I finally got the wife's 2000 running a couple of weeks ago. Figured
it would take a couple days, back when I started just before Shasta
when my 1600 started doing ominous things and I needed another
ride.
Well, it didn't quite make it to Shasta, and when we got back I tackled
the remaining problems. Deeper I dug, more PO tricks I found. The warped
axle flange from when the bearing failed and literally cooked the axle
I knew about. And the mismatched carb jets... But the wood screws
holding the console together?.. Superglue holding the knobs together?..
Choke - what choke? Well, you get the idea...
While at Shasta I was going to pick up a spare starter. Had Ross holding
one for me. But I instead ended up getting the correct carb pieces, and all
the hydraulics to replace what turned out to be the wrong parts the dealer
sold me years ago, and a few other odds and ends from him. Hey, my clutch
was sick and my starter wasn't - gotta fix what's broken. So I told Ross I had
spent my allowance for the trip and didn't need the starter. Well, with that
knowing look he told me I _needed_ that starter, and hey it was there and I
was there and the checkbook was there so.. I bought the starter, took it
home and tossed it on the shelf.
Fast forward to last week. By then the 2000 has gotten me to work and back
about 4 times. On day 5, on a dark and damp night the starter just up and
died! A couple clicks and that's it. Banging on it just results in a cut thumb;
luckily the students around here are quite helpful, a quick push and I'm
headed back home. Home to where I grabbed that shiny starter just waiting
on the shelf and tossed it in!
So which part of this story is the most revealing about us?
1) That when our cars die we just grab a passerby for a quick push and
still go merrily on our way?
2) That whatever breaks, we probably have a spare one waiting for us
at home?
3) Or that our vendors know us well enough that they can predict what
parts we're going to suddenly need, and make sure we have them
ahead of time?
-- John
John F Sandhoff sandhoff@csus.edu Sacramento, CA
p.s. This exercise proved that if you twist and pull it _just right_, the short
starter really WILL fit thru that little gap in the frame :-)
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