Engine Salvation Stories

[ekpolk]

Well, we've done Engine Survival Stories and Engine Destruction Stories, now let's go down the middle with Salvation stories. You know, those experiences you never would have escaped from in one piece had you not watched one too many McGuyver episodes and remembered to bring your duct tape along. These should not be random good luck stories, no, here we're looking for cases where you made your own good luck.

Here's my contribution: Some time in late '78, I was savoring my coveted "new" VW Beetle, a worn out light blue '69 model. And while it may have been worn out, it was mine, and, well most of you probably understand the feeling. One day, I noticed that it's already none-too-hot performance seemed to be dropping off a tad. Then it began misfiring. Shortly thereafter, it just died. Nope, no cell phones back then. I was miles from town and on my own.

I did the only thing I could think of, I walked to the back and opened up the engine cover. Luckily, I don't smoke, 'cuz if I had been, I wouldn't be here today. I was at once almost overcome by the strongest fuel vapor I've ever smelled. It seemed like snorting gasoline. I lurched back, at first planning to just let the fumes clear. Then I noticed that raw fuel was actually dribbling/slowly flowing from the carb area and much of the engine was awash in it.

A few moments of examination and I had the problem ID-ed -- a badly deteriorated fuel line had detached from something on the carb (I totally disclaim being any sort of VW mechanic...).

Figuring that this was probably bad, I reached in and tried to push it back on. I came right back off. In desperation, I started looking around for something to solve the problem (I have carried duct tape pretty consistently since). Under the passenger seat, I found about 18 inches of grimy magenta-pink fuzzy yarn, the sort that some ghastly piece of 70s clothing would be made from.

Back at the a$$ end of my car, and now standing in a steadily growing puddle of fuel, I got to work. Within a few moments (you work fast and focussed when standing in explosive puddles...), I managed to lash the fuel line back on to whatever it was it had come off of, and had it secure. I gingerly tip-toed out of my wasted gas and pushed the car a few yards down the shoulder and waited a while just to be "safe." Then I got in, cranked it a couple times, it fired up (the good way), and I drove off.

The best part is that I was so cash starved back then that I just drove the car like that for almost another year before I had to park it for good because of an expensive ball joint problem. The hastily tied pink yarn loosened a couple times, and I just cinched it down and went on.

So, anyone else out there ever get their car going with 18 inches of old pink yarn?

 

[TheTanSedan]

Necessity, that mother we'd rather not meet on a cold winter night.

ElPolk, I guess you mean "3-guys, lots of beer and no extra coolant" (but with a fast increasing need for same). I see this thread as "gotta get home" or, " . . the h#&& out of here, now!"

Duct tape: kept an old-style rigid antenna in place for over six years on one car, drive thru car washes and all. Worked great. Underhood hoses, too, but not for long.

14-ga wire: radiators will survive cushions made from a beach towel and being wired to remaining f/e structure for hundreds of miles.

I've done plenty of non-recommended "repairs" and hesitate telling some, but here's a few:

- Throttle linkage "made" with coat hangers after a mount broke.

- Any type petro fluid available to replace engine oil leaking fast. Any. (thankfully not my car or decision)

- Distributor held fast with C-clamp.

- JBWeld all over engines: vacuum leaks, bracket cracks, you-name-it.

- Leather belt, hemp rope and yes, more duct tape, as fan belt.

Probably more as I recall them.

 

[T-Keith]

Not an engine story, but here goes.

I had an 88 Grand Prix, when I was 17. I got it cheap and boy did I pay in the long run. The previous owner or maybe the one before that had damaged, lost, or misinstalled half the parts on the car. Sometimes I wonder if it was used as a high school teaching car.

One day the door refused to open, in fact both door handles had broken. The car had a pass-through to the trunk so I opened the trunk and looked through the 4" X 10" hole. I got one stick and used it to hold the driver seat forward while I took another stick and wired a bent screwdriver to pull on the handle. This worked surprisingly well with me curled up in the trunk, but opening the door required pulling on it too. So I cut a groove in the other end of the stick and attached a piece of twine to pull on it from the outside. It worked! So I started the car, shut the door and went inside to get my things. So basically I had to repeat the process, only quicker this time with exhaust rolling back into the trunk.

