Went Fishin’ Last Night

While driving Ringo yesterday, there were two issues (I use this word a lot in my blogs) I sensed. First, my ears heard a strange clicking from the engine. Second, my nose smelled gas. When I arrived home after my evening commute, I left the motor running while I popped open the engine lid. The sound seemed to emanate from the fuel pump, so I pushed down on it, and the noise went away – good, tightening a loose mounting bolt is an easy fix for a change. After dinner I went back out to the curb, wrenches and work-light in hand, to address the issue (there I go again). I loosened the jam nut, tightened the bolt, and re-torqued the jam nut. With the engine running again, I confirmed the noise was permanently gone. While sticking my ear near the engine, my nose picked up the scent of the aforementioned gas. My new issue (!!!) was the fuel pump was leaking. ARRRGH! I knew Luna wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, so I cannibalized the convertible to get a GUP pump for Ringo. While installing the replacement pump, I carelessly placed one of the wrenches atop the fan. Wouldn’t you know it I then bumped it and helplessly watched it fall under the engine cover. ARRRGH! Back to the garage to grab my magnet on a stick so I could go fishing under the fan. I was able to snag the wrench after some probing, but couldn’t get it around the edge of the fan without it falling off the magnet. After a few failures, the wrench fell into a crevice where I couldn’t find it with the magnet. Running out of evening, I gave up and headed inside quite frustrated with the whole evening’s adventure. After cooling down somewhat, I remembered I could access the void where the wrench was hiding through the small oil cooler cover. Back on went the grungies, and then back out to the garage for wrenches, work-light, and the magnet, and then back out to the curb to go fishin’ again. This time I was “casting my line” in a different hole. With the cover off, it didn’t take me more a minute or so to snag the wrench and slowly maneuver it out the opening. With everything back in place, I fired up Ringo’s engine to check for leaks, and everything stayed dry while I rev’d. the engine a handful of times. I let it idle a few more minutes to make sure the pump was meeting the demand, shut off the engine, and called it a night AGAIN.