Yurf. @$@( Ford.

[5-90]

OK, the wheel bearing/hub assembles I can deal with, that's not a big problem (kinda makes sense to have put the ABS wheel speed sensor in the thing - and the ABS system sorted itself out after I replaced the bearings.)

The four-wheel disc on the late Explorers simplifies things - and I prefer the idea of having a drum park brake in the rotor hat instead of a mechanical supplement in the rear calipers (cranking that piston back in is usually a pain.)

But, just who had the idea to wedge a V8 in there such that I have to pull the front wheels and wheel pants to even see the screws on the exhaust manifold?

Yeah, I know - there's worse. I've worked on plenty of them. (Probably the worst work I had was helping a buddy doing brakes on his 3-series BMW - considering I'd fractured my left outer metacarpal a week before - I'm left-handed - and he'd gotten compression fractures in three of his right carpal bones two week before, both of us had our "smart hands" out of commission. Made the work just no end of fun...

Pain in the arse. Upside? At least it's a paying job. Even at mate's rates, it's still money I didn't have when I woke up.

I don't mind doing the work, I just needed to vent.

(Just finished the front wheel bearings - the master cylinder froze up on the test drive, so I just finished that. Changed the fourteen-year-old brake fluid as well - it was pretty nasty. Now, get the exhaust done so the CEL will finally stay off, because she needs to get her truck smogged next month.

(At least:
- I'm making a few bucks.
- the owner is good people
- the owner is a cute Chinese woman.)

 

[87manche]

pics of owner?

will determine if the job was worth it.

 

[5-90]

pics of owner?

will determine if the job was worth it.

No pix - but if she wasn't already married, and I wasn't already married, I'd be interested.

 

[RedHeep]

I'm surprised you don't like the parking brake calipers. The wife's MINI is really easy to change the parking brake pads, since they're the regular brake pads.

I hate doing brakes inside the drum, then doing brakes.

 

[Vanimal]

No pix - but if she wasn't already married, and I wasn't already married, I'd be interested.

LOL clearly your wife isnt on the forums

 

[twodoorXJ]

No pix - but if she wasn't already married, and I wasn't already married, I'd be interested.

Just because there's a goalie, doesnt mean you cant score

 

[5-90]

@RedHeep - I wouldn't mind, if it weren't such a pain in the arse to get the caliper piston retracted. I'm sure there's an easier way to make it work, I just haven't thought of one. But, the "in-the-hat" park brake isn't bad, since it doesn't wear down much anyhow.

@twodoorXJ - I know. Once upon a time, I was the "other man" for a while (yes, my wife knows all about it. Yes, it was before I was married.)

@Vanimal -wouldn't matter if she were - she already knows about it anyhow. We've discussed a number of her friends and co-workers "that way" before, and she seems to be on board with some of the things I've got in mind anyhow...

Gawd, I just lurrrv that woman! This is the same woman who, a fortnight after we'd gotten back from honeymoon, asked me if I needed money to go with a buddy to a strip club!

She's helped me wrench, she's willing to run parts. No, she doesn't have a sister (and I've commented on her brother ad nauseum - guy drives me batty. I don't know if he's mad at me or scared of me, but he hasn't talked to me since before his mother died (and he didn't talk to me at the funeral - after his screwup got me draughted into being a pallbearer with my hip and knee playing up. He couldn't be bothered to do it himself, and we gave him just one job - ask the cousins to step up. They'd been primed.

He didn't. And they didn't.

We'll probably spend Christmas with my side of the family if we go anywhere - I'm not enthralled with my in-laws, and she's not thrilled with her family either.

But, I digress.

 

[5-90]

Gah.

Took a few days off - summer is kicking me around.

An hour to get the front wheel pants out. All of the right exhaust manifold-to-head screws were loose, but the collector screws were tight.

The gasket was starting to burn through, which explains the exhaust leak.

I had to remove the throttle body, intake tube, and MAF sensor to get to the flare nut for the damned EGR tube - because the oil fill extension (on a light truck with a long hood? Really?) wouldn't come off after I'd removed the clamps, and I wasn't sure I could get another hose stub.

And, I was about to have to cut my only 1-1/16" wrench in half so I could swing it around once I got it in there (I would have, if I'd had another one. Make a short open-end and a short flare-nut out of the other end.)

Two and a half hours to get a manifold loose - after removing what I needed to do to get access to it, and the manifold still won't come out (A/C lines, suspension mounts, and engine mount in the way.)

I'm going to work with the manifold loose in there - if I'd had to jack up the engine to remove the manifold entirely, someone is going to get killed.

And, whoever thought EGR was the most effective solution to NOx emissions should be hung, shot, stabbed, eviscerated, drawn, quartered, boiled in his own juices, and burned to ashes - then the ashes scattered to the four winds.

That would keep me occupied until I can come up with something properly nasty to do.

Somehow, EGR invariably gets in the way - not to mention crapping up the intake system with carbon from the throttle valve down.

Good thing I like small Asian women - I'm just too happily married to go poachin' and screw it up (she's not quite on board with the idea - but my wife does seem to lean that way sometimes... Not bad - started with a 45-year-old borderline frigid divorcee, and turned her around into a borderline nymphomaniac! Must be doin' somethin' right...)