Micheal,
Hope you do not mind, but I will have a little fun with
your 'break down list':
>Thermostat went out returning from Shasta '97.
Sigh, Thermostat do that. A "road side" repair I did once
was to remove the "wax pellet" and closing plate (ripped a
little tab off), and replaced just the "restrictor" back
into the thermostat housing.
>Fuel filter problems, burned out points, fuel floats cracked going to Solvang
>'98
Carry a spare filter.
Burned out points is rare... just replace the condensor when the
ponts are replace.
Fuel flots are a good item to carry with you.
>Wheel Bearing destroyed driving to Z Car convention n New Mexico.
Mentally when it comes to wheel bearings, I think of the stretch
of I-10 from El Paso to Junction City. Not much out there.
I tend to repack the front wheel bearings (& install new seals)
every two years.
On the REAR WHEEL BEARINGS, they are good for 100,000 miles... but
usually the inner rear axle seal starts to leak gear oil. Gear oil
washes out the wheel bearing grease, bearing is good for about 20,000
miles in those conditions. If you look at the back of your brake
baking plate, it should be clean. If caked in dirt and grease, then
you should replace the seal (& most likely the bearing, too).
>Lets hope for a trouble free trip.
Maybe I should repost the old "what to carry" in the trunk list.
Ironic thing, is usually most of the part in my car are new.
With a little maintance, Roadsters are pretty darn reliable.
I will confess to "hearing funny noises" around 4 a.m. on those
long drives (getting too old for 36 hour non-stop drives these
days). Still with good maintance, and inspections, the drive
should be very trouble free.
Little humor, years back I had a box of spare roadster parts
in the car... spotted a 1600 zipping along, spewing fuel out the
back (you could smell it). While latter, it was on the side of
the road, puddle of gas under the engine. Stopped, walked forward,
and looked... early standard threaded carb... brass floats. Walked
back my car, pulled out a new spare... walked back up to the
fellow and handed it to him.
Have the fun of carrying spare parts is to help out a fellow traveler.
(Irish custom).
Cheers,
Tom "have floats, will travel" Walter
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