[DeTomaso] Sad news about Pandora & my planned attendance at the Fun Rally

Tue Jun 6 11:51:43 EDT 2023

That particular bearing is NOT listed in any of the bearing manuals. I found a bunch of them in North Carolina and keep them in stock with or without the DeTomaso custom 2-1/2" pully, There is another bearing used in the 3-1/2" pully version we also keep in stock.
Larry Stock

On 6/6/23, 8:36 AM, "DeTomaso on behalf of Will Kooiman" <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> on behalf of will.kooiman at gmail.com <mailto:will.kooiman at gmail.com>> wrote:

For what it's worth, I recently replaced just the bearing in a stock pulley.

I looked all over the place for the bearing. The old Pantera_Information.xls spreadsheet has a PN, but it's the wrong one.

I finally found it in France - by measuring the old bearing, and searching bearing catalogs online.

It isn't a tight press fit. A few small taps with a hammer and it easily popped out/in. Plus - there's a snap ring, but that was easy too.

NOTE: Not to be confused with the PN that Mike posted, which shows to be available at Autozone: https://www.autozone.com/external-engine/idler-pulley/p/duralast-idler-pulley-231036/634096_0_0 <https://www.autozone.com/external-engine/idler-pulley/p/duralast-idler-pulley-231036/634096_0_0>

On 6/6/23, 11:30 AM, "DeTomaso on behalf of Mike Drew via DeTomaso" <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com>> on behalf of detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>>> wrote:

Chris,

I bet you asked them if they had a bearing/pulley for a Pantera. Of course they said no—they likely don’t even know what a Pantera is. 

Now you have the part number. Go back and buy and install it. 

