Mr Murphy and me,rambling, delete if you like

[ralexander03@snet.net (Rick Alexander)]

Learning is fun isn't it? Remember you can't learn how to skate without
falling down, drive a nail without hitting your thumb, cook without burning
a pot, etc. And let's not forget auto mechanics without creasing your
forehead.

Now sounds like you need another test drive.

Rick Alexander

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cathy Boyko" <losinit@usa.net>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 11:04 PM
Subject: Mr Murphy and me,rambling, delete if you like


Well, just an update on my adventures with the headache.

First, let me say that I need to get better tools, so I can injure myself
properly like Mr Cheapassedness. I only managed to discover that both of my
little fingers are about 1/2" too long (I'm sure I'll eventually amputate
them), that your hand should not be inserted in that little gap between the
jack handle and the jack when you are lifting the car (big pinch, some cuss
words, ouch) and that you should not free a nut from the socket by tapping
it
on the ground with your thumb in the way. Also, soldering irons get really
hot.

So, first on how not to do brake calipers, I'd never done one before, and it
went really well, except half of the caliper paint ended up coming off since
it wasn't dry, and it was a used caliper, so there was some brake fliud
leaking out, which also removes paint pretty effectively. So as I said,
never
done this before, and the caliper needs Mr Rubber mallet to get back on, and
lo and behold, it doesn't open, and the wheel won't turn (a minor problem).
Phone tech support, (also reread the Bentley, doh) back the piston off a
bit,
and it's cake. Slid on, bolted up, bled it all, and go for a test drive (I
hate that part) Since I did the proportioning valve too (pressure regulator,
whatever, you know the thing that screws into the MC and costs more than
your
firstborn is worth, that thing), I had to do the four wheel bleed. Get back,
check for leaks, find none!!!!! but the 7 mm box wrench had ridden along
nicely on the last bleeder screw (doh!!)
So it was a sucessful effort, well worth it, the car actually stops half
ways
as well as it goes forward now, and lately, it's going forward pretty damn
well, thank you very much. You can tell I hate this car eh? hehehe.

So today, it was simple wiring job, the city lights (on the clear corners),
how hard can that be? Well, I'd decided on blue, and spliced into the
parking
lights, but it wasn't really what I wanted. That part went well, except for
the hour long search for anything resembling a working soldering iron, I
ended
up using my stained glass one which is never supposed to see the garage. We
see how that worked out eh? Priorities.
SO on to the more intense "wire hiding" job, I find I spend about two
minutes
on the actual wiring and about three days figuring out how to make it look
invisible, or as close as I can get.

So it's all tucked in, headlights back, grille spoiler back on, and flick
the
newly installed switch....TADA! Nothing. Not a darn photon. grrr. So the kid
steps in to help, tells me it's wired all backwards, and we rip into it,
bypass this and that, still no fire. The fuse was in fact dead, but I'm too
blind to see the tiny crack (old age eh?). Fix it up, redo to MY wiring
plan,
back to flick the switch on what will now be called the "rice panel" (the
shift light is there too) and we have bigtime blue stuff goin' on. I'm glad
I
can turn it off, but it's kinda cool. Then double check the rest of the
lights, blinkers work, but a dead headlamp. Off comes the grille spoiler,
the
headlight assembly, install is reverse of removal...


So, needless to say, off on another test drive <grin>. Still hating this car
more and more (hehehe), but I press on regardless. Seriously, it was great
to
get her back on the road, the weather is finally springlike, and the
lakeshore
road beckons.

Now, on another topic, there seems to be an increase in the noise level
which
I think is in direct proportion to the ever growing cracks in the exhaust
manifold. Is there a temporary fix for this? I can't imagine you could use
that header wrap, could you? When the car turns 20, it'll get headers, so
I'd
want four years out of it, but it's getting LOUD! Any suggestions are
welcome.

If you ever want to know how NOT to do stuff, just ask. I'll have done it
that
way.
Cathy, resident moron





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