Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Alternate(or) Reality

Life's a journey. Sorting out a Landy is too. Both don't happen immediately or easily.

Take the Alternator issue. Seems my new battery is being worn down rather quickly and it's the alternator's fault (we think). There was a spare in one of the boxes, so I started to haul the old one out. It's now taken 3 days!

You see, I started it on the weekend (along with a couple other odd jobs), then realized the bolts were too tight to move. So sprayed on something to loosen them up and left them to soak. Next day - rain! No chance to work.

Today, by some fluke of luck, we were given the afternoon off. And the rest of the afternoons this week. So back to the alternator I went. And this time the bolts moved. Yay! Got it out, compared it to the new one... and noticed a couple of fitting issues. So I spent the entire afternoon fiddling with connections between bolts and holes, trying to find a way to both fit it in, and get it into a position where the fan belt runs straight and tight enough.

So far no luck. Darn. Along with trying, I also sat and looked at it, lay underneath and looked at it, stood and looked at it, and then also sat on a jerrycan and thought. These things take time, you see! :)

But there's tomorrow. I can always get it right then. And will also be making a turn past some folk who can check out the old one for me to quote on reconditioning or replacing (as a spare).

In the meantime the kid says I smell of fuel and oil again... :) He'd better get used to it! That's the scent of the journey.

No comments: