What a week. We made it past the wedding and everything else. Wasn't sure if we would survive that.
Last episode left us driving VGer and the Gladiator in the shop. Drove Vger to Bemidji on Wednesday. Got a call from Steve on Thursday, the Gladiator is ready. Stopped by Steve's to pick it up and found it all torn apart. After Steve called me he drove it one more time and that time it died. Start from square 1. Problem is that Steve is heading out of town and can't work on it until Monday; I need it now. Decided to bring the Gladiator home, halfway there it died and won't restart. Matt towed it home with the pick-up.
Discovered that the fuel pump had finally died on the Gladiator, replaced it on Thursday. Runs great now. I've never seen a fuel pump die gradually before, at least not to notice it. Live and Learn.
Friday's BBQ was great. Kohl's Resort has a BBQ that is 2 ft by 8 ft, perfect for large groups. I don't think that anyone was left hungry. One problem: the Stroebel clan stayed to finish decorating after the rehearsal and ordered out pizza to carry them thru. They did get to eat at the BBQ, and I did have hot fresh food for them, but they weren't very hungry by then.
Next time I do this I think that the "rehearsal"dinner will actually be a "Decorating & Rehearsal" Picnic, maybe even in the Church parking lot. Setup a big tent, have cold cuts and soft drinks on ice for lunch and the BBQ about dinner time so folks don't get hungry and no-one misses out.
Now just need to figure out why Vger seems so gutless. Maybe I should check the fuel pressure?
Gas stayed at 2.85 all last week. As of this morning some stations are at 2.95 while others are still at 2.85. July 4 is coming up, we will see who wins.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Monday June 18, 2007
Not my week for cars. Or, maybe it is.
The Gladiator ran OK for a couple of days. Would blast up to 70 with AC on max no probs. Friday after work I went shopping, on the way home it started slowing down until I crawled most of the way at 35-40, if I tried to accelerate at all it would stall. Stopped at my mechanics on the way. Guess what. VGer was ready, he had replaced the timing belt and found the loose wire that wouldn't let him start it. OK, so I switch the groceries over to VGer and let Steve have the Gladiator.
Driving the last mile home I note that VGer has a bad miss. Pulled the plugs when I got home, #1 plug's electrode was grounded. I just happen to have a spare plug from the Turbo, pop it in, no miss. Run up to the parts house to get a full set of the correct Champions. VGer seems really boggy. Well, maybe the new plugs will help.
Next morning popped the new plugs in. Go shopping in Hibbing. Still boggy. Seems like there is a point about 1/2 throttle that if I push the pedal past that it starts to slow down. Everything is OK if I don't press the pedal too far. Well, OK, except that I sure don't want to pull out in front of someone or try to pass someone.
Get home, load up garbage for a dump run. Pulling out (gently) onto the pavement I hear a loud "clunk". Pull over and look under the hood, don't see anything readily visible, so I continue on my errand. When I get home and look closer I discover that the front motor mount bracket has actually broken. Not the rubber piece, the actual steel bracket! Rip the bracket out of the Turbo and install it.
Head off to town to meet the inlaws for dinner. Very sluggish with 4 adults on board and unable to press past half throttle. Well, dump in some Injector cleaner, maybe that will help.
Sunday, head to Bemidji to meet J&P and inlaws for Lunch. Because I can't go past 1/2 throttle it was an exciting trip with 4 adults on board, plus heavy rain. We got an inch at home during that 3-4 hour downpour. Made it back home, but it was like driving thru molasses.
Monday, head off to work. Since my surgery the few times I drove VGer after the clutch was replaced I have driven it very gently, because if I don't it hurts, and because I don't want to shatter another clutch, at least right away. But I'm feeling better now, so I hammered it. Can't get over 1/2 throttle. When I drive it gently by myself it mostly has enough power to keep out of trouble, but I can't push it over 1/2 throttle.
Monday afternoon (today), I pulled the cover off of the belt and checked the timing marks. Everything is correct, Steve did a good job. Distributor cap/rotor and coil like like they have been to hell and back, so swapped the parts off of the Black Voyager which look like new. Went to town. No change. Since I'm on a new tank of gas I added some more (different) injector cleaner.
