Did some negotiatin’ today, and Will Be using Da’s basement garage to do the work on BlooTwuck,,, THATS one good point.

Second good point, parts are flowing in quick,,, Still waiting an a few critical items, but for the most part, what I need is here already. The set of main bearings is the only critical piece not arrived yet. and they show they are in the northern part of KY headed this way over-night.

Dipstick, manifold, those can wait if need be: I will have two full days, not obliged to the J.O.B. to get things done, and I know that given proper flooring, a warm ‘shop’, I can get a boatload of stuff done.

What sucks???

Went to put BLoo back together enough to make the short trip to Da’s (without needing towed down a hill,,, scary shit that.). Had everything back in place, closed up enough though I know shits gonna leak some (Jerry rigged gasket on water pump, just stuff the old timing cover gasket back in the hole for now,,,,)

And she is now a Crank/No start,,,, I pulled it all back apart to make sure I hadn’t put the Crank reluctor ring on backwards (not possible without binding shit up, I found.). Make sure the sensors are all plugged back in,,, put it all back together AGAIN,,,,(yup, I pretty much have it down to a science now,,,except,,,,)

CRANK/NO START,,,,

FUCK.

I did this over a two hour period before the sun starting easing around the ridge and darkness fell. Finally threw the rag at it, cleaned up the tools and put back in their places. Locked the boxes up TIGHT (Long conversation in email with Prak about that subject matter last night. Thanks Prak for the suggestions and concern.) came into the house and made me a steak dinner,,,

There are times where an assistant would be EXTREMELY helpful, and CNS’s are one of those times. Just someone to crank the motor over while I eyeball things under the hood. That whole “the KING is a FINK”* thing does work, but on cars/trucks, checking those things is a matter of being an electron or a god: Being able to be in two places at the same time. {*F=fuel I= ignition, N= neutral safety (in Bloo’s case, the clutch pedal), K= Kill switch. Works great for diag in motorcycles.}

At this point, it could be anything: bad crank sensor (I did have a code for that sensor before the Knock issue reared its head). Fuel pump shit out (easy check, but it’s dark now.) something I unplugged and didn’t realize, a blown fuse,,, you name it. BUT, Bloo isn’t running at this point,,, I can say, I believe it to be totally in the ignition. I did spray starting fluid down her throat, and could smell it coming out the exhaust, and she never coughed or chugged. No spark would do that particular symptom. But, why the sudden ‘No sparky-sparky’?

It’s only Wednesday, I can check that stuff out after the J.O.B. tomorrow. And who knows: Maybe she just needs a moment to think about it,,, LOL.

More thanks to be given for effort: Thanks Spud for doing some research for me, but the points you mentioned are not the points in question. I know the switch, fuse and relay are all good. The actual problem is the HONKERS themselves. The High side sounds like a goose with laryngitis, and the low side does nothing. FINDING THEM,,,, I have looked in most of the usual spots GM hides these, and my guess is behind the grill somewhere, out of sight and mind. Looking as best I can, I see nothing back there, but it’s not exactly an easy place to see anything. I have the replacements in hand,,, again, finding the OE parts location.

Time to chill out, think about the things I have done and seen under her hood, replay all the things I have done so far and see if maybe, just maybe, I can find where I screwed up. (note, I never took the timing gears off the truck,,, the most I did was make sure the timing marks on them lined up by turning the engine over by hand.)

MOre laters,,, tired, feeling warm and relaxed for the first time today, and I need to let my brain do its things behind the scenes.

Live

Love

Laugh

LEARN

LOAD

PS: Went to check local for a new CrankSensor,,, CHOKE!!!! new, overnighted to local store (they don’t hold in stock) was $89,,,, I checked RockAuto and found same for $12, with FedEx express added in, I still was $30 cheaper than local,,,

FURTHER UPDATE: Me, being me, and can’t let a problem just lay,,, I went back out under headlamp, pulled the Cranksensor from Donor truck (remember her?) and went to swap out to Bloo. And Bloo’s sensor fell off in my hands without needing to pull the retaining bolt,,, Apparently, this Harmonic balancer is incorrect, and during install, had ‘impacted’ the sensor and broke it in half. Yeah, that means no sparky-sparky,,, I can’t return it though. The box it came in has been destroyed,,, One part to eat, I can live with. I’ll deal with pulling it all BACK APART tomorrow, pulling the remainder of the Sensor out of the timing cover, and swapping old balancer back in. Should be ok again, well, other than the fact that she is slapping things around inside, but thats the reason I am jumping right now.

