Sunday: bang head on wall, scream, repeat,,,

IF I were really one for anthropomorphizing, I would swear that Bloo just does NOT want to be a running Twuck,,,

That was at 12noon-ish and ‘almost there’,,,,

Ok, everything back together, and of course, ultimately, ALL of this is my own doing (or not doing something) in some way shape or form, but,,,,

Hell, good news or bad news first?

I prefer the bad first so that the good seems even better,,,

BAD NEWS: Running like absolute SHITTE!!! Some of that was part of the reassembly: I failed to plug in the MAP sensor, but that was easily corrected once I saw the computer complaining about it. (that little bugger is hidden under gobs of wiring, and I missed plugging it in.) But she is running,,, Part of me feared this from an experiance I had back in the days. Did a complete ignition service on an old F150, and I do mean OLD. Well, the original plugs were so fouled, I couldn’t see the electrodes,,, just a gob of goop on the ends. New plugs, new wires, cap, rotor, points (yes that old)and condensor,,,

CNS,,,,

Frank Doc told me “put the old plugs back in“, and I did, (Frank had taught me to not question his intuitions.)

VRROOOMMMM,,,, Goop covered nasty can’t see the electrodes spark plugs, and the thing ran like a scalded dawg,,, wouldn’t even belch on the new plugs.

SO, my fear this AM, and it could have become a self fulfilling prophecy so to speak, was that I would clean all that crap out of her intakes and shit would go sideways during the start up,,,

Here we are,,,,

Running rough as fuck: doing on the fly diag, old skool style,,,(this was at 5ish, and outside, daylight was failing me), Pull plug wires and watch results. #1, near dies #2 near dies, #3, #5 #6 #7,,, all near kill the engine. #4 #8 NO CHANGE,,, Fact, no spark showing on either,,,, That both are on one bank, she is running ragged as hell. I had a couple old wires of questionable health, swapped them in; it didn’t change anything, but then, didn’t prove anything either. Like I said, ‘Of questionable health”,,, But the fact that #4 had ZERO spark at all, (and I can’t say either way on #8 as it’s location is hard to see and get at; one or the other, not both,, I can say, it effected zero change to the running. ) I’m goin’ with all the yankin’ pullin’ and movin’round,,, these wires and plugs are in need of refresh. Could be the cap and rotor need it too,

GOOD NEWS: Despite the engine running like absolute shitte, NO LIFTER NOISES,,,, OIL PRESSURE IS UP,UP,UP!

And she DOES run,,, Just not as well as I was expecting

So, my operations were successful, this is just Bloo grumpin’ about me rollin’round in her engine bay again.

SOOoooo’sssss

What lessons has Dio learned in all this? (and not just this weekend, but the whole mess since Turkey day.)

1: if you’re gonna rebuild, it had better be a wild upgrade! Keepin’ it the ‘same’? Its cheaper and MORE CONVENIENT to get a long block from a known reliable rebuilder with a warranty system. (I guess you know now, what my future plans are for Buffalo when it comes time. I’m slow to convince, not stoopid.)

2: MUST HAVE A BACK UP HICLE IN PLACE. At least this lesson didn’t bite me in my ass this time around.

3: Recovering a lot find/barn find? ASSUME THE ABSOLUTE WORST AND ACT ACCORDINGLY. THIS did bite my ass,,, I had high hopes and been laid low several times already. And may get laid low again, if/when the rings fail. What my plans are at that point,,, Finances will dictate that path when/if it comes into being.

What it won’t be? A rebuild: I am done tearing this block apart,,, I’ll pull it and replace it. The Finances will dictate how quickly that “Swap” happens, and it will NOT be a junkyard block of unknown history: I want fresh, spec’ed and WARRANTY,,,

I’m tired guys, more than a little grungy, and only sorta frustrated. Self-fulfilled prophecy thing; I was expecting trouble, and this is actually similar to what I had figured would happen. (what I didn’t do bit me,,, ) (in my defense, the plugs and wires were rock solid when I started this, running smooth despite the lifter killing #8)

Live

LEARN

Laugh

Love

LOAD!!!

ANDDDDDDDDD

An update to the screamin’ in me head,,,,

Just did a local parts house search for Cap/rotor/wires/plugs,,,,

$19.56 A FRICKIN PLUG!!!!! @WTIFover????? Thats $160 pre-tax for a PLUGS!!!! Toss in cap/rotor/wires and the bill came to well OVER $300!!!!

I just ordered the EXACT SAME THING and paid for FedEx Express shipping and didn’t break 2 bills,,, Total order was some change shy of $120 and the shipping was $50 to overnight it,,,,

AND I STILL CAME OUT BETTER THAN RUNNING AROUND LOCAL

sigh,,,, not sure this is a good thing,,, local businesses can’t compete, or something,,,,