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.
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