Gordon,
Saturday was a fun day. I had Jordans jeep over for a clutch swap. I left him to fiddle with the disassembly while my new snowblower was delivered. Its a big one for my new tractor, so I suspect that it will not snow another flake in Woodstock - now that I am ready for it!
Not only did Jordan want a clutch and pressure plate swap, but he had a new throwout bearing and starter and input shaft bushings, and a steering shaft thing too! I guess once the patient is under you might as well fix it up all the way. Compared to the Carrier and CMP truck bits the tiny jeep parts seemed toylike.
I was not surprised how easliy everything came apart - but most of the new parts went in the way Jordans manual said that they should. Possible exclusion was the temperature sender bulb that was broken in the engine extraction process. I think that Jordan will not need a gauge to tell the tempetaure when he drives the open jeep home this coming weekend - it harkens back mempries of when I was younger and foolish.
Special thanks to a very helpful Charlie Fitton who showed up around supper time. Chicken carcass' pushed aside it was time for him to earn his roast beef dinner - and he certainly did. Whilst regailing us with soldier tales he motivated us and suggested time saving techniques that actually worked. I took special note of the roller bearimng press that he designed for us to press in the new steering parts - well done.
The jeep was driven out to the big garage at 8:30 PM to await Jordans return next Saturday, and we even had time for a beer while Charlie told us some more stories. All in all it was a very good day.
The next day was good also when Jim Rice came over and looked at the jeep. It is parked beside Jim's old CMP truck that we ( mostly you) restored last winter. He recalled that there was a big hole cut somewhere on the box - but he could not see where you had plied your majic to fix it! Not as good as the iltis, but a great job - thanks again. Walter Brandt and Albert Baines are due next Saturday also to look at the CMP tarp, so I will see if they can ferret out your cosmetic excellence - I bet that they won't be able to find it either.
I bet that your arms are tired from snow shovelling, so I will let you go.
Stewart