Little tidbit quotes from the week(funstuff)
“If’n I were shooting AT THEM, you’d be buryin’em”
“As the Bolt Turns,,,, So does the Nut!”
THwAp!,,,,, THUNK! “Next one doesn’t miss!!!”
I Hatez cuttin’ welds I just laid down not long back,,,,
GRuunnnnnTTTTTTTT!!!!!” SNAP!!! “well,,, that didn’t go so well,,,,,”
“What does this wire do?” zzZZZTTTT!!! “Yeah,,, thats hot!”
Smile!!! I’m keepin’ a good attitude!
called it
0615: text came in, “No work, Sleep in”
NOT A PROBLEM, other than the lost income aspect. Seen worse, felt worse, can make do as needed.
BUT
That means I’m workin’
On BlooTwuck.
At least getting to a point where when parts get in, i can start the process to get it all back together. Dunno what gets done today, and a whole lot of that depends on “DRY”. It’s rather cold so there may be some “not doin’ that and getting soaked to the bone” thinks goin’ on. Supposedly, the rain/sleet/snow moves out here in the next hour or so, but the cold stays. Where Bloo sits, drains quick, but that doesn’t mean its DRY either: just not soaking wet. Still, I need to get a jump on things and I’m a determined cuss. Has warm house, has coffee, has dry clothes at hand,,,,
will see.
Shoulda built the daggum shop FIRST,,, And YES, that was the original plan: you know how plans survive first contact with the enemy (and I’m talking the enemy we all deal with; TIME) And in a way, I do have a shop,,, its a carport. its where I rebuilt the top end of Buffalo, where I rebuilt her Rear end with upgrades, have done most all of the work on her for that matter.
Problem: Buffalo is IN that carport, and Bloo is no longer in a state where she can move under her own power. Lack of proper planning proceeds to piss poor performance status. Proof is in the puddin’ here. I’m close to home, out of the way, and that out of the way is damp. Large caliber pistol, meet foot. BANG!
S.T.O.P.
Sit, Think, Observe, Plan/Proceed
Its dark out now, I’m doin’ the sittin’ thinking about this stuff, Observing the conditions, knowing the aspects I can deal with while awaiting parts.
Proceeding accordingly as light arrives.
Never stop moving, even when you have stopped moving. Your brainium remiains in motion.
More and updates as the day proceeds
UPDATE: that didn’t go as planned, having a hard time typing this,,, Fingers borderline frostbitten. Got something done though, ain’t gonna push it,,, especially as it started snowing again,,,
what I did,,,
new headlamps,,, Was going to wire in the other two aspects of them(TS and DRL), but the digits were WELL PAST feeling and pain. Those aspects are not as important as the main point of “being able to see” and can wait. It was just one of those ‘to do list’ points and doable in this weather. Further update: is past sunset, and went out to ‘play’. HOT DAMN ARE THESE LIGHTS BRIGHT!!! Love it!!!
Muhndaze and the Grind
Full day, good thing too. No time to work on Bloo, but thats alright, I want to dedicate time to her and her only when I get going on this lower end Refresh/Clutch job. Most all of the orders I put in shipped today, but they are scattered like sparks in the wind around the lower 48. Will be arriving starting this Wednesday through to next. I even considered taking a week off to dedicate to getting her done and back on the road, but I can’t afford the time off to do so, (UNLESS, I do have that PTO Son of Bossman and I talked about, but have never heard back on,,, Maybe I should ask,,,)
And I have a scheduled camping trip upcoming, and don’t want all of this to fuck that up. I need the time away, but I need this truck running just as much. And there is a ton of stuff that needs done,,, Little stuff and big stuff, all around the truck, not just the bearings and clutch. Brake cable that didn’t show up on time needs installed (because I hate leaving things half done) New Exhaust manifold to replace that cracked one, Stuff that ‘by itself’ doesn’t really take long, but piled up,,, Yah,,,
I’m whooped. It’s already dark out there and I am not going to try wrenching anything in the dark under headlamps. Makes me wish for a shop, it do. if wishes were fishes,,,,,
and its Cold and getting colder. Rain is supposed to start here in the next couple of hours and then turn to snow/sleet overnight. I may have some time to do things tomorrow if Son of calls it for the day (downside there, $$$ or lack of. Can’t win for losing,,,)
Live
Learn
Laugh
Love
LOAD
In Gratitude
This may seem a somber post, but I think those in this group will understand.
