June 2007 Activities

Saturday, June 2 - I'm back working on Holly's Plymouth Breeze, trying to install a new engine.

Saturday, June 9 - My parents call to tell me that Aunt Phyllis has passed away. After a few hours of deliberation, Holly and I decide that I should ride to Glens Falls to attend the funeral. She helps me pack on Saturday night, and I plan to leave early Sunday morning.

Sunday, June 10 - I take off from Appleton, headed for Glens Falls. I started noticing a behavioral anomaly with the engine somewhere west of Cleveland. I promise myself that I'll bring the bike to McDermott Harley-Davidson to have them figure out what's wrong and how to fix it. As fate would have it, the engine puked out about 20 miles east of Jamestown, NY on I-86/NY-17. Fortunately for me, the GPS Holly had me buy for my Father's Day gift had 2005 data which included a towing service close to Exit 18, and they came to get me. I met a "good Sam" who stopped to see if I needed any help. In summary I ended up getting towed on a flatbed back to the Hampton Inn in Jamestown, where I got a room and called the local Harley shop for help. I walked across the road to the Bob Evans and got dinner. Then I hit the sack.

Monday, June 11 - The Harley shop returned my call after I scarfed down a breakfast in the Hampton Inn. After less than 3 hours they gave me a diagnosis and an estimate, which turned out to be so close to the actual cost that I must congratulate the shop. I rented a car from Enterprise, and hit the road to Glens Falls.

I found out on the road that the family wanted me to be a pallbearer. Once I got to my parents' house at 6:10PM, they shoved some food down my throat, we headed to the mall, got me a sport jacket at JC Penney, and got to the funeral home for the second calling hour.

Tuesday, June 12 - Aunt Phyllis's funeral. Dad took the camera and took pictures at the church. Once we got over to Stanley's house, I retook control of the camera and snapped off a handful of pictures.

Wednesday, June 13 - My brother Matt has been a Ford fanatic for most of his life. He bought himself a Mustang California Car.

Thursday, June 14 - I head over to Glens Falls Hospital just in time to see my "mother-in-law-dear" Julia Sweet getting ready to be discharged. I went to my parents' house, work on a neighbor's trailer lighting harness, and follow my cousin Scott to Stanley's house for a couple of beers. I end up at Fitzgerald's Restaurant in South Glens Falls with my parents and Vic and Nancy.

Friday, June 15 - I head from Glens Falls to Jamestown with the rental car. The Harley shop has my bike fixed. Enterprise has me return the rental to their shop, then they bring me back to the Harley shop. I start westbound about 2:30PM EDT and ride straight through, getting home in Appleton about 2:30AM CDT. Holly has a Craftsman tool chest set and a bunch of hand tools wrapped up in the garage as Fathers' Day presents.

Saturday, June 23 - I took the head off the engine we got from Cousineau. It didn't have an EGR port machined into the rear driver's side of the head, and it needed it for this application. I sketched out the machining data. Steve Casey let me use his boring bar. A milled surface and three holes later it was ready. I brought the head back home and reassembled the engine using yet another gasket kit from Auto Zone. I ended up buying three gasket kits from Auto Zone. One had the intake manifold gaskets only. Another had the head gasket, and others. The third had the valve cover gasket, among others. Real nice packaging, although the responsibility lies with Felpro.

Sunday, June 24 - I'm back on the engine swap on Holly's Breeze.

Monday, June 25 - It's our 24th wedding anniversary. I, of course, am a complete a-hole.

Tuesday, June 26 - an industrial accident is my most profound memory.

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Page created 05 July 2007 by Dan Steves.

This page last updated on 07/05/2007 21:02:35 -0500 by Dan Steves.