car talk

First of all, my experience at the salvage yard yesterday deserves a poem, and definitely should be mentioned up front so you see that it really made an impression. What a marvelous experience, which I'll narrate another time. The end result is that I found some mechanisms which I needed to replace in our van in order to pass an emissions inspection. The mechanisms new cost about $400 and I need to replace two, so I was happy to find some for practically free.

My morning this morning consisted of replacing these two mechanisms. It took three hours, but let me put it into perspective. Four bolts. Unfastening four bolts, then refastening them. In order to making the replacing easier, we dismantled the alternator, which gave us some more room, but it was still a tight space that was barely manageable. The alternator didn't take much time at all. If you do the math, that's a lot of time, for unfastening and refastening four small bolts.

I like Autozone, which helped with some tools, although I had to buy a flexible extension. I also am grateful of Eddie who helped over the phone. And I am even thankful for the mechanic whose shop got $200+ from me for him doing some diagnostic work, changing out a solenoid (which itself cost $65 of the sum) behind everything which he had to do with his fingers and not his eyes, and also for checking out the replacements, and doing some coach work. I learned quite a bit tackling this problem myself. I now know quite a bit about intake manifold runner controls.

Ah, the joys of bedtime! I just put the boys to bed, and they are squalling their heads off. Now they have quieted down some. Hmmm. Yep, they were getting out of bed and out the door, down the hall, to start to beseech us to read them a story. Now they are squalling their heads off in bed again. But you know me, I will go read them a story soon. Probably a Curious George story.

Well, there was more to blog about, but this will have to do for now.

Except, let me say, the fall weather is beautiful!!!!!!!!