DeTomaso Mailing List: April 2000, Message #361

Just got back from Venezuela.  Down there "Manana" doesn't mean tomorrow.
It just means "not today".

More Later,
Jack Tunnell
Y2K Prez of the Pantera Club of North Texas
GT5 #6434
F-27 Strange Bird
972-248-3992  xt  21
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve (AIA)" <STEVE@AIAELPASO.COM>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <detomaso@realbig.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 4:06 PM
Subject: Fw: BAD GAS!!


Buenos Dias, Amigos,

An update on the valve problem I discovered last week and drug out onto the
Internet highway like a week old roadkill.  It seems that the black gooey
tar like substance that accumulated on the back of my intake valves has
created yet another problem.  Since it is still in a viscous state, it
accumulated to a greater degree on the downhill side of the intake valves,
making them heavier on the bottom side of the heads.  This, in turn,
prevented them from turning around properly, and wore a pretty good step in
the stem of each valve, necessitating the replacement of the intake valves,
as well as the guides.  All this in a measly 2175 miles!  What a pisser!!
Now I have to order new valves, fit 'em, put in new guides, etc.  On top of
this, the head was warped about 5 degrees as a result of the detonation.
Bottom line = no car in Vegas this year.  I should have just ran the
sombitch as it was and hoped for the best.  NOT!
AND...... to top it all off, I learned another very valuable lesson.  When
working on the engine in any great degree, DISCONNECT THE FREAKIN"
BATTERY!!!  I didn't, and as a result of my incompetence, when removing the
right head, I was able to make a connection between the head and the big old
wire on the back of the alternator.  You know.... the wire that has the bare
terminal about a 1/4 inch clearance from the head.... the one that goes up
to the new $100 ammeter, now rendered completely useless..... the ammeter
that smells REALLY bad when it fries.  You know...... that one!!!!!

Learnin' slowly in the land of manana...  (Tomorrow, to those of you who
don't habla)

Steve R. Carvajal