By: BigAl88 Mood: other Date: 12/10/2007 13:03:47 Music: None

Well Winter in the great North West Pennsylvania. It just doesn't get better than this. That is IF you like winter. At one time I loved winter. The cold, the feet of snow, the whooshing sound of the trees flying by as I skied at insanely high speeds every weekend. It was great!!!

Now however it is all a bit different. I hung up the Skis. (Anybody interested in purchasing  1 of the 5 pairs that I have just contact me.) I hate the cold and the snow...I just want to move SOUTH!!! What made this change take place I don't really know. Maybe oneday I will figure it out. Until that day I will just ponder that question.

For those of you that read my JeepFest Ramblings you will recall the misadventures of the menacing Sid. Sid's progress is a bit on the slow side due to the lack of free time. I was able to bring him into the garage around the end of October and get him ready for the replacement Transmission, Starter and Clutch. Those of you that know me know that I have worked on some pretty expensive hardware over the years ranging from Porsche's that were almost priceless because there were only 20 of them ever built. To a Porsche that came to my parents house in boxes. Not to mention the multiple cars that I worked on drove as my daily drivers.

But my point is this.....All of the above mentioned vehicles, with the exception of my 1964 VW Beetle, have been an absolute pain in the butt compared to this 88 Jeep Wrangler named Sid. I actually love working on Sid. Yes I used just about EVERY Metric and SAE socket and wrench that I own, but darn it!!!! It is so easy and there is so much room to do almost everything!!!

This past Sunday I reinstalled the clutch and pressure plate, and the Transmission. It all went in so slick it makes me wonder what did I miss or forget to connect or put in. The only hold up for getting more done than i did was self imposed. I want to change out the rear seal in the transmission before I put the Transfer case back in and since our wonderful Autozone didn't have one in stock I am waiting on that. For how long I don't know. So now I wait.

Putting in the transmission was a point of worry for me because 1) I never installed one with the motor in the vehicle. It has always been easy to do with the engine and tranny out of the car. 2) I didn't have any help. 3) I just wanted it done Right Now since the opportunity presented itself!! So how did I do it? Between a floor jack with a home made Tranny cradle and using the front arms of the rollbar to the windshield and a come along....I got it. Wish that I had taken a picture of that creation. But if I looked back at it I might have been more nervous. :)

 So Sid's surgery is coming along slowly but surely. Thank goodness that he is so easy to work on!!! I keep thinking to myself as I lay under him working, "All this because of a stupid little breather line that popped out of the transmission one day." I think that I may be a little more choosy about what mud puddles that Sid wallows in for the future.