Just checking in so to speak. It's been along time since I've written anything about the truck. He remains a project ready to be started or should I say finished.

 The 2500 is still waiting to be worked on as well.

 There is much work to be done on the 1997 truck.


I recently purchased a 1994 Silverado Z 71 4x4 from a guy at work for $500. Same type engine (5.7 L/350) as in the 1997 and 2000 trucks.

Moving the old rust bucket

The Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria



thats not really what they are named.

Anyhow, I need to move the rusty old 1975 truck from the apartments (where it has been since 2001) to the new house I bought.  Since it has the carborator off, no battery, and has not been started in years it may be better to just tow it.  The 2500 truck could pull it the 40 miles but I need a flatbed trailer. we will see.

Mazda

Bought 1998 Mazda 626 LX with 197,000 miles May 2013. 2 liter DOHC 4 cyl. Dec 2013 replace alternator and both belts Jan 9. Replace power steering pump. 202,000 miles How old is timing belt??

December.

75 Silverado. Have failed to make headway on carb. Need a hard to get vacuum operated choke actuator. 97 Silverado: swapped out rear tires from the 75 truck. They were worn down to no edge tread (from front end wear). Tires on 75 truck have huge tread but are 10 years old and cracking. Should have done this years ago. Front tires to be swapped soon. Saturn: new starter installed. Valve cover gasket set bought but not installed. Trailer: A 20 ft double axle enclosed trailer. I had to move it about quarter mile to new spot at apartment complex. Two of the tires so old and rotted they won't hold air. Jack up an axle and block it up to make them appear full. just need to look in a local ditch for newer tires. I don't need hardly any tread for now.

Oct-Nov

97 Silverado: the drivers door was sagging with age. I bought new hinge bushings and pins. Put the vehicle jack under the open door, removed the pins and replaced the bushings. The spring came out and that became a real problem when I tried to get it back in. Bushings got sort of smashed and somehow I managed to get it all back together after removing the pins yet again and jacking up door with spring compressed. About 2 to 3 hours. Needed a spring compressor. Auto part store didn't have one. Then the door still would not open up from inside hardly at all. I was yanking on the handle and it broke. Bought new handle assembly. 75 Silverado: I had bought a carburetor rebuild kit a couple months ago. Just took the carb off and took it inside. Can rebuild inside where it is warm. Saturn. It got hit early October in drivers side low speed. It was technically a total but i retained it. Totally drivable. Body panels cracked-they are plastic. Then passenger side broke out-stole iphone. New passenger glass. Next rear drivers side small triangular window broken out. Bang smash smash.