I’m embracing the SUCK of Bloo showing the effects of sitting for the last 12 years. I knew what I was buying into, crossing my fingers for the better. For the most part, I DID receive ‘the better’. Still, time, sitting, machine: bad things happen in the most subtle of ways. I went back to an earlier post on Blog to remind myself of some of my joy in this Twuck.
Where my gratitude lay? The fact that I am recalling SKILLS long reserved to the backroom files of me head. Things I had completely forgotten I even knew, Diagnostics, actual mechanical skills: that I was at one point in time ASE certified, though I saw through that facade early and let the things lapse. Just another money scheme in the world. YES, its my opinion that most certification programs encourage stagnation, not growth. Most of the Certified people I have met in the world couldn’t do much more than pass the damned tests. Welders that couldn’t fabricate a thing, but could lay a pretty bead long enough to pass the test. Mechanics that were test takers and parts swappers, not honest to Dawg TECHS.
But I digress,,,,
When all of these trials and tribulations are completed, I will have a DAMNED FINE truck, one I can depend on, one that will be the doorway to other ‘adventures’ and pathways to income other than the J.O.B.
FOR THAT, I am VERY grateful.
I am also grateful to those of my readers that are giving types, attempting to help me through this time with monetary support (its Winter, any help is appreciated and encouraged, Not JUST because of the BlooTwuck trials.) I’m grateful that y’all put up with me and my fits of scatterbrained postings. All over the place, no directions and no maps, just will-he/nil-he randomness: I know I test the patience of Job at times. You have no idea how grateful I am of your patience with me.
Yes, this is the post that should have been put up on Thanksgiving day, but I needed the impetus to write it. Dropping over $500 in parts orders the last 24 hours bumped me into that mindset. I need to keep my keel even, my sails set downwind, my rudder steady and strong. This is gonna be a FUN month,,,
And even for that I am grateful,,, I could be wandering into the winter months with nothing to do but hibernate till spring,,, Better to keep bizzy and productive: idle hands breed ill thoughts in my world. (THOUGH,,, Idle hands have written a couple of books in the past,,, Hmmm???).
So, thats my GRATITUDE post for this holiday season, I am sure that my Christmas post is going to be interesting, just not written at this time (though I have a few ideas,,,).
Stay tuned, this adventure ain’t over yet, T’ain’t ded yet, and no plans on becoming so anytime soon. (Fate may have other plans, but thats outta my hands.)
Live
LOVE
Laugh
LEARN
LOAD!
PS: to compensate for the lack of forward movement on Twuck while I am waiting for parts, I spent the afternoon throwing sticks around the yard. Cosmos still hasn’t quite connected the “thwap!” noise to the “THUNK!” noise elsewhere a split second later. At least now, he doesn’t shit a brick and head off when I walk out with bow in hand.
Embrace the SUCK
Thats my mind-set this AM,,,,
Ain’t gonna change a damned thing bitchin’ about what is: just embrace it, carry on.
I don’t have a level concrete floor, I don’t have a lift, I don’t have a shop full of tools, (amazingly, I DO have a lot of the tools that normally are shop supplied, like presses, Pullers and such. Had to start supplying those to meself when I left the shops back in the 90’s, with a slight and short return in the late aughts.)
But I has the tools, I has the knowledge, I has cardboard (to keep the tools out of the grass and gravel, along with my tender backside.) and I’ll just have to wrench between the raindrops. Keep a burn barrel handy for when the digits need warmed up. (and keep the tools close to it so they are warm too. Cold Tools kill digits.) Gotta pick up a serious amount of brake cleaner to blow out the oil passages while I am in there. Assembly lube so that things aren’t grinding together on first start up before oil pressure builds. Lintless rags so that I can keep the stuff super clean of anything that might wear pre-maturely. Running with standard sized bearings as I don’t think this thing is so worn out to warrant adjusted bearings (I may find that to be otherwise, but I can’t order 20 sets of bearings ahead of time,,, I could, but the cost is extravagant and unneeded.) Also ordered a Clutchkit w/slave cylinder: may as well do it all, eh?
