Last night, my dad managed something he's never seen done or attempted to my knowledge. Back in April, the engine in my car cracked the head and oil began mixing with antifreeze in the coolant system. We knew the car would die, and so this week we finally got down to the business of swapping out the long block (and transmission) with one that's in far better shape. Although my dad worked over ten hours at work and then repaired his Freus unit, he also tackled the removal of an engine that stalled us Saturday night.
My dad works very long hours. He lacks some of the stamina and visual acuity of his youth. However, he knows how to put his shoulder to the wheel and push. Where I would scratch my head, he looks for solutions and makes things work. I can tell that his parents experienced the depression and taught him to work and to be courageous when faced with a challenge.
The manual isn't as helpful for this kind of an endeavor as we would like. To my knowledge, nobody I know has ever swapped an engine, and although we know the EFI/SOHC 2.2L Saturn SL1 Engine fairly well, we've never dismantled anything on this scale before. My dad found a solution, and it was a great feat of ingenuity on his part.
The more parents I meet, the more I appreciate and thank God for my parents. Sometimes they frustrate me, but they are interested in the right things and place those things first in their lives. I may be a great guy, but my father is a great man. Although he is not perfect, he is perfect for me. He knows, like He-man, how to master his universe.
I hope that when I am his age I am at least half the man he is.
Happy birthday, dad.
My dad works very long hours. He lacks some of the stamina and visual acuity of his youth. However, he knows how to put his shoulder to the wheel and push. Where I would scratch my head, he looks for solutions and makes things work. I can tell that his parents experienced the depression and taught him to work and to be courageous when faced with a challenge.
The manual isn't as helpful for this kind of an endeavor as we would like. To my knowledge, nobody I know has ever swapped an engine, and although we know the EFI/SOHC 2.2L Saturn SL1 Engine fairly well, we've never dismantled anything on this scale before. My dad found a solution, and it was a great feat of ingenuity on his part.
The more parents I meet, the more I appreciate and thank God for my parents. Sometimes they frustrate me, but they are interested in the right things and place those things first in their lives. I may be a great guy, but my father is a great man. Although he is not perfect, he is perfect for me. He knows, like He-man, how to master his universe.
I hope that when I am his age I am at least half the man he is.
Happy birthday, dad.
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