Friday was an interesting day for ol’ Willy and I.
It all started out with a short ride with the girls (our dogs) to the neighborhood post office to send out a mother’s day card. It really was a beautiful day for a drive and Willy was running fine. I had a short stop at the post office and when I got back out he wouldn’t start. At first he acted like the battery was run down, then like there was a dead spot in the flywheel, then back to a dead battery. I figured that the post office was at that magical distance to heat the engine up just enough that it vapor locked and the starter got too hot, all at the same time. Waited about 10 minutes and he finally caught and took off.
Upon arrival at home I shut Willoughby down and tried to start him up again, nada. Figuring this proved my early hypothesis, I let him be for a while. Then at around 8:30pm Willoughby and I took off for a short drive to the nearest autoparts store. I notice some funny things going on, turn-signals stopped working, headlights dimmed, and then the unthinkable…Willoughby died right as I turned into the store’s parking lot.
Well since my early hypothesis seemed to work out, I figured what the heck I’ll go ahead and get the stuff I need and then he will be ready to go on down the road. Of course in the back of my mind I knew better than this, but I continued to fool myself and went inside the store. First on my list a proper torque wrench, which they did not have. Second a cheap timing light, which they did not have. Third, well by this time I was getting a little feed up with this store and figured I would just get the other items from another place.
Having scored my bounty of Oil and a feeler gauge to set Willoughby’s valve lash, I head out to the bus full of dread but still hopeful. I checked the oil level, attempting to give it that extra few seconds that he would need to full cool off. I hoped in, turned the key, and nothing. Again still going on my earlier hypothesis, I figured that if I could get a jump then there would be enough juice to turn the overheated starter over. Now I have worked at several autoparts stores over the years and have done a great many of things to help people get on their way, so I figured these guys would be the same way. Wrong!!! I asked if they had a jumper box, they did but it was dead. No other offers of help, nothing. I asked if I could at least call use the phone to call my wife, to which they hesitated and finally agreed. Of course the wifey forgot the phone in the car so I was on my own for a while.
Back outside, I got the bright idea that push starting the bus was the way to go. Hey I had done it in my cabriolet when the starter acted up, in fact I had done it in that very parking lot before. So, I set out to push start a 3,500+ pound bus by myself. It took me five times to get up enough speed to pop the clutch and get him going. All the while one of the employee’s stood outside smoking a cigarette and watching.
Off Willoughby and I went again out into the night and just down the street. The ride ended as it had began, with me pushing poor old Willoughby down the road and into a parking lot. Luckily, I got some help from a good Samaritan, who stopped to help push the Willy the last few feet up the hill. And there he sat until the wife checked the voice mail. I waited, got a little sleepy and set forth to test out the upper bunk. let me tell you it is a bit cramped and very hard to get out of, but it was very comfortable and about the time I was dozing off the calvary arrived.
Finally Willy and I were rescued. I rode back grabbed the spare battery and went back to Willy. He fired right up and we made it home ok. As for the cause, well that’s another story.
