Now for my mechanic stories
I finally heard from the mechanics at Quality Coaches here in Minneapolis. Was going to post a link to their site, but it looks like cyber squatters have swipped quality-coaches.com! Oh well, they're good at fixing vintage, import sports cars, not Web site management.
Actually, they're mostly known as the place to take your vintage MG, but my wife and I have our new Subarus worked on there as they came highly recommended for just about every import new and old. I figured they would do good work on the Ghia, too, despite a couple recommendations I've had on taking it to Volkswagen Man. I've got maintenance records that show it's been there several times and had its last work done there, but the wonky wiring in the car kind of made me hesitate and I thought I'd just compare them to Quality Coaches.
Earlier I thought I'd fixed a gas leak by using SuperWeld, recommended for metal repair. But, gas was still leaking into the engine itself, so they've ordered a new fuel pump which should arrive today. I'm guessing the real leak in the fuel pump was internal, which would explain why it was leaking out of a hole in the bottom of the pump that looked too pefect and round to be accidental.
They said gas was leaking into the crankshaft part of the engine, mixing with oil. It probably found its way there by way of the push rod that's connected to the cam shaft which provides the pumping action. After I "fixed" the old pump and mounted it back on the push rod some gas trickled down onto the push rod as soon as it pushed the pump lever up. Now I know that's not normal fuel pump behavior.
Like Dad, I also had some fuel lines in pretty bad shape, and I of course tore them to pieces during my first attempts to investigate/fix the fuel leak. I wonder if these were the original, braided-exterior fuel lines as they were pretty brittle both on the braided part and on the rubber inside. What's cool is I found the perfect replacement hoses for connecting the fuel pump to and from the fuel cut-off-valve from AutoZone for $2.50. They were part of a fuel filter kit (I threw the cheap fuel filter away), were exactly the right diameter and length and came with very convenient clips (note the putty-like SuperWeld on the bottom of the fuel pump. Not a permanent fix, folks!):
So, if you do need to replace fuel lines, it's good to know you can find them and get them for cheap from your corner auto parts store.
But, of course, the moral of this story really should be don't attempt to fix fuel leaks yourself: leave it to the pros! I kept our chemical fire extinguisher within reach the whole time I messed around, nervously, with my fuel pump and fuel lines! But, in a pinch, if you know it's a leaky hose and you can get a replacement with clips, it's not too tough.
I'll report back later with more info from the mecanics on my generator light being on and possibly ignition system/timing repairs.
Actually, they're mostly known as the place to take your vintage MG, but my wife and I have our new Subarus worked on there as they came highly recommended for just about every import new and old. I figured they would do good work on the Ghia, too, despite a couple recommendations I've had on taking it to Volkswagen Man. I've got maintenance records that show it's been there several times and had its last work done there, but the wonky wiring in the car kind of made me hesitate and I thought I'd just compare them to Quality Coaches.
Earlier I thought I'd fixed a gas leak by using SuperWeld, recommended for metal repair. But, gas was still leaking into the engine itself, so they've ordered a new fuel pump which should arrive today. I'm guessing the real leak in the fuel pump was internal, which would explain why it was leaking out of a hole in the bottom of the pump that looked too pefect and round to be accidental.
They said gas was leaking into the crankshaft part of the engine, mixing with oil. It probably found its way there by way of the push rod that's connected to the cam shaft which provides the pumping action. After I "fixed" the old pump and mounted it back on the push rod some gas trickled down onto the push rod as soon as it pushed the pump lever up. Now I know that's not normal fuel pump behavior.
Like Dad, I also had some fuel lines in pretty bad shape, and I of course tore them to pieces during my first attempts to investigate/fix the fuel leak. I wonder if these were the original, braided-exterior fuel lines as they were pretty brittle both on the braided part and on the rubber inside. What's cool is I found the perfect replacement hoses for connecting the fuel pump to and from the fuel cut-off-valve from AutoZone for $2.50. They were part of a fuel filter kit (I threw the cheap fuel filter away), were exactly the right diameter and length and came with very convenient clips (note the putty-like SuperWeld on the bottom of the fuel pump. Not a permanent fix, folks!):
So, if you do need to replace fuel lines, it's good to know you can find them and get them for cheap from your corner auto parts store.
But, of course, the moral of this story really should be don't attempt to fix fuel leaks yourself: leave it to the pros! I kept our chemical fire extinguisher within reach the whole time I messed around, nervously, with my fuel pump and fuel lines! But, in a pinch, if you know it's a leaky hose and you can get a replacement with clips, it's not too tough.
I'll report back later with more info from the mecanics on my generator light being on and possibly ignition system/timing repairs.
posted by Chris Druckenmiller at 10:19 AM
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