The weather is still crummy this morning and I still don't have use of my garage (trailer full of old furniture and trash headed to the dump occupying the space). I plan to make a dump run this morning and then get the ST pushed back into the garage. So, I hope to at least get stared putting the engine back together today. Tomorrow's weather looks like it will be the best day of this week, so I need to get everything done by then.
Update 3:00 PM:
Made my run to the dump, got home and pushed the ST back into the garage. Then I jacked up the front so I could get under it to drain the radiator, oil and remove the oil filter. Then I filled the new filter with the M1 0W30, installed it and let the truck down again.
After reading horror stories about difficulties encountered in removing the coolant temp sender & sensor from the t-stat housing, I was pleased to see that the Job 2 engine uses the clip-in sender & sensor, so I pulled the clips and they came right out. Then, using a 1 1/16" deep socket and a 1/2 breaker bar, I loosened the front chain tensioner. To my surprise it came loose w/out much effort at all. The last thing (and the scariest part of this job from what I've read) was to remove the oil drain galley plug. I cleaned out the T30 receptacle in the plug and used my T30 torx socket on a long 3/8's extension with my impact driver (aka "the smack-o-matic") and I gave it a few good whacks with the BFH. Doing this didn't loosen it, but then I switched to a shorter extension and a 3/8's ratchet and it broke free pretty easily. I've already installed the new O-rings in the intake manifold, so now it's just a matter of reassembling everything, which is time consuming, but not hard. I'll start doing this tomorrow. I'm hoping the 0W30 along with the 00M12 kit will make an improvement in the cold starting, but if not at least I'll have done what I can for now.