[Vwdiesel] Needed 86 Jetta with no/bad engine

[Sandy Cameron]

At 01:02 AM 26/01/2006 -0600, you wrote:

>It may sound silly, but there is a certain mindset you need to work on a
>volks.  They weren't built by Detroit, and there is an easy way, and a
>really really hard way to do just about everything.  You work on German iron
>long enough, you kind of develop the way of going about things under the
>hood that is the easier way. (but all bets are off on HVAC systems, that was
>the day design engineer Detlaf discovered B.C.mushrooms)

James is right. I've become resigned to the german way of doing things, and
almost like it

I have acquired the few "special Volkswagen tools" mostly by fabricating
them myself (like the exhaust spring wedgies, ) the few "special wrenches"
etc. prevents a lot of knuckle busting. 
Special "altered" wrenches for changing glow plugs without having to
dismantle the injection sytem.

About the only thing I'm not equipped for is front struts, ..Spring changes
can be exciting and cause new openings in the under-equipped home workshop,
and front wheel bearings are a special job unless you have a bearing press
(I don't)

having said all that, with my overhead electric hoist, I can have an
engine/tranny out in about 2 hours, and sitting on the work table
belly-button high. Takes a little longer to put it back, but I'm getting
better at that (I'll never attempt an in-car clutch job again)

Groveling under the car is not my idea of a good time.

At my age, (71) getting up off a creeper is problematic (I'll have to rig a
body harness for the hoist and try that)

 I just love motoring through the country on my canola mix, not worrying
about the price of a barrel of oil.
The diesel engine makes it all worthwhile.

I dont think I would do all this for a gas volks, probably wouldn't let one
in the driveway. And anyway, the gassers are so incredibly complicated, who
needs them? 

Sandy
VE3AAC