12/1/06

I have nothing. I've been shopping e-Bay again for more small-block Chevy parts. I haven’t bought anything, but I'm still looking. I'm debating the merit of chrome or aluminum valve covers. I'll probably run the stamped steel guys that are on the engine now. My biggest concern right now is the oil pan. The way the small-block pan is made there is a slope from the front of the pan to the main sump where it suddenly drops down. I'm afeared the slope will hit the cross member. I'd like to find a flat-bottomed pan that has a relatively narrow sump that will fit between the cross member and the steering link. I did find what appears to be a front sump pan that I might buy to try out. In fact, I'm thinking that is a pretty good idea now. Perhaps I'll do that when I get back from lunch. I was thinking that I could flip the cross member or section it somehow to make a pan fit. What I'll probably wind up doing is notching the pan to clear the steering link as well as converting the front slope to a flat bottom. We just need to get it out of the truck and see what we can see. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to have to change to the short water pump. I think the total engine package is too long as it sits now. I threatened to take a tape measure to it the other day but didn’t. I need to get John to follow though on that bell housing he found for me so I can start thinking about the clutch situation. Have I mentioned I'm planning to run the annular hydraulic throw out bearing I got from Ray? Well, I am. I think that will be a whole lot easier than making the arm and slave cylinder and stuff work. Wow, I fell asleep at the keyboard just then. I then went to lunch when I awoke. So, I'm back now with nothing to say still. I got a “female perspective” on the encounter at Jack In The Box this morning. She was as flummoxed as I am about it. She thought I should have dropped a business card and said, “Hey, call me some time,” or something. I went on to ‘splain the “dodged a bullet” theory and she agreed that the two teenage daughters were enough to make walking away the wise course of action. She did shoot down my widow issue by saying that even the bible frees Juan from marriage obligation with a death. Yeah… well… I still have a problem with it. I promised her that if I'm ever at that JITB again, and I see Hot Mom, I’d drop her a card. It’s so unlikely that I didn’t have a problem making that promise. Besides, there are other Jack In The Boxes (Jacks In The Box? Jacks In Boxes?) around where I can eat! Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem referring to fast-food joints as “restaurants?” I mean really, doesn’t the word “restaurant” imply something more than what Juan gets at a fast-food place? While I'm in Seinfeld mode, I had a Crazy Joe Divola moment this morning. I couldn’t get this hair off my tongue! It was driving me crazy. It’s gone now, thankfully. Anyhoo, where was I? I don’t know. I guess I'll just try to think of something to talk about. Not coming up with anything. Well, then I think I'll call it a week and say, “Smell ya’ later!”