Friday September 2, 2016 Guerneville CA.
Getting the new leaf springs installed
Today was the day. I was supposed to get these new front leaf springs a couple months ago, but then I had to replace the engine so it didn’t happen. They are much needed. The new ones were special order. The originals seemed to bang into the van’s frame at the back when hitting a small bump. Marty’s van does the same thing even when he installed new springs, so I had these new ones shortened an inch and a half at the back eye. I was eager to see how they would perform.
I arrived at the Spring Works, signed a paper and turned my van over to Phil, their spring expert.
He pulled my van into the stall on the right at the back behind a black truck.
I hung around for a bit. Phil’s helper was taking the tires and springs off.
I hung out in the waiting room for awhile until I was sure things were going to work out and would check back on the van occasionally. You can see the new springs there on the floor.
The new springs with a bag of bushings.
Looking at meat at Smart and Final
Once I was sure they had it all going well, I took off for a little walk. I wanted to go by Smart and Final and read some labels looking for corn free stuff. It was about a block away. I was especially looking at their meats. They are in big plastic bags and need to be cut up, but rib eyes where only 5.50 a pound and no corn in the packaging, so I might try something eventually. Nice things about looking at the meats is they are in a cold room, so I got nice and cool.
On a mission to Johnny Franklin’s Muffler Shop
Next I walked about another block to Johnny Franklin’s Muffler Shop. As I approached, I saw Bobby in the shop and he saw me, so we met and I told him what I wanted to do. I wanted about a two foot piece of three inch diameter muffler pipe to make a heat shield where the new muffler pipe goes past my fuel pump a little close. I thought if I split a piece of pipe a little larger than the exhaust pipe, I could just clamp it to the exhaust pipe and I would have a nice heat shield.
Need a piece of exhaust pipe
We looked in the pipe section, but he only had a short piece of 3 and a half inch pipe in a short piece and I’m sure he didn’t want to cut one of his long lengths of pipe, so I said I could make that work. He said I could have it and would split it for me. I declined the split as I wasn’t sure exactly what I needed yet.
Off I went back to the Spring Works and put the pipe in the van so I wouldn’t forget it.
Are my front shocks the right ones
Phil was just putting the right tire back on and almost finished. I said since you are sitting right in front of that shock, take a look at it and tell me if you think it’s the right one for this application. He looked and said it looked right to him.
Ken shows up with a sign
I went back to the waiting room for him to finish. While I was sitting there I looked up and there was Kenney again. He knew I was down here, so he came down to present me with this little wooden sign that he had made. It says Bob’s eyes and will likely get screwed to the back of my van. We shot the bull for a bit, then it was time to pay the bill.
Paid the bill and was headed to Marty’s
I paid the bill and jumped in my van and headed to my friend Marty’s as he wanted to check out the springs as he was thinking of putting some like this on his van.
New springs working nice
I drove over to his house and the new springs didn’t clunk once and were nice and quiet.
Nobody home
However when I got to Marty’s house, no one was there, which was strange as he was expecting me. I decided to have a nap at his house and see if he would come home. After forty minutes he didn’t show up, so I headed on home enjoying my new springs.
Tuckered out
The new springs worked nicely all the way home. When I got home, you’d think I just did all the work as I was beat and had a nice nap and never did get it going for the rest of the day.
I have three days to work on the van. I have mostly some little stuff to tidy up and of course make the heat shield.
Better than a new van
Boy a new engine and new front springs. Almost as good as a new van, only better as this a a special van.
Good day.