200 strut replacement

[MHLIGGINS at aol.com]

       Fairly simple. You'll need a jack, 13mm socket, 7/8" socket, and some 
very large vise grips.
       Raise the hood. Remove the plastic covers from the top of the strut 
towers. You will see a 7/8" nut on top of each strut. Remove them. They can 
be **removed** using an air wrench, but DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, use 
an air wrench to install those nuts.

       ***
       Jack up one side of the car and pick up the tire slightly off the 
pavement. Return to the strut tower on that side of the car. There are three 
13mm nuts holding a plate around the top of the cartridge. You will notice 
that the holes in the plate are slotted. Mark the location of the nuts with 
relationship to the slots in the plate. You need to know that later.
       Remove the three nuts. The plate is now "loose", you may have to use a 
pry tool to get it moved upwards. You will note that there are two spacers. 
They're NOT interchangeable, remember (or mark) which goes where.
       Congratulations, you've just completed the easy part.
       Now, look at the strut cartridge through the spring. If you are lucky, 
the dust cover is still in place and will need to be loosened and raised, 
Most likely it's trashed and you'll have to move some of the pieces out of 
the way so you can see.
       There is a LARGE nut on the strut that is holding the cartridge in 
place. You job, Mr. Phelps, should you choose to take it, is to remove that 
puppy without damage to yourself or the car. We have had reasonable success 
using a pipe wrench. Scarring it normally doesn't matter because there should 
be a new one in the box with the cartridge.
       Once that is off, you get to wiggle the cart out the top. You may have 
to play with the jack and/or push/pull the wheel to get things in alignment.
       Next step is to clean all the crap out of the bottom of the housing 
that held the cart. Get it REAL clean. Use your best judgement as to method, 
there are several options. An air hose is not recommended.
       Slide/manuver the new cart in place. Tighten the crap out of the new 
retaining nut. Make sure you have installed the protective boot correctly. 
You did buy one, right? 'Cause they don't usually come with the cartridges...
       Use the jack as needed to get things in alignment. Put the plate back 
in place, properly placing the spacers.  If you screw up on the spacers 
you'll know it in a couple days when the top of the cartridge tries to drive 
itself through your hood. IOW, make SURE you get them right.
       Be sure that when you tighten the 13mm nuts that they are in the same 
relationship with the plate, that keeps you from needed an alignment 
immediately.
       Put the 7/8" nut in place. Notice that there is a hex key slot in the 
top of the cart. Notice also that the nut is a nylock. Use a hex key and box 
end wrench to tighten it properly.
       Set that side of the car down, go back to the three asterisks and 
start on the other side of the car.

       At least that's how it works on the Type 44s down here in Tennessee. 
If I missed anything, someone will point it out, but I'm not far off.

       Later.
       --ml