you heard right..
as many know, i left little rock on tuesday at 8 am and thru 15 stops and 4 bus changes, i made it to durham, nc in 30 hours to pickup my new, well, pickup..a 1990 toyota 4x4 deluxe, regular cab..3" body lift, aluminum wheels, 33x12.5 bfg all-terrrains, chrome side bars..bla bla bla. i really love the truck..runs smooth and is actually (lowers head) more comfy to travel in than my p-car for long distances (a/c makes a world of difference..had almost forgotten how it feels).
i had a few 'issues' to deal with in the 900+ mile trip back home. one, i couldn't get the heat to work the first night, driving through the smokies to get to my family in knoxville, tn. i confirmed that the hoses leading to and from the heater core were hot as hell..the blower was blowing to beat the band into the cabin, but no hot air?!? finally traced it to a problem with a cable under the passenger side that interfaces with the thermostat cable..is binding. not sure how to fix it short of some kind of lubrication maybe..or replacement, but manually moving the arm that it's supposed to move opened a duct and i was hit with sahara heat..cool.
i didn't have a working cig lighter for my cell charger. found the plug was pulled out. plugged it in and no dice..fuse was fine, not blown, so i just spliced from a long '8 gauge' wire that ran from the battery that must have once powered a big amp, into the cig power wire and voila. i'll come up with a different solution later..for now it's hot-wired.
now the fun. a half hour or so west of nashvile, i start noticing things..hit the turn signal, the radio cancels for a moment..wipers start moving..slowwwwer, then the radio quits altogether. uh oh..charging problem, but nothing on the idiot light (decide later that its bulb is burned out). take next exit..'bucksnort, tn'. you heard right. anyway, stop at a gas station and it won't start up again. no open garage and i didn't carry tools with me..not even a voltmeter or friggin pair of pliers (idiot). i find a country girl who will drive me an hour to and from a city in the sticks that had an advance auto parts. new battery. i pay her generously for her time..very poor, but really trusting folks. lucky for me i have a southern accent.
so, now i can 'limp' on to jackson, tn. i make it to an autozone. when the guy behind the counter, danny, learns that i used to live in detroit, his hometown, i get the royal treatment..including a 10% discount, just because. anything i needed i could use. hooked me up with a helper so i wouldn't get totally nasty in my clean clothes. used a bucket to capture radiator fluid so we could move the hose out of the way once the alternator was liberated. borrowed their voltmeter for a check off and running engine and everything was cool. 90 minutes later i'm high-fivin' with everyone and rolling again. i've been to many an autozone, but none as helpful with a 'get it done' attitude like this locale. they were just good folks.
other problem, but it hasn't affected anything so far - i found traces of motor oil in the radiator reservoir. head gasket leak? i'm gong to do the system flush today or tomorrow and see if it returns. i've already cleaned out the plastic tank with mineral spirits twice to remove the oil residue from the sides, but traces of this oil returned each time to stain it again. it's never a lot..maybe a tablespoon worth, but oil in coolant isn't a happy sign. in case you wonder..there's no evidence of coolant on the dipstick..
i'll post a couple pics. don't want a worthless thread!
i'm already bidding on e-bay to replace some of the 'spray can' painted interior trim pieces (what were they thinking!) and removed the stainless looking thing around the shifters. also, i ahevthe original wheel..plan to remove the grant aftermarket wheel.
ryan
