Cars

[gazerwolf]

I hate cars.

A side effect of being run off the road showed up last week.

Our power steering pump went out...first sign was a puff of smoke when turning sharply.

Way I figure it, is that the high pressure line got bent when we hit the curb and eventually leaked.

So when it quit working entirely the other day I went and got the parts (pump, both hoses.)

Today I put them on.

As usual when working on a car nothing would go right for a while.

First up...the fitting for the high pressure line won't come off the old pump. So I figure...well I'm replacing the pump and the lines too...I'll cut it.

That worked...got the pump out...just for fun (HA!) I tried to take it off after I got the pump out...still no go...matter of fact it is still attached.

So I trace both lines to the other end so  I can unhook them there.

Way under the van of course...hard to reach and no wrench moving room...I try anyway...can't get enough leverage. Besides, I don't have a wrench big enough so I'm using a little adjustable wrench....so it slides a bit if I put too much pressure on it.

I go in and tell Tracy I am going to walk to the nearest place that sells tools and get a bigger wrench.

I do.

Can't turn the wrench from underneath.

So I go in the house and complain to Tracy...she suggests I look in the book I bought to see if it says anything...

It didn't in the pump section, but it did mention something in the suspension section about removing the air breather stuff.

So out I go to do that...hoping that it will get me a better angle on those fittings.

Ok, gotta half crawl in the engine, but I can reach them, and I have a small amount of wrench room.

Not enough.

So I go in and complain again.

Tracy suggests that I google for a method of getting fittings loose.

I find someone suggesting cutting the lines and then using a ratchet wrench to get them.

After kicking myself for not thinking of that (considering I had already cut the other end of one line)

So I get out my reciprocating saw crawl under the car and make quick work of one line...the other I can't reach with the saw...so I get that one with a small hand saw (dull of course...so it takes forever)

Then I jerk the lines out.

Then I get a ratchet on one of the lines from the top...and can't turn it...these things have been soaking in penetrating oil for over an hour at this point and I still can't turn them.

So I dig out the old hollow broom handle that I tried with the wrench before....push up on it and it moves easily....so I pull it out reach down and use my fingers to take the fitting out...

The second one comes out just as easily.

I had a little trouble getting the new fitting from the high pressure line threaded into the new pump, but eventually I got that in.

Of course it got colder, and started snowing while I was working.

My hands hurt and I'm still cold.

I hate cars.