Truck time!

I missed the Pate Swap Meet this year. It is (one of) the biggest auto/parts swap meets in the southwest US. I go up every year, since the site is only a half hour from mom and dad's house, so my hotel stay is lousy but cheap! Which generally means more $ for truck parts.

The family calendar (and budget) wouldn't allow the trip this year. Which is OK, since I haven't actually done any work on Marge since New Years Day. And she hasn't seen the outside of the garage (or a street) since mid-November.

Back in December I bought a steering column in Dallas and I made a quick run to pick it up. When I got there the parts were in great shape, but the guy had promised to pull the steering wheel off for me and (no real surprise) it was stuck in place. He blamed is his cheapo puller tool. I decided to buy the part from him anyways and try to remove the wheel myself, later.

Evidently it is now later! I got the steering wheel removed today with a newly purchased $7 wheel/bolt puller set from Harbor Freight. If his tool was cheaper than that, I am not surprised it wouldn't work.

With this success, I am stopping for the day. Ending truck repairs on a high note. That is a good resolution for the new year, right?

The only other thing I managed to get done was also a success. I started Marge for the first time since mid-November. One crank of the key. One pull of the choke, that I forgot to pull before I cranked it, and one more turn of the key. Success! She starts like a champ, first (or second) time, every time!