Today is a big day for Ike and myself. The rain finally stopped yesterday, and with a whole day (so far) without a drop falling from the sky, I figured I might try and get Ike running again for a quick tromp through the desert.
Unfortunately, Ike had other plans for me. Aside from the dead battery (again), the thermostat housing had leaked enough coolant to completely fill (and overfill) the number two spark plug well. I drained it by wicking up the fluid with a paper towel and began checking other areas of the engine. After about an hour of monkeying around, I checked the well again and it had already started filling up and seeping from the again wet thermostat housing. Being just as stubborn as the old Jeep, I decided I would not take it for a final drive, and instead spend the afternoon doing some of the messy work.
My initial starting point for the tear down is going to be the small accessories, inspection plates, mirrors, etc. that are mounted directly to the body. After all of that is bagged and tagged, I’ll start on the front clip removing the grill, head lights, parking lights, and radiator. So what better way to start the restoration than the same place my first major repair was done: the cooling system! After draining and flushing the block and radiator, Ike got pushed back up the driveway into his garaged home. Over the next couple of days I’ll remove all the small parts and get those tucked away.
I also will be bringing a Christmas gift home for Ike on Sunday. However, just like Ike, you’ll have to wait until Sunday to see what it is 🙂