green stuff

last night i attacked the thermostat. replaced it with a new one and filed the hell out of the couple on the intake manifold (it's aluminum...soft...and after cleaning it i could see how scored and scratched and actually sloping it was) and the thermostat housing. they were both horribly crooked which definitely contributed to it leaking constantly. initially tried the foam gasket they gave me...that thing didn't even hold when i filled up the radiator again, piece of shit.

so i used RTV silicon instead....which is supposed to dry for 24 hours but i only gave it about 14...had to go to school ;) she seems to be holding...but i didn't tighten my rad hose tight enough, haha....dumb. so that was gushing a litle after i parked up a big hill...should be okay, though. comin' home it didn't even leak and i hadn't had a chance to tighten it yet. should be good now. heat's much more tame with the new sparkies anyway.

also readjusted my clutch. wasn't releasing completely...

AND drained that extra pint of oil. don'tkow if it makes a difference but i've been noticing that my PCV valve has an oil slick on it...i'm wondering if it's sucking up oil into the carb...that would explain the black smoke. but why now? i hope my valves aren't squirting too much...i hate adjusting those. last time i actually got oil in my mouth AND eye because (first time) i initially made them too tight. hydraulic lifts can REALLY SQUIRT if you give 'em enough pressure...man what a mess. could be my problem, although i can't imagine how that would happen.

meanwhile she's got a helluva lot more power these days. rough heating up...but it's been cold. i do have the choke wired wide open.

fun.