The paint scheme has evolved. The main engine parts are to be bright yellow. Maintainance things like dipstick, oil cap, etc. will be blue. The starter, alternator, waterpump. and I don't know, maybe pulleys will be blue. Bolts will be red. as will things not to be touched. I know, sounds like something in a childrens playground. But I already have the paint and I want to be able to find things on engine. Besides, I bet mine will run as well as any and be as well maintained as the best of them.

Oil pan, tranny, and that evil aluminum front cover. I bet I have 5-6 hours into that thing. 4 of the bolts were the equivilent of welded into the holes. The first bolt head broke off while trying to get it off engine. I finally had to cut heads off others after it was out and beat them back through the holes as the threads would not come through. Penetrating oil would not help. I win. It is now cleaned,painted and ready to re-install.

Blue fill plug on tranny. Still looks subdued doesn't it?  Hold on.

A picture is worth a thousand words but I bet you can't think of to many right now can you?  This is just the valve cover. Wait until you see the rest of it. I have built enough engines to know the paint doesn't change how they run. But since I have all this pretty paint.....why not.

This is water pump. It is a diamond in the rough. Actually it is tight and has a lot of life left in it. Wait until you see this tomorrow. I have not figured out the proper colors yet but I will try to make it as aesthetically pleasing as the valve cover is. You know it will all have to match when put together or it will all need taken back apart and done correctly.......Yea right :-) A friend told me recently that even though I am stuck on the hard, at least I am doing what I love. OK.....but maybe I can have a little fun with the rebuild.

 I have been thinking. If people were willing to do the lifting and finding of parts. I think as long as the engine doesn't sit in my galley or take up space on my boat, I might just be willing to do more of these. I missed working on engines. It was always one of my favorite hobbies. I would buy old vehicles just for the joy of making everything on them work again. It was never about the money. It was figuring out how to undo the damage others had done. Like a big rewind.

So the day is done. I will clean up and paint the head, waterpump and block tomorrow. I have to get all parts cleaned and a light coat of oil where needed. Don't want rust on important stuff. All gaskets will be scraped. When parts show up you know what will be hitting the fan. I can make a lot of engine stuff happen in a short time when I want to. Believe me, I want to. So if anyone out there is bored, you know where to be next week. I might need someone to hold the flashlight for me :-) :-) :-)

I do believe I am starting to enjoy living again. Wow! What a hard road that last one was. Do not turn left back there. It has taken me 6 and a 1/2 years to fight through that one. I came out dented up and still have mud packed under the fenders (so to speak) But really. Take care of your back. An injury can put you through things you cannot possibly imagine unless you have lived through it.