Just a sign of the times I guess...

[user 423]

So I was broke down at an "Historical Interest"-type roadside pullout for three days (in the sticks) and although there were at least 100 or so vehicles that stopped for the folks to read the sign,enjoy the view,walk the dog,stretch,etc. not a single person inquired if I needed any help. :-/

But I guess that's what I get for being cheap and not paying for AAA...

 

[Patrick46]

did you 'ask' for any help, and/or did it look like you were broken down??

If not, then I'd bet the others thought you were just another visitor to the site, checking out alittle history...pretty much like them.

 

[[email protected]]

Ditto, I find it hard to believe you asked 100 people for help and no one would. I REALLY hope thats not the case anyway haha.

In what way were you broken down?

 

[rvwandering]

Did you have your hood up? Tools out? That usually gets people's curiosity going even if they can't help. We've found that out in the the sticks people are faster to offer help than around big cities.

What happened? Did you fix it yourself? Are you back on the road?

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Maybe you should add it to the freecampsites.net website.

 

[Patrick46]

Hahahahaha!!!! ^^^^^

Awesome!!!

 

[user 423]

@Chrebet86: No,no, I didn't ask that many! I'm sure I would have had a positive response...

Yep, tools & jacks out,hood up,etc. It was overheating in the mountains so I checked out the water pump & removed the thermostat. Then I noticed it was leaking antifreeze from behind the timing cover and also making intermittent scraping sounds...timing chain eating into the cover,maybe?

No, I had a cell signal so it really wasn't a dire situation plus the local sheriff gave me the # for the NAPA store in the next little town, 25 miles away. It was after 5 on a Sat. and I just had to wait until Mon. for it to open and figured on hitching a ride. Then I got antsy and decided to put the WP back on. Didn't have RTV,so I used the old gasket and JB Weld and decided to chance a fried motor by driving to the town. Lo and behold, the next little town was just 4 miles away and there was a little hardware store that had Gunk stop leak. I hate to use the stuff because it can block the wrong things in a motor but I went ahead.

It now runs hot but doesn't boil over like it did. I'm 200 miles farther down the road and Walmarting it, trying to decide my next move.

It was just a little disheartening to me about the lack of offers as I've many times in my travels helped people out with minor mechanical problems or at least an offer of a phone or other contact.

---

Maybe you should add it to the freecampsites.net website.

LOL...actually it was a pretty decent place to stay. Just tell the local gendarme you have car trouble and you'd be good.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Well that explains it................you scared them away. A jump start, out of fuel, no problem. Anti freeze and floor jacks and they are all whispering to each other "Dont look at him, just get in the car, QUICK"

Well, I hope it works out ok for you.

 

[GotSmart]

That is the problem with knowing what you are doing People are scared of work!

 

[PastTense]

Post a thread in the Mechanical Issues sub-forum detailing your problems and ask for advice. For example when you say it runs hot specify exactly how hot. Are you still in the mountains?

You might buy a new radiator cap and thermostat.

 

[user 423]

@Pastense:

Thanks for the suggestion but I'm just trying to decide if I want to mess with fixing it. I can't afford to have it done, so what I may do is buy all the parts from Autozone and then chance driving it the 600 miles back to CO and maybe having to fix it on the road. This old van is near the end of it's useful life anyway, so as long as I make it back, I'll be happy. I have a small trail-type motorcycle back in my storage unit so I might just hit the Continental Divide Trail and live in a tent for the rest of the summer.

BTW: It's OK on level highway travel but in town and in the mountains it gets up near the boilover point. I have one of those IR temp guns, so I know my gauge is accurate. It's kinda funny too that it doesn't leak coolant while it's running but overnight a bunch will leak out. And yes, I will still run into mountains in ID,WY and CO.

I'm waiting for my mail to catch up with me and I plan to lighten my load by donating stuff to the Salvation Army tomorrow. Then it's back on the road.

 

[SoulRaven]

You should be thankful your alive, it could have been worse at a different location such as the Cross Bronx Expressway.

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/loca...e-Cover-Cross-Bronx-Expressway-261879281.html

 

[user 423]

Yep, being in the wrong place at the wrong instant can be deadly...

Then there are the low-lifes that think it's fun to throw pieces of concrete off pedestrian overpasses at cars. I've read of several people being killed that way.