Just got a call from Steve, my mechanic. He drove the Gladiator and it ran like it should, blasted right up to 75 no problems. Computer showed a "rich" code, found a vacuum leak under the TBI unit. Should have it fixed tomorrow. Cross my fingers, maybe that will fix it. Kinda doubt it, but maybe. Hope so, we have to drive to Bemidji on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and I would much rather make the trip in the Gladiator, even if gas went up today back to 2.87.
Maybe tomorrow afternoon I can check it for vacuum leaks, and I think I might have a spare TPS. If that doesn't work maybe I will have to buy a new O2 sensor, not looking forward to changing that. Needs new exhaust also, wonder what I can dig out of my parts pile?
The Gladiator ran OK for a couple of days. Would blast up to 70 with AC on max no probs. Friday after work I went shopping, on the way home it started slowing down until I crawled most of the way at 35-40, if I tried to accelerate at all it would stall. Stopped at my mechanics on the way. Guess what. VGer was ready, he had replaced the timing belt and found the loose wire that wouldn't let him start it. OK, so I switch the groceries over to VGer and let Steve have the Gladiator.
Driving the last mile home I note that VGer has a bad miss. Pulled the plugs when I got home, #1 plug's electrode was grounded. I just happen to have a spare plug from the Turbo, pop it in, no miss. Run up to the parts house to get a full set of the correct Champions. VGer seems really boggy. Well, maybe the new plugs will help.
Next morning popped the new plugs in. Go shopping in Hibbing. Still boggy. Seems like there is a point about 1/2 throttle that if I push the pedal past that it starts to slow down. Everything is OK if I don't press the pedal too far. Well, OK, except that I sure don't want to pull out in front of someone or try to pass someone.
Get home, load up garbage for a dump run. Pulling out (gently) onto the pavement I hear a loud "clunk". Pull over and look under the hood, don't see anything readily visible, so I continue on my errand. When I get home and look closer I discover that the front motor mount bracket has actually broken. Not the rubber piece, the actual steel bracket! Rip the bracket out of the Turbo and install it.
Head off to town to meet the inlaws for dinner. Very sluggish with 4 adults on board and unable to press past half throttle. Well, dump in some Injector cleaner, maybe that will help.
Sunday, head to Bemidji to meet J&P and inlaws for Lunch. Because I can't go past 1/2 throttle it was an exciting trip with 4 adults on board, plus heavy rain. We got an inch at home during that 3-4 hour downpour. Made it back home, but it was like driving thru molasses.
Monday, head off to work. Since my surgery the few times I drove VGer after the clutch was replaced I have driven it very gently, because if I don't it hurts, and because I don't want to shatter another clutch, at least right away. But I'm feeling better now, so I hammered it. Can't get over 1/2 throttle. When I drive it gently by myself it mostly has enough power to keep out of trouble, but I can't push it over 1/2 throttle.
Monday afternoon (today), I pulled the cover off of the belt and checked the timing marks. Everything is correct, Steve did a good job. Distributor cap/rotor and coil like like they have been to hell and back, so swapped the parts off of the Black Voyager which look like new. Went to town. No change. Since I'm on a new tank of gas I added some more (different) injector cleaner.
Just got a call from Steve, my mechanic. He drove the Gladiator and it ran like it should, blasted right up to 75 no problems. Computer showed a "rich" code, found a vacuum leak under the TBI unit. Should have it fixed tomorrow. Cross my fingers, maybe that will fix it. Kinda doubt it, but maybe. Hope so, we have to drive to Bemidji on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and I would much rather make the trip in the Gladiator, even if gas went up today back to 2.87.
Maybe tomorrow afternoon I can check it for vacuum leaks, and I think I might have a spare TPS. If that doesn't work maybe I will have to buy a new O2 sensor, not looking forward to changing that. Needs new exhaust also, wonder what I can dig out of my parts pile?
Friday, June 15, 2007
Friday June 15, 2007
Gas prices still falling. Can we keep it going down for a couple of more weeks?
The Gladiator was down for a few days. Rusty fuel and brake lines and a plugged fuel filter and Chevy's use of proprietary fittings combined to create a nightmare for me, but we got past it with a bit of creative financing and some creative plumbing.
Filled up the Gladiator last night on the way home, thought I got a good deal at $2.92, then this morning I see that the price is at $2.86.
