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11/12/26: Now that my two-month sabbatical is behind me, I’m finally getting back to work on the truck. When I left it in September, I still needed to put a second coat of paint on the fenders and the hood. Since the weather has turned cold, I decided to add some heat to the garage so I could at least finish up the front end. After doing a good bit of research, I figured a mini-split AC/heater would do the trick. I picked up an inexpensive one on Amazon and am in the process of installing it now.

Today it was raining, so I couldn't make much progress on the mini-split install, but I managed to tackle another item on the list.
Before I took off for my vacation, the fuel pump gave out, so I ordered a rebuild kit from Then and Now Automotive. Unfortunately, the first kit they sent was the wrong one, but a quick phone call sorted that out and they sent the right replacement. Today, I finally got around to installing the kit. After putting it back on and priming the carb, the truck fired right up, but it wouldn’t stay running.

Frustrated, I pulled the pump back off and found that one of the valves wasn't seated properly. I got it seated, verified it was functioning, and reinstalled it. Still, it wouldn’t keep running.

I was scratching my head because I was quite sure the pump was working, and then it finally dawned on me: check the gas gauge. Of course, it was pointing right at "E."

After adding a splash of gas, she started right up and purred like a kitten. Murphy’s Law struck again, but all's well that ends well!