[legion]

My 951 had many electrical gremlins. I ended up cleaning all of the grounds, rewiring the headlights, replacing the front passenger side turn signal, having the alternator rebuilt, replacing the battery, and cleaning up the contacts in the console/gauges. The one task, that appeared fairly simple at first that ended up taking WAY more time than it should have, was replacing the main ground.

I unplugged the battery and had the old ground off in minutes. I even got a special 13mm wobble socket to make pulling/installing the bolt from the top of the bell housing easier. Reinstallation should take no longer, right?

Well, while installing the end of the ground to the top of the bell housing, I got the bold threaded with the ground on it...and somehow slipped with the ratchet. The socket pops off the end of the extension, rolls............................................. ....................................and falls right in the clutch inspection hole. Crap!

After a string of profanity like I've never unleashed before, and a 30 minute cooling-off period, I go into the house. I find my wife and calmly (but just barely) say: "I don't want to discuss what just happened. I'm VERY angry with myself for making a potentially VERY expensive mistake. I need you to go to the closest auto parts store and buy me at least three telescoping magnets."

She returns 20 or so minutes later with the requested magnets. I get to work. I stick a magnet in the clutch inspect hole and hear a clink. I slowly raise the magnet to the threshold of the hole and see that I have the socket! I attempt to put the socket out of the hole and find that I can't get it orientated correctly and it detaches from the magnet and falls back down the hole. On my second attempt, I try to use a second magnet to orientate the socket to pass through the hole. This attempt fails and the socket falls back into the clutch assembly.

Over the next three hours, I attempt to extricate the socket hundreds of times without success. I lack the tools to drop the engine or transmission at my house, so I'm probably going to have to have the car towed (doing damage along the way) to a shop that can fix it.

I decide to give it one last try before drowning my sorrow in ethanol. My back is aching from leaning over the engine for hours. I slide the first magnet in the hole and bring the socket to the threshold. I gently attached the second magnet and begin attempting to manipulate it. Everything looks good. I slowly start backing the socket out of the hole. This is the part where I normally feel it hit the bell housing and detach. I don't feel anything. It's coming out of the hole! SUCCESS!!!

I put tape over the clutch inspection hole, finish tightening the bolt, put the socket away (far from the car), and drown my exasperation in ethanol.