battery and final drive seals

[Denise Riley <driley@TQS.COM>]

Rolfdieter ( '86 4kcsq) is getting a few new parts this weekend.  His 5
year Sears Die Easy battery is at 5 years, 12 days and failing fast. We
want to replace it with an Optima.  Measurements of the tall Optimas in
a VW Corrado and VW rabbit pickup show that the battery should *just*
clear.  The battery salesman said it might be too tall.  Has anyone
successfully installed an Optima in the stock holder of a 4kcsq?  

Rolfdieter is also eating rubber seals and hoses like mad.  Most have
failed within the last 3 months.  The latest failures are slow leaks in
two of the final diff seals. Murphey's law says the third should go
soon.  Mr. Bentley says that about 10 special VW tools are required to
change the three seals. I have one, tool 2062 for pressing in the right
seal.  Should we buy the others?  They appear in the pictures to be
shims and pressing tools.  Can one successfully change out all three
seals without these tools?  Dave has replaced final drive and front
differential seals on VW's and WMB's, but not a final diff on a quattro.
  Any BTDT's? 

Thanks.

Denise Riley
driley@tqs.com