A word to the wise......

[Bluebelles Mom]

When ever working on anything to do with your timing belt. ALWAYS remember to re-install the timing belt covers BEFORE putting on all the belts and pulleys. IF you are as dumb as a plank (like me) and DO forget to put them back on first, TRY to not drop one of the water pump pully bolts down between the power steering pump and pulley as this will require the removal of the pump to get the bolt out of that tiny space. And lastly, always remember to tighten the radiator drain or your brand new coolant will pour out of the radiator almost as fast as you pour it in.

[Petros]

most people make these mistakes once, you can tell them but until they experience it, they will not pay attention to what you say (hence the confusion over main bearings vs. connecting rod bearings). It is always a bad idea to drop bolts, even if just to crawl under the car to retrive them, it saps your energy and wears you out faster.

And correct assembly sequence can be critically important. It is best to have a place to lay out all the parts, as you reinstall them you look them all over as you pick up the next one and think over if that one is indeed the one that goes on next. After you do it 5 or 6 times, the correct sequence will never be automatic. And though experience helps, no two cars have the same assembly sequence. So even experienced mechanics can make that mistake when working on a car they see infrequently.

Do not beat yourself up too badly, this is normal for everyone sooner or later. EVen normal people.

[Bluebelles Mom]

What really sucks is I still can't drive the car. So it is going to sit for the remainder of the month until I can afford to get it into the shop to do the rest of the work it needs. Between extra parts, tools and putting a small fortune into the RVs gas tank to retrieve the car when it broke down I blew through my budget again.