Well, here's what i got done - some interesting findings ( and a question about filling gear oil)

I had the car up in the air and a lot of the plastic and metal parts off the bottom.

3 tasks overall:

1. Change gear oil
I didn;t. I opened the fill plug and out came a small dribble of gear oil. The tranny does pitch DOWN, and this leaves me wondering how one fills it? Tip the car the other way and then let excess spill out? How much?

Anyway, the once or so that spilled out was a lovely clear green (!!??) and smelled fresh (herbal and nutty notes, kidding). So i conclude its fine.

Any BTDT?


2. Check the torque on the driveshaft bolts to the diff (recall my worry about no locktite). All were great even after 150 laps or so of Watkins Glen.

conclusion - tighten them "good and tight, but not over doing it" and all is well. Really easy to get at if you drop the sheet metal thingy and the two diagonal braces

3. Replace the front sway bar bushings. Done. I'm still uncomfortable with the nut that holds the diagonal control arms in place and want to learn more about it. I may need to swing by one of the local race shops and chat.

Hope this is useful to others,

I'm now off to test drive the car

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

But the tranny does slope down....

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Any time I changed the differential fluid (in my BMW's), some always dripped out when I removed the drain bolt.

I'd fill it until it started to drip out, then I'd install the bolt. Never had any problems.

As an aside, that synthetic diff fluid sure is aromatic!

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

That is often the biggest worry.

I didn't create that expression. I first heard it (read it actually), in a Cycle magazine, circa 1972. Then, it was "a loose nut between the handlebars and the seat". Took me an embarrassing long time to figure out what the h*ll they were talking about.

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com