Blog expanded to include all vehicles

I am highjacking this blog to include my entire fleet. The Red Green truck (1997 Chevy Silverado, 2WD, 350 engine). Green truck with a red (maroon) cap by A.R.E. Company. My dad and I liked the Red Green show on PBS. Also the 1995 Saturn SL2. It has about 208,000 miles on it. The motor is in poor condition, but trying to keep it going. Uses lots and lots of oil. It survived a year or so with Jessica and now Kristen is abusing- I mean using it. Got new front tires on it a few months ago $200. The shocks are worn out though. Alignment unknown.  On the Saturn recently (sept 1st) we replaced the headliner. Been ripped to shreds for years. Took several hours if not 3 or 4. Fabric from Walmart ($6). Spray adhesive from Advance Auto $12.  Kristen found over $4 under the rear seat.  Then I replaced the fuel filter. I have had a new one for maybe 3 years but never installed it. Hopefully this will end the stalling Kristen has encountered lately.  Red green Truck 9/14/12 Friday: a problem that has been getting worse over 4 years. Yes it was noted on a repair report 4 years ago that left rear wheel cylinder was leaking. In the last year I began adding brake fluid to reservoir.  By now it had covered the shoes with fluid so bad it was not  working at all. Truck pulls to the right when stopping.  I replaced both rear brake wheel cylinders ($22). Went smoothly. Did not have to remove the springs or shoes at all. Near the end of job a small squirt of brake fluid got in my eye. Rushed into bathtub and flushed my eye. It seems ok. Then I bled the brakes. Road test. Ok but still the brakes are a little spongy. Always have been slugish or not very crisp. The pull to the right is now much less. May take a while to get fluid off shoes.   Saturday. Replaced the spark plugs with Bosch platinum 2. Test and can't tell a difference. Old plugs ( AC Delco ) looked pretty good despite the age of the engine and miles put on them. Plugs were about $16 a few years ago when I bought them.  Off to Walmart. Bought 2x5 quarts of oil and 4 oil filters. $50.  Oil and filter change. Took out the 5000 mile old synthetic and put in Valvoline NexGen MaxLife 10W30. It is made with recycled oil. They say it is better than crude oil for a basis to make new oil. Plus it "closes the loop". It is in the green bottles. Also I upgraded the filter to a Fram Toughguard with 6x protection. Supposed to trap more particles. I want the engine to last a long time. At 182,000 miles now.  While under the engine I see oil leaking from the front seal area. It can wait.  Took almost 20 quarts and 5 oil filters to Walmart for recycling.  By the way this summer I had to pay $1,100 for a new fuel pump on the redgreen. Dealership did the job. I replaced the little pump but it still kept not starting so I gave up. They found a short in the pump module and replaced the whole thing. Had to tow it once to Firestone and again to dealer. rental car cost about $200. About $1,500 total for the ordeal. Fuel pump went out in Atlanta about 3 years ago at the airport. Rental car and repair cost about $1,500 then.  Pray for my fuel pump.  Sunday 9/16/12 Anyhow the antifreeze or coolant replacement has been overdue for years. I have had all the supplies for 6 months now. About $25 for 2 gallons of new plus a little jug of Zerex super flush. Took from 2-8 pm doing this. 

Feb 15 to 28 work.

Feb 17 went to Minute Clinic at CVS and diagnosed with strep. Went to get penicillin and go home. Watch Pink Panther movies and sleep.  So not much work going on. 

Est Feb 19 had some strength and energy. Decided to try and free the brake line for driver side rear brake wheel cylinder.  Sprayed it with WD40 first. Took the line wrench, put it on the fitting and clamped a vice grip around it to keep it from spreading and stripping the fitting. It worked!  Just turned it a bit and snugged it back up. Ready for the swap now. 

Est Feb 22. Took the battery out from apartment, installed and tried to start it. I pumped gas pedal 4 times. It would turn over but not fire. I pumped it 8x and it tried to run but very low RPM a bit then die. I took air cleaner off and saw choke plate was flat across blocking air. I unjammed it and recranked. It eventually fired. I think choke plate is the problem. 

The radiator cap is still cracked open (but not off) so the coolant system won't get over pressurized. I let it warm up then drove it to the mail box .35 miles away. The brake light stays on indicating brake system failure. The brakes are still not working right but with great force will stop the truck. So on the way back I punched the gas pedal to get the RPM down right before I went up a steep pitch. It stalled out. I couldn't start it. Uh oh. I got out and took air cleaner off. Yep, choke had closed off air flow. Opened it up and got it started. Whew. 

Est Feb 25 bought another rear brake wheel cylinder at O'reilly's.  

Feb 28
Driver side rear brake wheel cylinder was installed, brake parts reassembled drum and wheel installed. Kristen came to help a bit to put wheel back on and we went in for supper. 

Next? She may help me bleed the brakes yet again; keep flushing out the old fluid. I may need to take off the brake part that has the sensor in it. Disassemble and clean it up. The other front brake line fitting has a stuck fitting so I may end up replacing another hard line. 

The brake system just keeps being the same topic over again. But it must work right and it has been so neglected for years and maybe decades!  If I have to replace every component, I will. Maybe the brake pedal can stay. Oh wait the rubber cover on it is worn down too ...