Mike

Sent from my iPad

> On Jun 6, 2023, at 08:24, Christopher Kimball <ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com> <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com>>> wrote:
> 
>  Hi Mike, believe it or not, I did think of that... At every auto place
> and bearing place that I visited (including two NAPA stores) I
> specifically asked them if they had an entire pulley that would work
> with a bearing already installed. All of them said the same thing,
> "no!"
> But I will buy you two sodas next time I see you!
> Sincerely,
> Chris
> Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S9+, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable
> smartphone
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Mike Drew <mikeldrew at aol.com <mailto:mikeldrew at aol.com> <mailto:mikeldrew at aol.com <mailto:mikeldrew at aol.com>>>
> Date: 6/5/23 10:20 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: Christopher Kimball <ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com> <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com>>>
> Cc: Pantera Owners Club of America <detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com> <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com <mailto:detomaso at server.detomasolist.com>>>
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Sad news about Pandora & my planned attendance
> at the Fun Rally
> 
> Chris,
> This is an infuriating read.
> If you had spent just a fraction of the time high you wasted writing
> that big missive instead asking for help, you would have got it. Years
> ago, in answer to this same issue from somebody else, I wrote:
> The idler pulley bearing can make one hell of a racket. You can buy a
> replacement bearing, then press (or have a machine shop press) the old
> bearing
> out and the new bearing in. But the bearing is expensive, and labor
> adds
> further to the cost.
> Your local NAPA auto parts store has a replacement pulley with bearing,
> ready to bolt on, that costs less than the cost of just a replacement
> bearing
> for your old pulley. It is slightly larger in outside diameter, but
> otherwise functions identically and allows the use of the same-size
> belt.
> Part number is Duralast 231036. Cost is about $13-15 if memory
> serves,
> while just a replacement bearing for your old pulley is more like $25,
> and you
> haven't started paying machine shop costs.
> Fortunately it's not too late. It literally takes minutes to install
> this new pulley. If you get your act together tomorrow morning, you can
> be ready to leave for the Fun Rally by noon.
> Make it happen! You owe me a free soda already for the thermostat and
> gasket I sent, and I want to collect! :)
> Mike
> Sent from my iPad
>>> On Jun 5, 2023, at 15:02, Christopher Kimball <ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com> <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com <mailto:ChrisVKimball at msn.com>>>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi all,
>> 
>> I was planning on attending the Fun Rally this year and looking
> forward
>> to keeping a journal of the preparation, the journey, the
> experiences
>> while at the rally, and the trip home.
>> 
>> Unfortunately, I only got as far as the first part.
>> 
>> For those of you with a lot of time on your hands, here is the
> first
>> section of what I had hoped would be a fun article for one of the
>> Profiles magazines. Now it will just be another unfinished
> symphony!
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> The Pitfalls and Perils of Pretty Pandora
>> 
>> 
>> After an extended hiatus, Pandora is itching to attend another POCA
> Fun
>> Rally. I knew she'd need some work before she was ready, so
> beginning
>> in May of 2022 I began delving into what should be done for her
> (and
>> me) to feel confident we could make the trip.
>> 
>> 
>> First: New tires. I prefer the look of 15" wheels, albeit with
> wider
>> tires, but trying to find tires with the proper speed rating in
> that
>> size proved challenging.
>> 
>> 
>> For the rear tires I ended up finding 295-50-15 Avons from
> England. I
>> like things from England because that's where my mom is from. That
>> makes me half English, so it makes sense that half of Pandora's
> tires
>> are English. The fronts, 255-50-15s were new old stock by
>> Pirelli--Pirelli no longer makes that size. Fortunately, the
> Pirelli's
>> were only a couple of years old and I was assured by the dealer
> they
>> had been stored correctly and were as good as new. But Pirellis
> are
>> Italian. I'm not half Italian, so there goes my nationality
> analogy.
>> 
>> 
>> The gear oil hadn't been changed in probably 10 years, so Mike
> Thomas,
>> President of Panteras Northwest, graciously invited Pandora and me
> to
>> his garage where he showed me the finer points of gear oil
>> extraction. He mentioned perhaps now I should think of a new name
> for
>> my Pantera, rather than Pandora, since the story of Pandora's Box
> has
>> some negative connotations, what with all the demons the box
>> unleashed.
>> 
>> 
>> I told him I would consider it.
>> 
>> The next day I started thinking of alternative names for my beloved
>> Pantera while gazing at her beautiful engine. As I pondered, the
>> decklid began to close and bonked me on the head. The decklid
> struts
>> had failed and needed to be replaced.
>> 
>> 
