davebugs

Thanks for the thought folks. I still haven't decided what to do. I would have the capital, and ability to get it manufactured - those aren't the main issues. I'm semi-retired from computerizing manufacturers for over 25 years. Including a lot of machine shops - at one time a lot of steel was actually made here locally to Pittsburgh. I'ts the marketing and stealing of the idea that are or concern to me. As you would imagine the item could easily be copied. I'll also know more about cost next week. My friend is getting pricing on bar stock and tubing, etc. The first one he made from stuff he had left from other jobs. He's also gonna program the CNC rather than doing it manual like the first time. Other than that I may be looking for a source for a 12mm bolt 9.5 inches long overall - we used allthread on the first set and double nutted and welded them, the other end was tapped. I was just gonna try Fastenal and stuff for those. Anyone have any suggestions on where to buy these? Again thanks for the thoughts.

I emailed them and got back a form letter. With an idea non-discolsure agreement which says some things I didn't care for. Here is an attempt at the cut/paste: The Idea Disclosure Agreement information you requested is attached for you to fill out and mail in or fax us the information. If you want to send in a working model along with the Idea Disclosure Agreement, this will aid in evaluating the idea. However, it is not absolutely necessary that we have this. A drawing, picture or sketch will usually be sufficient. If a model is sent, it will be returned after our evaluation. Lisle Corporation has conducted an active idea submission program for over 35 years. We currently make regular royalty or award payments to over 120 individuals whose idea submissions were selected based on our evaluation. In our evaluation process, we typically make prototype tools and solicit opinions from automotive mechanics. For this reason all submissions are non-confidential. There are several things that we consider when evaluating a new tool idea. It should be related to the automotive or the heavy duty repair field and fit into our automotive specialty tool line. It should appeal to a mechanic because it makes a job faster, easier, safer or has an advantage over any similar tool on the market. After we evaluate your tool, we will advise you regarding the outcome of our evaluation and may offer an Award or a Royalty Agreement that provides for payments based on a percentage of the net selling price received by the company for a period of ten (10) years or, if patents are involved, for the life of the patents. The offer is based on numerous factors, including but not limited to, date of submission, identification of the problem being solved, originality, status of patent protection and other factors. Also, depending upon the circumstances, we may work with you to obtain patent protection. The decision of Lisle Corporation with respect to the offer of an award or royalty is solely at the discretion of Lisle Corporation and is final. We appreciate you contacting us and will look forward to receiving your submission. Sincerely, ---------------------------------------------- What I didn't like is why have an idea disclosure agreement when they say in the 3rd paragraph that things submitted are "non-confidential". And this statement at the end: "The decision of Lisle Corporation with respect to the offer of an award or royalty is solely at the discretion of Lisle Corporation and is final. " A paranoid reading is - yea - send it in. We'll loan it out to other folks who may copy it. Or if we like it there is no negotiation on our offer. I buy and use a lot of Lisle specialty tools. But it hardly sounds like they'd be a good partner to me. Am I missing something? Give us your idea, if we don't steal it, we'll make you a one time offer. Doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies. Tool is similar to bearing pullers but very specifically for MarkIV VW axle bushings. Literally cuts the job from 5.5 to about 2 hours. The 5.5 is using the factory tool (and assorted swear words). The 2.0 or so is using mine. Only takes 5 minutes max to install each new bushing. Axle doesn't get removed from the car, etc. Market would be every VW dealer (who are obligated to buy the 900.00 VW set), and all independent VW shops, and folks like me that work on their cars. Not a huge market, but I already developed the tool for myself. So that part is already done. Just thought my friend with the machine shop could get some work out of it and I could perhaps make a few bucks. I just don't want to get ripped off. If it doesn't sell (or isn't worth the effort) I can handle that. Getting ripped off though would really piss me off!

I agree - keep what you can local. I have an excellent shop that does nothing but heads for all types of vehicles. Cars, trucks, tractors, airplaines and that's where mine go. To have them checked for cracks and other issues, surfaced, and cleaned it's usually about 125 or so for the pair and they do them in a day(overnight actually). I ask them about valve stem seals - and they simply say they don't go bad on Subaru's. But they'll install them if I'd like. The first several sets of heads with close to 200k on them I was a bit concerned. Turns out Suby valve stem seals aren't even that easy to get compared to other cars. Several of those cars now are approaching another 100k and still are fine. So they must hold up well. I don't have them fix bent valves because I have enough sets of heads around here.

