Itinerant Air-Cooled

I attached the negative battery terminal yesterday, and started up my bus for the first time since 10/1/11. She started up right away. No hesitation. No stumbling. Smooth idle right away.

Every year this is the way she comes out of winter hibernation, and every year I am amazed. When will I learn.

These buses are amazing. Not sure my other "new" cars would start this effortlessly after a 6 month sleep.

Just thought I would share....

I love mine too for that same reason and so many more. Especially now that my hesitation-surge problem is solved, each time I drive it is pure joy. I picked it up after work today and a whole week's worth of stress and worry evaporated in 3 miles.

Same here, Blotto! Gorgeous weather the last few days...attached the battery cable, turned the key, and "Shazaam!"

Great to hear, Paul!

Mine is more of a love/hate relationship.

Decided to try my luck yesterday and fire the bus up. Yep, no problem. Started right up.

Then the noise from my fan pulley assembly got noticeably worse. ((I knew it was out of
balance, as it had a bit of a wobble to it)).

I pulled the fan and pulley assy out today and found one of the three square nuts used to attach the fan to the pulley
was missing.

Son of a bitch.

poptop tom wrote: Son of a bitch.

Hey hey hey HEY, settle down. That's a nice bus, and the reason that thing is missing is WHY?
Colin

Amskeptic wrote:

poptop tom wrote: Son of a bitch.

Hey hey hey HEY, settle down. That's a nice bus, and the reason that thing is missing is WHY?
Colin

Because I foolishly took it apart and should not have.

They are amazing. Every year I tell myself to remove the battery and store it in the basement and every year winter just seems to sneak up on me (I know it's just total denial of the fact) and I don't get around to it. The other day it hit the mid 60's so I got out the jumper cables and the bus fired right up like I had just driven it 5 minutes ago, not 5 months ago. I never have any occasion to think otherwise each spring. I was a bit worried because I found a mouse (quickly dispatched) had taken up residence in the engine bay and I had bad visions of chewed wiring, but it was not the case. One of the hydraulic lifters was making a racket, but I come to expect that. I did not take it out for a spin since my road still has few weeks of severe mud season symptoms to work itself out of, but I can't wait!

I will be waking up my bus today or tomorrow. In the past she has fired right up without missing a beat so I'm hoping for the same this year. In fact, the bus might be my daily driver for the summer. We'll see.

Well, I couldn't wait. Called the insurance company, grabbed the dogs and one of my sons and hopped in. I figured a little mud is better than letting it sit in the garage. It was worth it. My son's face lit up as we took off down the road. He rolled down the window and proclaimed how much he loved the bus! It all comes flooding back the moment you put it in first gear.

aopisa wrote:Well, I couldn't wait. Called the insurance company, grabbed the dogs and one of my sons and hopped in. I figured a little mud is better than letting it sit in the garage. It was worth it. My son's face lit up as we took off down the road. He rolled down the window and proclaimed how much he loved the bus! It all comes flooding back the moment you put it in first gear.

Could this be one of the benefits of storing our buses for the winter? A little absence makes the heart grow fonder kind of thing? I’m waiting for April.

Well, she started up effortlessly last night. I slapped on the new plate sticker and went for a cruise.

poptop tom wrote:

Amskeptic wrote:

poptop tom wrote: Son of a bitch.

Hey hey hey HEY, settle down. That's a nice bus, and the reason that thing is missing is WHY?
Colin

Because I foolishly took it apart and should not have.

Loctite? Red?
Colin?