crazy freakin weather

yesterday, I was wrenching on the truck. ( 64 C 10 )

Talk about a walking nightmare... I have been fighting an overheating problem on this truck for a while now. Mostly I dealt with it by not driving it in the summer. Well, it has sit for a year, but before that:

i replaced the radiator. Couldn't get a four-core in the stock size, but got a good deal on a three core. Still ran hot. Threw belts too...

swapped to an electric fan, still ran hot.

Put a mechanical fan on it, in conjunction with the electric. Added some 'supercool' anti freeze. Guaranteed to drop an extra 20 degrees, exactly what I needed.

Didn't get a chance to find out if it worked, because within a half mile, the fan belt threw and the fan ate the radiator.

Well, after sitting for a year I decided to get it running again.

Got a brand new two - core aluminum radiator. Supposed to out-cool a copper four core.

Took three trips to the parts store, but I finally found hoses that work.

Flushed the block.

Put on an oil cooler, sticking out under the front bumper. Truck sits high enough so it shouldn't be in danger.

Got everything running good, and discovered the water pump flange was loose... probably explains the overheating problem, and the fan belts coming off!

ok, so I pull the pump off, and notice that although I flushed the block, it still looks a bit cruddy. SO, I put the garden hose on the heater core hose, and let it run till the block flushes out clean.

Today, I put the new pump on, and get everything bolted back up. Was pouring some fresh coolant in...

AND DAMMIT IF IT WASN'T POURING OUT THE BLOCK!

Looks like I lost a freeze plug under the motor mount.

At least, I HOPE it is a freeze plug!

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT.

Hard to remember it might freeze when you are wrenching in 75 degree weather, catching a sunburn!