Just Trying to Get Home

The other night I was leaving band practice and as usual the VW started up just fine. I backed out of the space and into the street and the engine promptly died. This wouldn’t have bothered me so much except that I have recently made some bold modifications to the ignition system and I was worried that I had created a disaster waiting to happen. I re-started the engine (it started as it always does) and started down the street. As soon as my foot was off the clutch it sputtered and kicked until I pushed the clutch back in… then it died. So I rolled into a spot across the street from where the preacher was getting into his Jeep. I started the engine again, this time listening closely, but the engine started without a hitch and held at idle. So I got out opened the deck lid and the engine spit something out at me. A small round disk or plug of some kind shot out and hit me in the foot. Just about that time the preacher pulled in next to me and offered me a flash light. Well of course God had placed the plug right next to my foot so it was easy to find (he is always looking out for me like that) and I picked it up and began to wonder to myself… “What in the world is this thing?”
After the preacher had retrieved a flashlight he found a hole in the back of the carburetor where this plug had once been. Now, I have built this engine from just a block, but that in no way makes me a mechanic and the only thing that has brought me comfort all this time is that I made it run in the first place so if I break it I’m not any further back than I was when I started. Only on this particular occasion our other, more reliable car was in the shop and this was my only means of transportation. I said a little prayer of thanks for all the years of service the car has given me, placed the plug back into the space (it kind of snapped in) and asked the preacher to step back while I started the engine… It started up, just like it always does. I drove it home without a problem and drove it today without a problem. I guess I need to get a new carburetor but it’s going to have to wait. It’s being held together with shear faith right now.