>> Then the clutch master cylinder failed.
>> 
>> 
>> And I had to replace the ball joints.
>> 
>> 
>> And the stereo began acting up.
>> 
>> 
>> I also noticed that when raising the headlights a sound was emitted
>> resembling an angry Wookie.
>> 
>> 
>> And the driver's side headlight's high/low beam system wasn't
> working
>> correctly.
>> 
>> 
>> And, occasionally, the tachometer decided to take a nap.
>> 
>> 
>> And the Dakota Digital fan relay no longer worked.
>> 
>> 
>> No, I think I'll just keep the name Pandora.
>> 
>> 
>> Throughout all the de-bugging, PNW secretary Doug Braun was
> immensely
>> helpful. Often, Brian Devine, another PNW member would join us,
>> offering additional help and moral support. As mentioned, PNW
>> President Mike Thomas also donated a lot of his time to helping get
>> Pandora ready for the Reno Fun Rally.
>> 
>> 
>> I've heard the trick in keeping a beautiful Italian woman happy is
> to
>> shower her with gifts. My wife is a very understanding spouse, and
>> complains only slightly as I provide Pandora with all sorts of
>> expensive trinkets. For example, Doug helped me install new
> sway-bar
>> mounts. They are beautiful pieces of art, inscribed with the
> DeTomaso
>> logo. Besides Doug and I, Pandora is probably the only other one
> who
>> knows about them or will ever see them.
>> 
>> 
>> I also replaced the gold side graphics which had graced Pandora's
>> rocker panels years before. Women like gold.
>> 
>> 
>> This may be a little too personal to share, but I even spent over
>> $2,000 giving Pandora a clear bra. Risque, I know. It covers her
>> entire front, and even a little behind the rear wheels. I figured
>> driving to Reno warranted a little extra paint protection. I'll
> never
>> forget on my way to a previous Fun Rally, experiencing for the
> first
>> time the scourge of well-painted cars everywhere: The dreaded
>> tumbleweed. Hitting one of those did serious damage to my paint,
> and
>> even though a clear bra may not completely shield my new paint from
>> damage, it might help a bit if I encounter another such fiend.
>> 
>> 
>> Although Metal Magic in Tacoma, WA did a great job applying the
> gold
>> graphics and clear bra, I discovered a problem. When trying to put
> a
>> large basked of flowers in the passenger seat (a Mother's day gift
> to
>> my wife--yes, I do occasionally get her gifts, too) the passenger
> door
>> refused to open. It turned out someone had tried to open the door
>> while it was locked, and used such force as to break off the arm of
> the
>> handle inside the door. As a side note, putting a large, floral,
>> hanging basket on the passenger seat of a Pantera is quite
> challenging
>> when doing it from the driver's side. I'll be picking petrified
> flower
>> petals from between the seats for years.
>> 
>> 
>> I took apart the door, and with a lot of help from the DeTomaso
> forum
>> determined what I needed to do to repair the damage. I was able to
> get
>> some used parts from Larry, my fellow POCA member who lives in
>> California. A few other items I ordered from one of our Pantera
>> vendors. I paid extra for shipping so I would get the parts
> quickly,
>> but they arrived several days late. Apparently, they were on a
> train
>> which derailed. Pandora strikes again!
>> 
>> 
>> The weather in the Pacific Northwest is known for being
>> wet. Therefore, when the sun does come out, it's a great excuse to
>> take one's collector car for a drive. It happened we were graced
> with
>> such a day, so I decided to take Pandora to my Rotary Club
>> meeting. All was well until while driving home I noticed the heat
>> gauge moving into the red.
>> 
>> 
>> The water temperature gauge supplied from the DeTomaso factory is
>> notoriously inaccurate, so years ago I added an additional gauge
> which
>> gets its signal directly from the engine block rather than the
> swirl
>> tank, the source for the stock gauge. But even my secondary gauge
> was
>> moving upward at an alarming rate.
>> 
>> 
>> I was getting very nervous. I have a fear of overheating
>> engines. Maybe my fear of overheating engines has to do with an
>> embarrassing memory. When I was young and rather irresponsible, I
> was
>> driving with my girlfriend in my 1970 Toyota Sprinter. We were on
> the
>> freeway, and I was paying far more attention to the girl than the
> car,
>> so I didn't notice the red light on the dash. Moments later,
> however,
>> I did notice the car losing power and the engine seizing. Can you
> say,
>> "water in the oil?" We were stranded for some time, and that
> little
>> mishap cost a poor college student a lot of money!
>> 
>> 
>> But back to today... Fortunately, halfway home from the Rotary
> meeting
>> the temperature suddenly returned to normal. I knew I couldn't
> risk
>> driving to Reno with an intermittent cooling problem, so once again
> I
>> asked the forum for help. The most consistent answer I got was
> Pandora
>> was suffering from a stuck thermostat.
>> 
>> 
>> Although everyone assured me replacing a thermostat was an easy
> job, I
>> felt ill-equipped to do it alone, so I again prevailed upon Doug,
>> Brian, and Mike for help. The following Saturday they converged on
> my
>> garage, bringing all sorts of tools, jacks, testing equipment, and
>> more.
>> 
>> 
>> There was much discussion on the forum concerning which thermostat
> and
