Helping Waterloo out with an inframe ...

[Waterloo]

Well, another day on the ranch, the Rawze Ranch...

Got a bit done today, finished that ground cable up, scraped some rust off the frame up front and Corrosealed it. Did some more bracket work, etc, little stuff to wake up by, man am I sore...

Anyhow, cleaned up and installed the oil pump, no I did not shim. Rawze had an abandoned jug of Lucas that Joe had left, and filled the pump with that molasses to aid in startup. Cleaned under the truck really really good. RTV silicon everywhere under there. I spent over an hour with a razor blade and half a gallon of acetone cleaning up that mess.

Set everything up, had another beer, dropped the oil pick up tube in the pan, laid out towels so as not to mess up the oil pans new paint job, grabbed my tools and a torque wrench, crawled under there and began installing. I did the silicon in the four corners, per the book, etc.

So, I am getting to like the 29th bolt, torquing to 41 ft lbs... Right up front behind the damper. I put the torque wrench to it, she turned and turned and then went "slip". The damn hole in the block was stripped out! I loaded the bolt up with green loc-tite and carried on. All of the other bolts torqued up just fine. Installed the brackets and all of that. I hope it seals, because if it doesn't the pan has to come off to tap the hole. If that happens I think I will scream.

On a side note, I did find a valuable use for my fourth trimester belly today. Did you know that if the planets are properly aligned, and the truck is sitting at just the right height on blocks, that if you position yourself, or should I say your belly, directly under the deepest part of the pan, and extend, the oil pan will go right into place! I mean this baby just elevated right into the proper position! I did not even have to tap on the sides to align the holes! LMAO!

Oh what a day!

New exhaust manifold and EGR coolant tube should be here Tuesday, we shall see what tomorrow brings. Oh, Rawze has the hottest little US Mail girl, I mean this girl was gorgeous, and that little southern drawl... Yikes! ;-)