Stephen H. Long Trail 1819 — 1820

Day 5: August 28th, 2008 Pittsburgh (Car Work)

Today I woke already up at 5am and was not able to fall asleep anymore. Therefore I start to repack my suitcase. When I open my trolley I see a note from TSA that they have searched my luggage. I assume it was the car pod that looked suspicious to them. But this also means, that they haven’t opened my luggage the years before. What really puzzles me now is, why have I lost the luggage straps in the past years…

After breakfast I check my emails. Then I start my shopping trip. First I drive over to my Chevrolet dealer in Wexford to get the broken mount for the hood fastener. They have it on stock and it just costs 1.46 Dollar!

But they don’t have the cover for the coolant overflow reservoir. Alternatively they suggest to check at Pep Boys. I say thank you and drive over to Home Depot first. There I buy the tooth lock washers and a couple of screws for my roof rack. Then I continue to Wal–Mart. There I buy the silicone sealant for my transmission oil pan and some water. Again, I forget my power cord and kitchen towels and I haven’t seen some shoe polish.

The next stop is at Pep Boys to get the cover. Indeed, they have one on stock. Hopefully this one will really fit. My last stop is at Radio Shack where I get antenna cable, mount and connectors. Fitted with all this stuff I drive back to Helen and put on my working clothes.

Around 11am I finally arrive at David’s. Because my transmission is still hot I screw my roof rack together with the new tooth locker washers first. They fit perfectly. Then I drill the mounts for my CB antenna. Also this looks really great! Seems like everything works out swimmingly. In the end I replace the mount for the hood fastener and mount the new coolant overflow reservoir cover.

Also this fits and I start the big job. First I must take off the skid plate. Then I continue with the cross member. This one is so under pressure that I try to get the pressure first off with a wrench. While doing this I realize that OK4WD has almost killed the lower screw. But I am just able to get it open again!

However, I halloo to soon, because due to the lift kit installation the torsion bars are now below the crossmember and it is not easy to get the crossmember out anymore. After working around for a while I have no other choice than to remove the rubber buffer below the transmission. Then I am just able to get the crossmember out.

Then the messy part start. Slowly I open the oil pan screws and as already expected the fluid drains everywhere. It is almost impossible to place the funnel in a way that it collects everything. The oil also runs over me until the level is so far down that I am able to completely unscrew the oil pan.

This one is pretty heavy with all the oil and it almost slipped out of my hands. But I am able to manage this and thanks to the reworked exhaust system it can now easily be removed. I also realize that it would have been possible to mount one which has a bigger volume. But now it is too late. This is something I can do next time.

In the end the messy stuff with the filter starts. The filter can be removed some sort of okay, but the seal still sticks within the tube again. With a tip I bend it together in a way that I am eventually able to remove it.

Mission accomplished! Now it is time to mount everything back together. First I clean the oil pan. Indeed, the metal abrasion worries me a bit. But maybe it is due to having a new transmission and everything must break in first. Then I put the silicone sealant on the frame and glue the seal on top. The excessive silicone will be wiped away.

Then I insert the new filter. Also this works out without any issues. Finally I screw the oil pan on. Unfortunately two of the threads are damaged in a way, that it is hard to get the screws in. I would have been glad, if I would have my old transmission back. But all the moaning does not help, I have to stick with this one now.

According to the manual, the silicone must dry at least for an hour first. Then I must retighten the screws again. I use the time to do the oil change on the transfer case. Also this works out without any issues and because there is still time left, I continue my work on the roof rack.

Then I fill up the transmission and check if everything stays sealed. Up to now everything ran smoothly. So I let the truck down on the lift. It is still pretty early and I use the remaining time of this day to screw on the CB antenna and to final mount the two offroad lights, which I temporary mounted for testing before.

With this last job I call it a day and start my way back home. But before I make a brief stop at David’s house and to my surprise Helen is there. David is at a football game and she cleans the house in the meantime. To go out for dinner will be too late for her. But I can go where I want to.

I drive back home and jump under the shower to get rid of all the transmission oil on my skin and hairs. Then I drive to my beloved Outback Steakhouse for the first time this year. As usual I order my 9oz Outback Special. But they don’t have the Thousand Island dressing anymore. Therefore I try something new with a french name. But even after asking twice, I don’t really understand the name of this dressing.

The service is pretty okay and around a quarter past nine I pay and start my drive back. When I arrive at home I first do my bookkeeping. Then I continue writing my diary. Finally I check my emails before I go to bed around 11pm.