1/30/13

I haven’t said this yet this year so here goes, I don’t really have anything to say today… but I'm going to say it anyway.  John sent me a picture of Lil' Wiggly's new master cylinder yesterday.  He says it looks like it will be a pretty easy install.  I hope he’s right.  Feh, how hard could it be?  So I assume we’ll be installing that this Saturday along with the new brake pads.  Of course we won't be able to bleed the system until I get the hydraulic hand brake thingy.  I'll order one tomorrow when I get paid.  I totally forgot to order the smaller air filter from Summit last night so we won't have that until the following Saturday.  I suppose we could try to get one locally but I still need the oil pressure adapter thingies as well.  Summit didn’t really have what I wanted so I think I'm going to have to resort to McMaster-Carr.  In fact, I think I'll go have a look on that site right now.  Hang on.  Ok, they have what I'm looking for… sort of.  I do have to do it with two adapters, but I think I can make it work.  My dilemma now is: do I order them now and hope the shipping doesn’t break the bank, literally, or do I wait until tomorrow?   I'll wait I guess.  They probably wouldn’t make it here until Saturday afternoon or Monday anyway.  I'm certainly not paying for overnight shipping!  Besides, we might luck out and find them locally as well.  Just because Sutherland’s didn’t have the right fittings doesn’t mean Lowe’s won't.  We’ll see.  Woo hoo!  While rooting around in them intergooglewebs I found the part I need.  I knew I'd seen a long, hex-shaped, 45°, extension thingy poking out of the side of the block with an oil pressure sender on it.  I do not remember taking it off the engine when we took it to the machine shop, but I'm hoping like hell we did.  Needles to say, it isn’t on there now.  I understand why they might have pocketed that guy at the machine shop; the ones I found on e-Bay were $59.00 and $69.00 for new ones but $16.00 for a used one with a 90° end.  I did find them elsewhere new for $25.00 each though.  If we can't find the one that came with the 289, I guess I'll get one from Not Texas Mustang.  I'm still going to have to adapt down from 1/4” to 1/8” NPT but that I'm sure I can get at Lowe’s.  Y’know what, I may have removed that adapter thingy.  I kind of remember taking a croissant wrench to it.  That means it otter be on the shelf with the rest of the Fjord bits.  I'll take another dig through all that junk Saturday.  And there may be another box of parts from the machine shop I didn’t see the other day.  Not to mention, I didn’t really dig through the boxes but kind of glanced into them.  Well, it’ll either turnip or I'll buy a new one.  No point wasting any more time talking about it now.  Hmm, I wonder how much another bell housing would cost.  Here’s what I'm thinking: make a setup housing for that hydraulic throw out bearing by cutting away the majority of another bell housing, skeletonize it if you will.  It would just be there to locate the transmission to the engine in the exact position… sort of thing.  Well, $65.00 plus $30.00 shipping is the best I found on e-Bay.  I don’t need it that bad.  Hmm, I wonder if John's Mustang guy might have a cracked or otherwise useless one he’d be willing with which to part.  Hey!  He might have the oil pressure hoozis as well!  I just sent John a text asking if he’s going by there.  I expect to be questioned as to why I want another bell housing.  I also expect him to poo-poo the idea.  We shall see.  Well, I guess that’s about all I have to say today.  I'll let you know what John had to say tomorrow.