It's Friday.
I did not end up working on the car on my day off (Wednesday), but I did get an important package on Thursday.
The tiny $20 socket I needed to get 3 special screws out.
They hold the old school flip top gas cap on. That, in turn, holds the filler neck onto the car. That is the pipe that goes into the gas tank. That is where I was running into problems when I tried to get the new tank in.
You can see, it has to be small to fit into the tight space where the screws live.
I thought to myself, when the package arrived earlier than anticipated, that I'd just go out and see if the screws would come loose.
They did not. I thought I was stripping the screws or the socket or both, but they wouldn't budge. There was no rust, but I have been told that if you can't get something to move, spray it with PBBlaster and it'll get unstuck.
I shoved some paper towels into the pipe to keep the spray out of where the gas will eventually go, and got a rag to keep that powerful stuff off my paint.
Still no real movement.
So, I tried something I am embarrassed to say I never thought to try before:
A flat head screwdriver and a hammer!
One by one, with a little force, there was visible movement.
I did use the new socket to finish the job and I will need it (well, need is a strong word, I guess) to tighten the new screws so it wasn't a complete waste.
My hope now, of course, is that by removing the pipe and attaching it to the tank before installing the tank that I will be able to maneuver and manipulate the pipe into place. The tank and pipe were not lining up with each other last time I tried to install the tank, so I'm a bit nervous that somehow my replacement tank (for the wrong one that was sent originally) will also not be the right tank model. It does look right, though.
The real problem I'm having this weekend:
I messed up my neck at work this morning. I moved in a weird way somehow (I honestly don't really remember what I was doing, only that it resulted in some pretty awful pain down the left side of my neck). Gradually, as I broke down pallet after pallet of 50# boxes of produce, a pallet of cases of juice and then a pallet of cheese trays that the pain was not going away, but moving down into my shoulder and up into my jaw.
It was not a great day at work. And it was busy.
I am currently, as I type, trying to keep my head still, pressed up against my heating pad, waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in. I took the meds about a half hour ago though so I'm thinking it's not doing me any good.
I think tomorrow's run may be off, depending on how stiff my neck is in the morning.
I'm not looking forward to being under a car, trying to line up a fuel tank while I can't really turn my head without pain.
But we'll see...determination sometimes makes us do stupid things...though, I'm back to work on Sunday and that's how I pay the mortgage, so I should probably be sure to not miss that.
In other news:
I decided (after a couple glasses of wine) that I was sick of the back of my hairstyle. It was getting shaggy and ruining the flow of my cute bob.
Let me just tell you that it is hard shaving the back of your head, without a second mirror, without just shaving the whole lot of it off completely!
(I had a close up of the back but it's too close and it's kind of scary, so I'll spare you.)
Here's hoping for a looser neck tomorrow so I can bring you more progress on the car. The antique car show is happening in town this weekend for Father's Day so all the cool old cars are out, making me want to get to work again.