vgabndo - 3-17-2005 at 10:56 PM
With wife and guests relaxing in San Nicolas, I jammed the little Nissan pickup back into Loreto. The work was complete, but the new $65. fan still
wouldn?t clear the Isuzu shroud. ?This car has been in a wreck?, says Juan. This time he was right. I bought the little project car on a salvage
title, but I?d never seen any evidence of problems that were not associated with it?s having been side-swiped. Faster than a triggerfish can steal
your bait, he had a hydraulic body jack stuffed under the hood, and with no little temerity I pumped about a ton of pressure against the front body
work, and at least equalized the inadequate distance in front of the fan. A half dozen zip ties stretching the rubber mounts forward allowed the
blades to clear the radiator, and I went for a test drive. By golly, it looked like I might make it home after all. Telling Juan that I?d see him in a
couple of days when I brought our guests back to the airport, I set off with some trepidation for San Nicolas. No noise, no overheating, no nuthin?.
We spent the next couple of days putting around on a run down the beach to Punta San Antonio, and up the arroyo to the undocumented pictographs a
friend had turned us on to a few years back.
On the day before our friend?s flight was to leave, we packed up and headed for Loreto. All was well, and everyone was happy. I was still on the edge
of my seat. I didn?t want all four of us to be standing on the side of Highway 1.
I smelled the burning fan belt even before it began to squeal. CRAP! We coasted off the road just before Puente la Luna and I popped the hood. The
?new? bracket, which I knew was steel, not cast like the old one, was cracked and open about 3/32 of an inch. The belt had lost tension, and any
revving over about 3000 RPM made it squeal. Driving on held the possibility that the whole tensioner would fail and take out the radiator again, but
as I always say, ?you can?t call it an adventure if there?s no uncertainty?. I limped into Loreto, reported the failure to Juan, and we set out, at a
crawl, to find a QUIET place to spend the night.
It seemed like the little B & B on the beach north of town would be off the beaten track. Las Trojes, in the dark, was picturesque, romantic, and
incredibly termite infested. The constant flow of un-muffled, boom box equipped Friday night kids cars cruising down the alley to the beach next to
our room started about bed time and went on until about 3:00 am. From about 3:00 until 5:30, sexual athletes in the next room screamed thoughtlessly.
In the morning, ?sorry there is no breakfast? The price was still $55. a room. Live and learn.
We sent our friends off to the airport in a taxi, and headed out to Juan?s for the latest explanation. When I pulled off the remains of the ?new?
tensioner from Viscaino, it had clearly been constructed from my old unit, and parts of some other tensioner. Juan fabricated a reinforcing plate to
strengthen the part that had broken. We put it back together and the bearing, overheated by all the arc welding, failed before we got to Caf? Ole for
breakfast. Back to the junk yard. ?No problem I have more bearings, and this time I?ll put it under water while I weld?. We walked to breakfast. While
finishing our coffee, our friend Jim from San Nicolas came by to check on us. He drove us out to Juan?s where the car was all bolted back together. I
fired it up and the bearing failed before I could close the hood.
I went to the internet caf?, found a Suzuki dealership in National City, CA, got the part number, and Juan said he had someone who could get it and
have it on a bus in Tijuana right away.
Cathy and I hitched a ride back to San Nicolas with Jaime. Two days later, I hitched back into town. Juan?s wife had driven to LA for other parts
and had put my assembly on a bus. I met all the busses for two days. The truth was that Juan?s wife was actually bringing back the part in her car. At
eight the second night, I walked back over to the junk yard. ?Mala noticias? said Juan.
The tensioner was for the serpentine belt, not the fan belt. The next afternoon I ran into my wife. She had hitched into town with her bags packed.
If there was a plane in the morning, she was going to be on it. She was done. (To be continued)
Wow...
Mexray - 3-18-2005 at 01:10 AM
...Just another day in paradise!
I think if it had been me, about now, I'd be checking a nearby arroyo for a place to hold a 'Viking Funeral'....
WHAT A BUMMER!
Sharksbaja - 3-18-2005 at 01:33 AM
..............can u say HEMI??????
You might want to consider a car for which parts ARE available in Mexico. Particularly if one owns a previously smashed Japanese car.
4baja - 3-18-2005 at 07:28 AM
WOW, and i thought that my tranny problem in el rasario was a problem. my buddy just bought a tracker for mex, hope he has better luck.
Bruce R Leech - 3-18-2005 at 08:28 AM
git a Ford the older the better. the mechanics here can fix them fast. and there are lots of parts.
Now you are starting to make me worry,
Jim Perez - 3-18-2005 at 09:29 AM
I am planning on going down in a couple of weeks in my 1989 Toyota 4x4 with 321,000 miles. Just as far as Santo Tomas so I guess it should make it
that far. Recently I havent heard any new weird noises so I will just go for it.
Jim
No worry with a Toy
Cyndarouh - 3-18-2005 at 10:13 AM
They have lots of Toy's in Baja parts are easy to find. Heck you might even get some off the one we had stollen in 03.
Santo Tomas
DanO - 3-18-2005 at 11:56 AM
Yeah, there are mechanics all over down there, including a new guy who's set up shop just north of the top of the hill that drops down into the Santo
Tomas Valley. If you're going out to the coast during Semana Santa and have a breakdown, just make sure to pull all the way into right, out of
traffic. There'll be a lot of it 
you have more patience than me my friend
capt. mike - 3-18-2005 at 02:34 PM
sure am glad i fly down (and yes, planes also break down in baja - i have left them there 3 times and had to go back to get, once after a month)
And i never take my mulege based nissan, 230,000 and on 2nd reman eng and 2nd new tranny further than bahia concepcion or to santa rosalia, mainly it
just runs in to town for booze and stuff.
good thing i know several local mechanics cause i know i'll need them sooner than later.