Post date: Dec 20, 2015 11:56:40 PM
1. Tested out the valve grinding method using a drill and vacuum hose connecting it to the valve stem. Works pretty good. The driver-side head of the first Subaru 2.5L is pretty messed up. The head from engine two might work but its cylinders were full of coolant so hopefully it was the head gasket and not cracks.
2. Found a running 2.5l SOHC for $350 down in NH. May go look at it tomorrow evening.
3. Drained two gallons of coolant out of the dozer and replaced with two gallons of straight antifreeze. Measured at 0 degrees before thickening it. Should be good now.
4. Used the dozer to dig out a big rock that was making it hard to take the truck down the garden road into the woods. Didn't know if I'd be able to move it but it came right out. Dug out some more old stumps and pushed them down into the woods in to Mt Stumpmore.
5. Hung the 100' dipole SW antenna between two trees using pulleys so I can let the whole thing down to the ground. Ordered a 1m-30m 50 ohm balun from ebay and solme pl-259 solder connectors. Need to put a piece of PVC thru the wall into my office for the feed and ground cables. Need to sink a ground rod outside the wall too.
6. Re-torqued winter tires on the Matrix and put the hub covers on. Their screws were having trouble going in so I cleaned them up with a 1/4-20 pitch tap and wire wheeled all the cap screws. Put them all in with anit-seize. Went together nicely.
7. Got the valve off of one of the old 20lb propane tanks and filled/drained it with water twice. Will fill it again with water before opening it up for stove doors, air control, chimney, etc.