Canada eh? - Now: Blowed up real good...

[mk1mark at gmail.com (Mark F.)]

On 6/8/06, Spewey <spewey@comcast.net> wrote:
> > that damn bottom A/C compressor bracket bolt back in wasn't fun
> > though...
>
> But surely you loved the cool air inside?
>
> > back on the road w/ a grin...
>
> Cuz of the nice cool breeze.


I wish...  The A/C blows warm air...  :(

I needed every last horsepower for forward propulsion anyways...


> > Judging by the white smoke coming from the tailpipe a
> > couple times when I topped up the rad, I'm guessing it's the head
> > gasket or a crack in the head...
>
> Yep.


Confirmed today.  The upper rad hose blew spectacularily on the two
block drive to my job site this morning.  I've never heard a hose blow
like that - it was way louder than any backfire I've ever heard...

Here's a pic of what's coming out the tailpipe now:

<http://home.cogeco.ca/~mardak/uh_oh.jpg>

There's also smoke coming out the coolant expansion tank, along w/ a
pretty forceful stream of air.  I'll get on removing the head as soon
as I figure out the R&R procedure on a diesel - it's all new to me.
Time to get a new Bentley I guess...

Whats really freaking me out is that this happened less than 2km AFTER
getting home from a 1700km trek from GA yesterday - talk about good
timing! (yes, I'm considering a blown head gasket a good thing!  I'm
just glad it didn't happen somewhere in the middle of nowhere on the
trip up here.)

Here's a pic of the first "breakdown" of the trip:

<http://home.cogeco.ca/~mardak/breakdown.jpg>

I was approached at many of the fuel stops by curious people who had
no idea VW made a truck, and a few who had stories of owning one
(including a guy who had a dutch/southern U.S. accent - a combination
I've never heard before, and I've been around a lot of dutch accents -
my parents are from The Netherlands.  I just let the guy ramble on
because it was so cool to hear!  He also saved me an hour of driving
by showing me a shortcut around Charleston WV (Hwy 19), so not only
did I get a smile out of speaking w/ him, it saved me time!

It's the people I meet along the way that makes these trips so
enjoyable for me.  I wish I could spend more time, but I'm usually in
a hurry to get back for one reason or another.  Last year I spent a
few days in Purcell (a small town in Oklahoma) while getting an 81
ready for the trip home, and hung out w/ a mechanic friend of David
Utley's.  It was a neat experience going to lunch at the same small
local BBQ restaurant for breaks, lunch, or whenever we'd happen to
drive by, and observe/interact w/ the locals...  Driving around town
is usually done w/ one hand on the wheel and the other out the window
waving to a good 20% of the population...  It's these insights into
different local cultures that I really love about road trips.  Every
area is unique - from accents, foods, and traditions, to mindsets...
Despite the difficulties I had a really good time on this trip - maybe
because it was more of an adventure than I'm used to...

Later,

Mark.
75
82
82 Caddy x2