Did you ever take on a project and realize its going south and with each thing you touch ever driving the truck again retreats like a top fuel dragster. I took on the 4" turbo back and fass pump replacment during my 2 days off last week. A true newbie, I was a bit intimidated but anxious to tap the majic pump wire with my 2 month old edge with juice.
Cut the exhaust in 4 pieces and couldnt get the exhaust down tube bolts loose with any of my limited supply of tools as the work are was too confined. decided to remove the ehaust plate from the turbo housing only five bolts and I could just get em on my work bench with a vice, no sweat. first bolt turns about half a turn and then wedges tight... I ease back back and forth to get it loose... I spray with penetrant and move on to the next one... . same thing... only it turns a couple turns first. spray and move on the the third... . it wont budge. I apply a little more force than the last to get it started and it simply twists off... . wedging it in the socket... . (some sweet cussing is strung togather by this point) after a short 10 min I have the socket free of obstruction... . more spray for all remaining 4 bolts. I try the next one and miraculously I hold it in my hand with nothing wedged in the socket... newfound confidence I return back to bolt #1 it also will not go past 1/2 turn and after I ease in with just the right pressure I get the sick feel of a bolt head twisting off... I ease off and examine the bolt whose head now rests on the end of the threads at as if it were growing toward the sun... . (much more colorful cussing) I put the little remaining force to finish the job and put the bolt out of its misery... . and promptly wedge the bolt in the socket... . 6 min and I have it free... second bolt keeps up the agony and also snaps off... . last remaining bolt in some crazy planetary alignment... . turns out easier than any other one... . well 3 bolts broke off in a turbo housing is not a good begining to any project.
I decide the karmic wind is blowing too hard against me ever completeing the exhaust so I move on to the fass. I cant use my 18 volt drill because the battery wouldnt hold a charge... a quick trip to Home Depot aught to be able to fix that... find batteries... !!!!!!$85!!!!!!!
I almost punch the salesman. I can buy the drill and all for a little over a $100..... I leave trailing steam from my ears. I find the drill will hold about 45 seconds drill time..... takes 30 min to get it charged between uses. I get the holes drilled in just 3 short hours. In between I wrestle most of the exhaust out and proceded to pin my arm with the muffler against the frame and reinjure my wrist for the umpteenth time. It is also the only hand that has a chance of ever getting that infernal clip on the fuel line off the fitting and I swear at this point I can hear someone laughing at me and pokin in another needle in my voodoo doll. :{
I take a football players dose of Motrin and crawl back for more. Instructions of Fass are a bit short on detail on both a way to disconnect the fuel line and the filter/pump connection plumbing. I purchase a set of fuel line disconnect tools and waste 2 hrs trying in vain to get them to fit and work... . in despiration I pick up a curled sawsall blade, left over from exhaust disection, that had been poking me in the back and slip it under the clip and with a press of the top side the most beautiful sound in the world is the click of that line releasing. Oo. So happy I dont notice the fuel that dripped on my face... and shirt... . and arm. I give up at this point with a small victory and retire to collapse in bed... after wife insists on shower due to aforementioned fuel spill. next day is spent removing turbo and removing bolts from housing... . lots of cussin and drilling and easyouting and thread chasing and they are out. reinstall turbo and collapse in bed. Thankfully I have to work for the next 6 days so I get a break... this last Wednesday I am off again and all goes as I had hoped the whole job would have. I complete the wiring and plumbing of the Fass and after trimming to fit the new 4" hangs as it should. I tap the pump and prime the lines and then I test fire... . all is well and sounds really cool. I wash up and get in to take a test drive. Dead pedal almost makes me cry. I remove the throttle position housing I had removed to tap the pump and see that I have unpluged the electrical connection... Oo. easy fix. I drive around and realize that all I have been through is SO WORTH IT. Sorry this was so long but I figured it might give a few a chuckle as you remember being trapped as I was by takin on more than you should... . I wont take on more than one bomb at a time from now on... . thanks for all the help and support I was given along the way and I love the new power...
Wayne
ps I am considering purchase of a 55 gal drum of oil to secure a low cost source of the hard to find CL-4plus please let me know if you are interested in splitting cost with me. I have the hand pump at my house and am courting suppliers at the moment and would love to have some help moving this. Might even sponsor a service party at my house if enough are interested...
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