Fun A-Comin’

This is a sign on the top of the trail that I ride. There’s a dumb warning under it. Something like be careful going down the hill. To me? That sign says “Bring It!”

Not only is it a good downhill, it has twisties. So for a normal rider, maybe take ‘er easy. Not me. I lean into it.

Whelp, I’m about to lean into something not as pleasant.

I was up in Allen visiting the kids and grandkids for a first communion. I had to bail on a clay shoot that I helped organize to get home, get dressed, and boogie an hour northeast to make it in time. I found myself early. So I gassed up. then I thought – well, I have 20 minutes or so, I’ll hit Wataburger and get some chiggin strips and a drink. The lot was tough for the monster truck. Small spaces. Still, I found one ok. Went in, got my order came out, hit the key, and …

Silence.

Nothing but lights on the dash. This is how it went with the busted neutral safety switch. So I crammed the shifter into park harder and tried again. Strike two. Now, I’m thinking I’m well and truly screwed. So I texted the boy to see if he could rescue my old ass on his way to the Church. I foolishly thought that the truck would be better in a different spot, so I shoved it, got it rolling, and got into a space behind where I was, barely. Dumb move.

The boy picked me up and we went to the Church. I’d deal with it after. Lovely.

After the service, when the clan was figuring out where to go to eat, we went back to try it out. It started straight away.

Huh.

So we headed off to a restaurant near their house. This time, I parked where it would be easier for me to climb under if I had to. Turned it off. Hit the key to start it again.

Silence.

Crap. Fuggit. Time to eat.

Stressing on how I’m going to deal with the dead truck and get my ass home over an hour away pretty much ruined the day for me. I wasn’t my chit-chatty normal self, for sure.

After we said our goodbyes, I hit the starter and it fired straight off. Fuggin Fords. So I headed home. An hour later, hit my driveway and did the same test. Fired right up.

Huh.

The consensus on the interwebs, via AI said that it’s probably a loose or broken winding that when it gets hot, fails. Seems plausible. So Sunday I went and got a starter and a starter solenoid. I forgot Fords have the steal me solenoid on the fender. May have been that as well. Easy to test, something I should have done the day before. Short the posts and see if the starter goes. DOH!.

I knew that. Damn, I’m getting old.

Today’s the day. I gotta get the starter switched out. On the way to the shoot, I took a bite of toast and my crown popped out again. Third time for this one. That has to be dealt with this week, sooner rather than later, and unless I take the bike, I run the risk of stranding myself in Plano.

I meant to do it Sunday, but I figured I’d handle the low hanging fruit of some long needed lawnmower repair.

It wasn’t low hanging. It took some time, and I was a done tom turkey when I finished. Huffing all that cut grass clinging to the underside gorked my lungs. I’m seriously thinking of stopping by the shop a block from my place and asking them how much to install the thing.

We’ll see how it goes. It’s three bolts, only one of which is a tough reach. But I can get my hands over the top of the starter to get to it. I’ve swapped out worse.