Sunday roundup - Transmission Dipstick!

• Replaced the driver’s side droop strap / stop strap that was broken; did not touch the only-wounded one for fear of rusted bolt snapping.
• Replaced differential fluid; had to grind a 1/2inch socket adapter down to 7/16 and Bob’s Your Uncle the plugs came right out.
  
• Removed the old 6V to 6V battery cable.
  
• Scot found ½ the bolts on the drive shaft were not Teflon nutted and were loose. DPO (Dreaded Previous Owner)! Replaced those properly; found 2 more zerk fittings in that area as well & greased them.
  
• Spent many hours trying to get the transmission dipstick unstuck. Could not do it with grinder, vise grips, crush, hammer & screwdriver prying, full sized pry bar – that puppy is IN there till she’s towed off to Crazy Rays! We ended up cutting an access hole on the side of the passenger tran hump from inside the car, and then drilled a 3/8^th inch hole in the aluminum transmission case in the dipstick tunnel, at (what we believe to be) above the oil fill level. Worked like a charm, we could then drain out the old sludge and flushed with 10W-40. Unfortunately CARL did not bring enough of the proper 20W-50 to refill the tranny!! (I think some was stolen to put in School Bus a few trips ago).
• Greased 5 of the 6 zerk fittings on the front suspension; 6^th fitting is an angled one, pointing directly at the dust shield! DPO strikes again.