That Didn't Work

The next day I went with my Dad to the parts store and picked up the tap I needed to chase the threads. Waste of time really as it turned out I also needed a special too to get the tap deep enough into the holes to do any good. Blowing them out with the Air Compressor would have to do.

On the way back from the store I stopped to get Kari her special drink, a Chai Latte with three extra shots of Vanilla. My Dad, Mom and I were talking on the way back from the coffee place and I didn't realize that I was sipping away at this candy bar like drink. By the time we got home I had finished 2/3's of it, Kari was none too happy.

We got the head bolted on easy enough, working on an Aluminum block engine is interesting though. Here's a little boring tech. Most Steel blocks the heads will be tightened down to 65 to 100 foot pounds everything on this little aluminum engine was 36 pounds or under. It just seems like the whole thing is just barely held together.

After getting the head on Dad and I started putting on the timing chain and a critical part that was going on with some difficulty broke. After trying to figure a way to get around it, we realized it was not possible and I had the shop that did the heads order a new one and overnight it to me. Another day waiting around but in the meantime we were able to complete almost all of the rest of the engine and save that area for last.

That night we all went out to the best restaurant EVER! Monte Ne' sounds french I know but it's not it's Arkanfrench. Mona Ne' is an area of Arkansas that used to be a town and a resort but when the state wanted to create Beaver lake it was one of the areas that was flooded to create it. The whole thing is now under water but occasionally when the lake is real low you can walk down in the ruins of the resort and amphitheatre. This guy did a nice job explaining it and putting pics up so go here http://jamesmskipper.tripod.com/jamesmskipper/MonteNe1.html.

But where we went they served food. Monte Ne' is a restaurant just outside of where the town used to be, they serve fried chicken, mashed potatoes with country gravy, green beans, corn and desert. All Family Style. I've heard 'family style' before but usually that means simply the portions are bigger or the atmosphere of the restaurant is a little country. Here it means there are no menus, no waiting to place your order. Sit down shut your mouth and eat what we serve you, that's family style! Oh yeah it was GOOOOOOOOOD. Of course the restaurant had the old rusted farmware hanging on the walls, you couldn't call it country without it.

Here's a pic at dinner from left to right around My Mom, Sis, Her Daughter, Her Husband, Kari, Jacob, Me and Dad.

We also celebrated Jacob's Birthday that night as my parents will be on the road on his actual birthday. Chocolate fudge cake, Blackberry and Peach Cobbler, and Ice Cream in a bucket came out. We were already stuffed but it was soo good. Price was reasonable, $100.00 for all of us and that price went perfect with the plastic table cloths.

So the next day was a big waiting game for the most part. I helped Adam pick up some brick and sand for some guys putting in steps at his house. We just sat around and watched them labor in the 99 degree heat with 85% humidity. I kinda felt bad for them, but I've been working in the same for the last 5 days so not too bad. About 4:00 the part arrived and I got back to thrashing.

Just after dinner at about 7:00 I was done, got it all together and it was the moment of truth. Cranked the engine, it fired and immediately the engine ran out of control as if the gas pedal was pushed through the floor. Shutting it off quickly we went through a bunch of things that night, I called friends for advice and other things but ultimately gave up. It got to the point where it was time to figure out how we were going to get home and what we were going to do with our POS.

Kari made some calls, and she has been such a trouper through all of this. Never complained, never got mad, and always stayed positive she simply got on the computer and phone and came up with the best option. That was to rent a Uhaul and car dolly and just go home. It would be less money than renting a car, we would get a full 7 days to get home and the only draw back was that the gas mileage wouldn't be good at all. It was about $300.00 less than renting a car.

So Saturday morning came and I still was uncertain but that morning as usual I was up before the rest of the house and was going over the pictures that were taken as we disassembled the engine. There I saw a bolt that didn't look right. Once I checked it out, I realized there was a support bracket attached to it and it was jammed under part of the intake manifold creating pressure so the intake although feeling like it was tightened down properly wasn't and left an air gap. That's our problem right there! HOPE, I love hope.

I release the bolts for the intake and bolt everything back on, another try and crossed fingers and wha la she starts and idles fine, except for the pile of blue smoke billowing out of the exhaust, engine bay and the ticking I can still here in the valve train. WTF I just fixed this I just paid $1,000 to someone to go through this head and order parts to fix this problem. Now it's Saturday and I can't even call him to ask him WTF. That's it throw in the towel somebody I'm out of time, just out of time. I know I can figure it out given some time but I've got no more. We got 1800 miles and Kari has got to be back home by Wed so I can't wait any longer.

So here I sit at a kitchen table just outside of Dallas TX. 350 miles down and a bunch to go looking at an empty 17 foot Uhaul with a car dolly that is getting us 8.5 mpg and trying not to think about what the last 1800 miles will cost in gas. We came down here to see Kari's cousin Marcia and she promised us some good Texas BBQ, and we had it. Shadey Oak BBQ. Not quite as good as BBKings but good all the same. Here I really liked the fried Okra.

With that lets do a quick food recap before I close this. Buffalo NY, forgot to get wings until we were in Ohio.... Duh. Memphis, BB Kings ribs, Beer and Hush Puppies, absolutely the best. Adam made smoked pulled pork the day we arrived in Arkansas, we ate that with different sides for 3 days it was AWESOME. Monte Ne' fried chicken family style, totally cool and good, CA should have some of these. Texas BBQ, Fried Okra rocked the house, I had the meat sampler but the ribs, beef and sausage were really just average. I could have eaten a whole plate of that okra.

Today we head for Roswell, NM on back roads through the middle of TX. Should be the longest 9 hours in a car I spend in my entire life. I'm going to try to get Kari to do another show or two during it, we also have the kid riding with us so who knows maybe he will do some podcasting too.