Nissan weekend #3

On top of being just a little bit "spur of the moment," the third "Nissan weekend" will likely go down as the least eventful of all of them (*knock on wood*).

I'm not really sure WHAT was going on in my head (outside of a lot of echoing), but I had my weekends really screwed up in my mind. The plans that I thought were for this particular weekend were actually the next weekend, but then even THOSE plans got fucked up. I was left with a completely free weekend.

...so, although I had been feeling extremely crappy ALL week long, I decided at absolutely the last minute that despite having no parts to work with, I would go ahead and drive up with the Sis and BIL and do some work on the car anyway. The honest truth is that there is SO much to do on the stupid thing, having no parts meant very little ...merely cleaning the stuff I had already taken out would be a full days work (and I was quite correct). I had honestly been trying to talk myself OUT of going for two days (when Sis first asked if I wanted to go), but in the end it all came down to the fact that anything I did THAT weekend was stuff that I wouldn't have to do the NEXT weekend. I just couldn't justify NOT going. It doesn't hurt that I just want this to be OVER WITH so badly it hurts!

I didn't exactly have a clear vision of what I wanted to accomplish from the get-go. I had the new rack & pinion for the steering sitting right there, but it seemed a bit silly to even attempt to replace that while I'm waiting on all the OTHER suspension parts to arrive. I also have the fuel tank out (with the new pump already installed in it), but I'm strongly considering waiting on that part. It won't take long to put back in, but I'm thinking I'd like to do some painting on the straps, and maybe even on the tank itself. Since I had been unable to take off the injector plenum, and was careful to bring along the impact driver this time; I figured that would be as good of a place to start as any. I had been entertaining the notion of bringing home the plenum and valve covers to clean and paint anyway, so why not?!

As it turned out, I ended up stripping down the entire engine of the exterior "stuff" during the morning. BIL broke out his pressure washer, and the greater part of the afternoon was spent simply blowing grime off the engine, brackets, housings, etc with a concentrated jet of water. We spent probably all of four hours doing what could have been done in less than one hour with a professional parts washer using solvents, but oh well; it was still time well spent in my opinion. I also went to town with the engine compartment of the car ...it looks SO much better now; I'm just worried now that the water has rearranged everything I was so careful with getting "just right." It will make my life a lot easier (and less grimey) when I do the suspension work for sure though! I'm a bit aggravated that I didn't take time to paint the rusty spots, but that can wait till next time. The rust was VERY minor (more that the paint had peeled off over an actual rust "problem"), so there certainly is no rush.

There was at least a lot of side entertainment going on; my uber right-wing religious conservative BIL going back and forth with his strongly democrat retired military officer (the ONLY thing saving him from being labeled as a liberal lefty pinko commie bastard) 89 year-old father. I always focus on the stuff we have in common, which can often be a challenge since I'm an extremely agnostic NON-republican who is VERY vocal about church/state issues; he even gets on MY nerves with his constant Rush-isms, but I stay silent most of the time. It's almost poetic to watch he and his father going after it; I am SO glad I have an awesome poker face in such instances.

So anyway ...the engine is at least ready for disassembly when the rebuild kit comes in, but I'll more likely try to get all of the work done on the suspension first as long as all the parts make it in by the time I make my next trip. I did indeed bring home the valve covers and intake plenum and cover, so I figure I will see about polishing those, and getting some high temp paint for them ...perhaps even see about getting a cheapie airbrush. I'm still vacillating a lot on whether to simply bite the bullet and order all the paint & body supplies now rather than later. I don't figure it will hurt to just get it all out of the way now, but I'd like to talk to some of my old contacts in the body biz first.

Once again, it wasn't as "major" as pulling out an engine, but then I don't have much to complain about either. Anything now that saves time spent later can hardly be considered bad.

Nissan weekend #2

The second Nissan weekend is at last out of the way. I guess I could say that a lot of things were mixed about the whole thing. The first major SNAFU was that I forgot MY toolbox (with MY tools) *wracking sob* in the trunk of my car back at Mom's house. Granted, the toolbox I carry around in my Daewoo is only about 1/20th (if that) of my actual work toolbox which is in my other brothers garage (the only family member who had a garage large enough with a floor strong enough to accommodate the weight of that beast after I was no longer able to work). Using somebody else's tools when you are a professional is like a guy wearing another guys clothes ...you CAN do it, but it just feels soooooo weird/wrong/unfamiliar!!!! The upside is that all I really carry around is the very basic stuff ...although I ended up wishing I had a bunch of my specialty stuff; having my own box (from the car) along wouldn't have changed any of that ...all my specialty stuff was in the big toolbox anyway. Mostly I was just stuck with using unfamiliar tools belonging to somebody who doesn't really understand how to organize them for maximum efficiency.

