Ok, I think mine needs a new one... badly! It was leaking a sizable drop when I had it on the lift, but then when I got home, it was a BIG LEAK!!! Didn't seem to affect the oil level yet, but I am going to keep an eye on it.

Seems to be a bit hard to start. Takes a little while. Does anyone know what the squiggly line means on the dash cluster? Lights up and then goes out. Shortly after that it roars to life.

here you go Zen! as it sat.






Shift Bushings- Seems to be a lot of unnecessary parts and the front bushing was missing. I'll have to install it when I get it.


First step is to remove the exhaust and heat shield.


Blurry, but no heat shield and exhaust is to the side.


Heat shield out


Shift box removed


Regreased and new bushing installed in the front.


Bushing missing from the kit- I have it shimmed to work with an extra beetle bushing that I had. I will be able to get to it without much trouble when I get the part.


Exhaust manifold- it clips on


With these:


Which are a pain in the butt, but I found a trick to do it without the wedges. Tie a rope through the hole at the end of the clip. Hook the top edge. Have a friend hold the exhaust in place and then stand in the loop on the other end of the clip. Should spread it just enough to get it hooked back together. Then you just untie the rope and pull it out.

Did the dipstick leak before you took that smokestack off?

For those of you NOT at the meeting, this one is a DIESEL. Alright....

The parking lot committee figured out that it was leaking out of the top of the dipstick tube. It is caused by high crankcase pressure, which is vented to the intake, but that system was disconnected, plugged and vented through a little smokestack cap thing on the valve cover. The general consensus was that either part of that tube system that was removed (I found it and put it back on) was blocked OR there is excessive blow by. Either way, I guess its something I need to look into... I've heard you can re-ring these en situ. I will have to check into that.

Matt pointed out that the fan housing and stock fan have been replaced for a half radiator fan. He thinks he might have a spare from a parts car. I think that getting it back to the way it was supposed to be might help the non-functioning temperature gauge.

We look good!

The lady I bought it from had bought the car earlier this year, but never registered it and she of course signed the buyer's line. No only that, but it had been erased or something before that. She got a notarized affidavit to "straighten it out."

I took the title and all the jacked up paperwork with me to the courthouse. They laughed and said that lady was smoking crack cause she screwed the title up so much that the owner before her would have to apply for a new title and THEN sell it to either me or her. I sighed and walked out defeated. I texted the lady and she finally texted me back saying that she called the lady at the Sequatchie County Clerk and the lady there would take care of it. I drove 40 minutes to the backside of the mountain and walked in the courthouse. The lady she talked to was the old county clerk... damn it. But the lady at the counter said, "who is the lady you bought it from?" and I showed her the paperwork. She said, "Ok...I think I know what she was trying to do." Then she said, "It'll be $45.25 for tax, tag and title."         OK!!! I paid and took my out of county tag with me. She worked magic on a title that our clerk said was voided and then registered MY car in a different county with my address here...wow...just wow. She said the title should be here Monday 

drove it to work today

Pretty sure I used to service that car... (well, not service, but fixed it when it finally just broke from time to time.)  hahaha.


Did it come from Marion County before that lady bought it, Nick?

well...it was registered June 6th by a guy in Dunlap, who sold it July 13th to the lady I bought it from. I bought it from her August 13th, but the registration says July 31st (what the lady typed in yesterday when she worked her magic...) So it has had 3 owners this summer (at least!), so its hard to say. The owner before that was from Whitwell, so that is Marion County. Guess so! What all have you done to it?

Did you rewire the glow plug situation to bypass the glow plug fuse and use a push button with a HUGE solenoid under the hood?!?! I found the blown fuse last night....