July 17, 2007
Things you learn while working on cars.
1. If you're crawling underneath a car, be aware that there are all sorts of little flying bugs that don't get high up off the ground. If one of them flies into your ear, it's best not to try to poke it with your finger if that finger is covered up with dirty black grease.
2. If you crawl out from under a car all sweaty and grease-eared with your mop of hair hanging down and plastered to your forehead, and your son comes up to you and says, "Hey, Dad! Your hair looks cool combed down like that!" don't believe him.
3. If after your labors and travails are completed and you walk into the kitchen looking like this:
...and your daughter comes running up with a big grin on her face and lets you in on the secret that Mommy thinks you look sexy when you've been doing manly mechanicking work and are all hot and sweaty and greasy-eared, don't put much stock in it. Yes, she probably does get a little flutter when in the presence of a goaty-smelling he-man, but this is only in the abstract. Were you to attempt to clutch Mommy's bits and pieces with your besmutted meathooks, she will slap at you and tell you that you're dirty and stinky.
BUT, at least the car is now operational again, with a new center bearing and center bearing bushing, and center bearing support spring, and center bearing support spring cup washer. Downside? Well, there's still a lot of growling noise, which is probably the result of a bad bearing in the end of the transmission.
But that's a task for another day.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 07:48 AMSo where'd you get that picture of me?
Posted by: steevil (Dr Weevil's bro Steve) at July 17, 2007 09:53 AMThank goodness I don't do cars and I don't do fish.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 10:12 AMThat's actually Luther G. Cloode, famed proprietor of Luther's Foreign Car Garage, Godly Hollow, AL, namesake of the Luther's Garage Collection of Revolvoblog Merchandise, and contributing editor of Cletus' Car Corner.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 10:13 AMCongrats on the car thing. Were you tempted to replace the bearing at the end of the transmission as well, or is that a job for Transmission Repairman in a real shop with a lift?
While the sight of her he-man all greasy-funky could be a turn-on for her, I have a hunch you may get better results by giving Miss Reba the money you saved by your DIY repair for a shopping spree. Wives love to go out shopping with "extra" money.
Posted by: Marc V at July 17, 2007 10:19 AMNo, I could do the tailshaft bearing, too, if I was energetic enough and had the parts with me. Having neither, I will allow it to fester some more before tearing into it.
And there is no extra money. Period. Forget you even wrote that.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 10:42 AMOn the other hand, I do ceilings.
Lyman is pressing me to go forward with painting the ceiling. I didn't tell you about the drip before replacing the evaporator coil?
And to comply with HERO, we need to pull down all the supply boots and seal them to the drywall. I plan to use DAP foam. What a mess.
And the Air-Tite Halo recessed light trims are 3/4 inch smaller than the previous ones. The ceiling was last painted five or six years ago.
And, being the half-fast painter I am, I'll have to tape around the trim and cut-in on a 1000 sq. ft. space that is no where near square.
At least I have some practice reaching upward.
He will roll. He's a good roller.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 01:39 PMYep, it's great to chide when you're on the ground.
We have a scaffold around here somewhere. And a proper step ladder.
At least I won't have to stand on a turkey pot.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 02:32 PMThis is before or after the U-Coat-It project.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 02:36 PMBefore or after, eh? Well, that pretty well covers all your options right there!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 02:40 PMThe summer of "projects."
I was 43 the last time I had one of those. I don't age well.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 02:42 PMJust got a reunion notice from class of '87, SMU.
Where is my d**m BMW?
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 02:51 PMI have a Volvo I'll let you borrow...
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 03:03 PMThe silly thing is, none of this is really necessary. We own "offsets."
almost none
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 03:29 PMI'll gladly sell you more!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 03:36 PMWe supported cousin Al fine until he started jetting somewhere everyday.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 03:51 PMI promise you I'll never ride an airplane ever again!
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 17, 2007 03:57 PMHoly-molly Miss Janis. Sounds like your going to have real (not synthetic) fun!
Posted by: Chef Tony at July 17, 2007 04:05 PMOh, Tony, once I get going it's not so bad.
I actually like snotty little work. Charlie has a funny whistle coming out of his nasal passages that I want seen to before I subject them to any amount of paint. I upset 45 years of dust accumulations when I did the return chase.
Posted by: Janis Gore at July 17, 2007 04:24 PM