 

[dave1251]

ekpolk

Member
Member # 3733

posted 30 September, 2005 09:39
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, we've done Engine Survival Stories and Engine Destruction Stories, now let's go down the middle with Salvation stories. You know, those experiences you never would have escaped from in one piece had you not watched one too many McGuyver episodes and remembered to bring your duct tape along. These should not be random good luck stories, no, here we're looking for cases where you made your own good luck.

Here's my contribution: Some time in late '78, I was savoring my coveted "new" VW Beetle, a worn out light blue '69 model. And while it may have been worn out, it was mine, and, well most of you probably understand the feeling. One day, I noticed that it's already none-too-hot performance seemed to be dropping off a tad. Then it began misfiring. Shortly thereafter, it just died. Nope, no cell phones back then. I was miles from town and on my own.

I have a question that means that you where at the very least 16 years old in 1978.
How long have you been on active duty?

 

[mechtech]

ekpolk - I don't think '69 Beetles had ball joints.
Kingpins were how the front end was articulated.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by dave1251:
{snip}
I have a question that means that you where at the very least 16 years old in 1978.
How long have you been on active duty?

---

Actually, I've done a mixed regular/reserve career. 80-83, Officer Candidate Status; 83-91 USMC Active Duty; 91-03 Primarily drilling reserve status, with occasional month-or-two ADSW here and there; Jan 03-present Recalled to active duty ISO OIF/OEF.

Rank: Colonel

Year of Birth: 1961

I was first licensed to drive in 1977, graduated HS in 1979, college in 1983.

I trust it all adds up for you now.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mechtech:
ekpolk - I don't think '69 Beetles had ball joints.
Kingpins were how the front end was articulated.

---

As I said in my initial post, I'm hardly a VW mech. I know for sure it was a '69 model, no question about that. I bought the car from my Dad, at a somewhat reduced price, with the agreement that it would serve as a backup vehicle for him. He brought it back from the mech one day, and said it had to be parked until we could get the ball joints redone, which as I recall, was going to cost a couple hundred dollars. We just never fixed it, it sat for about a year until a VW diehard offered to take it off our hands.

You could be absolutely correct; I don't know. Now you've got me curious, though. Being pretty OCD, I'll have to dig around and see. I'm now wondering if someone fed us a line of ----. Not as if I could do anything about it, but as the wounded bank robber staring up the barrel of Clint's 44 mag put it, "I ... I gots ta know".

 

[ekpolk]

Ah, it's amazing what a quick google can do to bring back some long-faded memories. The Beetle had a kingpin suspension up until around 65 or 66 and transitioned to ball joints thereafter. Anyone who really is a VW expert is welcome to add their expertise.

 

[Tosh]

Nice saves, Colonel.

 

[ekpolk]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Tosh:
Nice saves, Colonel.

---

Thank you Tosh

. I was pretty easy though. I had the facts to back up what I said, and they sorta set themselves up. I can't blame them, however, there are a lot of BS artists on the internet, so an occasional challenge is no big deal, and no offense taken. Hope they feel the same way.

Now, come on, can't anyone beat the pink yarn thing???

 

[Ben Boyle]

You are basically correct with your dates. Your '69 had ball joints.

quote:

---

Originally posted by ekpolk:
Ah, it's amazing what a quick google can do to bring back some long-faded memories. The Beetle had a kingpin suspension up until around 65 or 66 and transitioned to ball joints thereafter. Anyone who really is a VW expert is welcome to add their expertise.

---

 

[Shannow]

Best engine save I've seen (not really a save I guess) was a ford falcon when I worked at Shell Manuka.

The falc was early '70s, with a 250 six. It had some brazillion kilometers on it, and used a litre of oil per week.

James Bond would have loved it's smokey trails.

We added a 250ml bottle of Nulon E10 oil treatment (yep, the "lon" is teflon) for worn engines.

Oil Consumption was reduced by around 80%, and smoke was way down.

