Cynxing

I called Yota1 in Modesto. My understanding was that they sell parts, but don't do service. Maybe the one you found is a different one.

Got an appointment with a mechanic in Santa Cruz tomorrow morning. I'll let you jolly armchair quarterbacks know if he solves it. In the meantime, when it rains, it pours. The ancient Dometic fridge REEKS of ammonia, and yes I know what that means. It means I cooked 5 lbs of previously frozen hamburger today. Aside from that, I've got to get this nasty thing OUT of my rig. Does anyone in Santa Cruz area want it for any reason? What is the correct way to dispose of it if no one claims it for parts? No need now to go into how to replace it. That's a totally different conversation. Do I take it to a pick and pull? Is it a hazmat item? No, I'm not going to chuck it on the side of the road, so skip those unhelpful suggestions, please. And thank you Nam, I'll hang onto the Juan number. You never know.

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22RE. Thanks for the diagnostic, I'll be sure to mention that possibility. But moot if I can't find a garage where the work can be done. Any Bay Area Toy owners out there with great mechanics?

Long story. I will write a chronological summary to share if it comes to that. Gist: 86 Dolphin hemorrhaging oil from unknown point. Oil splatters out immediately when running. 2.5 qts. at a time. Seeking recommendation for a mechanic with a lift willing to find the leak(s) somewhere between Stockton and San Leandro. Needed ASAP. Happy Labor Day weekend, y'all.

I replaced my 86 Dolphin fuel tank in Tucson in 2017... Retroactive brownie points to the wife.

Long driveabout today with no hiccups, burps or other socially incorrect Yota behavior. Confidence restored. I'm going to blame heat and stress on the stupidity factor. No, none of you need to tell me. I know.

No kidding. Woof.

Follow up. I put on me spectacles and poked around the fuse box. That's when I noticed the battery was loose (??????) so I tightened the holder. Then I saw that the corner of the holder looks like it came in contact with the positive battery terminal ( !!!!!!!!) I have been traveling some very Vermonty dirt roads. There may have been some sparky action under the hood yesterday. And that may have had nothing - or everything - to do with the stall outs. Investigation continues...

Hello Collective ToyBrains - Last summer my 86 Dolphin was stalling out while driving and I got a code "3" - No signal from igniter 4 times in succession - Defective Igniter or Defective Main Relay circuit, or Defective ECU. If I can't restart while coasting I would have to pull to the side and restart. Very nerve wracking. The telltale clicking from the starter was present, so I swapped out the starter with a (used, ok yes, used) starter that does NOT click and starts every time. But it is still doing the stall out behavior and yesterday I got a "3" code again. Moving on to the Main Relay circuit? Any knowledge of this scenario? I can drive it but it doesn't feel good. Sometimes there's a clunking noise from the rear in conjunction with the attempt to restart. Driving it again today to get more detailed observations. Also the engine was hotter than (expletive) after driving for 15 minutes. Ideas? Thank you.

I have never needed 4 burners and an oven so I'm pulling it out. Works great. Looks great. Just the oven, not the cupboard. Make me an offer? Located in Southern Vermont. Also, I pulled out the bathroom sink. ke me an offer on either or both.

I was proficient with installing backing plates on my boat. In the RV it would be kinda ugly to see the plates on the ceiling methinks.

It's too bad that the stick built Dolphin has nothing to hang onto but nasty styrofoam in the shell. Those well nuts are pretty cool.

Sorry to hear that. If he poured straight vegetable oil into his tank with no filtering and heating modifications it would not take long for any oil to destroy a diesel. Where you get your used oil is crucial. I have not heard about acidity as a widespread problem with waste v.o. - since every batch will be different depending on what was cooked in it. American food reuses oil too many times and has too much salt in it, and is frequently hydrogenated. All bad for engines. My collection preference was Thai restaurants. The oil was used only once, very clean, and was a pale yellow color. While it's true that once you get a spot of oil on your clothes it (and the smell) will never come out, vegoil fueling can be as quick and tidy as petroleum fueling. The learning curve is straight up to figure out a good system and many people give up before they get there. VegOil is a fringe alternative fuel that has yet to reach parity with Biodiesel in public understanding and acceptance. The onus is on the individual to develop workable solutions for collection, filtering, fueling, and paying road tax. Until SVO is officially folded into the legal portfolio of fuel options, it will remain an activity for curious and determined shade tree mechanics. Ok, I'll get off my soap box now.

Talking from personal experience?

You could convert it to run on veggie oil since it's a diesel, thus saving on fuel money and reducing your carbon footprint. If you want to know more about how veggoil works and what the lifestyle is like go here. The National VegOil Board vlog and 6 part radio series.

Got a retro jacknife bench for sale that is 1/3 of the price of a new one. Plus 2 matching barrel chairs. Available immediately.

Sealing the ceiling was the first thing I did when I bought it 4 years ago. By now the roof has about 6 coats of Henry's Tropical rubber paint on it. No, the major leaks happened before I got it and then were definitely originating around the cabover window and now replaced vents. All rubber and plastic getting replaced. I've lived in it for a year and a half in all seasons and weather so that's why I feel confident about the patch approach. Would still be interested in knowing if anyone has done the patch approach and then kicked themselves later.

Request for hindsight info from anyone who has followed this strategy to '86 Dolphin rebuild: I don't have time to completely gut down to the studs. I need to get back on the road within the next two months. Now that I've experienced the scraping needed to remove (and the byproduct of) the 0-R value styrofoam "insulation" in the frame, I have decided not to go there. My leaks are specifically from the windows and the vents (but of course I know the water can move around and come out other places). I am attacking the specific corners and panels where water has damaged and mold is lurking. A sharp blade and a putty knife is useful to surgically remove the damaged sections and replace with clean and solid bits. Similar to patching rusty metal by grinding back to where the clean metal begins. I am removing all of the windows and re-sealing to the max. To preserve structural integrity, I am adding insulation layers on the inside and on the roof rather than replace with superior insulation product. My insulation ranges from 2" rigid to Reflectix, depending on the application and what I can get. For example as below, rebuild to the cabover curve includes custom cut rigid foam shapes as I have had significant heat through that area. So - who else has been here? Do you regret not gutting and scraping all the "cancer" away or is the surgical approach ok when the surrounding material is still good?

Yes. As per Linda's suggestion. stockinteriors.com

No going back now. The carpet is relaxing like a rumpled kleenex in a warm room. One question - between the seats where a "console" might be in a different kind of car, it gets very hot. The Custom Auto Carpet comes with some jute padding, but does anyone recommend Dynaliner or some other product sandwiched between the Dynamat and carpet for thermal protection?

https://expeditionupfitter.com Spendy, but gives me the gimme gimmes big time.

They do have a "sale" section on the web site with limited numbers of panels in each stack. $50 - $80 instead of $240 per 4 x 8.

I'm feeling seduced by the Artizan FRP. Whew.

I am contemplating re-doing the ceiling. I really want to find any and all leaks, put in some more substantial insulation and change out the light fixtures. My 86 Dolphin doesn't have curves in the ceiling except for the cabover so I was hoping a luann 4x8 panel would do it and then maybe some interesting decorative stick on stuff. Morbo is your rig curved at the roofline?