I must be getting old.
I know I'm getting old.
I had BIG plans today. Finally had the adj pushrod, the "right" ratio rockers, and the whole day in front of me.
I started out by trying to finally nail down, once and for all the stinkin' pushrod length.
Every V8 I've ever had, the short end of the rocker was lower than the long end. On this stupid 6 banger, in order to get the roller tip anywhere near the center, required that I adjust it so high, that the rocker was almost level across the top.
Starting the thing through a lift cycle w/ it set like that caused the poly lock to collide w/ the rear of the rocker slot. If I dropped the rear of the rocker, that didn't happen, but the tip started so far off the center of the valve, it was a bad thing.
I called Crower. (Again)
I told dude about my set up, and he offered the option of changing out the trunions w/ one that was offset either .050, or .090. That wasn't gonna work for me, although it would move the whole rocker that much closer to the valve, it would also increase the likelihood that that fat assed pushrod was gonna collide with the back of the rocker.
There had to be another option.
I asked dude if there was some other 1.7 ratio rocker that was longer from the stud to the valve w/o having to press out 12 trunions. He thought about it,......and said let him ck into it, and he'd call me back.
15 mins later I get a call.
He says by general concensus at Crowers' tech department, they all advised me to send back the 1.73 ford rocker, and get a 1.75 BBC rocker. That ratio would increase the long end .060 w/o moving the small end closer to the stud.
I told dude I already tried a 1.75 I6 chevy rocker and it was too long, he says that this isn't
that rocker.
Okie Doke. I'll send yet another set of rockers back, and exchange them for something else.
Again.
So that took up the first hour of my day.
The valve cover. The one that I said was "kinda" finished, that nobody called me on, still was lacking something for me to be totally happy w/it.
It needed a little something else.
I come back in get on the computer, di ck around here for about an hour, all while looking at small aluminum letters online.
( I was thinking I was gonna spell out CROSSFLOW down the middle.)
But stupid little aluminum letters cost about 12.00 a pop. It wasn't bothering me that bad to have a bare valve cover that I needed to spend another 100.00 just so I could bling it up.
I resigned myself to having a boring valve cover, and went back downstairs, and started rummaging through some of the mountain of new stuff to put on the car. I decided to install the rear brakes, and attempt to fab up a tunnel mounted E brake handle to actuate them.
I get the driver side mounted, when... (because I was laying on my back, and my view angle allowed me to see it) I saw the solution to my boring valve cover.
There, in the corner of the old six banger junk was the stock, stamped steel valve cover. On top of that valve cover was the script: POWER BY FORD w/ the traditional blue oval at the end.
I get out the cut off wheel, a block of wood, some black paint, some clear paint and a sanding block, and cut, grind, beat, flatten, sand and paint that piece of steel.
Then of course I glue it to the valve cover.
Now it looks done to me.
But, no sooner did I get that done, and UPS shows up w/ another damn box.
What's in the box I wonder, and I cut it open to find the Taylor plug wires I ordered for the goofy assed 6 tower coil pack that goes w/ the EDIS-6 ignition that I'm running. I open the wires to see if they are cut to fit or already made, so I can determine where I might locate that stupid clunky thing.
They're already cut to length. I only got about a foot on the shortest wire.
Now I gotta find somewhere to put the thing that is close enough to allow for that short assed wire.
What started out as a relatively spacious engine compartment is cramping up in a hurry. The turbo and the exhaust manifold (Medusa), take up the entire passenger side, and the induction has the fuel rail on top, a water pump, and a dual oil filtration system under it, so I got no choice.
I had to put it on top of my pretty valve cover.
The ugly assed thing sits on four 1/4 " pedestals, and is through bolted to the top. I hate it, but I didn't see an alternative.
I amble back inside, get back on the computer, di ck around here again, fall asleep for 15 minutes, and go back outside.
I open the box that has my Lokar trans dipstick tube in it.
Why did I think I needed a 36" long dipstick tube?
I don't know why either, (must've just finished my last crack vial) but I'm determined to NOT send this thing back. It's just like a piece of braided line anyway. I Modify, I overcome, I adapt.
I cut it down to 24", It now fits.
Also inside that box is my 42.5" long F-250 accelerator cable. All I have to do is make the bracket
Fit's like a glovie.
You cant see it, ( and you're not going to either) but I needed a piece of metal the right thickness to slide the molded on retainer on the acc cable to. The only thing I could find that was the right thickness was an extra 18" steel ruler from an old broken combination square I had laying around.
So my bracket has little tick marks indicating that it is exactly 1.750 long to the bottom of the bracket.
I mounted the water pump permanently, and used the Hondabond that I'm gonna use to try and seal my copper head gasket with, to hold the WP gaskets in place.
I wanted to see how this junk works before I use it on a 275.00 piece of copper.
All I can say is, Once you bed the gasket,............it better be where you want it.
The Post office dude dropped off the box that has my A/C pieces parts in it, I figured I'd mock up all of the lines so I could go have the ends crimped on at my crimpin' dude store.
They send female parts,......I need male parts.
Female junk,.................always thinkin' I need an "inny" when I need an "outtie"
In reality, (upon reflection) I guess I did get a lot done considering. Between piddling, surfing, and dinking I guess/