I was reading a persons sig file and it started me thinking about a chain
of events that led up to my Sprite being left in the condition that it's in
today. The sig eluded to: Don't think that by finding one problem, you
found them all. Something like that. Boy, thats the truth.
It all started one day like this:
1. I noticed that the clutch was pretty stiff, gears were getting kinda
grindy, and noticed that the clutch slave was dripping fluid. Pretty
harmless stuff, right? Keep reading.
2. I bought a rebuild kit and rebuilt it one fine day. After doing so, it
was worse! The clutch fork wouldn't even return. It was like no slave and
clutch system at all! I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this... It
gets better.
3. After determining the entire clutch system was in need a of rebuild, I
bought the three piece clutch kit. Help diagnosing this came from the list.
4. In order to rebuild/replace the clucth kit, I had to yank the engine
and tranny out as one unit. I did. Then removed the tranny from the back
of the engine. The problem was diagnosed properly. The clutch was shot
completly. I replaced the clutch unit. I also had the flywheel turned.
Engine: Still on garage floor.
5. While in this current state of condition, I thought I'd locate a used
tranny to replace the one that was just pulled. It had been producing a
large amount of glitter in the oil when being changed very frequently.
6. I got a used tranny, only to find that it was in far worse condition
than the one I pulled. I ended up tearing both trannies apart and made one
good one of the two. Of which, the final completion of putting the one
good tranny back together again has yet to be done. I hear it calling my
name now.
7. After doing the clutch thing, I thought I'd take a look at the drive
shaft. It was shot as well. After dealing with the sprung yokes, I took it
to a drive shaft shop to have to resprung, balanced and new spiders put in
for me. Even the drivesahft guy flinched when I told him what it was from.
8. Also while I was there, I decided I would put the 4.22 diff on. Well,
that required pulling off the wheels, etc. to get the half shafts out so I
could swap out the diff.... Ug.
9. Also while there, I decided to stick on duel lead pistons in place of
the single lead piston brake system. Well, I havn't completed this task
yet. No excuse.
Well now, my car is in a thousand pieces. It all started from a dripping
clutch slave I thought a simple kit could fix. Now look what I've got
myself into!
Talk about project scope creep from hell.
Can someone please give me some encouragement? Some energy? Some food for
thought so I can complete this garaged based disaster?!
Jay Quinn
Pieces and parts = '62 Sprite HAN6L2874
PS The donar car which I still have, I can't seem to get rid of the damn
thing. I'm thinking of taking it to an Italian car show, and do one of
those Smash-O-Bash deals. You pay me a buck, you get three strikes on the
Midget with a sledge hammer. I could make more money doing that than
selling it as junk to a scrape yard. Any comments?
--
Jay Quinn
ITG - Customer Advocate - Telecommunications
jpquinn@cyberramp.net - Personal
jay_quinn@bcbstx.com - Work
http://www.cyberramp.net/~jpquinn/index.htm
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