Pentosin volcano! and more.

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

Saturday AM reinstalled my freshly rebuilt hydraulic/power steering pump.
Gently started engine, bled system (wheels lock to lock 2- 3 X), Hal the
on-board computer said peep-peep-peep one time - and I think - I think the
problem is solved. Went for a ride (5 miles or so), no noise from Hal, no
flashing lights either on braking or at random, and top of resevoir is not
foaming merrily over the top. It's still damp from all the Pentosin that's
been splashing about, but it does not seem to be freshly wet. Fingers
crossed - will know more today after I go for a 20 mile or so jaunt.

Incidentally, the gasket under the resevoir cover is the same as the gasket
for the master brake cylinder - this is of note because I was advised that
you can't buy the gasket separately - you have to buy the whole cap with the
sender, etc! Ouch! Took some gasket material and made my own, thanks! Watch
that the gasket is in good condition and seats fully in the cap (not cocked
or crooked) or you will get leaks here, too. (Another Q-lister states he's
beginning to have the same foaming problem - he sealed it with RTV -
tempting - but sounds like the same problem I had (note hopeful use of past
tense). Pump rebuild time!)

Took apart the old pump to see what was wrong with it - found nothing
visible! Pump was a genuine ZF rebuilt (tag says so), going to strip it
fully, inspect everything, and if all metal parts are OK, will rebuild it
for a spare - the pats kit is only $22.00, and I made a tool for the X-caps
(ground down a chisel to fit) which works, though not very well.

Trisha Bethen - Sorry to hear about the freak accident, and like Phil in UK,
glad your son is OK - he's a lot tougher to replace than a car! Have seen
two similar accidents - one was a Norton Commando (1970), which bumped a
wall at no more than 5 MPH - rider got two sore wrists and didn't even fall
off - bent the frame just behind the steering neck - huge bucks to fix -
frame was half the price of the bike and tremendous labor costs. Another
expensive (and really dumb) freak accident was about three years ago here -
guy hand propped his Cessna 172 (battery was dead), and it slowly taxied
itself across the ramp (with him scrambling along trying to get in to stop
it) and JUST clipped a hangar with a wingtip. Bent the wing, wing root
attach fittings (twisted the cabin) and bent the tail cone. Airplane was
totalled, FLOWN to the parts yard, and parted out! How about $60,000 in
damage from a gentle tap? I saw the airplane, and you had to look really
closely and you could JUST see the fatal wrinkle at the wing root! Wha-hoo!

Like the man said, "Be careful out there!"

Mike Arman