What A Lazy Day

Yay!!  I got the call from the radiator shop that the radiator is good and ready for pick up on Thursday.  Since I never get off of work on time, and even if I did leave at 5pm then I still wouldn't make it to get my radiator, I arranged to pick it up on Friday morning before work.  My repair guy brought it out and I really didn't believe that it was mine.  It is so beautiful!!  See the picture below.  It was in great shape for its age and it got boiled and cleaned and patched up a bit at a crease and then a fresh coat of paint. 

Gorgeous!!

$72.00 !!

I couldn't very well put an immaculate radiator back into a filthy engine much less put a disgusting fan cover back onto its fresh radiator.  So the bigger issue will be of course cleaning the engine compartment.  The more attainable goal at present was to clean up the fans and the fan cover.  If you remember it looked pretty bad: peeling cracking paint, a little rusty, greasy as all get out...  I finally cracked open the bottle of degreaser and went to town on the cover.  It was gross (but not as bad as the center rail that I tackled later).  I scrubbed and scrubbed as much as I could.  I couldn't soak the cover in the degreaser because of the electrical hookups on it and due to its size.  I don't have a container that big.  I finally decided the clean up was sufficient and hosed it off.  I took the fans off and wiped them down.  I then spray-painted the cover the silver Rustoleum that I bought for the wheels.  Hmmm.  It was a lot shinier than I had thought, I guess I'll be rollin' bling-y rims. 

Whatever, the radiator looks amazing now!!



BEFORE



AFTER



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Collin and I opened shop and had a yard sale today as well.  Both of us were up before dawn.  Collin arrived here a little after 6am and we went all around the neighborhood and further to hang up the 17 yard sale signs that we made last night in very strategic locations.

Then Collin masterfully manuevered the Hondamatic backwards down the driveway and to the left around the curb corner to perfectly parallel park on the street using only the e-brake.  Remember, no engine.
We loaded all of our disposable possessions into the now empty driveway and proceeded to make some money. 
We had a fairly good turnout despite the fact that my street is somewhat difficult to find and no one has ever heard of it.
I took some pictures of the engine compartment with the sun actually shining on it.  It looks a lot different with more light.  We tried to get some work done while in the midst of the sale but we kept getting pleasantly interrupted.  Most of the work on the Hondamatic was done after 3pm.
Oh, and Collin sold his own  '98 Honda Accord.  So I will be riding my bike to work for the forseeable future.  All the more reason to get the Hondamatic up and running as soon as possible.

I ended up cleaning not only the radiator fan and cover but also various bolts that Collin was taking out of the engine trying to to get the block out.  As I mentioned earlier I cleaned up the center rail.  It was NASTY.  I was (wearing gloves and with my cloth) literally scratching off 2cm thick goop and gunk.  Grooooossssss.  It looked good when I was done though.  Got those bolts cleaned too.  Collin put it back on to support the transmission when he tried to get the block off it.  That didn't really work out.  The block will not come off.  There are only a couple of things hindering the removal, but that's really enough.  But we got the starter and the oil pan out.  I cleaned up the oil pan nuts and bolts. 
But it was getting dark and we needed to clean up the sale and run around and change the dates and times on the 17 yard sale signs.  And eat dinner and clean up and then sleep. 
It was nice though.  Althought our yard sale was officially over at 3pm we did get some stragglers until 7 or so since we just left the stuff out.

In the sun from the left

In the sun from the right