Winter Doldrums

["TJ Noto" <tj@domain.elided>]

Any of you following the Alfa Restoration on my website have no doubt
noticed that updates have ceased.  Sadly, this is because much of the
work has ceased too.  Some of it I can blame on the holidays, some of it
I can blame on my BMW which has a gearbox leak that I've been trying to
fix.  Some of it I can blame on lack of space as my wife's Z3 doesn't do
too well sitting in torrential downpours for days on end and we like to
keep it in the garage.  With only a two car garage, and the CS and 4
motorcycles taking up much of the space, there's certainly no room for
the Alfa.  I did roll the little bugger back in to the garage the other
day as we had a dry spell for a day or two and I got the rear bumper
off.  It's really cool how light that thing is (the bumper and the
entire car for that matter).

Yesterday I received my engine block adaptor from Jim Steck at Auto
Componenti that allows the Alfa block to be mounted to the Harbor
Freight Engine stand I have in a really slick fashion.  It picks up the
three studs for one of the engine mounts which then allows the block to
turn end over end (rather than longitudinally like usual).  The piece is
beautifully made and very strong, and again, the lightness of the Alfa
mill allowed me to pick it up myself and slide it in to the engine stand
yoke.

Now I was able to get to the bolts that hold the oil pan on very easily.
I spun the block around (upside down now) and removed the oil pan pieces
and quickly moved them to the solvent tank.  There is something so
satisfying about taking a part coated in dirt and grease and cleaning
it.  The solvent tank makes the job that much more satisfying.  A few
weeks ago I got a brush which is connected to a rubber hose which slides
over the end of the solvent 
faucet which now allows me to scrub and douse in solvent simultaneously,
which is nice.

I'm hoping to get the engine disassembled this weekend and I'll make
sure to make pictures of the process and results.

Go 49ers!

Regards,
TJ

TJ Noto		AFM #134  	Cowpoke Racing-"Friends in Slow Places"
http://www.cowpokeracing.com
95 Ducati 916 Strada
96 Ducati Monster 900 (Chela's)
61 Ducati Falcone 80			
70 Norton Commando Fastback	
73 BMW 3.0 CS ("deviated from museum reliquary standard"-Perez)
97 BMW Z3 (Chela's)
77 Mercedes 280C (Mimosa)
67 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GT Veloce	
00 Ford F150 Supercab		
87 Suzuki RG250 (For Sale!)
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