<VV> Turbo Odyssey Part 7 -- Quickie Update

[Norman C. Witte]

Wednesday night I bought an engine hoist.  Not a tool in that many Vair
owner's garages, I figure it to be handy for a bunch of jobs other than
taking motors out of the top of cars. How unnatural!

I put this big blue beast together and then picked up my grunge encrusted
powertrain with it:

www.wittelaw.com/personal/turbo/IMG_4182.JPG

Eeeew.

Once I had it up in the air, the lower shrouds came off (what a crusty
mess!) as did the exhaust manifolds and cross over.

Next step was to pull the back seat out of the Suburban, put down a whole
bunch of blue plastic tarps, and then wheel the powertrain into the truck.

Then I folded the hoist up, and shoved it in the back of the truck--the
wrong way.  Out it came, turned it around and then it fit just fine:

www.wittelaw.com/personal/turbo/IMG_4184.JPG

  Thursday I had an eviction trial (day two with the tenant from Hell) in
Rockford, just north of Grand Rapids.  Dan Konkle, a WMCC member who is
going to be rebuilding the powertrain, lives about five minutes from
Rockford, so after the trial (another one bites the dust) I headed for Dan's
place.  We unloaded the cherry picker, unloaded the powertrain, and loaded
in a dummy powertrain to be installed in the car while it's in the body
shop.  I got the thing home, bolted together the transaxle and the empty
block that Dan loaned me, and wonder of wonders it balanced almost perfectly
on the cherry picker, hanging from the eyehole in the top of the bell
housing.  Simple minds are easily amused.  Now if I could just get the
garage clean...

Windshield needs to be pulled, engine compartment needs to lose the voltage
regulator, insulation, shroud seal, and the kick panels need to come out.
Rear seat belts need to be removed.  Then the dummy powertrain goes in, the
engine lid support comes out, the car hits the ground, and it's off to the
media blaster.  Can I get all this done this weekend?  Doubtful.

Norm Witte