When we prep, we are attempting to alleviate future issues given unforeseeable calamities. Purt much sums up what prepping is, right?

Well, I knew that I would need a shop, problem being, I was also highly in need of living arrangements: I was not going to spend another winter in an RV that was, quite literally, falling apart at the seams. (when I pulled the mattress out, there was a 4″ gap between the corners of that wall, wasn’t able to be seen from the outside, because the original owner had mounted a section of aluminum diamond plate back there to hide the damage. And I wondered why I always had cold feet, no matter how warm I kept that place.). When construction began, it was “HOUSE! NOW! shop later”.

Only later has never came,,, And no small part of that is INCOME/INFLATION: one is stagnated, the other continually rising. When I built this house, I bought 2×10’s cheaper; like 1/4 the price of current. TREATED 2X10s for what I would buy a standard construction grade for today. Good that my house has appreciated, bad that I now couldn’t afford to do what I did 10 years back. And it’s a little late to be ruminating on building a shop: like closing the barn doors after the horses have set fire to the place.

Well, that is biting me in the ass now. And I look back on it and don my hair shirt for negligence. I should have found a way, same way I found to build a house on a shoestring budget.

I’m thinking, I could put Bloo back together enough (timing cover and gears back in place, they are there, just not secured currently) to move her under the carport so I can get really busy on her. The place that I mentioned in my earlier posts, where she is currently sitting,,, A flippin’ quagmire from my shuffling around. My pathways are quite soupy,,,, and getting worse. That will only continue to under the truck as I start taking things apart.

Current sit-rep is “Not Good”,,,, Parts started arriving today, and she is still sitting in the open, And I am sort of torqued at myself, though I had good reason to not get under her: Cold damp, in COLD air with a 10mph breeze,,, I’d have made myself sick as a dawg, or worse, hypothermic and solo: a slow death sentence just waiting to happen. I may have been 100′ from the house, but when I get-a-goin’, I ignore ‘silly body warnings’, like hunger, cold, pained fingertips from frostbite,,, Yes, I can get that autistic about “Git-r-dun”. I swear that Marine Corps training has a lot to do with my ignoring basic survival signals. ( Much like yesterday, doing the headlights: I kept going long past losing feeling. Couldn’t feel a screw between fingertips and kept going. By the time I finished and made it to the house, cool water over my fingers HURT!!!! Kept it up and the pain finally receded after 30 minutes or so. )

I am not suicidal though.

Just thinkin’ out loud here,,, I gotta get this done, this time of year/weather SUCKS, and income is down already with the seasonal slow-down (which actually is a benefit as I will have more days where I can get things done, without needing to request time off,,, just sucks that either way, no money made, just time spent). And there ain’t nothing to be done about it but DO IT!!! I just want to make sure that I am working in a way that doesn’t exacerbate the issues already on hand (like dirt getting in the bearing races during re-assembly, a high probibility with the conditions.)

It’ll get done, it will get done RIGHT, and I will be much happier about it after the fact. Right now though, intimidated by weather, the sheer amount of what needs done in primitive conditions, and the technical aspects, attention to detail that needs handled. and that means I vent here,,,, LOL

Not bitchin’,,, really.

Bite the bullet Dio: ask for the PTO and DO IT,,,, That what y’all are saying? Move Twuck to the Carport, kick Buffalo out of her stall for a week, take the time off (and hope the PTO thing is a reality) and GET IT DONE.

Only one way to go then, eh?

Live

Learn

Laugh

Love

LOAD!!! (and build that shop you think you’ll need!)

PS: quick question to the Chevy OBS owners out there: Where the hell are the horn modules located on this thing? I need to replace both and can not find them. Its not a diag issue, they do work, sorta,,,, The one ‘squawnks’, the low tone does nothing.

“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!

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!!!

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

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.

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