9/16/13

Well, I did manage to accomplish a few things this weekend.  First off, mom and I did go do some running around Saturday morning.  We bought some wire to make the two-prong outlet in her room a three-prong, a surge protector, and an HDMI cable to hook up her new TV to the satellite.  We looked for the TV she’d seen at Sam’s but they were long gone by then.  We bought cat food at Wal-Mart and then had lunch at Applebee’s… and were home by noon.  I took a nap.  Eventually I decided I wasn’t going to waste the whole day at home and got ready to head to the shop.  Mom informed me that we would be meeting my niece, and maybe her roommate, at Red Hot & Blue for dinner so I knew what time I needed to be back.  I headed east in Fifi taking the Rock Auto belt, which I was sure by now would not work, and the bell housing bolts I'd bought last week.  At the shop I had a look at the belt routing.  Turns out if I routed the long belt from last week around the way I'd described Friday it would fit.  I had a look at the RA belt just for a larff and saw that it was, indeed, way too long… or short, I don’t remember now.  The point is, I got a belt to fit the serpentine system on the engine.  My worries about not having enough wrap on the water pump were unfounded as well.  The pump sits closer to the… or is it the idler is lower than… the point is, there seems to be plenty of wrap.  I was happy about that.  I grabbed a pair of gloves from Fifi and got to work on the bell housing.  The 7/16”x14 bolts threaded into the bell housing but two of them felt a bit “strippy” when I started tightening them.  I think they need 12mmX14 bolts instead.  I may have a look to see if I can find those critters before going for four 2” long 7/16”x14 bolts and nuts.  I really don’t want the bell housing to come away from the transmission when I'm hooning down FM5 someday.  We’ll see.  I routed and installed the hoses for the hydraulic throwout bearing noting that we missed ever so slightly with the bleeder hose’s hole.  It is in just a hint of strain but I think it’ll be ok.  The feed line is in perfect alignment.  I debated trying to install the tranny to the engine but remembered the “strippy” feeling bolts… and the fact that the transmission was filthy.  I wandered around a bit looking at stuff then decided it was time to go.  I locked up and went looking for local hooning roads.  Yeah, there aren’t any.  Everything out that way is straight lines and 90° bends… at least on the roads I saw.  I wound up taking the back roads all the way home.  When I noticed I was on 1187 just south of Beenbroke, I decided I'd swing by and pick up the extension cord thingy I'd made for the welder so I could show my nephew what ends we’d need when he wired up the 220v for us next weekend.  It turns out I was not as correct as I could have been when I doubted the plug everyone else had chosen.  It was the double-angled and “L” shaped plug after all… on one end!  The air compressor uses that plug but the welder uses the double-straight but different sized and “D” shaped plug.  What I finger we’ll do is use the box I built onto the cable for the welder’s wall plug and buy one for the compressor, along with the rest of the junk he’ll need of course.  I got home and took a shower to get ready to meet my niece’s roommate at RH&B… oh, and my niece of course.  Mom and I got there early and waited at a table.  Turns out the roommate went home for the weekend.  I guess I'll meet her later.  We ate and then had a big scare as we were in the parking lot.  Mom took a tumble somehow and fell down.  She bonked her head and shoulder falling into the open doorway of the car then couldn’t get back up.  I tried to lift her but didn’t have the assitol.  We enlisted the help of a passing stranger to help me get her to her feet and then headed home.  I kept checking on her as the evening progressed and she seemed fine once the initial shakeup wore off.  Here pupils were normal and she was in good spirits except for being sore.  Sunday she went to Sunday school but left before church.  We had leftovers for lunch and she really did seem her normal self.  I… well, I was going to say, “Stopped worrying,” but that isn’t true.  I dropped myself to DEFCON 3, let’s say.  After lunch I took the 7.62x39 to the gun range to sight in the new optic, but I think I'll save that story for tomorrow… along with the tale of the TV.