One of the nicest things about not being able to achieve freeway speeds is the opportunity to see a lot of rural America. Churches seem to cluster together (I saw seven in one two-mile stretch) and little cemeteries are everywhere. Small town Walmarts are also interesting in that they adapt to the local situation. This one in Trion, Georgia sells straw.
You also meet some lovely people in small towns, like the wonderful guys at ARI Auto Repair. I was fortunate enough to meet them after deciding that changing the spark plugs really didn't help and Rigadoon was doing the same sorts of things she had been doing earlier in the trip. The shop did a quick look, thought it might be a burned cylinder, got everything set up so that they could do a complete rebuild if necessary, and then discovered that it just needed adjustment again. Phew. They also thought that the first shop back in El Paso had reused the gasket (they had) and it had failed. They replaced it, suggested I use 100% ethanol-free gas when possible, and wished me luck. Although I ended up spending more than a week at the Cleveland Walmart while waiting for parts and waiting out storms, time in the shop was only two mornings.
In addition to aiming for 100% gas, I got some Marvel's Mystery Oil to add to the gas. The thinking here is that the ethanol dries things out and older vehicles aren't really designed for that. By using pure gas and adding a splash of lubricant, the pistons should move smoothly and not cause more problems. It's a cheap remedy if it works.
No comments:
Post a Comment