Okay, I finally was able to put everything back together...., I turned the key....pumped it a bit to get the air out of the lines....she purs...
I drove it around the block and up to the store, and the engined didn't sieze up and die, so I'm going with "the nut fell outside the engine" and wasn't in there the first place...I'm not going to entertain otherwise, or my sanity will be lost.
Now that I've got the 3-week, should have been 2-day, "God please tell me I didn't ruin my engine" job out of the way, I have these things left to do:
--Replace the ignition (I nearly threw a super fit when I initially couldn't turn the key after putting it all back together!). It's geting harder and harder to turn.
--Replace the fuel tank strainer (and possibly the fuel sender).
--Replace the drain plugs in the trunk
--Get rid of the surface rust underneath that resulted from not using wood block on the jack stands
--Fix the antenna (motor working, mast not)
--Replace the glowplugs
--Finish fixing the vacuum leak coming out of the 3/2 valves on top of the valve cover (yes, I know you all don't understand why I insist on having a functioning EGR valve, but I do).
--Finish tiding up the 3-way valves that switch between diesel and VO and bracketing them down in the engine compartment.
--Wax the poor girl.
I want to thank all of you guys, very much, for helping me through all of this and making sure that I went to a machinist when that bolt snapped. Very much appreciated, and if you all were close enough to enjoy a round of drinks, they'd be on me.
Thanks, again,
Pete.
P.S. Other than changing the foel tank strainer next Friday, I believe I'm going to put the MB aside for a little while, and get caught up with life.
