[Richard and Rhonda]

It runs.

It was a balmy 28 yesterday, and 22 today, with six inches or snow on the ground, so I thought it would be a good weekend to work on the engine. Just to add to the ambiance, it snowed most of the morning.

I got her cranked at 5:17 this afternoon, not that I'm counting or anything.

Here are the numbers.

Parts $1800, including the head gasket I bought twice. Head gasket, cam/main/con rod bearings, oil pan gasket, one liner, valve cover gasket, oil, coolant
New tools. 400, including the cherry picker
Clothes that need to be burned, two sets including one pair of insulated overalls.
Days to disassemble 3
Days to reassemble 6, including the two days of putting the head on, takeing it off to check the liner, and putting it back on
Bolts left over Zero Plastic bags and sharpies are miracle workers


After assembly, I had to bar the engine several revolutions to set the valves and injectors, so I was pretty safe in thinking nothing was locked up. I also was meticulous in makeing timeing marks, so I was pretty sure the cam didn't get out of sorts. The big problem is loosing prime on the fuel system, and the fact that you drain the fuel rail going to the injectors when you take the head off. I tried pumping some fuel in the fuel line with a small pump I had, but no dice.

I used the starter just on a whim that it might self prime. After five or six trys. Nope. So, I thought about a trick I picked up from another site. Use a bug sprayer, fill with diesel, and cobble the discharge into the fuel line. So off to Lowes I went.

On a lark, I hit the starter when I got back just for grins. Hmmmmmm, I thought I heard one cylinder hit. Wait a minute for the starter to cool, and hit it again. Bingo, missed for a couple of revs and then smoothed right out.

I will confess, I did call Rhonda with the din of engine in the background. She has been very patient with time I have put into this.

So far no leaks and no issues. If the weather will hold, I take a nice long drive tomorrow.

I been jonesin to drive the bus.