Planning the Cut
cooling diagram for reference |
By the time I'd realized it was the flange-to-head connection, it was the middle of last week. On Friday morning, I hopped on the phone wit the fine folks at the FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store): Discount Import Parts (DIP). Gotta love those acronyms. The guy on the phone mis-heard me, and pulled an entire outlet flange. So, wen I arrived to get my o-ring, there was a little confusion. He pointed out that the flange will warp sometimes, and they had a 100% return policy for un-installed parts. Figuring it was a worthwhile $10 risk abatement to just take the flange, I took it. And a couple o-rings. And another temperature sensor o-ring. And some high-temp gasket sealant. And a couple bottle of coolant. Simply put, it was a project in a bag.
Add a Flange, drop the Reverb
Old flange. rocked left to right. |
Now, for the easy part. I made the same modification to the new flange as I did to the old one: cut off the outlet which lead to the oil-cooler and sent a short bolt through the hole, sealing it off. This is necessary because of the proximity of the flange to the frame in the bus. I took the high-temp gasket stuff and put a thin bead on top of the o-ring, and let it sit (per instructions) for 15 minutes. A few minutes of re-assembly later (new coolant temp o-ring, fully seat the temp sensor, new C-clip) and the flange was ready. It bolts on easily, once the holes line up :) The hoses slid back on, the clamps seated well, and all things appeared right. Finally, you have to be patient for 24 hours while the gasket stuff completely dries. It doesn't specify it on the tube, so in an emergency situation, it may not be necessary. Still, I didn't want to go this far and have that be a problem.
New flange. no movement. |
Graduation Congratulation
After attaching the flange yesterday, I spent the afternoon with my family (including Boo, T & C) celebrating my sister-in-law's graduation from a Master's program. For 5-1/2 years she worked through first completing her bachelor's degree and then a master's so she could have her dream job: teaching nursing. She started working that dream job a few months ago, so now, with paper in hand, she's reached her goal. Emotional speeches and a slab of chocolate cake later, we all recognize just how much effort it took. Congratulations, J. Your impact on the health and well-being of thousands of patients will be monumental through your demonstration of providing care from a place of respect and love.
That's it for now. I have about an hour of buttoning-up left on the bus and then we'll be ready to test drive. If he holds, then we can start looking at what's next. Maybe, we'll just enjoy him as-is for a while and try to wedge some camping in before school starts up again. Regardless, thanks for following along...
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