 

[GreeCguy]

First, a blast from the past.
- Back in the middle '30's my Dad went to the beach with some buddies, driving his 1926 Model T Ford for which he had paid 5 whole dollars. On the way, one of the rods started knocking. They pulled over to the side of the road, dropped the oil pan, took the end cap off the offending rod, cut the tongue out of one of his shoes and put the leather between rod cap and crankshaft. Bolted everything back together and drove to the beach, had fun, and then back to Orlando. He said the only thing he really worried about was oil leaking from the pan gasket. No oil leaked and he drove the car like that until it finally gave up the ghost.
Front the not so distant past -
1999. I bought an '89 Ford Aerostar for 150 dollars. Drove it for about a year before the transmission died. Pulled the van home and parked it in the back yard where it became a shed. Early 2002 - Bought a '93 Geo Metro for 300 dollars. Drove it for about six months when water pump started leaking out of the weep hole. Rather than replacing water pump, I simply ran a self-tapping bolt in the hole and kept on driving. About six months after that, the fuel pump stopped pumping. I got to thinking that maybe, the Ford fuel pump would fit the Geo. Dropped the tanks, pulled fuel pumps, no way are they going to swap. Suddenly, a moment of clarity. I put the fuel pump back in the Ford gas tank and put said fuel tank in the passenger seat of the Geo, (seat would fold all the way down). Tied it down with an old bicycle inner tube. Had several hoses from old washing machines which I used for fuel lines and ran the fuel lines out the passenger side window, through a hole I cut in the hood and to the trottle body. I hard wired the pump to the battery and used a light switch to send the juice to the pump. Worked great.
Two draw backs - One. No matter how cold the weather, the passenger side window was always down, (fuel filler neck stuck out the window). Two. I don't care how bad you want one, you can't smoke a cigarette in that car.
Late summer 2003 - blew head gasket in Geo - sold it to fellow down the road for 40 dollars. "Why 40 bucks?" you ask. Simple, he had two 20's.

 

[kanling]

Early 80s, Chevy Van. A truck kicked up a rock and punctured the radiator. My dad cut a small square of rubber out of the floor matting and I found a couple inch long piece of splintered wood on the side of the road. Wedged the stick between the front grille and the punctured radiator with the rubber piece sealing the radiator hole. Worked well, but we went on to a radiator shop that day anyway.

Another time I remember him showing my how the carb in his '83 Ford Fairmont had apparently cracked in half (some kind of explosion inside, I suppose) and he had taped it back together with - duct tape of course. He left it that way for a long time, he was getting rid of the car anyway.

 

[XS650]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GreeCguy:
Suddenly, a moment of clarity. I put the fuel pump back in the Ford gas tank and put said fuel tank in the passenger seat of the Geo, (seat would fold all the way down). Tied it down with an old bicycle inner tube. Had several hoses from old washing machines which I used for fuel lines and ran the fuel lines out the passenger side window, through a hole I cut in the hood and to the trottle body. I hard wired the pump to the battery and used a light switch to send the juice to the pump. Worked great.
Two draw backs - One. No matter how cold the weather, the passenger side window was always down, (fuel filler neck stuck out the window). Two. I don't care how bad you want one, you can't smoke a cigarette in that car.

---

That reminds me the one about "When a good 'ol boy says watch this", stand way back

 

[Jim 5]

This probably doesn't qualify, but we always have to figure stuff out when we're 4x4ing and miles from anywhere. Below is the most recent one:

4x4ing for us is seeing how deep of a mud bog you can get through. You can do this for about 1/2 of a day with my truck before the started (auto trans) gets choked up with mud. I carry at least one junk yard starter with me, and had already used it up.

Anyhow, a buddy winched me out of the latest bog and of course once I was out, the starter was dead. After about 10 attempts the first line of defence, a hard rap with a ball peen hammer, failed. Second line of defence, a spare starter, didn't work because didn't have any spares left.

Took the starter out, and took it apart to try to clean it. Had nothing to clean it with but a 2L bottle of Pepsi...that and my wife's toothbrush. She didn't ask for that toothbrush back, and my buddy, who had his 4x4 built at a local 4x4 shop couldn't believe his eyes. He basically thought he was witnessing a magic trick when I got the starter back together, installed it and fired up the bronco.

No big deal really, he'd just never turned a wrench in his life. Now he's happy to tear apart his trail rig if it means not walking for half a day for a part!