I started out with an awful lot of piddling around and simply staring at it. I mentioned to BIL once that just figuring out what order to go in could be as bad as anything else, and I think my slow start was mostly due to that.
It was also confounded by the fact that we discovered why my fuel pump had gone bad ...somebody had vandalized the car while I was in Waco and dumped hydraulic fluid in my fuel tank. It was fortunate that I had very little fuel in my tank when it was parked because the fluid trashed the pump. Had there been more fuel in the tank (enough that the oil wouldn't have been concentrated enough to have swollen the pump seals to the point of making it inoperative), it probably would have destroyed the entire engine when it fired (at bare minimum, it would have messed up the injectors ...which would have been an easy $600 to replace). I had wanted to thoroughly clean the fuel tank before installing the new pump anyway ...discovering the oil made that part more critical (as well as more time consuming, since I had to neutralize as well as clean).

Living with my openly gay brother made me a frequent target for vandalism when I lived in Waco. It happened to both of us more often than I want to admit, but most of the other stuff was minor (smashing out car windows and such); the hydraulic oil is pretty bad even for there, and I'm fairly sure gay-bashing is considered a legitimate sporting event in Waco (grrr).

It was quite the workday ...it rained cats & dogs most of the day, which was good in its way since it would have been hotter than hell otherwise. I started inside the car by pulling out the center console (and throwing away a lot of trash that had accumulated in the console & glovebox); remembering where that ONE hidden screw was at took more time than anything else I think, but all of this is necessary for getting the transmission out. For the hell of it, I decided to just go ahead and pull out the passenger seat and vacuum it all out (kinda silly since I plan to replace all the carpeting anyway). Scary that the REAL "cleaning up" part hasn't even started yet though. I took quite a few pictures under the dash of the A/C switching assembly ...it was having a few problems on the mechanical end of things around the time I parked it even; with pictures, I can peruse the problem later in the comfort of home.

Vehicles in the 80's tended to have one major problem ...it seems as though every car manufacturer back then decided that controlling everything by vacuum was the way to go; even back in the 80's, I could never quite figure out the logic of that (most cars since the earlier to mid-90's have about 3 vacuum lines TOTAL, and even pre-80's had them only where absolutely needed). When I finally made it under the hood after the interior work, untangling and organizing the vacuum system took quite a while. The electrical system was/is even worse though. I lost almost two hours simply in trying to reach some electrical plugs that weren't designed to be reached without pulling off the injector plenum which I had not thought to bring the tool that would have removed the screws (not bolts) that were in too tight to be removed without causing more damage than I was willing to deal with. Spilled milk and crying (and all that); it's a tool that seldom ever gets used, but is worth it's weight in gold when you DO need it (it isn't something I ever woud have thought to have brought even in the best of circumstances).

I was slow and methodical. Every part I take off, I try to arrange in such a way that I won't forget how it went in (especially given that it will be well over a month before I get around to putting it back in). This is also a remarkably futile exercise seeing as how it'll also lose the configuration I put it in when I get around to doing the major cleaning, not to mention that my disability tends to "fog over" most of that sort of thing in my memory anyway (I guess it's notable to mention that I don't take the medication that helps make my dizziness somewhat more tolerable simply because it effects my ability to retain memory of such things). While Sis was on the phone to somebody talking about my working on it, I found her phrasing to be a little bit odd (in my family, what we DON'T say is most often way more important than what we DO say); I don't recall her exact words, but it was just to the effect that it went about as quickly as I had *said* that it would. The unspoken part was that she thought it should have been faster. Who knows ...maybe the only reason it stuck in her head that way was because I had two significant problems (the fuel tank, and the inability to remove a part that would have saved a couple hours of labor), yet I spent almost exactly the amount of time I said it would take before I even started. Sometimes I scare people with how accurate my guesses on time end up being.

Kinda funny with this kind of thing ...you spend all this time, and to an observer who doesn't know much about cars ...they see a big mess, but don't understand what they are actually looking at (shock shock).
Sis started quizzing me about when I thought I would be ready to call it a day about the time I started on the underside of the car. It was at this time I also learned my second bit of nasty shit about having it parked in Waco!

Somebody fucking stole the catalytic converter!