>> gasket to use, but I was pretty sure I had ordered the correct
>> parts. Just in case, Mike brought an extra gasket. His doing so
>> turned out to be prescient, as you'll see.
>> 
>> 
>> I removed the firewall hump and the thermostat cover was easily
>> accessible. "Wow--this should be easy," I thought. WRONG! As we
>> began loosening the bolts holding the cover in place, we discovered
> the
>> rear bolt couldn't be removed because the flange on the Edelbrock
>> aluminum head extended too far over the location of the bolt!
>> 
>> 
>> We realized the only way we could remove the bolt was to literally
>> hacksaw off a piece of the aluminum. Mike graciously volunteered
> to
>> take his life into his hands and travel to the closest Harbor
> Freight
>> located in a sketchy part of town. There he purchased a hacksaw
> kit
>> which he felt could do the job.
>> 
>> 
>> Mike returned safely and we all took turns sawing the
>> aluminum. Eventually we managed to remove enough of the medium to
>> extract the bolt, and the old thermostat and gasket were removed.
>> 
>> 
>> As we began to install the new unit, I noticed the gasket was
>> protruding on one side of the thermostat. Upon closer inspection it
>> turned out the gasket wasn't the correct shape--the ears seemed out
> of
>> alignment. I remember a kid in grade school with the same problem.
>> 
>> 
>> As I mentioned, Mike had the foresight to bring an extra gasket,
> and
>> even though it came in the same exact packaging as the one I
> purchased
>> from Summit, the gaskets were different. We installed Mike's and
> it
>> worked perfectly. I am going to demand a full refund of $27.95
> from
>> Summit for the faulty gasket! Actually, I did, and they cheerfully
>> refunded me about $15.00. I guess they don't refund shipping
> costs.
>> At least, that's what I thought. When I wrote a review of my
>> transaction with them, I included the lack of shipping
> reimbursement.
>> Strangely enough, a week or so after that I got a second refund
> from
>> Summit--for the shipping!
>> 
>> 
>> Another interesting Pandora-esque discovery--when draining some of
> the
>> coolant in preparation for the thermostat switch, we discovered the
>> coolant mix was practically 100% coolant! To replace the fluid we
>> drained during the operation we needed to add only water to achieve
> the
>> preferred 50/50 blend.
>> 
>> 
>> While Mike, Brian, and I were working on the thermostat, Doug was
>> busing troubleshooting the driver's side headlight problem. What
> he
>> found was strange, and very Pandora-like. On the driver's side
>> headlight, not only were both the high and low beams constantly on,
> the
>> high beam seemed to be getting its power from the parking light
>> circuit. He surmised there was some kind of mix-up in the fuse
>> box. Although we didn't have time to solve the problem completely,
>> Doug disconnected the high-beam wire so at least I can operate the
> car
>> with both of the low beams operating correctly. With the amount of
>> road rage that's out there these days, driving with one's high
> beams
>> always on could be hazardous to one's health!
>> 
>> 
>> Doug, Brian, Mike, and I had been working on the thermostat
> replacement
>> and headlight problem since the morning, and the day was almost
>> over. We were all pretty tired, and I was starting to get a little
>> frustrated with all the ongoing issues Pandora was handing me. I
> got
>> in the car to move her back into the garage, turned the ignition
> key,
>> and...nothing. The entire system was dead. Now what?
>> 
>> 
>> After yet more troubleshooting we found the ground-lift switch
>> (installed years ago) was faulty. For no apparent reason, it just
>> decided to quit. Go belly-up. Start pushing up the
>> daisies. Terminate. Die. Shuffle off this mortal
>> coil. Break. Fizzle. Deteriorate. Go wrong. Hit the skids. Go
>> south. Expire. Stop working.
>> 
>> 
>> Frankly, by that point I was about ready to do the same! I was
> glad
>> the guys were there to offer that last bit of moral support I
> needed as
>> I worked on the wiring to bypass the no-longer-functioning
>> switch. Once that was done, Pandora roared to life and things
> began to
>> look a bit brighter.
>> 
>> 
>> I had also been trying to figure out why my Dakota Digital fan
> relay
>> system was failing to turn on my third radiator fan. I called
> Dakota
>> Digital's tech help line, and the general consensus was, "It's
>> busted." I added a manual switch to turn on the fan so at least I
>> could use that if needed on my trip to Reno and back, in case a new
>> unit wouldn't arrive in time. However, the new unit I ordered
> arrived
>> in just a few days (I'm guessing via another mode of transportation
>> other than by train). By the way, I'd like to thank Forest
> Goodhart
>> for his advice. He spent some time on the phone helping me decide
> on
>> the best solution.
>> 
>> 
>> A week or so later, the door handle parts arrived and I
> successfully
>> reassembled the mechanism. Does this mean I can say I finally got
> a
>> handle on Pandora?
>> 
>> 
>> Not quite.
>> 
>> 
>> As I backed out of the garage to work on the door handle, to my
>> frustration I saw two puddles of antifreeze. That's not a sight
> anyone
>> wants to see.
>> 
>> 
>> I think my displeasure seeing anti-freeze harkens back to another
>> embarrassing memory. The first really nice car I had was a
