Re: Oil filler caps (was:Carb cleaner for vac. leak)

[tnas@dtpdirect.nl (Tom Nas, DTP Direct bv)]

(snip)
>I had obviously failed to replace the oil filler cap properly
>which had now removed itself from the rocker cover and decided to place
>itself in the throttle mechanism, jamming the throttle in the fully on
>position !   . .

That reminds me of a similar incident with my old '82 Opel Kadett. I'd put
some oil in, and thought I'd replaced the, rather grubby, filler cap
correctly. Worked OK, until that night when after a few minutes the car
started smoking from the engine compartment. I switched off immediately,
and coasted to a halt on the grass verge. Fearing an engine fire, I opened
the bonnet and was greeted by... Exxon Valdez revisited! *Everything* was
coated in oil. The smell was incredible...
Grabbing my torch, I looked around under the bonnet, and found... the oil
filler cap, which was lying on a 10cm ledge on the inner wheelarch! Phew...
was I lucky! On checking the oil level, it appeared that only a small
amount of oil had actually come out, but boy, what a mess... I cleaned the
engine when I got home, but oil continued to seep out of the bonnet
insulation and strengtheners for some time. Three years after this
incident, I was still removing oil from the engine compartment. Moral of
the story: check, check, double check!

Tom
1988 80 1.8S

 _______________________________________________________________________
   Tom W. Nas, graphic design                        tnas@dtpdirect.nl
   DTP Direct bv                              Voice +31 (55) 5 790 799
   Apeldoorn, the Netherlands                   Fax +31 (55) 5 790 125

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