Got the Pontiac Catalina running, actually drove it once around the driveway. We figure that this is the first time it has moved under it's own power in nearly 8 years, maybe more. It still has a long way to go to be truly driveable, if it ever will be again, which is still in question. But it moves. Can't stop, but it moves.
The truck is running good now also. Actually drove it to Blackberry Store to get some bread while the Gladiator was down. That was exciting. Still needs tires and suspension and brake work, still needs electrical work, but it now has brake lights and stops.
Vger is still dead. The timing belt was replaced, but now the computer is dead. Don't know yet if the computer is dead or if it is just not getting power. Maybe this weekend.
Got another red Voyager, this one is a 92. It has a dead fuel pump. I was going to put the fuel pump from the 93 Caravan in, but the 93 was a V6 MFI and the 92 is a 4-TBI. Different fuel pumps at different pressures. New fuel pump runs about $200 I think. May have to wait a month or so.
The red Horizon is still waiting for the engine to go back together. Maybe this weekend.
The wedding is a week away now.
The Gladiator was down for a few days. Rusty fuel and brake lines and a plugged fuel filter and Chevy's use of proprietary fittings combined to create a nightmare for me, but we got past it with a bit of creative financing and some creative plumbing.
Filled up the Gladiator last night on the way home, thought I got a good deal at $2.92, then this morning I see that the price is at $2.86.
Got the Pontiac Catalina running, actually drove it once around the driveway. We figure that this is the first time it has moved under it's own power in nearly 8 years, maybe more. It still has a long way to go to be truly driveable, if it ever will be again, which is still in question. But it moves. Can't stop, but it moves.
The truck is running good now also. Actually drove it to Blackberry Store to get some bread while the Gladiator was down. That was exciting. Still needs tires and suspension and brake work, still needs electrical work, but it now has brake lights and stops.
Vger is still dead. The timing belt was replaced, but now the computer is dead. Don't know yet if the computer is dead or if it is just not getting power. Maybe this weekend.
Got another red Voyager, this one is a 92. It has a dead fuel pump. I was going to put the fuel pump from the 93 Caravan in, but the 93 was a V6 MFI and the 92 is a 4-TBI. Different fuel pumps at different pressures. New fuel pump runs about $200 I think. May have to wait a month or so.
The red Horizon is still waiting for the engine to go back together. Maybe this weekend.
The wedding is a week away now.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Thursday June 7, 2007
Well, survived the colonoscopy. Got some nice photos of "'tics" (diveticuli). Diagnosis: Probably really should resection my colon, but we are electing to take a "wait and see" approach. If I can keep my diet under control and keep things from getting worse I will be better off than doing a resection. My colon is so full of diverticuli that I would actually lose most of the colon to a resection, and that would not be so good.
Hey, I get to eat again!
Gas is down to 3.14 today, but I paid 3.09 at the credit only RapidPump. I actually filled up the big van this time. I've been putting in $10 at a time, that is enough for one round trip to work and back plus a very little extra, like a grocery run on the way.
Time to go looking for food of the healthy type.
Hey, I get to eat again!
Gas is down to 3.14 today, but I paid 3.09 at the credit only RapidPump. I actually filled up the big van this time. I've been putting in $10 at a time, that is enough for one round trip to work and back plus a very little extra, like a grocery run on the way.
Time to go looking for food of the healthy type.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Wednesday June 6, 2007
Today I start getting ready for my colonoscopy tomorrow at 6.45AM. Clear liquid diet today, no milk or anything with red dyes. And it's only 8 Am and I'm hungry.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Friday June 1, 2007
Gas is at 3.19 after being at 3.39 for a couple of weeks.
Electric bill is stretched out a little longer.
The Junk Pile is long gone.
All 40+ tires are gone.
All the garbage is gone.
The yard is mowed.
The county inspector says "good job".
Vger is still dead, but should be ready this weekend.
MAY have another Caravan, AND I have almost all the parts for it.
Still need a new furnace.
The wedding is 3 weeks away.
Electric bill is stretched out a little longer.
The Junk Pile is long gone.
All 40+ tires are gone.
All the garbage is gone.
The yard is mowed.
The county inspector says "good job".
Vger is still dead, but should be ready this weekend.
MAY have another Caravan, AND I have almost all the parts for it.
Still need a new furnace.
The wedding is 3 weeks away.
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