"Keep a Journal: How else are you going to get a good look at who you were?"

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Two down, one to go.

When I got the Eagle Summit Wagon, through the auspices of Mr. Marv Walling, it arrived with three major mechanical problems.

To reiterate:

-a broken, leaking heater core.

-a warped front brake rotor.

-a CLUNK-y transmission.

The heater core was replaced with a generic unit months ago. I have been trying for the last few weeks to find replacement rotors at my local automotive parts retailers. No luck. I finally ordered the correct (I hoped) part from an outfit called autobarn.com. The parts arrived yesterday. Remember, I have to get the brakes done and the car roadworthy before the last week of this month, in order to renew my auto insurance.

The first surprise was that only *one* rotor arrived. The price from autobarn was a real bargain...for two rotors. Not such a bargain for just one. Their order page was a wee bit misleading; "qty req - 2" means you ought to buy a pair...but they don't sell them in pairs, apparently. The second surprise was that the pads I bought were so easy to install. Did a brief test drive...it was sooooo good to step on the brake pedal and not worry that the front end of the car was going to shake itself apart. I honestly can't tell if that rotor was warped or not, but I can definitely see a difference in how the brakes perform now. I swapped the new one for the driver's side rotor, and put new pads on both sides. There are no shakes, shimmy or squeaks from anywhere around the front brakes. I must have correctly guessed which rotor was warped...

There are torque measurements for the brake calipers...but I'm not terribly concerned. I used my breaker bar to remove the bolts, and used it again to replace them; turning them down until they didn't move anymore.

I've purchased a tank of premium ethanol-blended gasoline, and I'll be cleaning the plugs as well as changing the oil and filters. I'm seriously thinking of a sealing oil additive. All these preparations for "the heap" to pass its next appointment with aircare.

Monday, September 08, 2008

The thrills, the spills, the chills...

...and the agony of de feet.

Hmmm...where to begin?

Oy, with the feet again. I'm still finding the odd arachnid around the place. Nothing poisonous, I am pleased to report.

Countdown time!

L found a job with Shoppers DrugMart HomeMedics. She'll be getting her first paycheque in about two weeks.

This would be a perfect time to begin the last stage of our separation: financial.

I move mine to another bank.

We sign a separation agreement on child support payments and other issues.

I start saving up to get myself a REAL LIFE...'cause living in a basement sucks.

In due course...we file for divorce. I could be free by next Christmas. Heck, I could be free by this Christmas if I wanted to push the "infidelity" button...but I think not.

Let's take the high road here.

Speaking of roadworthy...my car isn't.

Has it been six months already? My insur is up for renewal at the end of Sept., and I also got a notice that "the heap" will need an AirCare inspection before then.

It's engine runs fine...but I don't think I'm going to pass...

What a lot of people don't realize is that when AirCare was first instituted, under the SoCred government...they had first tried to introduce mandatory vehicle inspections. Just like California had...the idea got shot down, and so an "emissions only" test was set up instead.

However...make no mistake, AirCare is not *only* about emissions...it's also a basic road-worthyness check. While they're hooking the hose up to your pipe, and rolling your ride onto the dyno; they're also making a cursory check of your undercarriage (what do you think those large mirrors on the long "s" shaped poles are for?), and checking how well your car brakes.

And speaking of brakes...mine are SHOT.

It's mostly the trouble I've had finding parts. Not a single auto-parts store in my neighborhood seems to have rotors for my vehicle. They all say the same thing;"we'd have to send out-of-province for those". Finally I found an online dealer in Washington state that not only has them in stock, he can ship them for only 125% of what the parts actually COST. I've also found a place that can sell me generic replacement suspension bushings...IF I can tell them what size they are.

sheesh.

Then there's the fact that I don't have time to be shoulder deep in my car...'cause I'm shoulder deep in Grant's car...

Grant's '96 cavalier started leaking coolant underneath the head.

Gee, where have we heard this story before?

We got the head pulled on Saturday...only to find that the machine shop was closed...and again on Monday. I finally had to take the head to WHALLEY...to get it machined. Will have the engine re-assembled and out of here by Friday...I hope. Needs some other parts too, as all GM's of that age seem to...Grant might just be best off to sell the car...once it's running ok again.

What else? I bought a laptop with the money I *was* going to spend on a bike-motor. Then I got another laptop and a P2 desktop for free from Craigslist. I still have the other P2 I built for Colin, as well.

Time to build me another Linux box.

I gave Colin my old desktop, as this new laptop (upon which I am currently writing this entry) has about the same capabilities...but is conveniently travel sized. It even has wireless! Good thing we upgraded the router so the Wii could connect via its wi-fi.

Anyways...the upshot of all this is:

Grant's car is sitting in pieces in my driveway.

I have a laptop and two desktop PC's sitting in pieces in my kitchen.

I myself...am just going to pieces.