> Cadillac
>> Seville STS with the Northstar engine. I was really proud of that
> car
>> (and you know what they say pride goeth before). I was taking a
> good
>> friend and fellow car-guy around town in my big, fancy Cadillac to
>> various establishments where cool cars were on display, and I was
>> beaming with pride the entire time. Beaming, that is, until we
> came
>> out of one of the businesses to find a large pool of antifreeze
> flowing
>> from the bowels of the Northstar.
>> 
>> 
>> It's always a humbling experience to see one's car being loaded
> onto a
>> flatbed tow-truck.
>> 
>> 
>> As far as my Pandora pooling problem, that evening I jacked up the
> car,
>> examined the underside and found a small leak coming from the
> petcock
>> at the base of the radiator. Hoping against hope the fix would be
> as
>> simple as it appeared, I used pliers to gently tighten the petcock
> just
>> a little bit.
>> 
>> 
>> I sprang out of bed the next morning as if it were Christmas and I
> was
>> five years old. I couldn't wait to see if Santa brought me a dry
>> floor. Amazingly, there wasn't a drop of anti-freeze anywhere in
>> sight. It was a Christmas miracle in May!
>> 
>> 
>> Since the new Dakota Digital fan controller had arrived, and since
> my
>> petcock fix was so successful, I thought I should tackle the fan
>> project, too.
>> 
>> 
>> I installed the new Dakota Digital box and after calling the nice
> techs
>> at Dakota Digital--their customer service is wonderful--I was able
> to
>> get the unit calibrated. I wasn't sure what kind of sending unit I
> had
>> since it was installed over a decade ago, so we had to guess a bit
> when
>> making the adjustments.
>> 
>> 
>> To determine if the fan controller would work correctly I took
> Pandora
>> for an extended drive. All three fans worked perfectly and things
> were
>> going swimmingly until my nose began to detect something.
>> 
>> 
>> They say a dog's sense of smell is a million times more sensitive
> than
>> a human's, but it didn't take a canine snout to realize something,
>> ostensibly made of rubber, was melting. Judging from the amount of
>> smoke I saw in my rear-view mirror it was melting fast!
>> 
>> 
>> I was close to home so I figured I should risk it and try to get
> there
>> as soon as I could, rather than be stuck on the side of the
>> road. Also, I reasoned, if before I arrived home the car did catch
> on
>> fire and burn to a crisp, at least I'd have some insurance money!
> I'M
>> KIDDING! That thought process is dangerously close to insurance
> fraud
>> which I would never condone. Getting on the wrong side of the law
> is
>> never fun. My aversion to doing things which are illegal is
> probably a
>> result of another embarrassing memory. But since it's only a
> memory
>> and nothing can be proven because all the records have been
> expunged,
>> rather than sharing it with you now, I'll just carry on with my
> Pandora
>> story.
>> 
>> 
>> Because I was nervous about the smoke coming from the engine bay, I
>> didn't pay close attention to negotiating the edge of our
>> driveway. Thanks to my carelessness, I entered the driveway at a
>> 90-degree angle from the horizontal dip running along the front
> edge,
>> and succeeded in cracking the front air dam. Did I say dam? I
> think
>> that could be what I yelled at that point.
>> 
>> 
>> I stopped the car, pulled out the trunk and looked for the charred
>> carnage. But there was no sign of any trouble. In fact, even the
>> smell was gone. As I pondered this Pandora mystery, my wife came
> out
>> of the house, pointed at the driveway behind the car and said,
> "What's
>> that?"
>> 
>> 
>> What it was, was the remains of the alternator belt which had
> melted in
>> half.
>> 
>> 
>> Why it self-destructed, I didn't know. Since I was supposed to be
>> leaving for the Reno trip in less than 2 weeks, and because one can
>> only call up so many favors from Pantera friends before one becomes
>> "that guy" no one wants to hang out with anymore because he is so
>> needy, I decided to take Pandora to my regular car shop (Total
>> Performance in Tacoma) to have them replace the belt and hopefully
>> determine the cause of the failure. I mean, belts just don't
> suddenly
>> snap without a reason. For example, there's a very good reason my
>> wardrobe belts have been snapping recently; I'm 40 pounds
> overweight!
>> 
>> 
>> After a few days in the shop I got a call that the belt had been
>> replaced and I could retrieve the car.
>> 
>> 
>> You know what's worse than having a mechanical failure and
> discovering
>> one's car has a major problem? Having a mechanical failure and not
>> finding one's car has a major problem--or any problem at all!
>> 
>> 
>> The mechanics could find no reason why the alternator belt should
>> fail. They ran the car with and without the A/C on, they checked
> the
>> alternator for seizing (it spun freely), and the pully alignment
> seemed
>> just fine. They suggested I drive locally for a few days and then
>> again have them visually inspect the belt to see if there were any
>> tell-tale signs of what might be lurking in the dark recesses of
> the
>> engine bay which could wreak such havoc on my poor belts.
>> 
>> 
>> The folks at Total Performance did observe that one side of the
> broken
>> belt was very worn and melty-looking (my term, not theirs) but
