It's been a long road....

First off.... lets say hello to the newest addition to the farm....

Garfield and Cheeto... a big thanks to the Besco bunch.

So it's been a while since I posted on here I see.   I've been too busy working on things.....and quite honestly, I forget to take pictures or videos while I'm doing said things.  This should be a post of the longer variety.  

I'll start with the 'Maro.
When last we left I had forgotten to put  3 small seemingly insignificant bolts and the whole thing went BLAMO!

I sourced all the required bits, a new crank pulley (specific to 1986 only), a brand new oil pan and a brand new 168 tooth flex plate.  
Zach was able to get them installed with the help of a young mechanic named Jono.   
After that, he added a muffler to each exhaust length ... the neighbours cheered.

Zach was able to take it to his girlfriends prom and his prom.  So we met the deadline and all was right with the world.

UNTIL

The 'Maro could barely make it home.  It would idle, but not rev up at all.... and the fuel pump....oh the fuel pump.... sounded like a cat in heat.  Zach actually had to use a derby car fuel tank on the passenger floor to get home.
The video of the fuel pump is linked on the side..... definitely sick.
After speaking with smarter people then me, we though, maybe since Zach's alternator wasn't well.... working, maybe low voltage made the D/C motor draw more current and it cooked itself.  We were able to get the pump replaced under warranty thankfully and while we were waiting for it, we installed a new alternator.
We also did some fancy wiring for it.  Basically we used the 12v line from the fuel pump relay in the Painless wiring harness, to be a trigger wire for a second relay located in the trunk.  We ran a 10 ga wire straight from the fuel pump - to the neg terminal on the battery, and a fused 10 ga line right to the second relay from the battery.  This made sure we had optimal electrical flow goin on.

IT WORKED!  ........... For 15 minutes.  Zach was able to limp the now increasingly frustrating and costly Maro home.

We couldn't even keep the car idling now.

Last resort.... MARKETPLACE.   I found a fuel tank and fuel pump from a 1989 Pontiac Firebird GTA.  The GTA came with the 5.7L V8.  
We cleaned the tank a bit, cleaned all the electrical connections and as a bonus realized the tank was baffled, so it was actually the proper tank for the fuel injection.

Today we installed the tank, pump and wiring.

It fired up... idled..... kinda..... sorta...... but wouldn't rev at all.   

What in the name of all things holy is going on with this car.

We pulled the fuel line from the intake and tried to cycle the pump... nothing came out.  Then in occurred to me.  When we purchased the first Walbro in-line pump, we put a cleanable course pre-filter in front of the pump, and in the engine compartment a fine 10 micron filter.  This is what was stated needed to be done by Walbro.  The only thing we hadn't done is remove the 10 micron filter.... but really, the first pump ran great for a few weeks.  I checked the pre-filter, it was clean as a whistle.  Could this be the culprit?
YOU BETCHA.
This thing must have been so restrictive that with fresh new pumps they could force the fuel through, but overheat, and grenade themselves.
We removed the filter, and voila.   The Maro fired up and ran like a champ..... See videos ----->>>>>
I'll take that as a win.

What else?   Oh yeah, so Rose's 2015 Hyundai Tucson.  Poor girl was galavanting all around Ontario in that week that felt like 47 degrees, with NO AIR CONDITIONING!  What a trooper.  We tried to just add so refrigerant..... but it was a no go... the compressor kept cycling of and on every 2 seconds.

SO, I threw some parts at it.  Thank you Rock Auto.
I took off the front bumper and replaced the A/C Compressor, Condensor, expansion valve and schraeder valves.

Drove it to Zach's work, they charged the system and voila!  ICE COLD A/C.  Another vehicle win.   It feels good!

Another issue.  Zach's truck (getting the picture on what we work on yet?)  He has a 2010 Chevy Silverado.  The driver's side engine mount had split in 2!!  When you have it gas the motor moves so much, it looked like it was waving at you from the engine bay.  
Luckily, Zach had just replaced the same mount on a truck at his Co-op, so he knew what to do.  I guess it's a common thing on the 4.8L motors.  You'll see we had to crawl into his engine bay from over head and the wheel well....  but we got it... eventually.   The one tool we needed for it was a swivel head ratchet.  So, so hard to get at one single bot.   But we prevailed!  HOORA

I got to change the oil in the mighty MG. 
Only AMSOIL Z-ROD 20W-50 goes in this beauty.  

And last but not least... we had some fun!!!
We belong to the Steel City Riders.  We race MX!

It's been a long road.... I'm sure there's more I've forgotten, there have been hills and valleys along the way, but we prevail!