I did a dumb thing the other day. I ordered a box of plastic vacuum plugs from Amazon before going downstairs and doing a little more investigating on my gas tank. I got fixated on covering the preinstalled brass fittings without considering the obvious: remove them (they’re all threaded, of course) and find threaded brass plugs to replace them. $10 at the Home Depot and I’ve got five 1/4″ square-head plugs that will cap off all the unneeded ports with no fear of disintegration.
It appears, though, that I’ll most likely have to buy a new set of J-hooks for the tank straps I’ve got; the advice I’m reading on the Binder Planet says the OEM nuts will most likely snap off the ends of the bolts.
Now, I just need a warm, free weekend day to pull her out of the garage and drop the tank.
Update: Here’s one of the plugs installed.
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I ordered a set of vacuum plugs from Amazon on Friday to cap off the unused ports on my poly gas tank. I think I’m going to try wrapping the ports in something like aluminum foil first in order to keep gas fumes from melting the plastic (it seems like there’s no good alternative to plastic or rubber that I can find) and then put the caps over top of them, then zip-tie or use a small hose clamp to fasten them completely. I also ordered a pinstripe removal wheel for my dashboard veneer; it came this afternoon via UPS. So I know what I’m going to be playing with this evening.
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Finn and I did a quick recon trip to Arbutus on Sunday to look for a truck Mr. Scout showed me several years ago: a topless yellow Scout that looked like it hadn’t moved in a couple of years. When I finally remembered how to get where it was, we found that it had been replaced by a shiny, mildly lifted Wrangler.
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Last week, when the weather was getting warm and sunny, I was itching to get the old girl on the road. I was foiled, however, by an intermittent starting problem. Specifically, I could get her to start easily, and an hour later I’d get lights and radio but nothing from the engine—no click, no grind, nothing. Putting the battery on an overnight trickle charge gave me enough juice to get her started Friday morning, but I was wary when I got in her to drive home.
A little research points me to the battery cables, which have been problematic since the day I bought this truck. On Thursday evening I stripped about two inches of insulation from the terminal side of the cable and found green corrosion inside, so I’m going to need to find a new cable and a way to seal it up tight. SSS sells a positive cable for $80, which is pricey. Rock Auto sells one for $12 but I don’t know what gauge or length it is. I think i need to see if Evil Mr. Clean can hook me up with some of the cables like he’s got.
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I was all ready to take advantage of the beautiful weather and drive the Scout into work today, but I literally was stalled by wonky battery cables. The PO’s homemade cables have been less than dependable over the last two years, and this morning no amount of love, money, or cleaning would get them to provide enough charge to start. I actually took the time to remove the terminal from the end of the wire and try to brush off as much of the crud as I could, but there was no joy in Mudville. So tonight I’m going to stop at the parts store and see if I can get new terminals and some heatshrink tubing to fit the cable I’ve got. I need to get her on the road for my birthday tomorrow.
Plans to take advantage of the 70° weather tomorrow to polyurethane the floor in the den are also on hold; I still have to clear out the area under the radiator and sand that as smooth as the rest of the floor.
Linda sent these two links along this morning, and they are exactly what I needed to laugh and forget my troubles this morning: What your Favorite Classic Rock Band Says About You, and What your Favorite Classic Rock Band Says About You, Part 2. For the record, I carry two flashlights with me, and use them at least once a day.
Speaking of Rush, they’re playing at the First Mariner Arena here in Baltimore in April. Tickets for anywhere below the troposphere start at $150, plus whatever bullshit handling fee Ticketmaster decides to tack on. So that won’t be happening. I’d rather pay that money to take Finn to the circus.
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Armed with a little knowledge from the Binder Planet, I’m going to see if I can save this dash panel this weekend. The plan is to cut a clean DIN9 hole around the mangled part, sand the decal off, repaint it black, and use it to install a better head unit.
(Or, alternatively, I may just see if I can clean up the one that’s already installed and cut that one down. We’ll see).
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This weekend I took advantage of a free hour and some sunny weather to address some small problems:
- Took the driver’s door apart to figure out why the scissor mechanism was binding up when I tried to roll the window down. It turns out the circle clip had popped off the bottom of the front window track, which knocked the linkage out of alignment. I popped the clip back on, shot everything with more white lithium grease, and buttoned it back up. Problem solved!
- I pulled the speakers out of the sidewall and installed foam baffles behind them (Thanks, Mr. Scout!) to improve acoustics—HA—and protect the cones and magnets from flying crud and water below.
- Next, I rigged together a temporary battery holder from the collection of bolts, wires, and threaded rod the PO left behind, and added a bungee cord for good measure. I’ve got to look at how they did it from the factory and see if I can come up with a permanent solution.
- I also got underneath and shot the bolts holding the gas tank on with some PB Blaster (this is when having a 4″ lift comes in really handy).
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I’ve been doing a lot of pick-up consulting work lately, which means there’s been a welcome dribble of extra cash coming in the door. Which is good, because the Scout STANK of raw gasoline last week when I drove it to work. The main source of the fumes were from the rear, and because she was parked on a slight incline, I’m inclined to believe the top seal is bad. So I ordered a new sending unit yesterday from SSS, and when the weather gets warmer I’m going to finally drop the old tank and replace it with the new one.
Update: The sender’s in, and it looks like the proper gasketry is intact on the tank. I’ll have to unscrew the round metal retainer ring in order to get the sender in properly, then screw everything back into place. The next issue is figuring out a good safe way to plug off all of the vent tubes.
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Last night our drywall guy laid down the final skim coat in the den, which means that if he actually intends to be on time, the room will be sanded this evening. If that comes to pass, I could be priming the walls and/or sanding the floor this weekend, depending on how much childcare Jen needs me to take on. I pulled some of the plastic off the windows this morning because I couldn’t help myself, and the difference in the amount of light getting in there is amazing.
I’m planning on a dump run tomorrow morning to get rid of construction debris and free up two of our three garbage cans, which is also the perfect opportunity to get the Scout on the road in time for 70° weather. Finn and Mama are going with the co-op to the Science Center, so I will hustle to meet them downtown for a snack at the Harborplace, which will be awesome.
I took some time last night to add August of 2003 from the old log into WordPress. At this rate, I won’t have it all integrated for the 10th anniversary, but over time I’ll get it all in once and for all.
There’s some talk of colder temperatures, rain and snow next week, but I’m going to avoid thinking about that and soak up as much sun as I can. I think a trip to the playground across the street will definitely be in order this weekend.
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So I think that this year I’m going to get serious about finding a viable steel hardtop for Peer Pressure. I’ve seen them on Craigslist for as much as $500 and as little as $200, but money and time have been short lately. The softtop I have is good but not great; the rear flap doesn’t seal, so riding inside is sort of like sitting in a moving wind tunnel. The top I have might have been viable had I not accidentally run over the corner one distracted afternoon—and it still might be, but the liftgate hinges are toast and the liftgate I have is toastier.
So, add that to the list.
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I got Peer Pressure out of the garage, down to the gas station and around the ‘Ville this Saturday while the weather was somewhat warm. The motor ran smoothly and everything felt just as loose and wobbly as it had when I parked her in November. The forecast is for low 60′s this coming week, which means I may try to do an early-morning dump run before work.
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