[Vwdiesel] limping home and roadside repair

[Mike & Coreen Smith]

LOL, Hagar & Cris,

I just love those "limping home" stories.
Reminds me of my youth, driving my non-diesel cars.
Often I drove with no clutch, no brakes, no starters,no wipers etc. etc.
for days, if not weeks, on end as I was a POOR starving young fellow
with a girlfriend and her little girl.  HAD to get to work at all costs.

I remember driving this especially snowy day in December 1981 in my
74 Toyota Celica with 50's and 60's series wide summer racing tires on it.
No clutch, and 1 front brake. (and 1 partial rear E-brake)
No sweat.  Come to intersection(slooowly), shut off car.
Light turns green,place in 1rst gear,  pop clutch and crank on starter.  Car
lurches fwd (barely as tires are slipping on the deep snow like crazy) car
starts and awaaaaay we go.........sloooowly.
Took me an hour or two to drive the 25 miles to work, but I made it.  I
think I drove like that a week or more.  Snowy days better as the tires
would slip on the snow at intersections, making it easier on the starter.
Never did work on the starter, but I put a clutch in it MYSELF. Still don't
know how I did it with almost no tools and zero experience.  Not even sure I
would attempt it nowadays with more tools and more experience. LOL

I don't have any real "limping home" *diesel* stories to tell as I have only
recently discovered them.

Drove my 88 Jetta last yr for 9 months, then retired it, as it was more rust
(underneath, much to my dismay) than metal.. Engine went to another car.
410k on it and it was still going until the other day until my nephew rolled
his car.  A converted 92 Gasser with my 1.6NA engine in it.  I might be the
smooshed mess for parts depending on what the Golf needs.  He drove it home,
smooshed roof/doors and all.

Trailered my $100 '86 Golf Diesel to shop y'day.  Prognosis not good.  Gonna
need major $$ to fix it up.
Rustworm also got it, but we'll see.  I did the bondo thing on the body
holes, but there are no rockers and only SOME floors in it.  Have to fight
with the wife and try to reason with her why I should
sink $500-$1000 into a (near) 20 yr old rusty car, when I can drive my cushy
and fancy 94 Pathfinder4x4
Women don't see the 17MPG vs. 45MPG+ thing like I do.  I put on 500-600k kms
a week.  Won't take long for me to make my $$ back on fuel savings.

Keep the stories rolling !

Mike in NB "73"
Mike, Coreen & Corey Smith
699 Rte 616 Keswick Ridge
NB
Canada
E6L 1T1
----- Original Message -----
From: "H . Hagar." <h_hagar at prcn.org>
To: <vwdiesel at vwfans.com>
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 11:51 AM
Subject: [Vwdiesel] limping home and roadside repair


I love the Cris Collins story --- it fits right in with DIY  and "Can Do"
spirit.   And I hope
and pray you will ALL let us in on your best "Limping home Saga".    I shall
tell mine  , as best my english allows.   I have no speller and  I am
LIMPING
on   ----on a spare Computer.

My  "Do something"  education started in 1940 Copenhagen Denmark ---- and it
is
a fantastic experience to look back at.   No gasoline ? ---- ok lets use
Calcium Carbide
Carbon Monoxide --- Wood gas.  ---- and lots of other fuels.(the wheels kept
turning).

 The most humorous scene in the whole
incident was driving away from the curious onlookers ten
minutes after informing them that my axle had fallen off!
Chris Collin

Chris a piece of garden hose makes a good    gosport tube to the engine
room-
Notice I said TO the engine room  ---you must follow her orders.

Limping home ?   great challenge ----The flight of the phoenix ?   style  ?
you bet.

My last tow truck   was way back  when the GM 5.7 V8 diesel let me down.

Rabbit with NO battery ?    I jack up front  wheel and use rope around tire
and
pull like hell.

Very seldom is in that situation ----I park top of the hill.      Will try
it just to prove
it does works.

Landrover 109   1960  Series two   Station Wagon  ---?   shit all I did was
kick the the rear
left with my foot and she started every time.     On a bet   way in the
interior of
BC  in a snowdrift.     The most weird about that Saga ?   they all paid me.
Yes it was a gasser.

After they saw me rewind the shorted out Motorola alternator  in the same
snowdrift ----  I heard rumours that NO one would bet against me again.

What is the secret to "Limping home" ?   ---KNOWLEDGE    ---KNOWLEDGE ---
and determination  "be stubborn?"  it helps.   Frankly to me it is mostly
FUN
like a Chess game or Cardgame  or a Boardgame or Rubiks Cube.

My memory is filled with   B-17  limping home SAGAS. ---talk about survival
?
that has to be the tops of all time.

I have to say it :   Shalyn  ---  do not give up on VW diesels.

The all time record of limping on ?    Germany in 1944 --1945.    absolutely
the
most outstanding efford of ALL time.  ---Yes the Germans were my ENEMY
but my statement stands.    I also admire those little  GOOKS    and  their
sharpened bamboo sticks   taking on the greatest military power of all time.
And what GOOD can I say about the American system ?  LOTS and LOTS.
The American spirit that I know is "Can do" ----no limits.    I have no
doubts that
the good american will prevail.   ----in the long run.
My litirary skills are lacking ---but my spirit is ok ?    And all my
american friends ?
Great people  like Canadians ,Germans, and on and on ---so why cant we all
get along ?
strange.----maybe I shall work on that next.
Is everybody   welcome in this forum ?   --as far as I know YES.

Your Religion or Nationality or Color ?   No problem.    VW Diesel is it.

This forum to me has been a real SUPER place ----stuck in sick bay in a
little
sticks town ?  in BC.   A lousy telephone line and a computer ?   absolutely
great for my education.   (thanks DOYT ECHELBERGER)  for being my tutor.

or Mentor ?     And yes I do respond to those who try to help me with my
english.

The most common Limpmode   is the   "Lack of Juice limp"   in the Landrover
it was difficult --- but in the Rabbit ?   Simple as apple pie.    If there
is a Filling station
selling diesel   within 50 miles ? (no problemo)  a gallon of
Kerosene,Canola,Peanut oil,  and
it IS possible to drive on gasoline for 50 miles.Take the lowest Octane you
can find
Naphta is perfect.    Mix with engine oil and go for it. I say   3 quarts of
gas to 2 Oil
sounds about right. The Rabbit will limp on a very high viscosity fuel in
summertime.
I have tested Canola oil for winter use ---and it was fine   at 50 --50 .
Pure Canola oil in freezer becomes much like honey in viscosity.

Much of my limping was done in the interior of BC  in winter time.   At
times
it was live or die. ---Limping suddenly becomes very attractive -------- by
normal
thinking I was dead a couple of times.  Canadian winter is brutal. We have
tourists
from Europe dying here regularly. They drown or freeze to death or get eaten
by Bears
and Cougars.Many dye within sight of a town.

So you see Chris Collin   there was at least one person out there on the net
that
enjoyed your tale. And related to it.


Hagar.
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