I think there used to be some folks advertising here with rebuilt heads - or perhaps it was just cams. But I can't speak to price or quality. Please update your city - so that I can tell where you are at.

I've seen louvered "hoods" in the front with a rad - mostly for the V6 and V8 swaps. Mounted in the rear engine or rear roof usually with electric fans. I never really payed much attention since I was trying to stay air cooled. Considered Corvair (since it's aircooled and a common swap) but they are getting harder to find. Hod a Corvair Monza motor in an offroad buggy years ago. Only issue was trying to keep the front end on the ground long enough to turn!

I have a few friends trying to talk me into putting one of the good 2.2's that I have (95, 96,97) setting here into my street legal buggy since the VW 1600 in it is "tired". I assume Kennedy engineering makes an adapter plate. I also assume the enigne spins the correct way. For one swap (perhaps Corvair) I believe you needed to play basically with the ring and pinion since the engine spun the other way. The rad and associated plumbing is my main reason for not attempting the swap. I won't cutup the blue Metalflake gelcoat body. I guess I should search the web someday. One would think it a semi-common swap.

Funny. The first 2.2 version I had issues with pins bending. Had a better one made for 2.5's. Now having a 2.2 and 2.5 version made without handles. I told him I was torqueing to 180 lbs (as I often actuall do). We'll see how they all work. I have the garage tied up with my VW bus, a 2.2 to pull on the trailer (parts or car for sale in appropriate sections here at USMB) and a 96 2.5 to do HG's or swap this 2.2 into. But it'll be a week or so. What I would like to do is be able to make these, sell them for 40 bucks, and my friend whose shop is slow and myself make just a few bucks. He has machines idle at the present time. Time will tell if that's doable. I'm getting a few made anyways. I know I'd have gladly spent 50 bucks (with shipping I'm guessing) rather than over 100 for the Subaru tool or using some of the methods some of the inventive folks here have come up with. I'll see if I can get the cam tool made if there is demand. I can probably actuall borrow the official Subaru tool and I can surely come up with more cam sprockets. I've just never needed to use one so that wasn't a source of "pain" for me. I still see no reason for the flywheel lock if you have a tool for the harmoinc balancer. I mean I have a flywheel here, certainly have engine cases I'm just not seeing the real benefit - atleast not for what I'm usually doing (timing belt and front seal jobs. What other uses would it have?

I had a friend borrow some cam sprockets to make the cam holder tool (I assume that's what you mean for installing the timing belt on a DOHC when the driver side in under load?). But he got laid off before he could use the waterjet to create the tool. The flywheel lock. I see that as limited use(manual tranny's only) and unnecessary if you have the harmonic balancer tool. Am I missing something or mis-understanding you(either is defninately possible)?

Part Subaru and part VW and wanted the ability to edit so I posted it here. (I hope we can edit here). I created some tools for doing rear axle busing on VW MarkIV's. The mechaincs at the local dealer LOVED them. I'm getting more made. The question is the set will probably sell for 200 or less. Anyone here ever developed a tool before. Or more accurately bother producing, or patenting, or partnering (with Lisle for instance), that kinda stuff? I will probably have Subaru Harmonic balancer tools for sale soon as well. Yea - I know folks use workarounds. I won't on something this major. I have 2 sets now with handles as part of the tool(lets say 2.2's and the other for 2.5's). He's making me some with a slot for a brealer bar so shipping would be less(no handle). No - designing and/or selling tools isn't my business. But I'm getting them made for my own use so the development is already done. I'm shooting for about 40 bucks on the harmonic balancer tool but I won't know until he's done. That would be about 1/3 of the Subaru tool. And more importantly potentially same future issues from not getting the crank bolt tight. And at an affordable price so folks can afford to do things right. Any thoughts welcomed.

When you redo this IGNORE ALL ARROWS!!!! Hash marks only!! And the dot on the front of the crank with the matching hash mark on the back. But just remember hash marks - ignore all else. Hash marks on the crank, on the block by the crank sensor, cam sprockets, timing belt covers. All arrows lead straight to hell it seems. Your personal temporary hell.

I have several sets of heads that I'd sell if you can't find any locally. Don't know what shipping would be though. All I have heard run. Some on engines with HG issues, some on engines with bearing issues. 96 through 98's I believe with a lot of 97 2.5's. But I won't have the time to pull any until next week if you'd like them. I usually don't pull good heads until they are sold. Better protected that way.

Batt and brake light alone means alternator to me based on experience. Sometimes ABS light comes on as well. No matter what the test says. I'd probably be carrying an extra alternator. Unless someone has a better idea I still think that's your issue. Unless it's plain old loose connections, grounds, etc.

