I figured out my radiator leak. This line here was loose –
How did that happen? The nut was tight. It was tight enough that the wrench was slipping over it, and starting to round it off. I was using a special line wrench, which has a smaller gap on the end, so it more fully encloses the nut. It’s somewhere between an open-end wrench, and a closed wrench. Only enough gap to slip the line in. If that wrench is slipping and the nut feels tight, it should be tight, right?
Here’s the kicker. This nut is either 16 mm, or 5/8; and the line wrench was 17mm. Most wrench sets only give you the “commonly used sizes,” not “all the sizes in a range.” I didn’t look at the sizes, I tried the 15, it was too small; then tried the 17 and assumed that must be it. The nut felt tight, but it could be driven further with the right size wrench; and had to be driven further to clamp down on the line end and seal the connection.
So here is something profound – this 30 year old car is back on the road again, still performing like it is new. It sounds great. It handles as well as this kind of car handles. The ride is excellent. The A/C works. It’s still a nice luxury car, doing all the luxury car things. It’s probably older than most of the site’s readers, but, other than some minor dents and scratches in the paint, and some wear on the driver’s seat, it’s in like-new condition. You can’t buy a new car like this anymore. You’ll pay an amount that used to buy a house, for plastics and electronics that won’t last. Then you’ll do it again, and again, and again. And you’ll have to pay stupendous insurance prices and property tax all along the way.
Is that smart?
This car will eventually die when its computers go. My 72 is 54 years old, doesn’t have any computers, and seems like it could last forever (if maintained.) All the parts are available, and it can be upgraded to do almost anything a new car can do. The phone can connect to the stereo, and there’s a microphone in the A-pillar. There are enough performance upgrades to make it as fast as any sane person would want to be on a public road.
Something to consider as you plan your path through life. What is going to give you what you really want? Most of the “aspirational” stuff I tried wasn’t worth the effort it took to get it. Most of the people I saw who fall in love, ended up thinking the other person was the worst person in the world. Some people want a big house, but who wants to clean it? I used to want a fast car, now driving fast feels like work. So what has real value? I think I’m narrowing it down to two things – a tight waist, and practical skills. With those two things, almost anything else can be done.