Not only did they go to the trouble of jacking my car up (an extremely low to the ground sports car on a dirt driveway with all four tires flat to boot) to steal it, they actually had the balls to use an (extremely loud) electric "saw's all" to do it rather than simply unbolting the two bolts at either end (which meant I'd simply have to get a new converter); they CUT it ...so now I'll most likely have to replace the entire exhaust system from the engine back (I could possibly have a universal cat welded in, but I'm not sure about how well that will work on a sports car that's going to have to pass a strict emissions test). Given that my brother has been telling me that people had been coming by on numerous occasions wanting to buy the car, I'm reasonably certain that they probably met the thief at some point. The cuts were older than a month, but considerably less than three months old (going by the amount of rust). aggravating. That's a downside of his not being at home very often ...it wouldn't take a thief very long to figure out the "routine" there.

That Sis picked this time to ask about wrapping up was a bit amusing, because generally speaking ...once you make it to the underside of the car, you are almost ready to pull the sucker. I simply told her I wasn't too far off, and it took about an hour after that (even with me removing the entire exhaust system rather than only the part blocking the transmission). I had BIL hook the hoist to the engine while I pulled out the transmission, then we both pulled the engine which came out with absolutely no protest (this is one of the good points about my being so OCD about having everything "just right" before I even try).

I dunno; everyone thought it was SUCH a big deal. Back in my "work" days, it would likely have been closer to a "what took you so long?" reception, but this time it felt almost like winning a Nobel given the amount of fanfare once that sucker was out. I have two minds of course ...I haven't worked in a lot of years, and I was having a hard time even standing up at that point; it's also largely a granted that I'm going to be sick for the next week or so after doing all of this, so MY completing it is a pretty big deal when you look at it in that light. On the other hand ...I consider this sort of job to be mostly "grunt work" since there isn't exactly a lot of "thought process" involved; putting it back in is where one has to do a bit of thinking, and then actually getting it running is where one has to do a LOT of thinking! This car may turn out to be a real bitch since 1986 was the "infancy" of computer control for a car ...it won't be as though I can just plug in a scanner and see where the (component) problems are if troubles arise. Think along the lines of being asked to install an anti-virus program on a computer ...it sounds like no big deal until you find out that the computer is over 20 years old with only a 5 1/4 floppy, and running Linux instead of Windows or Macintosh (you have to be a computer geek from way back to understand the significance of that analogy).

There is a VERY good reason most retail auto shops won't work on computer systems on anything older than a 1996 year model (send straight to dealer, do not pass go, do not collect $200); what passed for a "computer" back then is just a BIT different than what we have these days.

When BIL took this picture, we were both laughing our heads off because I said that I really wished that I had a pair of waders to put on, and a fishing pole to throw over my shoulder.

We went ahead and put the engine on my (brand spankin' new) engine stand, and then Sis and BIL shut me down for the evening. Since it had rained all day, they decided to stay over a bit longer so they could mow the lawn before they left the next morning, and I could do all my cleaning up then. People tell me I get really "hollow-eyed" and have difficulty moving around and speaking smoothly (I tend to be acutely aware of my speech though). I tend to either not notice or just not care about how I look, but most people tell me I look like death warmed over when I'm "having a spell;" I find it both flattering and annoying that they're always trying to grab me when I start to tip. I want to say that I don't really fall all that often, but when I moved from Waco back to Dallas, I fell numerous times when I "overdid" things.

I pass for "normal" quite easily simply because I have become so talented at avoiding stuff that aggravates my dizziness in everyday life. I also tend to strategically place myself in areas that if I lose myself, there's something nearby to grab onto. When I purposely overdo myself, I suspect that the danger of my hurting myself is likely a bit greater than I really want to admit to. I'm pretty unapologetic; it isn't as though I could remotely afford to let anyone else do it ...besides the fact that I really MISS working on cars!

I spent perhaps 8 hours total on Saturday, but Sunday morning was strictly for cleaning up; I put up tools, cleaned and swept floors and arranged parts while Sis and BIL did the mowing. All in all, I won't complain too much; I didn't get MORE done than I had hoped for, but certainly no less either. I suppose what all gets done the next time will mostly depend on what parts may happen to come in the meantime coupled with how long it takes me to recover.
It wasn't too bad, all things considered though! The adventure shall continue!

And people wonder how I got the way I am.

Well, last night was my "movie night" with Mom, and of course there were a few things around the house to be done. She had a bit of a scare last week when a guy came around at around 9pm apparently trying to sell an alarm service. She was actually WAITING for my brother to get there, so she just swung the door right open. The guy asked to come in the house, and she told him no, she was waiting for her son (she thought he was him when he knocked), and the guy left. My brother & I both freaked a little bit when she told us; I decided that I needed to do a bit more about her (mostly non-existent) home security. I fixed the two gates in the backyard so they could be locked (one was difficult to close all the way, and the other was sagging so badly the lock wouldn't fit into the space for it). The (surprisingly sturdy mini deadbolt-style) lock on her glass storm door had NEVER worked to any of our knowledge, so I took it apart and oiled it. presto fixo as well.

