[maple_leaf_eh]

Up early and on the road to help dispatch Mike Calnan's standing Canada Day parade convoy. My role for the last several years has been roadmaster at the driver's briefing. This year I only gave the brief, helped herd the cats, and waved good bye. Home to work on the faults found during the test drives.

The thermostat had not been installed. It went back in. As a word of caution - get the ears on the gasket aligned with the bolts; then make sure you actually have the thermostat in the housing before reinstalling all the hardware; and finally, inspect with a mirror before claiming the job is done. Three very good learning experiences all on the same part.

The oil was a nice dark brown when drained. No apparent chunks or smells, just discoloured. A new Fram PH8A filter and most of a $40 jug of Shell Rotella 15w-40 poured in.

I disconnected the batteries and charged them over night and into the morning. When reconnected, the ammeter showed on the yellow/green line. Temperature was about 180-190 deg F. And, the oil pressure read 32 psi. No leaks and no leftover parts. I'd call today's driveway work a success.