Tuesday November 12, 2013, Guerneville, CA.
Johnny Franklin’s muffler shop
I got going around 10:30 AM this morning. I was taking my van to the muffler shop to get my exhaust doughnut part of the exhaust pipe replaced. I didn’t have an appointment. I pulled in, in front of an empty stall and got out and talked to one of the older owner’s Bobby Franklin, who is about my age. Nice guy. He pulled my van into the stall and had his guy check it out. I wasn’t surprised when he said the doughnut gasket wasn’t leaking, but the gasket between the intake and exhaust manifolds was. I had replaced the old doughnut seal with a new one, that’s why it wasn’t leaking now. I was already pretty sure the manifolds were leaking. I told him I’d fix that one, but there was something wrong with the doughnut gasket pipe as there wasn’t any adjustment and it barely sealed.
Naturally they looked at the rest of my muffler system. I said you might as well put a couple hangers on there to replace my bailing wire and he smiled. He looked at the piece of pipe at the back and said it had some holes in it, but would work. I said, let’s do that one too. The muffler was good, I replaced it awhile back.
He was also nice enough to order up the gaskets I need to repair the manifold leaks.
He said help yourself to the coffee and popcorn. I sure would like some pop corn, but. I drank coffee while keeping an eye on the guy doing the work and shot the bull with several of the guys working around there. Seems he has a bunch of old friends puttering around the shop. It’s a family type of place.
I noted the guy doing the work was having some problems fitting the new doughnut gasket, so I asked him what was up. He said the one that was on there which was supposed to fit this van engine was too small, so he had to use a larger one.
I have a 250 inline six cylinder Chevy engine and I think the exhaust manifold is from a 292 engine someone has replaced along the line or it’s a later model engine manifold?
At any rate, I paid and went to Costco to do some shopping, looking for corn free food. I also looked at newer computers because it’s about time I upgraded the one I have. I’m waiting for the Windows 8.1 upgrade to come out, so maybe I’ll buy one around Christmas time?
I went on home and sat down in my chair and that was that.
Nice productive day.
