--snip--
> Worst job ever was replacing the heater core in a '78 Chevy van-the entire
> %$#! dashboard had to come out to access the heater core!
--snip--

BTDT... in my '78 Chevy G20. Funny thing is, as much as a pain as that was,
it's hardly on my top ten. Maybe I'm repressing the memory. Probably the
worst single meckanikin' job I've ever done was rebuilding the steering gear
on that van. I couldn't find anybody locally that would touch it, and
everybody to whom I talked about it pretty much laughed in my face,
especially when I said 'I guess I'll just do it myself...'. IIRC the kit was
only about $15 but having it rebuilt out of the van was close to $200.
Getting it out of the van was interesting- had to take it to a shop to get
the Pitman arm off and it almost didn't happen. Then after getting the seals
and such in place in the mechanism it was about 13 hours of mind-bending
frustration trying to get those damn little ball bearings back into the
thing so the worm gear would work properly. I don't remember that one all
that clearly either but I know before it was over with there were times I
was sure I was going to cry.

Cya,
Robert