What Happens When a Severe Thunderstorm Blows Through an Elaborate Repair Project

Sunday was to be the day I would take on a major SUV engine repair project.  A project that was so nicely greeted by this wild and crazy sever thunderstorm to whip up a little more excitement!

Let me back up. Last week pulling into the parking lot here at the station, I open the door and get a text message.  I go ahead and respond with one foot out the door. Then, an awful odor slaps me in the face. Is it the dumpster?  Is it a dead rat behind the van? maybe it's a new recipe gone wrong at the restaurant next door?  Then, looking ahead, there is a massive volcano flume of smoke gushing out of the engine. Uh oh.

After the engine cooled down, a quick hose down to clean everything up. Then, a start of the engine to see where the leak was coming from, no visible sightings. Okay, should be alright to drive home and work on at the house. That night, it goes hot fast! I really didn't want to stop and get a tow truck and all that jazz. Sure, there was a risk of doing more damage. I went in auto parts store for coolant, thinking it would get me home. It did, but barely. After stopping a few times to let the engine cool down.

Fast forward, there was a pretty big repair needed to get things back in order.  Unlike other times, I didn't want to have a mechanic fix.  Nah, this time I was set on doing it myself Sunday afternoon!

The project called for taking off the fan, hoses, casings, belts and more.  A fear of something going really wrong?  Sure.  A fear of not being to put it all back in correctly?  Sure, that too.

As the project began, lots of nuts, bolts, and washers all started coming off. How in the world will I keep this straight and remember where everything goes? Neat piles, that's the trick! Like the piles forming in the picture below.

All was going fairly well.  The parts being replaced and time to put everything back together.  Piece by piece.

Now, would the worst possible time for anything mess up the piles.  Enter tropic thunder rain... sideways!  Yep, the hurricane winds whipped up to mess up my piles!

What could happen next?  Hit the lights!!  Yeah, the power started to flicker on this late Sunday night.  I felt like a mad scientist working on Frankenstein instead of a Nissan Xterra engine.

I was able to gather everything up, in what looked the right bolts, screws, and nut with the right parts.  Everything went back in.  Now, the hair raising fear of things being mixed up as it was time to start the engine.  What will happen...

It started.  Whew, relief!  I didn't drive it to work today with fear that it may still overheat or just fall apart.  So, tonight, I'll drive circles around my neighborhood to see how it goes.  I don't want to go too far away.  If it fails, you will be able to hear a scream, much like a mad scientist.

Maybe more like the 'Muppet Labs'