Taurus engine swap - completed!

Well, Adam finished up "our" project today.

To help the engine exchange project along, I spent $400 on insulation at Home Depot and put that up the day before Christmas. We were then able to heat the garage enough to actually be comfortable while working.

Pictures as we went along:
Wednesday, the day after Christmas had the car up:


And the engine out:


Friday:
Upon the recommendation of my mechanic, a new water pump was installed ("easier now than later in the car"):


Getting ready to go in:


Really late Friday night:
Back on the subframe, connected to the transmission:


This is the point that I left it so I could travel to da U.P. to do more Christmas visiting (with MOST of my kids in tow!)

Adam called Sunday morning 8am while I was at the farm to let me hear the car start, as he just finished a marathon session of getting the engine reconnected!


Here is the bad engine, sitting on a trailer just before I took it to the local high school to be used in experiments:

On the way to California...

When leaving Huston, TX for Ontario, California, I boarded the plane in the second group of passengers (First Class first, then Elite).

Sat in 8D (an aisle) until everyone was boarded and situated. It looked like the seat between me and the gal in the window seat was going to be unoccupied. Then the stewardess came up to me with a boarding pass with my name on it, asking “is this you?” I said yes and she went back up front. It took me a minute to see what was different about that pass – it was for 5E – First Class!

Once I figured that out, I moved my butt up front. That was so cool! It was nice to have the bigger seat, food and free drinks while watching the in-flight movie during the 3+ hour flight!

Travel, travel, travel!

I went to St. Louis before Thanksgiving, Columbia, South Carolina a week later, and now have tickets for Ontario, California!

I went through the effort of creating a Google map of "all the job sites I've been to", but have only really accurate records for the last 3 years. Before that are several that were "in a fog", so I have yet to figure out when I went to each.

Anyway, I've create that and here is a link which should always hold the most up-to date version:
Wayne's Google map

In getting ready to go, I went and got a replacement 3L engine for my Taurus from St. Ignace. So, now have even more to keep me busy over Christmas!

Went to Traverse City last night with Dawn and the girls to see the Nutcracker at Interlochen. Ate dinner with "my Tom" at the mall and caught up a bit with him.