> couldn't
>> determine the cause. I suppose the belt and the pulley could have
>> gotten into a political argument--that would have caused some
>> friction!
>> 
>> 
>> The next day I drove to Centralia, about 60 miles south of
> University
>> Place, to visit my mom and one of my sisters who was visiting her
> for
>> the weekend. My mom, who is 92, said she heard me driving through
> the
>> retirement community where she lives, and could tell it was a
> Pantera
>> and "not a delivery truck." Bless her heart, she is always
> interested
>> in my Pantera exploits and was worried about my upcoming trip to
> Reno
>> with a car that has been unpredictable, to say the least. But what
> is
>> a mom to do if not worry?
>> 
>> 
>> The good news is Pandora made the trip down and back with no
>> drama. Upon arriving in Centralia I took off the bulkhead cover to
> see
>> if I could see evidence of any calcitrant belt activity. Peering
> into
>> the engine bay I couldn't see anything wrong with the belts, but
> did I
>> notice a bit of black dust. Had it sloughed off a belt? I
> couldn't
>> tell if it was leftover residue from the belt that died or new dust
>> from a belt which was misaligned. For all I know, maybe that's
> normal
>> for new belts and I shouldn't worry. But what's a Pantera owner to
> do
>> if not worry?
>> 
>> 
>> Since ignorance is bliss I didn't look again once I returned
>> home. Anyway, I was scheduled to take the car back to Total
>> Performance the following Monday to let them inspect it. I figured
> I'd
>> rely on their judgement to give me the green light (or red light,
> as
>> the case may be) concerning the Reno trip.
>> 
>> 
>> Plus, I was planning to drive to Brian Devine's house after my
> visit to
>> Total Performance so we could reinstall the belly pan which wasn't
> put
>> back in place during the car's restoration. I probably wouldn't
> bother
>> with it except the motor drips oil, and the only thing more
>> embarrassing than a car wearing a diaper is a car not wearing one
> and
>> ruining someone's floor. I figured while at Brian's place I could
> also
>> get a second opinion from him concerning the road-worthiness of
>> Pandora.
>> 
>> 
>> The other thing which was a nagging concern was the high-pitched
> whine
>> coming from the motor. It almost sounded as if someone snuck into
> my
>> garage one night and installed a supercharger. As great as that
> would
>> be, I no longer believe in Santa Clause (despite my Christmas
> miracle
>> mentioned earlier), and my wife probably wouldn't want me to be
> able to
>> drive any faster than I already do, so there's undoubtedly a
> different
>> reason for the sound. I hoped the guys at Total Performance and/or
>> Brian would know what was up.
>> 
>> 
>> I went to Total Performance this morning, and the good news is they
>> didn't see anything wrong with the belts. The bad news is I pressed
>> them on the whine (get it--pressed, wine?) so they used their
>> stethoscope and determined the whine was coming from the idler
> pulley
>> on the belt which connects the water pump to the engine.
>> 
>> 
>> It turns out whining is bad, and I could lose my bearings. I think
> my
>> wife would say the exact thing about some of her interactions with
> me.
>> 
>> 
>> I removed the pulley and took it to my local NAPA store where they
>> pressed out the bearing and looked for a replacement. Alas, the
>> bearing which I had purchased probably 15 years ago was an odd size
>> they couldn't match. Another Pandora mystery!
>> 
>> 
>> I called many places and drove to more than a few, but no luck.
> The
>> width of my bearing was 14mm and apparently the current in-vogue
> size
>> is 12mm. I called Pantera Performance, where I had purchased the
>> original bearing, and Dennis said he was sure he could get me
> something
>> which would work--and he could even overnight it to me. But alas,
> I
>> was supposed to leave in less than 24 hours, so there's no way I
> could
>> get the part in time for the trip.
>> 
>> 
>> So, unfortunately, and with great disappointment, I've made the
>> difficult decision to miss yet another Fun Rally. Sure, I could
> drive
>> down in another vehicle, but the only car I currently have which is
>> drivable is my 1987 Fiero GT, and its oil pressure gauge is acting
> very
>> strange, so I don't really trust it. Pontiac may have built
>> excitement, but engine trouble in the middle of the desert isn't
> the
>> kind of excitement I relish! My Cadillac is in the shop after
> sliding
>> down an ice-covered driveway into the side of a building (major
> repairs
>> needed), my Mini is being worked on due to a couple of problems,
> and my
>> wife needs to use our SUV for normal living-type activities. If I
>> tried to take my V-Max to Reno, I'd have to stop every 100 miles
> for
>> gas, and after riding that far I don't think my posterior would
> ever
>> forgive me!
>> 
>> 
>> One positive note, I stopped by Metal Magic (the place who did the
>> clear bra and broke my door handle) and they insisted on
> reimbursing me
>> for the cost of all the parts I had to buy to repair the handle. I
>> thought that was pretty nice of them.
>> 
>> 
>> I hope everyone enjoys themselves at the POCA Fun Rally. As for
> me--I
>> guess there's always next year!
>> _______________________________________________
>> 
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