrol is going slowly on that, or they were going slowly, as of 2005, but it does look as if Winston is going to be needed BG MOA in his oil from now on. Not too long after that, Winston was done... and the problem was...

A leaking brake light switch.



Larry said he'd never had one go bad before, but there was no question that fluid was coming right out of the switch, trickling down the brake pedal, and puddling on my mercifully thick front rubber mats. If I had bought a new clutch master cylinder and a new clutch slave cylinder and installed them myself, I would have spent over $100 and at least a few hours worth of time... and not fixed the problem.

Mind you, I'm still green enough that I hadn't even known there WAS a separate clutch master cylinder--I thought it was all one hydraulic assembly. The second pedal for the clutch should have clued me in, I admit but if something hasn't been broken, I've not had to learn how to fix it.

Then came the charge. There wasn't any. Blazer had installed that switch, Blazer would swallow the labor and return the part for a credit. How 'bout that? I did the right thing by my mechanic, and he did the right thing by me. Happens, sometimes.

I'm a very big believer in doing your own work when you can do it and you know what to do. But, as I've said a few times before, there IS something to be said for the proven professional mechanic. When I do pay Blazer, it's as much for their expertise as for their labor, and I have never once failed to get my money's worth.

Winston purred agreeably all the way home.

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[bucko]

Your repair stories are always the best!

Roll on Winston, roll on!
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181