Davina's diary vol 3, life goes on... continued

[davina61]

That was a trip to the back of beyond , up a single track unmade lane over 2 bridges to get to Johns place that is an old mill alongside the river Teme. We stripped the heads off the engine and Nick and John lifted it into my car, not sure if I can lift it out with Ds help. Got stuck in traffic at the normal places coming back from Nicks, 1/2 hour to do a 15min trip!

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

Hope the engine works out for you. I'm imagining it's going to need some serious stripping down and rebuilding? Not sure I know what these type of engines would actually be like to work on? I've only ever rebuilt a modern cylinder head once, so curious how similar or dissimilar they are?

Charlotte 😻

[ChrissyRyan]

Davina,


Do you ever go to an auto junkyard to obtain parts?
Are there such places in the UK?

Chrissy

[davina61]

Its a basic engine, Rover used the 60s Buick alloy engine and "improved " it so its just push rods and rockers for the valves and just 2 per cylinder. Nick rang me and said he will come over and give me a hand to get the engine out my car, he is a star!
 Yes Chrissy there is one I go to where you can strip bits off yourself, mostly 20 year old stuff but they do have handy parts. Need to whizz around with the vac in a moment before my flat visit as battery went before I could finish yesterday then off to the workshop to unload engine.

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

Oh that's not so bad then so only a few valves to remove and such. I guess you'll be lapping the valves and checking they are tight etc as part of this?

Anyways it sounds like fun and worthwhile for sure.

Charlotte

[ChrissyRyan]

Its a basic engine, Rover used the 60s Buick alloy engine and "improved " it so its just push rods and rockers for the valves and just 2 per cylinder. Nick rang me and said he will come over and give me a hand to get the engine out my car, he is a star!
 Yes Chrissy there is one I go to where you can strip bits off yourself, mostly 20 year old stuff but they do have handy parts. Need to whizz around with the vac in a moment before my flat visit as battery went before I could finish yesterday then off to the workshop to unload engine.

You must have a big car because are not engines big?  They seem to take up a lot of space under the hood.

[davina61]

It fitted in the boot of my SUV okay, had a good look at it and its likely scrap but I got some bits from it. Nick came over and we lifted it out okay. Food shop day tomorrow.

[davina61]

My lamb slow cooker farmhouse stew was good except a few bits of potato were a bit firm, should have turned it up to high for the last hour or so. Had a woozy head Wed night, its taken 2 good sleeps to reset so not sure what that was but had a clunky neck as well. Dank and dreary this morning, at least the flood water has started to go down and the road reopened.

[davina61]

For once its not raining this morning (yet) with clear skies but there is a frost and it will be cold today, back to milder and windy/wet tomorrow. Can you folks the other side of the pond stop sending low pressure system our way!!
 For some reason I have loads of small cuts to my hands from yesterdays work, a bit sore like paper cuts. Not sure if I will go to the workshop yet, its 10 am and still not dressed. Neck still clunky and back tight as well as brain still a bit foggy.
 Breasts have suddenly gone firm and right nipple sore, this has happened before and doc thought it was down to HRT. After all this time it still affects things.

[Charlotte_Ringwood ✅]

Sounds like maybe a chill day for you today then! That brain fog is not the nicest for sure and can take some time to go.

Those cuts you describe I know I've got those from twisting something made of sheet steel with a badly finished rim / edge. Your hand slides and is cut each time! Or sometimes cleaning edges of steel again finished with a sharp edge. They always hurt afterwards!

Hope all gets better with your breasts too!!

Charlotte 😻

[davina61]

I was wearing gloves! cuts mostly healed by this afternoon. Well clothes wash done, made Indian recipe semolina pudding with whole spices and sultanas, scrambled eggs for lunch then its tomorrows dinner. Mums chicken curry, thighs cooked in a onion tomato sauce. Always tastes better reheated next day, treated my self to salmon, spinach and lemon fish cakes for tonight. I can put my feet up now and see if my slightly washy head clears, tomorrow morning its hot rod club breakfast meet.

[ChrissyRyan]

Happy Valentine's Day!

[Dances With Trees]

Happy Valentine's Day, Davina!

[davina61]

Thanks, well this morning it was the breakfast meet. Road out of town was flooded again but still made it for 9.30 start, despite the rain almost 20 of us turned up .Had a good meal so no lunch needed! Anyway was a good natter and catch up.

[davina61]

Talking with Celena and Jilly (I have known her for over 40 years) and somehow the conversation got onto gender. We talked bathrooms and Jilly said I had no problem as I dont look at all male! I said I never have been and she said yes I was always a gentle soul. Made my morning.

[Lori Dee ✅]

Talking with Celena and Jilly (I have known her for over 40 years) and somehow the conversation got onto gender. We talked bathrooms and Jilly said I had no problem as I dont look at all male! I said I never have been and she said yes I was always a gentle soul. Made my morning.

That is always nice when people who have known you the longest do not see much difference in you when you transition. It's like they always knew, or they always saw the real you all along. Those people are precious.

[davina61]

I was doing the Bad Chad (Canadian car builder) welding a gap with a coat hanger (its a bit of peg board hanger I use) and as I lifted my welding helmet up I caught my chin with the hot end. Left a good 1/2 ins burn line. Hope it covers with makeup as its JMs hot rod club memorial dinner tonight, he was the founding member and passed from Altzimers . I missed his funeral as I had a stinking cold that day, we have been asked to bring photos and I have one from early 80s from drag racing.
 Cold today, more welding to do this morning. Back home early to give myself a makeover, at the pub for 7pm and its a 1/2hr trip.

[davina61]

Stayed home yesterday as my sinus/runny nose/sneezing would not clear, middle afternoon by the time I was okay. Good turnout at the pub for the memorial dinner, I sat next to Jilly as her fella got held up with work by 3 hrs. It was good to look through all the old photos from the 70s and 80s of the hot rod club, all those very young faces!! Bad service at the pub though, to be fair to them they had just reopened and I think they are still finding there feet. Sounded like not enough staff in kitchen as some meals turned up over 1 1/2 hrs from order and Jilly's veg was hard. It was good seeing everyone.
  Its very cold today 2 or 3 C so staying in the warm, its warming up again at the weekend so back to welding then.