As it turns out, it really WAS a man from a security company ...kinda late to be coming by and a shitty tactic, but some other people in the area said they had been coming around, and that the outfit was indeed legitimate.

So after doing all of this I was standing in the kitchen talking to Mom as she was just finishing up on dinner; as we got our plates ready and headed into the living room, I started to go back and said "oops, I forgot to get something to drink".

She said "...ummm, you JUST got a glass of ice water; ...it's right next to your chair!"

I walked around the corner and looked ...and there it was. Mom looked at me with this expressionless "huh?" look, and we sat down. I just kept going over and over in my head about that damned glass of water though ...try as I might, I just did NOT remember getting it!!! (ummm ...and with Dad's Alzheimers, all three of my sibs and I are acutely petrified/aware of when we forget stupid shit).

I finally exclaimed "Dammit ..this is just bugging me to death; I have absolutely NO recollection of getting that water!"

"Oh, I was just pulling your leg ...I got it for you when you were still outside."

...aggravated, amused, and oh so sure that YUP, that's my Mom all right!

Nissan weekend #1

So the first weekend is over and done.

The sister & BIL and I picked up the Nissan in Waco the Saturday before last; it had been sitting without so much as having been started for at least three years. We arrived in Waco to find that all 4 tires were (of course) flat, but all aired up nicely despite the appalling amount of weather cracking. I went ahead and bought the new battery sooner rather than later, but we were unable to get the car started despite quite a bit of time being spent trying. BIL was quite wise in suggesting that we just not worry about that until we got the car up to the ranch. *I* actually thought the car was in much better shape than I had remembered, but sort of got the impression that BIL thought it was in considerably worse shape than he imagined.



Loading the Z onto the trailer turned out to be a bit more difficult than we had wished, although considerably easier than it COULD have been. The electric winch bound up with the car about halfway onto the trailer, and we (royal we ...BIL did all the work it seemed) ended up using a manual comealong to pull it up the rest of the way. All things considered, it went rather well ...it would have been much nicer to have just driven it up, but one can't have it all I suppose.


I don't think all the time in the truck was exceptionally kind to me ...I think there was between 6-7 hours of "drive time" when all was said & done. I had a few times that a bit of nausea crept up, and that ever-present worn-out feeling was completely without surprise.

Getting it off the trailer was a great deal easier than getting it on at least (if you can imagine). Once we had it nestled into the shop, I did a fair bit more "checking" on the car ...I had already been able to determine that it wasn't getting any fuel, but my ability to hold a coherent line of thought simply wasn't possible for me at the time. To be honest; I really can't recall exactly what I did and what I checked that evening. I had pulled up the rear carpeting to try to reach the fuel pump; there was a massive amount of rust in the rear from what I can only guess had to do with a leak of some sort in the rear hatch area. I checked voltage at the plug for the fuel pump, and it only had 4.5 volts; a sign that there was likely a problem in either the wiring or a relay. I tried to take off a rusted out plate that I thought led to the fuel pump; it turned out to be some sort of noise insulator.

I found it a bit ironic that although I (finally) realized that maintaining a line of thought for diagnosis of a problem wasn't going to happen, I felt more than capable of taking Ricks electric winch apart and fixing it to the point that it was able to be used again at least. It got messed up by my car, I figured the least I could do was fix it. It's pretty weird ...there's no real "thought process" involved in that sort of thing for me. A great deal of the work on my car will be that way as well; it's going to be when I can't find that one bolt holding something in, or when I'm trying to diagnose "what's wrong" when the problems will start.

Poor BIL was so exhausted after all the days activities that he decided that an early start to get back to DFW in time for church the next morning simply wasn't in the cards, so I actually got to do a bit of work on Sunday. I pulled out the rear carpeting and all of the right rear trim paneling, vacuumed out a bunch of left over broken glass, sanded and painted all of the rusted out sections. I found the fuel pump relay, determined it was good, and then went ahead and ripped out the fuel tank to be ready for the next trip. There wasn't much fuel in the tank, and it was in remarkably good shape for not having had any fuel put in it for over 4 years. I'm guessing that my first order of business on the next trip will entail putting that part back together, but I guess we'll see. One thing I need to be thinking about is making sure that when I put stuff BACK, that it will all be nice and clean.

All in all, I did quite a bit more in the first trip than I had really expected (or even planned) to do; I can only hope that next time goes as well. My only real "goal" for trip number two will be removing the engine and transmission; anything else that happens to get done along the way will be a nice bonus though.