As Nipper said impact is probably not necessary. I just use my deep impacts on sizes this large. Infact I use a deep impact and breaker bar to break the bolt using the starter every so often. Don't forget cardboard on the radiator area! I have had tools made for both sizes (2.2's and early 2.5's like 95 maybe 96) and 2.5 97 and up it seems to hold the harmonic balancer. I may be offering some for sale. He's making me prototypes now. The current ones have long handles. If he makes them for a breaker bar shipping in much less. The originals are getting beat up (especially the 2.2 one) so I'm having a different machine shop make me a different design. I worry more about installing them tight since that is more difficult. The fallout can be bad. I recently had a thread about a car I had purchased that had a loose harmonic balancer and other damage with pics. Looking like I gotta decide whether to go the Patent or Copyright route on a tool I had designed for VW's. Anyone here an expert on this? Or anyone ever partner with Lisle? Come to think of it I may start a thread in off topic. Hope it all works out well and nothing was damaged.

Breaker bar to over by the battery tray to use the starter to loosen crank bolt. You wouldn't be the first to put a belt on wrong. What sucks is that it's interference so you could have more damage.

Old stuff mostly SAE (American stuff of course). New and foreign stuff Metric. In hand sockets, wrenches and stuff I have both but use metric much more often. In impact I only have Metric stuff. Other than old American cars and trucks muffler clamps, perhaps some hose clamps, everything really is Metric it seems - and often with an equivalent.

I LOVE my carts. I have 2 Craftsman toolboxes. A larger pretty good one (holds most tools not in the cart) and a cheapie that I viewed as cheaper than a cart if I remove the top box. But I have 2 carts that I use all the time. One holds my former JY Craftsman socket set with a bunch of other stuff in it like expensions, razor knife, pics 14mm 12 point for heads, 14mm flex for eng/trans bolts and nuts, stuff like that. I have a few bags as well. But I'm getting to the point where a JY run is rare. So most of that is in my main cart. The other cart is usually full of crap. But I like to put the stuff I've removed in it when working on a car and the currently being used air tools, pry bars, breaker bars, etc. And I have a small collection of magnetic ash tray gizmo's. I find them handy - I loose less stuff which saves time looking for what I lost or looking for a replacement. I also find it real handy to put engines on furniture dollies with a cement mixing tub on them. Much more portable and they don't leak everywhere. I probably have 6-8 Suby engines on furniture dollies, more on industrial shelving units, on a wagon, etc. So in addition to boxes I'd recommend carts and furniture dollies(for junk/engines and such). Oh - and I LOVE my lift. Best 2k I ever spent. Too bad the garage isn't quite tall enough! 10' isn't truely enough - atleast when I'm 6'2". If I were 5' I'd be o.k. It'll fill up in no time. Garages and sheds are never big enough.

Lucas PS additive has served me very well - especially on Subaru's. But not the the pump leak that I described - the gasket - not the reservoir Oring. Wouldn't hurt anything. But I wouldn't have high expectations.

A lot of the ones I get are the rubber coated metal gasket which requires dis-assembly. A used on eis about the price of the rebuild parts at the dealer(about 20 bucks). I just install a used one. I have torn apart a few to see what the issue was.

I always do them off the car as well. I clean the covers in the parts washer, look things over a bit. I use Fel-Pro valve cover gasket sets due to cost and availibility. I haven't really seen the benefit of OEM for these myself yet. Others may have a comment about the brand. I forget - is that a year where the spark plugs go through the VC? If so the gaskets fit in the cover rather easily. Make sure you get the Orings for the plugs installed properly. Not difficult but pay attention. The bolts are kinda shoulder bolts. You'll find them start to get tight then "bottom out".

Part of the beauty of an OEM thermostat is that I don't think you can install it backwards. Of atleast is should be really, really obvious that it didn't go that way. Did you follow the burping instructions here? Including filling through the top hose?

Usually I use hose pliers when they are that tough. I believe they were discussed in the favorite tool thread around here somewhere. Note that the "good" Sunax ones have a bit more of a bend than the generic ones at Hardbor freight. But both have their uses. And you may find part of the boot permanently married to the plug. So as pointed out wires will probbaly be needed. Also use anti-seize on the threads and dielectirc lube on the plugs and wires for next time.

wow - worth mixing a batch to try

You should start by posting this question in the new generation forum. You should have better visibility there.

What - no mental telepathy this morning?

For what it's worth the alternator is what my bet is as well.