The biggest downside to all of this is the WAIT,, Waiting for parts, waiting for decent weather (its raining today, gotta cold snap blowing in behind it) I hatez waiting, but the other option is to take it somewhere and REALLY pay out the nose,,,, and still end up waiting,,,
Gotta do the domestics thing today, and set me up a McGyver bag for the coming work week. things are sorta on hold due to the need of income. Gotta eat, gotta pay the (mad amounts) bills I have incurred with this investment, and I do have a reputation to maintain (Never let the downs get you down,,,)(its all illusion, I get quite perturbed, I just try to not let it show)
Embrace the suck, ‘it builds character’ Yeah, that,,, fuckers weren’t kidding, but that don’t mean I have ta like it.
Be the Kat!!!
Live
Learn
Laugh
LOVE
LOAD
Expletives to be deleted..(updated)
I have not been idle today,,,
BUT, I know what it AIN’T!!
Going ahead and ordering timing chain and gears, timing cover, and main bearings, and rear main seal.
In fact, as soon as I hit publish here, thats a what I am doing,,,,
I’ll keep the language I wanna use to meself.
UPDATE: It’s 5:50 pm. Just finished putting up tools by headlamp because the light was failing on me. Interestingly enough, Bloo is carrying her own tool cart. I had already moved all the tools over to her. This is actually a good thing, but its going to cause some headaches come tomorrow as I do need to put together a basic “Doc Dio” bag and put it all back in Buffalo. My day J.O.B. doesn’t wait for me to run and get my tools, and tools are what make me a value there. Fortunately, my ‘Mekanik Hat’ I wear is a rarity: I can leave the wrenchin’ tools right where they are, under triple lock and key (because I have a Bad Cuz and do not trust that fucker for a moment.) Just need to load the basics; an impact, set of sockets for it (typical 3/4″, 9/16″, and 1/2″) a couple of other power tools, and knowing the jobs we are on, I can guess which ones.
This SUCKS,,, This truly sucks big green greasy donkey d!cks.
Parts are now ordered. That was the reason I was back at turning bolts and moving parts. I needed to know the tooth size of the timing gears as I had two options.
More later, I’m gonna pour a triple finger full of strong stuff and relax for a moment and let the “SUCK” settle in.
live
learn
laugh
love
LOAD
a 2 hour struggle,,,,
Yes kids, there is a reason your old man told you to lube that gasket on the oil filter,,,
Obviously not O.E. which it’d better not be,,, BUT, you can see that I musta pulled every trick in the book (and created a couple new ones) to get that thing off Twuck. You can even see where I ended up using the demo-hammer to drive it off at the last. (Totally last resort as the chance of FUBARing something is HIGH!)
And once I was done getting that bastach off, I had to go back in with a die grinder and surfacing pad to clean off the old rubber seal that had bonded to the oil cooler diverter. Rubber and metal LOVE each other, and like a couple of horny puppers, can get “stuck”,,,
Lube the gaskets; make EVERYONES lives down the chain, much easier (and more than likely, YOURS) Don’t use the used oil, use the fresh stuff in the bottle; just a little does wonders.
And thats my PSA for the day.
Harmonic balancer enroute, Bloo sits for a few days until that arrives and I can get underhood again. A little saddened by this as I have been truly enjoying driving her. She isn’t the comfort queen that Buffalo is (bench seat vs captains chairs, manual everything, where Buff is powered) But she RUNS and she RUNS smooth with gob-lots of power just waiting to be employed. I really don’t wanna F! something up by running with a noisy HB: could spin that first main bearing or something, like goobering the timing gears and chain,,, then we’re talking REAL WORK for repairs. No thanks! I’m lazy like that: why add to the work load?
My days with a real work truck in use are delayed just a wee bit longer,,, Is what T’is,,, My expectations got ahead of reality again.
Live
LEARN
Laugh
Love
LOAD!
Dio's Workshop 