December 4

6:04 Can't sleep, woke up at 4, went and flatented some mounds, but i smell like camfor from some ointmennt i put on my right knee that hurts from who knows how i moved when i was stoned and worked on car Friday night. Which smell prevents me from sleeping, don't want to take a shower cause i will wake Angela. Also drank like 1.5 liter of water and i'm still thirsty, was dehidrated, i think my body is trying to flush that stuff that was in the air Friday night and alochol i drank last night.

So i just came and did a search because i wanted to post something. It's called air intake grill cowl panel. The panel between windshield and hood that i removed last night from car and washed with a brush, detergent and showerhead. Ever wondered what's under that panel, for a 4 year old car? This is what it is. Mud that after it dries turns into dust and gets into the filter that filter is not a HEPA filter and some will pass into the cabin.
Friday night i just removed one out of the 4 clips (2 broke today when i removed them all Saturday from being britle from being close to exhaust heatshield) and got to the three bolts of the strut on right (left in image), but i saw the dirt. Wiped as much as i could on top of that strut, it was much dirtier. That's what it takes, press with a small Philips on top center of the clips and the two nuts on windshield arms, to remove them. But that is a different story. For that i had to order a tool on Amazon (which BTW came in less that 24 hours), and even with that it was difficult, because only the driver of the windshield arm had splines. The arm itself was just instaled on the driver with conic shape and splines and the splines got indented on the arm. So it became stuck from the start. No chance to remove them without that tool without risking damage. It is true i took the panel (and ordered the tool) just to clean the dirt but now i saw i can get the top nut of the strut, the one i couldn't on the "bench" (kitchen floor that is), before even i remove the strut. Loosen it a bit that is. Cause there is no load on that nut when the vehicle doesn't move when the strut shaft moves up and down, right? Missing part on the air filter hole, most likely another grill that prevents stuff like leaves that pass the panel on the sides (so much for a "tight" design that alows air to get in the to the filter housing. I guess it was removed when they put in the dog food, didn't bother to put it back on). And yes, there is still bad smelling dog food yellow dust all over the engine compartment, after i cleaned with a brush, dry and wet, several times.

1:58 Took a Zyrtec and slept a lot. When i woke up my pain in the knee was so great i could barely move around. Watched a movie which i haven't done in years. Smoke came in, now the pain is gone but i'm afraid to do anything cause if the smoke is kratom, that is a pin killer and by moving could damage the knee even further. Went outside, stepped on mounds.

4:34 I done it. With the monster tool i bought online. That thing is heavy and strong but it did the job. 78 bucks, 450 lbs, though corded. Trouble with smoke again. Alternating cigarette smoke with kratom. I don't feel nothing but a small sore at the knee. Hope i'm going to be able to walk after this. And one trick. When Angela came briefly outside there was this Asian woman with a dog accross the alley who didn't pick and Angela went off, being under smoke influence, without realizing i was working on car too. I think it was all a provocation.
Done it. One of the most anticipated events in the last week. I reviews in my mind over and over how i'll do it.

Installed the strut on the car, camber changed more than 2 degrees, looks like is around specs, did a test drive, don't hear that terrible tire noise anymore. The spring compression screws which i got for 26 on bucks on Amazon work. However, there's a very little window of positioning those at least for these struts. It took me 3 attempts in as many hours to assemble the new strut with the spring but in the end i did it. No surprises with fittment on the car. I was telling Angela. If i went to a dealer here, the only ones who got a strut of similar quality with this one, would have cost me 400 parts and 300 labor for one side or at least 500 at Les Schwab with their own brands and i've done it with 92 from Amazon with Monroe. Could have bought the OEM ones on the same site i got the CV shafts for 280 but what if they crack again being the same as originals. Plus the satisfacation and assurance that i've done it right. Bonus was opening the can of worms that was under the panel (first picture). The one on the right, though cracked, is not that critical because is not so much out of alignment. Got two in the locker today, ordered two by mistake thinking they fit both sides but i don't think i will do it in the next few days or until my knee heals. No i was wrong. Last time when i saw a movie was at the end of the season of Expansy when i binged viewed them all. Needless to say. The next weekend i bumped into that actor, main character, Steven Strait. Did they restart with season VI or something?