Craig,

i feel your pain, having a gravel drive too. The advice i can give is
to jack and securely block the van up as high as you are able. Good
supports, jack stands on plywood bases on the gravel would be great.
Then find some cardboard to put under the van (I have access to
cardboard "sheets" that are used in stacking bags of feed on pallets,
but unfolded big appliance boxes would work too) to lie upon when
working. When it comes time to drop the engine or tranny, plywood
would be better and you can pull the ply and tranny out on the gravel.

leave the clutch slave in place, its not a bad idea to drain the
coolant (shop vac in expansion tank with bleeder on rad works fairly
well) as you prob. want to replace it anyway. Support the engine from
above if you can, the front will move when the tranny is out.

The most important thing is to make the conditions you work in as
pleasant as possible. Lots of light, the cardboard to lie on, take it
slow and easy. Everything seems and is harder in the cold.

good luck

alistair

ps, dont forget vacuum lines to rear locker, electrical too, and the
back up light switch wires.

On 21-Dec-10, at 7:23 PM, craig cowan wrote:

So I'm pulling the transmission to see if I can't find the problem
with the
clutch and while I love to just get in there and get my hands dirty,
I like
to ask sages for advice first.
So, any advice?

I've got the bars off, the driveshaft off, the shifter disconnected, the
ground strap off, and the CV bolt heads cleaned. First thing on the
list is
removal of the CV's. I presume that really just leaves (aside from the
engine to transmission bolts), the Clutch Slave, the coolant pipes,
and the
starter.

Clutch Slave- Leave in place and disconnect the line? Or remove. If so,
tricks?

Coolant pipe- I don't need to remove any hoses or drain any coolant
right?
Just unbolt it.

Starter- Last. Do it with the transmission lowered a few inches.

It is worth noting that it is quite cold outside, and there is a good
amount
of snow surrounding the bus. I also have the grave inconvenience of
having
to have one hand far too overly well bundled which burdens dexterity.
This
is being performed on a deep bed of loose gravel, with floor jack with
wheels that insist upon simply sinking into the gravel.
But I like to say, when life gives you lemons..... find some rum.
I've got rum. Soo, the situation can't be that bad.

Advice?

-Craig
'87 SUNROOF Syncro
'85 GL turned WESTY
BOSTIG in the back