I'm doubting my mechanical ability these days...

[RobP]

Got my lawnmower out of one year storage. Ran great when I stored it. Now, no dice. I think I need a new gasket in front of the carb and one under the carb bowl. Bottom line, I could not get it running without shooting carbcleaner in the hole.
On the ZZ4TPI today, I pulled the plenum, put the smallest screw on the FPR I could find. Got the pressure down to 38/40 at idle and up to 42/44 under load. Still getting the missing/knock counts and subsequent timing retard. I think it's going to the dealership so I can waste the money and have some clown tell me something stupid. Last time, "You're suffering from vapor lock." Yeah, 40+lb TPI system.
Oh well, the sun was great today and the beer cold. Another day in the Keys. ;)

[Zelda84]

Sounds like my day today. I had a run in with good ol' Murphy. The rat bastage wouldn't leave me alone. Hell he has been my shadow for the last few weaks.
Heres my day........

Got up early so I could get my car inspected. Expiration date....8/2001. :eek: Called the shop where I was going to go and talked to the new guy I guess, he says no problem they got stickers and to call back about 12:30ish to talk to the owner. So I haul ass off to the parts store to get the parts I need to pass. 2 headlights, swaybar links, (polyurithane) oil filter and some other stuff. $100 dropped. I got some nice wax while I was there as well. So now its after 12, I call at 12:45 Tom says he wont have any stickers until Monday morning. :mad: So I scramble trying to find a place to get a sticker so I can drive my car. I call all of the places I know the owners of, I have either called too late or they are packed. graemlins/sick.gif I need a favor inspection, you know the kind where you just run the basic stuff and kind of let the fact the parking brake wont hold the car in drive. No inspection today at all. So now its 2 and I have managed to get the headlights in and thats it. So I call another buddy to see if he can give me a hand and put in the sway bar links, (remember I live in an apartment without a garage) he says sure come on over. So on the way there I cross a set of railroad tracks. Within about about 1/4 mile of doing so I notice my powersteering is whining a little. I blew it off, but when I pulled into his garage and the car sat a few mins here was a puddle in the front of the car. :confused: I pop the hood and the whole PS gear box has fluid all over it. Well ok no biggy I figure. We get the links done, I check everything out and tighten a few loose tranny bolts. We top off the PS fluid and watched it flow out the resivour as fast as its poured in. WTF?? :mad: I must have punched a small hole in the side of it when I installed it and something knocked it loose or what ever. So we mop it up and I leave to go else where. Within about 1/10 a mile I have NO power assist anymore what so ever. I dont know how many of you have tried to drive your cars without power steering, but all I can say is its a bitch.

Wait it gets better.... graemlins/roll.gif
So I get to my friends house where I did the engine swap to get my tools all organized and pick up a bit. I figure while I'm there I would check the oil again. Mind you I checked it when I first did the engine swap and I have seen no drips or clouds of smoke. I grap a rag, whipe the stick and WTF? there is no oil on the stick. SO I figure well maybe I grabbed the old 305 stick which was shorter than the 350. Nope I had the right dipstick. So I went and got 1 quart. Nope now it reads one quart low. :confused: I count the amount of full oil jugs in my case. 6 still are in there. redface.gif OOOPs I only put in 4 quarts. Well now there is 5 quarts and it says I'm still a quart low. I hope that the 350 is a 6 quart system. The engine has no oil leaks or noticable signs of burning it either. So I get all my stuff packed up and get ready to leave and I'm talking to my friend about the wax and other goodies I got at the store when I discover I never bought any wax applicators. UGH!
We leave and went to the car wash to degrease the engine so I can find the PS leak and get the oil off of things after setting the valve lash. I get the engine all soaked down with gunk and spray down the rims with cleaner and walk over to the coin machine to get quarters. I put $1 in and get my 4 quarters, just as I go to put the next dollar in, the out of service light pops on AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH
Luckily my girlfriend was able to get $2 more quarter from the resturaunt across the street or I would have had a big mess.

If anyone get the chance to kill Murphy let me know so I can kick him just once.

Its just been one of those days

[LL6]

Yeah Rob, at least when everything goes to hell in a handbasket, you are still in the Keys. smile.gif

...and Zelda, I feel your pain because your personal experiences with Murphy sound similar to my own. :(