Or how about the 70 y.o. lady that was killed by a 250-lb. truck wheel that came off a semi and hit her at 40MPH while she was walking down the street?

---

BTW: How does a manhole cover explode? It may get sent flying through the air as the result of an explosion but the cover itself doesn't explode...

 

[decodancer]

Is there any coolant on the passengers side floor? If so it's the Heater Core... I had exactly the same issues with mine. $25 on Amazon for the part. I paid a neighbor $75 to put it in but anyone with a little strength could have done it. And patience, something my mechanic was lacking. Getting the old part out around this hose and behind that part was the challenge. It only took minutes otherwise.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I once drove 800 miles in a badly overheating car. Stop when it starts getting hot and let it cool down, carry lots of water, fill it when it needs it. Takes twice as long, you in a hurry? -- Spiff

 

[Patrick46]

It's OK on level highway travel but in town and in the mountains it gets up near the boilover point.

sounds like you autta just walk it up the mountains, as easy on the gas and as slow as you can safely go. Creep along side the edge of the road at 20mph with your flashers on if necessary, but my van would overheat if I pushed it at all goin' up mountain roads, and there wasn't anything wrong with my cooling system at all.

these things (vans) are designed like bricks, and are not know for their wonderful ability to cool themselves down when need be.


btw, have you ever heard of the TAT?? that's where you need to take your bike for the summer!!!

http://www.transamtrail.com/

 

[compassrose]

This is why all of us need to carry emergency "just get me to the next town" repair parts.

Other than the basic wrenches/sockets, we also carry specialty sockets/wrenches for those odd never-seen-one-like-that nuts/bolts that we have on our vehicles, gorilla tape (better than duct tape), RTV gasket sealant (replace every few years), various hose clamps, plumbing repair parts, electrical (DC & AC) stuff like bits of wire, fuses, electrical tape and connectors. I often have a tire plug kit in the Jeep but need a new one since I used the last plug not long ago (the Home Depot parking lot is bad on tires), bungie cords, electical ties, rachet straps, LeakSeal (for leaky roof), jumper cables oil, antifreeze and other things I can't remember right now.

What do others carry?

The last thing RV related we fixed in a parking lot was in TX. We had to replace the sepentine belt on the old 1976 Class C. Amazingly enough the local big chain auto parts place had ONE in stock. We were overjoyed and the Tractor Supply we pulled into was very nice about us working on the Class C in their parking lot. Shredded the sepentine belt on my daughter's jeep outside of ABQ. Did that twice in recent years. Both times replaced a pulley and the belt on the side of a highway (we managed to get off of the interstate). Both my daughter and I carry repair books in our jeeps. Very handy too! We bought ours at auto parts stores.

 

[user 423]

@Spiff & Patrick46: Yes, easy does it but even at just crawling speeds and with the heater on full blast, it was still getting hot and I did have to pull over several times. On narrow mountain 2 lanes with no shoulder and no good places to pull off, sometimes I didn't make it before it hit the red.

@Compassrose: I do most of the repairs on her and carry bunches of tools,jacks,spare parts,etc. and could fix most things. That really is part of the problem as I tend to carry TOO MUCH stuff that adds the weight! I usually always have RTV but I guess overlooked it as I packed in a hurry for this trip. I can fix it but I don't know if I want to as it's getting hot here in Idaho plus my old bod just ain't as enthusiastic as it used to be for crawling around under the thing.

@Patrick46: Yep, I've wanted to do at least part of the TAT for a quite a while now and the CDT intersects it near Salida. There are some really hairy passes out in the western parts of CO on the TAT that my little bike might not handle. The CDT is a little tamer. The timing is right though as it's about now that all the passes are clear of snow.

@Decodancer: No,it's not the core. It's leaking from behind the timing cover.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

If it only overheats when you push it, check the radiator core for fin separation. If the tubes are old and losing their bond to the tubes it will be ok under light load and not be able to fully dissipate heat when a load is added. See if the fins are flaking off the tubes. I have seen them where they start to fall off and you can pull on them and strip them away. No bond to the fin, no heat transfer.

 

[GotSmart]

It does sound like it is time for a block and radiator flush.

That sometimes leads to the radiator just giving way.