Truck Ransom Paid...!

Remember when I told you a while back that I had a bad water leak in my '91 pickup?

Well, I finally broke down and had it towed to the shop Tuesday. I probably could have taken a chance, filled it with water, and driven it...BUT, I decided to bite the bullet and have it towed because I wanted to avoid blowing the engine. I talked to the mechanic and explained the problem to him, and he promised to call with the prognosis and cost before doing any work!

Now, this leak was NOT in the front by the radiator, all water hoses looked good with no notable leaks, and no water was visibly leaking inside the truck which would indicate to me a leak in the heater core. It was located toward the rear of the engine close to the firewall. I didn't know if it might be a freeze plug broken loose, a crack or blown gasket in the manifold or something serious like that...and I figured I would leave it to a pro.

Anyway, Wednesday I get a call from the garage and Earl, the mechanic, with the prognosis and probable cost. I already knew the tow was $67...so I braced myself for the bad news! Total repairs, including the tow truck...$208.02!!

The cause of the leak was a piece of pewter pipe used to connect two rubber hoses together. Located at the rear of the block, close to the firewall and manifold. Earl replaced the pewter with a piece of steel pipe, replaced the old hoses, and did an oil change...all in a day! Went and picked it up Wednesday afternoon, filled it with gas and took the old truck home again!

Looks good to have a repaired, ready to roll truck in the drive again! Feels good seeing it there as well! I think that's called peace of mind, my friends...peace of mind !

Even with the cost of a full tank of gas, which is still running $1.65 a gallon, I feel very blessed to get the repairs done and come out without having to rob a bank!

So tonight my mind is clear, my body is less stressed, and my wallet is relatively still intact! I think that now would be a good time to have a fresh cup of coffee and relax before turning in for the night! Want to join me, my friend...?