No dirt drags..

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

OK OK, I admitted defeat.  The brakes did me in.

I bought a new m/c tonight and installed on the booster I'd had, and 
started bleeding the brakes.. all was well until I broke a bleeder screw 
off in one of the rear drums.

Took well over an hour to get the drum off and the wheel cylinder out and 
put a new one in.  ARGH.

I have *at least* working front discs.. the rear has tires and is on the 
ground, so I couldn't check.. though I did hear the brakes *moving* with 
the pedal.

I fired up the 304 w/ open exhaust for some friends that stopped by.. 
AFTER I had to pry the old oil filter off.. the first filter wrench I 
grabbed didn't do a thing.. a screw driver jammed through it only served 
to cut the filter in two as I rotated the screwdriver.. finally my good 
filter wrench was discovered, and I broke it.. but not before I got the 
filter off.  

Trans didn't seem to leak any while I had it running.

As midnight rolled arond I decided I had too much to do to get up at 7am 
and head to Bozeman to race.. so I'm taking a "bye" on Saturday, but I 
*will* hit Bozeman Saturday night and be ready to race Sunday morning for 
the 100 yard mud drags.

Still to do:

wire ignition (and safety switch)
Mount battery box n' batt
Patch fuel line, hook it up, fill tank
Remove shocks from a parts truck and make 'em work
Mount front clip - interesting since the radiator puts the front clip 3 
or 4 inches higher in the front than it should be..
Mount seat
Install and make work, tail lights & head lights
Install hood pins
Put some more netting on the driver's door
Install 5pt belts
*RACE*

On the plus side, the Chevy axle install is done.  My TriCounty gear 
steering arm is on, and my custom Gryphin Racing drag link works great.

I'm sure there'll be some "test runs" in the neighborhood tomorrow.. I 
might get the glasspacks installed yet.. ;-)

I'm beat.  I couldn't quite make it.. so I'm sleeping in tomorrow and 
catching up some.. I haven't been to bed before 2am for well over a 
week.. and I've been up by 8.

Thanks for all of the help thus far, everyone!

-Tom Mandera, Helena MT
http://www.tmcom.com/~tsm1/scout
'76/77/78 Scout II - 304V8, 727, Dana 20, Dana 44s front/rear, Chevy & 
T'all axles, 4.88 gears, open/open, spring-over, custom steering, full 
'cage, stripped down, one-piece front clip... just about ready to lock, 
load, n' GO.