listmeister inner CVJ trouble

[Danix@aol.com]

Listmeister Dan here (from my AOL account):

We got the tranny up and bolted yesterday (a few bolts) and now I'm grappling
with the axles.  The right side inner joint (downpipe side) is different from
the left
one, which is already on.  I could not get the right joint onto the splines
enough to
get the circlip to bite, so I pulled it.  The center of the joint looks like
this:

  -----------
|     ##     |
---------------
       |
      V
   shaft

as if it has a little top hat.  Inside the joint, at (what I think of as) the
bottom, it
has an indentation as if there was a circlip going in there.  Which side
should
face onto the splines, ie away from the tranny?  Does it matter?  Since this
is the downpipe side, I don't want to screw this up and have to repeat the
exercise.
I also got a plain dished washer and a slotted (to match the splines) with
this kit.
Since the plain is what was on there, that's what I used.  Any reason not to?

Also, the clips that go on two axle bolts (help distribute the pressure on
the joint
I imagine) do not fit my new joints as the metal caps are a bit different
from the old 
ones.  Are these very important?  I should probably get new ones.
I'm going to take a break and paint some more of my house :), but I'm taking 
tomorrow off to paint and get the car further along.

One complication - I failed to unbolt the shift linkage as I was sliding the
tranny back 
initially, and it looks like I broke something inside the car by the shifter.
 Don't 
suppose anyone would have a spare of these plastic parts huh?  ( I really
need to
get a fiche reader so I can get part numbers, I have the fiche).

I can't find the spring pin that holds the slave cyl in, so I'm going to
replace it with 
a nut and bolt as someone on the list suggested.

The saga continues...  Shooting for Friday to have it all together.
Install axles, tranny mounts, downpipe, fix shifter, tidy up, DRIVE!
I hope...

| Dan |