Odds & Ends Part VII

No big projects today because I mangled my hand last night while trying to drain the transmission: more on why later. I had a craftsman ratchet wrench fail while I was putting all my might into it, and my hand was crushed/sliced open against that beautiful, accursed aluminum plate I made a few weeks back. I had thought the drain plug just gave way quickly, but that wasn't the case. The ratchet system on the wrench failed. You can imagine my surprise. So, what did I do today? Where to start...

1. Using a solid breaker bar I managed to break loose that drain plug with no further harm to my hands. Since I put the transmission back in and filled it with fluid, there's been a slow persistent leak coming from the bottom plug. Every few days, there would be a couple new drops of fluid on the floor. I kept looking at it, willing it to stop, but that didn't seem to work. The plug originally had some sort of blue sealant painted on it before it was inserted. I got some thread sealant to use, and soon, I'll be able to get the plug in and the tranny full of fluid again.

2. I ran all the coolant lines from the Zilla, the pump and the radiator. The Zilla controller will be handling up to 1000 amps and nearly 160 volts DC, so it will get hot without adequate cooling. A constant flow of coolant will keep it safe.

3. Using some JB Weld, I affixed some bolts to a side panel inside the electrical compartment. Those bolts will hold a big 12 volt distribution block. In the electrical compartment I found the original positive battery cable that supplied some of the car's power. I'll be tying that down to this distribution block for easy access to power. From that I can draw all the 12 volt power I'll need for the car's subsystems. Most of lines off of that will run to relays that are triggered only when the car is running. That cable originates in the back of the car where the original battery was, right near where the DC to DC converters are. Clever huh?

4. I also did a bit of repair work on the front bumper's lower spoiler. Someone had hit a parking structure at one point, and cracked the plastic. I was able to use a bit of the insanely strong plastic from the gas tank as a brace, and epoxied it in place from inside the bumper. The bumper has the original line now even if there is still visible damage. Perhaps some day, I'll replace it, but for now, I have more important things to work on.