RoundUp 2006 - Okay, starting to thrash just a little bit

Well, today I was gonna change out my steering centerlink to get rid of the powersteering one (with control valve) that had been left on there from the previous owner. I didn't realize that the pitman arm was totally different and would not hook up to the manual steering link. Well, it is. So, I walk over to my poor yellow (flooded) Grabber and jack it up, check out the differences. I decide the best thing to do is just change out the entire gear box instead of just the pitman arm. Wow, those are so much easier to get out with no engine in the way. On the yellow car I wound up removing the exhaust pipe to remove it from the bottom and it still wouldn't come out because of the exhaust manifold studs. So next comes the manifold. I eventually got it off. Being that this car got flooded I decided to go ahead and open it up. Glad I did as there was a tiny bit of water in it, and I thought those things were sealed pretty good. Anyway, I cleaned it out as good as possible and repacked it and closed her back up...good as new.
I knew there was a little difference in the gear boxes but it was really quite a bit. The p/s box is about 3 1/2 turn from lock to lock and the manual box is a little over 5 turns. This certainly made a difference in how easy it is to turn now.
I've still got a lot of little things to do before the end of the month but my next three major goals are to get my 04 Cobra seats, and get them in; customize my console and get it in; and pull the a/t out and install my toploader (which I still have to reuild because it got wet too). I think I need to take a vacation before I take my vacation just so I can all of this done.
Anybody else having this much fun?

 

Ray, you got your work cut out for ya for sure. Yeah,, I have felt the same way in years past on taking a vacation so you can take a vacation. I am not thrashing at all this year. Have done nothing to my car since last year. Have not even washed it, just keep it covered and dust it off when I use it, just got back from cruise nite, first one this year. I just still have this bad feeling of not knowing if I am going to get to Roundup this year. The closer it gets the more I just might be out of a job if it comes down to that.
Dan

 

Yeah, I sure hope you can make it. It won't be the same without you and that beautiful Stallion.

 

You haven't wrestled that 4-speed in yet? You better get cracking! Did you get the pedals and z-bar in yet to see if it's all working? That's the toughest part ...

 

just got mine back together. need to put the grill back in. then try to clean the interior a little, but i keep telling myself "it's just a race car". as soon as i clean the trailer i'm going to pack it in there and not take it out until ky. i'll find something else to race on the 22nd so i don't have to worry about packing before i leave on the 23rd. see you there.:bananaman :bananaman

 

Pedals are in, z-bar brackets are in. It all looks good. I intend on starting on the tranny in the next day or two. That's definitely gonna be the hardest thing I have left.

 

Yup, back in 2002 when I was finishing up the Sprint for the first showing. I said Never Again!!! Since then all I have to do is load up.

 

i still have to sand the primer on the two mirrow holes i filled...
...frank...

 

Geez Frank...please don't push yourself to get that done by RoundUp. I'd hate to see you get there and not be able to enjoy yourself because you're all worn out. You're retired now so you need to take it a little easier.

 

frank, what's a mirrow hole?? see you there.

 

I think it was a typo...was suppose to say minnow. He must do a lot of fishing since he's retired.

 

'Still need to have my Diablo chip dyno-tuned. The engine is running "pig rich" without a tune (O2 sensors taken out of the loop).

Waiting on a friend to do the tuning. In the meantime, I'm helping him with his race car.

I wanted so many other things to be done before I made the trip but it's just not going to happen - main thing is, I'll be there and hopefully make a pass or two.

 

thrashing??? whats that????

I have nothing to thrash with......yet

Doc is going to start putting the motor together this week.

 

i'll be cleaning the trailer in a day or two then loading. should be ready to go by next weekend. then i just gotta sit for a week and think about it.

 

the yellow mav is ready well as ready as it is going to be. It has a exhaust manifold leak (not major) you can't even hear it when the motor is not running :evilsmile
I am just going to tolerate it until this winter.....then I will put the v8 in it.