I have an old truck that I have named “Wild Bill”. I call it that because it is an old style pick up…
Uncivilized, untamed…
It’s a man’s truck! No foo-foo women crud here!
The doors are hard to open and just as tough to close.
Since he’s old, he’s a little temperamental. Since there is no fuel injection, you have to pump the gas 5 times (not six!!!) before starting it up for the first time of the day. However, if you pump it the next time you start it, you’ll be sitting for awhile…(now that I think about it, kinda like dealing with my wife!)
You want air conditioning? Crank all of the windows open and start driving.
You want to turn it cooler? Drive faster.
My wife couldn’t believe it but through the years, guys in California regularly asked me if I wanted to sell it.
“Why would anyone want that beat up old thing?”
But, she’s a woman. How could she possibly understand???
Then, when I was ready to sell it two years ago, no one wanted it…three different times in two different states!
So, I…no…make that WE are stuck with him.
About 4 years ago, I had to change the water pump. To do that, I had to pull off the fan shroud. When I took it off, it crumbled in my hands…literally!
For the mechanically challenged among us, the fan shroud is like a hood or a funnel that helps the fan pull air through the radiator so that the engine doesn’t overheat.
I didn’t want to buy a new one because…
I was going to sell the truck!
So I looked for a used one…
Nothing!
“That all right…I’ll just drive without it. After all, how bad can it be?”
Plenty bad!
Every time the traffic stopped on a warm summer day became a high pressure moment. I grew to dread a light turning red.
“Will it overheat before the light changes?”
I have been reduced to yelling and pleading for the traffic to start moving or the light to change more times than I care to admit!
I decided that enough is enough. If Bill is going to stay on my ranch, I’m going to enjoy the ride when I saddle him up!
I found a used fan shroud in very good condition at a reasonable price. Now I just have to install it.
