In the darkest hours of the night-A time of automotive introspection

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Every time I go on a bigger car repair project, a moment of doubt hits me. The hours spent. The money invested. Will it work? Should I have tried at all?

Well, hello darkness my old friend. I've come to talk to you again.

On Wednesday I reassembled my volvo with the bad head gasket. Started it up. Drove about. The head measured flat. I torqued it best I could. Did all the raindances, etc.

I was dead sexy!

On Thur, low on water. No biggie, it needs to soak it in. The nooks. The crannies. The heater core. I properly stay calm. I drive it around a bit and refill it after driving.

Today. Low again.

No biggie, I filled it again. That should do it. Drove it 20 minutes.

Low again.

Filled again.

Will drive to work tomorrow. A good 30 minute drive on highway. It will hold, or it won't, but tonight is pure humble trust and prayers to the automotive gods....

The darkest hours are before dawn. I've gotten through this so many times, but it never gets easier. Perhaps it holds. Perhaps it's a simple hose I didn't tighten.

Still, I HATE this ****e!!!!!

[Zeke]

You're hosed.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

LOL-Thanks Mortimer!

In the meantime I will hold out hope, and go on a desert walkabout.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Oh, and to add to the "darkest hours" theme.

THERE IS SOMETHING LIVING ABOVE THE GARAGE.

Bigger than a squirrel, smaller than a deer. In the raccoon / opossum size range.

An entire family. Nestled there. Why does this matter? Well? I need to replace the soffits on the side of the garage where a tree hit it and knocked the gutters/etc. off.

This means I will need to stick my face in their business while hanging gutters/etc.

How to get them out? Quit claim deed? Smoke bomb?

[Baz]

Sorry to hear, Ron.

My 2 cents.....

On the Volvo (or any other mechanical project not going right) - walk away - especially before you make it worse (we've ALL been there!) and give yourself time to reset mentally. You might also use the time to formulate a better tact on resolving the issue (again we've ALL been there!) You'll know when the time is right for another go at it. Could be as long as 3 weeks - every situation going to be different.

On the critter(s)....trail cameras and hava-heart traps are the order of the day. Cat food for bait.

Good luck!

[wdfifteen]

In the raccoon / opossum SKUNK size range.

[porsche tech]

Maybe it’s something as simple as a hose clamp. If it was still getting into the combustion chamber, surely you would be seeing some smoke or have some running issues especially on cold start. 🙏

[Norm K]

You don't say how much water you had to add each time. If small amounts, there's at least a chance that the system "burping" is why it needed to be topped off.

_

[wswartzwel]

Perhaps it's a leaky seal.....


My garden shed had a racoon nesting in the rafters. I sprayed clorox with a garden sprayer up there and it left.


putting a light up there a leaving it on 24/7 also works

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

SKUNK

Don't even...

How I envision my weekend at the garage:




Car update- last night coolant tank full when hot.
This AM- 2/3's full when cool
Drove about 15 miles into work.
Tank still at 1/2-2/3rds. Hard to tell. Angle of car on incline could be affecting level.

!/2 day at work today. When I get off work I'm hitting the highway to decide once and for all. I'm too afraid to use Bob's coolant sniffer device, I'm afraid it would give a fals e positive b/c of all the previous residue/ residual contaminated coolant.

No leaks under car. No smoke. No misfire. If it is leaking, it's not as bad as before.
Before, one trip out and back from work would empty the coolant tank.
If this was burping, it's a heck of a lot of burping, and should be done now.

[GH85Carrera]

Critters in the attic is something to call a pro about.

We have all fought a problem that seemed to defy all logic. My El Camino kept loosing antifreeze but slowly. After a week of driving over several hundred miles the level was down 2 inches. Top it off and it continued. I finally found the leak on a bottom hose that was leaving almost no clue it was the leak. I had to drain the system to replace that lower hose.

My 911 has never ever leaked a drop of antifreeze!

[RANDY P]

The wait just before 1st startup is the worst. 2x worse if it's a new build with all new parts. i just assign myself to failure as I turn the key.

Haven't been burned yet. Knock on wood.

rjp

[fastfredracing]

I live this

[Bugsinrugs]

Took me two days before I built up the courage to start up my Tacoma after my first ever timing belt change. Got a swelled head after it fired up and all was good.

[GH85Carrera]

After 300,000 miles the original engine in my El Camino was worm out. So I bought a brand new GM crate engine for $1,700 and did the engine swap over the long thanksgiving weekend. I reused the starter, water pump, alternator, AC compressor and the fuel injection system. I did replace the engine mounts as they were shot.

The first start was a tense moment like almost all the TV shows about cars. Only most of them fail on the first try. My engine fired up after just a second of cranking. I pulled iit out into the driveway and sat there running the engine at 2,000 RPM for 20 minutes wiith break in oil to break in the cam. I had run the oil pump with a tool borrowed from a buddy so the oil was distributed to the heads before I cranked it.

[ted]

Sometimes it all works out other times not so much.

You fix all the leaks and change the transmission, carbon fiber driveshaft, 3rd member and front brakes along with new engine and transmission mounting plates.
Then first test it on the track and make sure it's safe at 165mph.
Race it over the weekend, take pole and win the Sunday race.
Put it back on the trailer and not a drop of oil leaked.
Then 2 months later a nice mention in Vintage motorsports mag.
No better outcome.

[Rusty Heap]

You like making Milkshakes with your motor oil?

[Zeke]

On the animal: I used mothballs but that was in the attic so it didn't bother us. You can try an ultrasonic device but forget ones that cost 50 bucks. I've got $400 in mine and it drives dogs crazy at 300 feet in the wide open. But nothing cleaner.

For 400 you can get the pro — recommended.

[RANDY P]

Welp, today's little project turned out to be a mess.

Reseal an intake manifold- big whoop, unbolt, clean, new gaskets, RTV and reassemble. Stupid manifold won't line up anymore with new gasket. I have no idea how I got it to fit years ago but today, it's not having it. Cross thread a few bolts, turn a 1 hr job into all afternoon, mess the place up.

Turn the key- vacuum leak. I'm done with this.

rjp

[LEAKYSEALS951]

I could see myself doing the same thing. "Close. If I can just get the bolt started, it'll go...."

A simple project turns south.

Several people mentioned first startups after timing/rebuilds. Gets me every time.

Today, it's raining, so no real work going on. Yesterday, I got 100 miles on the car.

Didn't seem to lose anything, but I'm not getting cocky yet. It's never taken this long to equalize/burp. Even when I rebuilt it 6 years ago. Just fill and forget.