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Wednesday, February 20, 2008 |
| The Dump Continues...Lessons Learned |
The reason for the super rush repair was to be able to take the wagon to WinterFest tomorrow. That said, we all agreed it would probably be a waste of money to do so.
Regardless, the block went to the machine shop, the crank was replaced, the broken rod was replaced (overnight from North Carolina, of course), as was the piston, the bent pushrod was replaced, all new lifters were installed, a new rocker, and the engine got a general cleaning...all for about $800.
While waiting, I cleaned up all the pulleys and brackets, and painted them. And you already read about the sandblasting.
Rather than take any chances, when I picked up the block, I also got a new starter, fuel pump, oil pump, alternator, and water pump.
And after lots of assembly time (ever sat there and watched paint dry?), the engine went back in the hole last evening.
It pretty much started right up, and there were a few fuel leaks at the carb. Several attmepts to fix them proved the dual-feed fuel line was bad.
We repaired that, only to find the water pump was leaking! Yes, it was a reman, and yes, the leak was at the where-it-usually-is weep hole. And it means the entire front end has to be removed before it can be fixed. But it was still running, although a little rough from the one-reconditioned cylinder.
So this morning, I went in search of a fuel line, and by the time I got back, the engine was nearly disassembled. I finished it up, and was preparing to install the fuel line, when we decided to see just how good it was running.
It ran much worse than last night, and after pulling the plugs, and finding half of them gasoline-soaked, we pulled the valve covers, and found that it was now a V5! Yep, the cam cracked...almost in the middle, and the back half of the engine wasn't firing at all!
So here's the Lessons Learned...you can't do ANYTHING half-assed, such as repairing just ONE cylinder, especially when that one is dependant on seven others to work properly. And replacing used with even more used is not a good idea, either!
The bottom line...five full days of work (and I'm talkin' nearly twelve-hour days), more than $1000 invested, and I've still got nothing!
Well, not exactly! I've got some usable engine parts that I can use on the new reman engine I ordered today (at about twice the cost of repairing ONE cylinder), and will be here the first of next week. And from there, it's just swap over the tin, drop it in the hole, and start it up.
Had I done this in the first place, my blood pressure would still be about normal, I wouldn't have wasted a week's worth of my (retired, but still valuable) time, and I would have more than a couple dollars in my wallet! |
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The DUMP Continues
The Wagon Takes A Dump
Catching Up
Biff Burger Toys For Tots Show
Daytona Turkey Run
Station Wagon's STILL Rule!
The Demise Of A Great Cruise In
The Old Town Weekend
Tallahassee, Florida
Tupelo, Mississippi
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