10.2.2026

 I had errands to do today (in the new car!) and when I got home, Jim had gotten the other cam shaft on...

The head looks SO nice - compare it with how it looked when Jim was taking it apart...

Valve covers are on!

High 70.6/Low 62.2

10.1.2026

 

This was one of those days that didn't go quite according to plan.  Yesterday afternoon when I went down to pick up some packages out of the drop box, I noticed that the UPS man had decided to turn his big truck around in our yard!  This is the second time in recent weeks that this has happened.  I spent way too long online and on the phone trying to lodge a complaint, to no avail.  I called again today and the agent said he would escalate the issue and I would receive a call back.  Not even an hour later, someone pulled up to the house.  Thankfully, Jim talked to him, but it was a UPS person from the local distribution center.  He said he would be talking to the driver and his supervisor - it was apparently a temp - and gave us his contact info.  But all that took a while.

Then Jim and I went for a drive around the block just to talk over some of the car features.  He didn't get to drive it besides a quick test drive at the dealer, so it was fun.  But as things would go, he also made a Craigslist sale today, so by the time we got home from the drive, he had to get ready to go meet this person.  Who never showed.  Jim waited well over 30 minutes before calling it quits and coming home.

By then, the day was practically over, but Jim wanted to do some work on the engine.  He got the other side of the water bypass pipe sealed and attached...

The other cylinder head is on!  So even with a discombobulated day, Jim got lots done!

High 67/Low 54.7

9.30.2026

We bought a new-to-us car - a 2024 Mini Clubman!  Jim has been searching for the right car for quite a while, as my Suzuki is 14 years old.  We wanted small and AWD, which is a really hard combination to find.  2024 is the last year of the Clubman's, which is the model we like.  Jim found the perfect car and I love it!  Because they stopped making manual transmissions in 2019, this is an automatic so there's a steep learning curve involved.  Neither Jim nor I have ever had a car with an automatic transmission!  

Now Jim and I have almost matching Minis!

Back in the shop, Jim continued working on putting together the block.  Attaching the oil pump...

Jim had to get very creative to find a new seat for the water bypass pipe.  This is the old seal...

The seal has to be heat resistant and Jim couldn't find a readymade replacement.  So he bought a block of this seal - it came in a 12" block which he had to cut in half twice to get it to the right thickness.  Trying it out...

He used some of the adhesive we used for attaching insulation to the cold-formed steel...

Attaching...

Installed! 

 

9.27 - High 61.6/Low 55.9
9.28 - High 57.7/Low 55.8
9.29 - High 58/Low 55.6
9.30 - High 62.8/Low 54.6

9.26.2026

Yesterday, Jim had a mid-day appointment with another doctor at the cornea specialist office.  She took the contact bandage off and said that the eye had healed from the surgery and there were no more open areas.  He no longer has to take the antibiotic eye drop and can start slowly weaning off the steroid drop.  They keep stressing that it takes about 6 weeks for total healing, so we're trying not to judge results yet and praying that it works!

We stopped at a Toyota dealership while we were down in the Albany area, but they didn't have the o-ring that Jim was looking for.  

It's a quiet, rainy day today.  Jim has been cleaning up bolts and getting ready for the next car job, as well as doing some normal maintenance on our other cars - tire pressure, fluid levels, etc.

We'll be getting ready for church before long!

9.25 - High 71.8/Low 47
9.26 - High 63.5/Low 55.5

9.24.2026

Both cam shafts off.  Everything has to be put back in exactly the same order, so he has markings on them to help him reassemble...

Torquing down the head bolts.  You can see he has tape marking what order this process needs to be done; it also has to be done incrementally.  

Putting the first cam shaft in place...

Putting engine lube on...

Putting the cam shaft bearings in place...

First cam shaft installed...

Both cam shafts installed!

High 65.2/Low 41.7

9.23.2026

Jim was back in the shop today - here he's putting the engine mounts on and torquing bolts...

New water pump...

One cylinder head on!  Jim's really happy with the work the engine shop did.  Surfaces nicely resurfaced and everything clean...

He has to take the cam shafts off so that he can get to the head boots - one off...

He stopped at this point to cut some grass - it's still growing strong!

High 66.6/Low 43.9

9.22.2026

It's very appropriate that today is the first day of Fall, because this morning is the first day our heat came on for a bit!

Jim got the block all unwrapped this morning...

Jim has some tools that have one purpose and one purpose only.  This is one of those - a pilot bearing puller.  He's replacing this bearing so has to get the old one out...

Success!  Now the tool can go back in the tool chest until it's needed again!

Time to get the block on the engine stand.  He used the engine hoist to lift it up...

Then connected the block to the engine stand...

All good to go!

Now comes the putting together of all these million parts.  Plus, he'll discover which new parts he needs.  He ordered a specific o-ring from a Toyota dealer and thought it was going to be shipped, but we have to pick it up.  So while he could use it now, it will wait until we're down in that area on Friday for his eye doctor appointment.  

Rear seal housing on...

High 64.6/Low 45.7