clutch, socket retainer, traffic stops

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

Got a strange problem with the clutch on my 86 5000s - not turbo. After a
while in stop-and-go traffic, the clutch pedal range seems to move downward
on the travel. When I first start, the clutch actuates in the top half of
the pedal motion, but after some stop-and-go traffic, the clutch actuates in
the lower half of the pedal travel. Also, the pedal doesn't return to the
top, but can be "flicked" there with my toe and then it stays.

Next morning, the car is fine, and the clutch actuates correctly in the top
half of the pedal range. The clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing are
new, brake fluid in resevoir at correct levels, no 'orrible nasties dripping
from the clutch master cyl, but area around slave is grubby. If this is a
bad slave cylinder, how much of a pia is it to remove and replace? The kit
is only $18.00.

Item 2: I need the plastic retainer lock ring that holds the headlight bulb
into the reflector/lens assembly. Age and heat, it got brittle and died. Not
available at local auto parts houses - is this a dealer only item?

Item 3: Supreme court decision on everyone out of the car -

Discussed this at length with my dear bride - she's a lawyer for State of
Florida, Public Defender. My question was more or less this: "Yes, I know
not everyone who is arrested is guilty (Innocent until proven guilty, you
know), but as a guess, what percentage of arrestees ARE guilty?"

Logic behind this is that if almost no one who is arrested is eventually
found guilty, the police are out of control and just trying to fill quotas,
whereas if 100% of those arrested are in fact found guilty, the police are
doing an excellent job, lots more are getting away, and we need more cops to
help! (Or we have a police-state mentality in the courts - which we don't
seem to, and I'd doubt anyway.)

Our justice system may be a confused mess, but it is within shouting
distance of some semblance of logic and maybe even sanity - there are MANY
places on this planet that are a LOT worse!

Answer: "About half are found guilty. Some get off through technicalities,
but about half really did what the officer accused them of."

So that leaves us right in the middle. Tentative, general (and probably
useless) conclusion: There are a lot of dirtballs out there, some of them
get caught, cops have a tough, dangerous job, most cops are comptetent and
honest (a few are not, but that applies to ANY occupation!), if you drive
carefully and don't break the law, chances are you won't get stopped, and if
you do get stopped, be polite and cooperative - remember, the cop has a gun,
he has some degree of permission to use it ON YOU if he thinks it justified,
and he's nervous and edgy, because he saw the TV program too, and he
IDENTIFIES with it!

Personally, I am always very polite to _anyone_ who is carrying a gun.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman