What better way to wrap up Saturday's Flounder Homo Club outing than by doing
something unusual - we actually bought something! Gary "Grenade" Kropf and I
"Dr Dreadful" bought the aluminum floor jacks at Harbor Freight. After all
the discussion about the jacks here is some serious feedback - I like it. I
like it a lot. I first used this jack at the last VSCDA event at MidAmerica
Motorplex in Council Bluffs, Iowa by mooching a test trial from Dr J. He
sells the same jack. Ahh - first, an unexpected benefit of only 3 pumps to
get the car up. Did my usual brake bleed / checks and some sway bar
adjustments as I couldn't get the car to turn in on the "green" pavement of
MAM. The jack's low front roller (rather than casters) get right under my
car at just about any point. Unfortunately for me my clutch started slipping
that Saturday. I made one last (full loose) sway bar adjustment and went out
for the Sunday warm up and it was zinging all thru the session. One guy
heard my motor slipping and said - "Hey your clutch isn't toast - its jelly!"
So I used the jack for one of my most time critical at track operations:
clutch change. What I do to pull the rear engine Volkswagen style motor is
to slide the jack under the homemade steel skid pan under the engine and
raise it up as high as the jack will go. Set the jack stands up way high and
place under the rear axles. Disconnect fuel, throttle and a six pin Molex
connector (yes, yes I will change it to a Weather Pak, but its been working
for ten years so I hate to fool with it) for all the electrical needs, four
engine to tranny bolts. Now, put the jack under the engine, pump up that
last quarter inch, grab the engine by the header pipes and wiggle it back off
the tranny input shaft by wheeling the jack back. Once off the trans shaft
lower the jack, tip the engine back so the fan clears the inner bodywork and
roll it out. Well, not only was the clutch jelly, the pressure plate was all
cracked and ready to let got. Yeow! Put on a fresh clutch and 'plate,
reverse the order and ready to go out for touring to check linkage
adjustments. All fine and I had a great race with Gerald Allen in his
Sprite. We exchanged places sometimes 3 times per lap! I would have been
totally out of it with the old jelly clutch. Oh by the way - engine in and
out clutch change - about 45 minutes.
So I knew this jack would be fine for all my track needs. Having worked my
way thru all the jacks you all have out there - from the $29.95 little "my
first pump up jack," - which is rather unsafe actually (particularly in the
paddock on grass or dirt), thru the $50 orange Chinese jack, to my back
breaking to load on the trailer cast iron Sears 3-1/2 ton floor jack. So
opening the box to this aluminum jack I was "jacked." Jim F and I have been
watching aluminum jacks go from NASCAR $1100 fantasy to $595 booteek jewelry
to finally one for the people at under $200. And it looks great. Shiny
aluminum with knurling on the handle. Why does everyone laugh when I say
"knurling?" Is it that funny? (Didn't Jonathan Winters have a character
named Ed Nurlinger? - yikes the things I was precious brain cells on!)
So quit trying to save a measly ten bucks on shipping and avoid the shipping
nightmare Gerry B is in. Treat yourself to a kick ass present "from me to
me." Grenade and I did. Yahoo!
Rick "Honey - I'm jacking around in the garage." "So what's new?" G.
Dr D
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