RedNeckGeek
Super Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
- Messages
- 8,753
- Location
- Butte County & Orcutt, California
- Tractor
- Kubota M62, Kubota L3240D HST (SOLD!), Kubota RTV900
Good Morning!!!! 50F @ 6:30AM. A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High around 60F. Winds light and variable.
Stopped at the local BMW dealer's shop yesterday to look at the old /2 on their showroom floor, the one I've been using for guidance on assembling my basket case. It was gone! I knew it had been sold, and was told the new owner was out on a shake down ride. So I went over to the shop side, and there it sat. But there was also another /2 on a lift, and a third nearby, old bikes that had been pulled out of storage that were being cleaned up in the mechanic's spare time for future sale. One was an R69S made very closely in time to my project bike. Even better, an old friend of mine that had done some of the work on the showroom bike was there, and he was very helpful in pointing out details I'd missed. Took lots of photos, and now have a much better idea of how this old bike goes back together.
The latest plot twist in the Vanagon story has the transaxle coming back to the mechanic last summer, who then took it to a local transmission shop to verify that all the specified work had been done. Not only had two upgrades not been performed, but the mechanic was concerned that the 4th gear set was overly worn and would soon start popping out of gear. So back it went, where it sat for some reason. During that time, VW quit supplying 4th gear sets, and apparently all those that were available were used to repair other people's transaxles. Fast forward six months and the repair shop where the transaxle sits now can't find new VW gears, and has dumped the problem back into the mechanic's lap. He's chasing leads to find a good pair of used gears, but my recent misadventures with used gears has me pessimistic that route will be fruitful. He also has information about two US based gear hobbers, but is unsure of their reputation or the longevity of their products. So I'll do some of my own research this morning to see if he's missed something, or at least satisfy myself that there's a good path forward. What's that old saying about doing something right?:banghead:
Stopped by Costco for my weekly roasted chicken, and spotted an older lady going through the chicken display one-by-one to find the one she liked. Another gentleman and I stood by waiting until she finished, and as she put her bird into her cart I quipped "Well, it looks like she got the good one!". He started laughing, she looked startled at first and then started laughing with us. The chickens were all pretty much the same, which was the point of my comment, and after looking over twenty some chickens, I think she had to agree!:laughing:
TGIF!!!:drink:
Stopped at the local BMW dealer's shop yesterday to look at the old /2 on their showroom floor, the one I've been using for guidance on assembling my basket case. It was gone! I knew it had been sold, and was told the new owner was out on a shake down ride. So I went over to the shop side, and there it sat. But there was also another /2 on a lift, and a third nearby, old bikes that had been pulled out of storage that were being cleaned up in the mechanic's spare time for future sale. One was an R69S made very closely in time to my project bike. Even better, an old friend of mine that had done some of the work on the showroom bike was there, and he was very helpful in pointing out details I'd missed. Took lots of photos, and now have a much better idea of how this old bike goes back together.
The latest plot twist in the Vanagon story has the transaxle coming back to the mechanic last summer, who then took it to a local transmission shop to verify that all the specified work had been done. Not only had two upgrades not been performed, but the mechanic was concerned that the 4th gear set was overly worn and would soon start popping out of gear. So back it went, where it sat for some reason. During that time, VW quit supplying 4th gear sets, and apparently all those that were available were used to repair other people's transaxles. Fast forward six months and the repair shop where the transaxle sits now can't find new VW gears, and has dumped the problem back into the mechanic's lap. He's chasing leads to find a good pair of used gears, but my recent misadventures with used gears has me pessimistic that route will be fruitful. He also has information about two US based gear hobbers, but is unsure of their reputation or the longevity of their products. So I'll do some of my own research this morning to see if he's missed something, or at least satisfy myself that there's a good path forward. What's that old saying about doing something right?:banghead:
Stopped by Costco for my weekly roasted chicken, and spotted an older lady going through the chicken display one-by-one to find the one she liked. Another gentleman and I stood by waiting until she finished, and as she put her bird into her cart I quipped "Well, it looks like she got the good one!". He started laughing, she looked startled at first and then started laughing with us. The chickens were all pretty much the same, which was the point of my comment, and after looking over twenty some chickens, I think she had to agree!:laughing:
TGIF!!!:drink:
