This group has been unique in the level of helpfulness and willingness to share hard earned experience with each other.  I've been amazed at the amount of email I received requesting help with the few problems (so far) that I've had with my newly acquired 82 Westy diesel.   I say this with appreciation and preface for an idea that I had as I read the discussion thread on tools.

It seems that the Bentley manual makes a lot of references to specialized tools (for the diesel at any rate)  and I'm sure that some of us have invested lots of money in those tools that are now sitting in the bottom of the toolbox.  I thought that there may be a way of creating a "lending web" or at least a weekly posting of tools needed and tools for sale or loanable.  I'm not sure how the loaning would work, but a thought was to simply pay the cost of the tool to someone as a deposit.  If the tool were returned the deposit would be refunded.  If not, the loaner could replace the tool with no lost resources.  

For example, when I replace the seal of my diesel injection pump, I will have to retime the pump which will require a special adapter for a dial indicator to measure plunger position at the back of the pump.  Ok, I can buy the gage adapter for $125 or so and use it once, maybe twice during my ownership of the car. Or, I can have a local mechanic who has the tools, charge me $500 or so to do the job, in which case I've learned nothing and must stay in a worship relationship with the diesel magician...

So, any ideas, or suggestions?  

Arriving in the mail from Bus Depot (whenever they get around to it :-) ) will be a diesel cam lock and injection pulley locking pin, which I would put up as sharable tools after I'm done with them...

Henry Jackson 

941 Maddux Dr.
Palo Alto, California
650-857-1034

hjackson@well.com

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