For those who need to email me, off list, my "new" email is dsy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
I have responded to this email, off list, but... Man! What a headache Aram's
van has been!
David.
David. My mail got kicked back again, so I will just post to the list. I------
might have forgotten to change to your new address.
Aram
From: Aram
Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2017 7:08 AM
To: David Young
Subject: Eclipse
Hi David. Hope plans are going well and the weather will cooperate where you
are going. It is starting to look less ideal where we are headed, depending
on which weather service you want to believe. I know the people who were
going to western Oregon
are going to be very disappointed.
It was beginning to look like we were not going to be able to go ourselves.
We had a "new" engine put in our van. Took it in June 27 and it was suppose
to take 3 days. We picked it up July 11, a bit more than 3 days, and had it
long enough to get on
the freeway, turn around and take it back. The engine would buck when you
slightly let off on the gas at highway speeds. They said they would get
right on it, but that meant 7 days and $250 more to replace the old
transmission mount. Picked it up and got
to the freeway again and same problem. I was going to take it right back,
but Margie said no. Instead decided that maybe they did not get the
transmission linked up properly and the tranny was due for some service
anyway. Took it to a tranny shop and he
gave it a good going over (Another $250) and declared it good. But at least
he had gone with me for a test drive and knew how to get it to buck. He
decided it was running lean and perhaps backfiring. He even took it out with
the cowling off to watch the
engine. Noisy and hot drive. He called a friend who came over and had an
idea for us. Told us he thought the distributor was not phased properly.
Made a firm appointment to have it done as it would only take an hour. Got
up early and drove there only
to be told he had just put a rig on the large rack and he could not do it for
3-4 days. So much for an appointment. Well, it goes on and on like this
will things the first guy did wrong and things I have tried to correct on my
own or with another shop.
We finally felt it was safe to take it on a run last weekend and went to
Ellensburg for the day. It is running much better now, but hotter than the
old engine. Sunday while replacing the break-in oil with real oil, I just
discovered a leak of tranny fluid
behind the engine. Small. The engine guy replaced the front seal on the
tranny when the engine was out since it was easily accessible and was 23
years old. I suspect that is the problem, but will take it to the tranny guy
and pay for the repair rather than
take it back to that shop. What a nightmare. I thought I had given it
plenty of lead time so we would be good to go next weekend.
I know we had discussed the possibility of you maybe swinging by for a visit
on your return trip. I have been silent because on our end so much was up in
the air. Margie's sister had said she was coming up for the eclipse and we
are camping together
in Sumpter, OR, but she was vague as to how long she was staying. We could
never pin her down to a time frame. But recently she said they would return
to our house and stay, but still not sure if that means one day or one week.
I did not want to invite
you and then have no place for you to stay. Not sure if you are planning a
direct retreat home after the eclipse or will be taking some time before you
would reach us. I a sorry as I was looking forward to a visit from you and
Rose to try to return the hospitality
you showed us on our trip north. If you will be on the road for a while
before heading home, it might work out and I can keep you posted as to her
plans.
Happy viewing.
Aram
Aram Langhans
(Semi) Retired Science Teacher
& Unemployed photographer
"The Human Genome Project has proved Darwin more right than Darwin himself
would ever have dared dream." James D. Watson
