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.

Had an interesting morning.


I was taking starsongky to work and then I was planning to run some errands.

We were on our way down midland avenue in the right lane when the huge truck in the left lane decided to change lanes.....while he was beside me.

I hit the brakes so that he could pass me but I only hit them lightly.. and I steered a bit to the right to avoid getting hit.

Hit a storm sewer....flattened one tire and scraped up both rims on that side.

So I get out and start changing the flat...about that time a guy pulls up and tells me that he had seen the whole thing and had gotten the company name and license number of the truck. He gave me his card and said he would be available if I needed a witness, and he suggested calling the police.

I did just that, and went back to working on my flat.

About the time I figured out my spare tire wouldn't fit the police officer arrived.

She let me know that since I wasn't hit by the truck and I only have liability insurance that filing a police report woudn't do any good...and that seeking restitution from the company would be a civil matter....couldn't even get the guy for reckless driving...the incident would have to be seen by an officer.

So back to trying to fix the flat...with no spare tire.

We wound up trudging back up midland to a tire place on winchester road.

sigh...

And the company that the guy told me owned the truck isn't in the phone book....