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Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Monday, March 05, 2018

Oh no, the side of the highway AGAIN! to be continued

After finishing preparations to hit the road, after the mechanics give me yet another green light, after I exercise for 30 minutes, after completing all my internet needs, I'm finafuckinly ready to leave El Centro behind.

After hitting the road and driving for 120 miles, my temperature gauge swings wildly into the hottest of the hot mark. I pull over to the side of the highway AGAIN and AGAIN in the middle of fuckin nowhere. I call my mechanic who tells me they are now closed, everyone is home, and I'll have to wait until 8a.m. in the morning. At my vigorous protestations he claims surely it has nothing to do with the repairs they just did but it must be my thermostat.

Thermostat? Reafuckinly? I don't think so and I tell him so. I remind him I might be female but I do know somethings.

And thus begins the google search once again for a diesel mechanic closeby. I'm about 100 miles south of Phoenix - I've already passed over the border from California into Arizona, far from the biggest 'city' off this freeway Yuma, and haven't seen as much as broken pavement of a deserted gas station let alone a diesel mechanic shop.

After many unsuccessful attempts, I get a hold of a traveling diesel mechanic service based in Phoenix who agrees to come help me but first, David wants to try to narrow things down before the mechanic arrives to insure they can fix it.

David has me check the radiator - the overflow tank still has water in it so I think the radiator must still have water in it but it doesn't - it's completely dry! I add the remainder of the container of anti-freeze I carry with me and then a gallon plus more of water before it is refilled. Then he has me turn on the engine. Immediately I see where the water is spurting out of: the little pipe that runs from the water cooler to the turbo charger that I just had replaced has sprung a leak. On closer examination, I see it was crimped when they installed the charger and now that crimp is leaking.

I take pics and text David who calls around to see if he can find the entire pipe to replace, but of course, he can't. He tells me he will send out the mechanic anyway because he's pretty sure they can figure out a way to fix, at least until I get to Atlanta.


Part II: when your turbo goes and engine runs away:

After you get your turbocharger replaced and the manifold if it has cracked when removing the turbo or if the bolts are sooooo rusty they break off inside the manifold... before you so joyfully drive off, make sure the boys clean out your air cooler and intake hoses/pipes.

I took off Saturday, joyfully, after being stuck for four days, only to drive 2 blocks when the engine once again began it's magical running away! But this time, I knew what to do: popping the clutch, she shut down. Then I started her again and slowly made a u-turn and limped back to the shop, which is now closed.

This Monday morning, I greeted the mechanics with my 'suggestion' they clean out the air cooler.

Begrudgingly, these guys allowed me to tell them what to do - per info from my mechanic & secret informant - & even though they first peer into the air cooler and insist there's only a little dirty oil. But they do proceed to take off air cooler & find tons of oil gathered at the bottom. Looks like I MIGHT get on the road today after all!!!