Itinerant Air-Cooled

Ages ago I had a 65 beetle that just up and died for no apparent reason. It had fuel, spark and compression so WTF! After finding that I had no spark coming out of the spark plug leads (I had checked the coil lead and assumed...) I popped the cap and discovered that the carbon brush and spring in the center had disintergrated. No problem, I pulled apart a ball-point pen and stuck the spring from the pen into the cap and made my way home.

scruffyboy wrote:Ages ago I had a 65 beetle that just up and died for no apparent reason. It had fuel, spark and compression so WTF! After finding that I had no spark coming out of the spark plug leads (I had checked the coil lead and assumed...) I popped the cap and discovered that the carbon brush and spring in the center had disintergrated. No problem, I pulled apart a ball-point pen and stuck the spring from the pen into the cap and made my way home.

Right on! And congratulations to your Beetle for playing along.
Colin
(currently sporting TWO Diet Coke can wraps on left heat exchanger-to-muffler joint)

scruffyboy wrote:No problem, I pulled apart a ball-point pen and stuck the spring from the pen into the cap and made my way home.

And that gives you the "Flight of the Phoenix" award for the month.

I seem to remember a thread about hacks to get you home, but I could only find this one.
Last weekend found me pulling my engine for fun with my mom, since she likes helping with it and got me a jack for Christmas……
On the air cleaner install I ripped the preheat hose straight in half, and there was no way to stretch it enough to work. I probably could have gotten home without it, but it was 40* outside and my bus loves some preheat any time it's sweatshirt weather or colder.

In the spirit of the Diet Coke Can, I found a water bottle in the bus. Got me home (200 miles) with only one or two initial cold stumbles.

Finally got it replaced today with fresh heater hose. I salute you beverage container fixers everywhere!

asiab3 wrote: I seem to remember a thread about hacks to get you home,
I salute you beverage container fixers everywhere!

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Colin