OK… truth is I’ve procrastinated about this blog and commiting to it for ages…. so without further ado here we go………..
What I “think I understand” is the reason Oso isn’t complying, Oso is the subject of this blog (Ishall expand on him later). Right now what I undersand is Oso is an attentio0n seeker, he’s been neglected and now requires mucho carino” lot’s of love. Although we’ve had the honor of owning him for the last 2 years it’s only now we are seriuosly commited, the girls (my 3 year old daughter Emilia and wife Petra) are getting more used to him and are veritably enthuthiastic too. I’ve been threatening this blog for 2 years and I beleive if I commence the blog my promise will be honoured and our troubles will come to and end! I am currently working on rebuilding the clutch which entails finding new seals for a 50 year old German truck in Guatemala.. “needles in haystacks”!!!! I managed to track down a rebuild kit for the brakes…. (my first mechanical encounter with Oso), shortly after buying him, since then they have worked but not well enough to inspire great confidence.
The trouble is.. rubber perishes. Oso has sat idle and abandoned for 7 years, hence my current quest for these annoying little seals. Now having commenced the blog I trust Mr Oso willl once more be mobile…. Today’s, yesterday’s, indeed the last few week’s continuing mission…..is the hunt for brake seals for the hydraulic clutch system. In a genius moment, having deciphered enough German for the only manual I can find, I discovered an auxillary air assisted brake pump. Upon bleeding this I instantly doubled the hydraulic pressure for the brakes, oso actually locked up, snaking a streak in the dirt road through town. One light bulb moment lead to another and I decided to do the same with the clutch!!! If it’s not broke don’t fix it springs to mind here with the power of hingsight.
Sure enough I bled them, lots of air came out and dirty brake fluid; I lost the clutch have not regained it since. I reassure myself that his was “bound to happen” better here than on a hill in the middle of nowhere! I’ve replaced 2 sets of seals, 3 brake hoses and I’m still failing to get pressure to the clutch. Added to which I have the local municipality now charging me to park the truck on a public street! The latest reason for immobility – the seals I recently spent a day locating in the city are not correct!!!!
So we tried an ingenious local trick – winding teflon inside the seals to push them further out, to date this method has not worked although I can see how i t would, in theory. This afternoon’s Buen idea was to omit the hydraulics and make the pedal manual. That’s how they do it with buses. Or this is what I have been told by my trusty mechanic. Since convincing him earlier this morning to buy my 72 vw beetle (well not buy but exchange for labour on Oso), I am now working with the owner of a chicken bus company. Fortunatley this is where Oso was stopped while I bled the clutch and disabled him. A chicken bus being the nick name for the beefed up old American school buses operating in these rural highlands.
Anyway, said chicken bus owner acheived this plan only to find the pedal was too hard to push, hence the need for hydraulics and apparently unlike a bus. We are now back to locating 3 irritating, inexpensive rubber seals the onus being on the new owner of the beetle as part of the exchange involves him carrying out work to the value of the car.
So tthe best news of the day… selling/ exchanging Daffy the Yellow beetle (a little piece of my heart) for work to be done on Oso. Also I no longer have parking or maintenace issues and require $500 less for “Mission Oso” and finally, I have an experienced helpful mechanic for assistance to boot. Overall, an inspiring day!
Posted by Oso the Bear |
May 14, 2011 | Categories: Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Oso the Bear 