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

 

9.21.2026

 

Can't believe it's the last day of summer, although fall is definitely in the air around here, from the temperatures to the changing leaves.

It's also World Peace Day, which definitely deserves a mention and prayer.

Jim's been busy still working on getting things ready for putting the car back together when the block gets here.  He headed out after lunch to go to the engine shop to pay the bill and set up delivery.  Once he got home, he decided to clean the wheels on the 4Runner.  The right is before, the left after...

The inside difference is even more amazing...

Spraying the cleaner...

The guy at the engine shop said he would bring the block, which was so wonderful.  He had it all tied down in the back of his truck, and then Jim brought the Bobcat bucket over...

This guy was really impressed with the house and the auto bay, especially the car lift.  Once he left, Jim brought the Bobcat into the auto bay...

Moving it out of the bucket...

Taking a peek...looks amazing!  Tomorrow he'll get it on the engine stand.  So nice that it's back home!

9.19 - High 62.3/Low 45.3
9.20 - High 56.3/Low 46.3
9.21 - High 60.2/Low 48.6

9.18.2026

We headed back to the cornea specialist this morning.  Jim was so happy to get the bandage off that kept his left eye mostly closed.  The doctor removed the contact bandage but put another one on just for protection.  We have another appointment next week to see if they can remove that contact.  The films just dissolve, usually within 2-5 days.  She stressed that his vision will still be blurry - it takes 6 weeks for complete healing.  But Jim's vision, even with the blurriness seems somewhat improved, so we are cautiously optimistic!

He got cleared for most activities, although he still has to keep water away from his eye when showering.  All of the drops continue as well, but now Jim can put them in himself.

Goggles on, he did some grass cutting this afternoon...

 

High 71.9/Low 61.7

9.17.2026

Jim had his eye procedure done yesterday.  I got to sit in the office and watch and - whew - nothing like clamping your eye open and scraping it with a metal file.  Jim was a tough soldier though.  After the scraping, the doctor put multiple layers of film over the eye and then a contact lens bandage, all followed by the bandage on the eye lid to keep the eye closed as much as possible.  

The doctor warned him that after the numbing drops wore off, it would probably be painful.  He prescribed pain meds and told him to be sure and take them round the clock for the 24 hours to stay on top of it.  In addition, he was prescribed two eye drops - one a steroid and the other an antibiotic.  

Jim has tolerated everything really well and isn't in much pain.  It's more the feeling of strain and something in your eye as opposed to the pain they warned us about.  He wasn't supposed to do much at all for the first couple days, trying to limit eye movement as much as possible.  Getting drops in the eye when it's mostly shut is not the easiest, but we've managed to get them in.

We go back to the doctor tomorrow.  Complete healing and surface regeneration takes about 6 weeks.  They've said his vision will be very blurry while he has the protective films on.  

We're very glad it's over and are praying that it works to eliminate the ghost images that have really affected his vision. 

As these things go, Jim got a call this afternoon that the engine shop has the block all done!  Unfortunately, it's going to have to wait until next week but it's nice that it's all ready to go.

9.15 - High 67.8/Low 43.9
9.16 - High 71.2/Low 55.2
9.17 - High 67.2/Low 59.5

9.14.2026

 Jim continues to work on parts - he's refurbishing the old hand plane he got from my printer who was retiring and going through her things.  This looks amazing - he's getting ready to paint it.

High 66.5/Low 55.4

9.13.2026

Jim has continued to work on cleaning and painting parts...

 In addition, he has done some lawn mowing and trimming.

9.12 - High 73.9/Low 46.7
9.13 - High 75.1/Low 60.7