Toxic mess

Yesterday we removed the fuel tank. Today, I drained it the best I could. The shop manual says to drain it out the filler tube fitting. There is a one-way valve there, so I had to hold it open with a screwdriver. An overall messy and smelly affair.

I am seriously considering never purchasing another gas powered vehicle. Ever. There a just too many oily, toxic chemicals to deal with. Though, the converted EV will still have power steering and break fluids, plus transmission oil.

By the way, there was more than two gallons of gas left in the tank. The light on the fuel gauge had come on shortly before we pulled it in the garage. I could have made a couple of trips to town...

The pile of detritus is getting larger - we will post a photo soon. The engine and transmission are still in the car - there isn't much else in the front, except some hoses and wires hanging about.

Goodbye Mr Radiator

Made some progress today, despite some setbacks. First, we jacked up the front of the car - front passenger side first. Big mistake. Once it was nearly up on the jack, fluid started pouring out from underneath the car. I knew it had a leaky head gasket, but this was a bit out of proportion to what I was accustomed to seeing, but of course that is what i thought it was at first. Only a mild panic ensued:

We had taken the hood off yesterday, and the windshield washer nozzles are on the hood - we left the disconnected hose dangling. It is on the driver (left) side. The
reservoir is high on the passenger side. Jacking the passenger side first put the end of the hose below the reservoir. The one fluid I didn't need to drain...

We also drained the antifreeze, removed the battery, radiator, A/C condenser, and the two front wheels. Here is what the front end looks like now:

Oh, and one more disaster. One of the lug nuts had been put on incorrectly. It was extremely hard to remove. The stud is completely stripped. grrr...

Parts For Sale

http://bellingham.craigslist.org/pts/2420566596.html

Layout Changed

I've updated the layout of the blog a bit. There is a new section on the right called "What's Done". It lists, by date, what has been done so far.

The Fun Begins

Well, the car finally made it into the  garage on Memorial Day. We've taken out the front seats. Each had two sets of wires, one for the seat heater, and one presumably for the seat belt alarm. Next up are:

• Removing the hood
• Jacking up the car
• Removing the rug (and a bunch of interior trim to get it out)

The manual transmission arrived yesterday. This PT Cruiser has an ailing automatic (needs a solenoid pack). We will be clutchless when all is said and done - so I wont need to put in a clutch pedal. That will save time, money, and weight.