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...

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...