Please list some things that can leave you stranded, and solutions

[gregpark]

I carry minimal tools, the most important being a credit card and my cell phone

[OriginalOwner]

1)  Duct Tape/Gorilla Tape !!  I once used it to repair a split in the coolant hose from the back of the head to the heater control valve.  Removed the hose, wiped it clean-clean-clean, wrapped lots of tape around the hose, then re-installed.  AND, after refilling the radiator, I did not securely secure the radiator cap but left it a bit loose, thus system pressure did not build up.  I drove 20 miles back home with no overheat problems or coolant loss.

 

2)  Flashlight so you can see what you're doing when crawling around underneath the car at night.

 

3)  A set of end wrenches + a Crescent wrench.

 

4)  A set of sockets and ratchet wrench and extensions.

 

5)  2 Vise-grips:  a small one and a larger one.

 

6)  A set of screwdrivers:  flat blade and Phillips.

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

Edited July 1, 2015 by OriginalOwner

[Danz3]

Great thread and timely for me. I've had my 74Tii for 2 years now and I think I have it pretty sorted. I'm planning on driving it to the Pittsburgh Gran Prix in July. It its about a 5 hour drive. Along with this list any advise on how to prepare the car for a long trip? I have 5 new tires, new clutch and brake hydraulics, tuned as good as possible (still slightly rich but 20 mpg around town) and new alternator and bushings. Anything I should check prior to the trip?

[jscaptura1]

Did this once with my mechanical fuel pump on my 1600. Removed the plastic spacer between the head and the pump, sanded it down on the pavement, reassembled & was enough to get the fuel pump going to make it home & change. I guess it has something to do with the diaphragm in the pump, the shorter spacer allowed the pump to work better somehow. I had heard about it a long time ago, did it a long time ago as well, but it worked for me!

[Simeon]

On high speed, long distance runs in old cars, I start off with oil and coolant topped off correctly and then check after 100 miles. I check again after a further 100 just to get a feel for any heavy usage. This may be par for the course for that car in that condition but it is better to go into it aware of how often you may need to stop than dash off and sieze an engine because you couldn't believe that the engine you putter around town with that never uses a drop could drain the sump in 500 miles at speed.

[KFunk]

-Brakes:  Major loss of fluid/no pressure (ruptured wheel cylinder maybe).  Haven't had to do this yet with 02, but driving slowly with e-brake (should've adjusted it regularly!) and downshifting are enough to get you to a gas station to get more fluid.  Figure out which wheel is doing the leaking, and clamp off that line with vise grips (line clamp would be better if you got it).  Should at least slow down leak a lot.  Then enjoy braking with 3 wheels the rest of the trip.  

[KFunk]

For the modell 71 and later cars:  windshield wiper relay.  One of Murphy's many laws is that the wipers will fail during an all-day drive--in the rain--as I had to do from eastern PA back to SW Ohio.  I've been carrying a spare relay ever since--and have never needed it.  Yet. 

 

mike

It's less professional, but rain-x is widely available, and good to use regularly as well.  If your eyes are good, then it does a decent enough job of keeping visibility without wipers.  

Edited July 1, 2015 by KFunk

[eurotrash]

I take a full too box and an aluminum floor jack from HF. Spare guibo, rad hoses, spare tire, thermostat, multimeter, wire, duct tape, jack stand, etc.

 

Flipping LOVE the washer bottle story...  that is AWESOME.

[TobyB]

These are all 'Check occasionally' items:

 

Driver's side motor mount. 

Brackets that said mount bolts to!

(yes, the one on the car, AND the one on the block)

Nuts that hold carb to intake manifold.

Nuts that hold exhaust manifold to head.

Nuts that hold wheel onto car.

Big 30mm nut that holds hub to axle.

 

Nut behind the wheel

 

Nut that holds wheel onto car.

 

Nut that holds battery cable to (x) (yes, all of them, and the big grounds, too)

 

Bracket that holds exhaust to transmission.  When it's not there, the exhaust breaks- 200 miles from home after a long track day

(beer can fixes this pretty well)

 

Nut that holds driveshaft together.

Nuts that hold bolts into guibo (really covered in an earlier post)

Bolts that hold shifter platform to transmission.

Bracket that holds rear window shut  (yes, we had one fall apart in Oregon once.  Above comment about bailing wire is right on)

 

Wires on 3- connecter plug that plugs into the back of the alternator

 

The on- road solution to almost all of these is a couple of wrenches and sockets, a few spare

nuts and bolts of useful size, bailing wire and some beer.  Because you can fix a lot with a beer can.

 

The one that really got me was the Bosch spark plug wire ends falling off.  That turned a 4 hour trip into a 6 hour trip-

just because they cheaped out on the attachment method.  The fix (originally) was the spare wire I usually carry.  Until the NEXT one

did it 50 miles later.  And then the third another 100 down the road...  yes, I'm still bitter, why do you ask?

 

hee

 

t

Edited July 3, 2015 by TobyB

[PaulTWinterton]

I take a full too box and an aluminum floor jack from HF. Spare guibo, rad hoses, spare tire, thermostat, multimeter, wire, duct tape, jack stand, etc.

 

Plus all potential fluids...

 

I did that once.  It was like carrying another passenger in the car.  Headlights pointing into the sky.  I've done my due diligence since then to reduce some worries on the road.

[peterschop]

 

Nut behind the wheel

 

 

So what is the fix for that?

[TobyB]

tighten it, of course.....

 

t

[jimk]

Considering all the above problems, are these cars reliable enough to venture farther than a couple blocks from home?

[KFunk]

Considering all the above problems, are these cars reliable enough to venture farther than a couple blocks from home?

 

Probably best not to start the engine, you could throw a rod and be really screwed.  Just have a spare buddy push you around the block.  

[peterschop]

Considering all the above problems, are these cars reliable enough to venture farther than a couple blocks from home?

 

Of course, as KFunk said at the beginning of this thread, "I'm working on making sure my car is rock solid reliable and battle tested before taking it on some long drives "  You should be able to drive a properly sorted out 02 anywhere. A couple of months ago I took my car on a four day 1600 mile drive with no problems. As always though, it is best to be prepared.