I got an email from John Deaton earlier this week. Their family is now one bigger. They now have 3 boys.

Last night I went over to David M.'s house to help him fix the clutch on his Miata. The problem was that the clutch slave cylinder was leaking. It had actually leaked to the point that the clutch pedal no longer worked. It was probably just the o-ring on the piston but he had already bought a replacement cylinder so we just installed it. I believe he said it ran about $28.

The instructions he found on Miata.net/Garage were awesome. Not only did they explain exactly what to do, but they also mentioned what size wrench was needed for each step. It sure is nice to know which wrench to take with you when your climbing under a car that sits that low. We put it up on four jack stands. That made getting underneath it so much easier than just using two. With the exception of one bolt, all the work actually be done from the side, assuming the passenger side front tire is off. I had my Haynes manual with me but it turned out we didn't need it.

We spent about 2 hours getting the job done, though I believe we actually spent 30-45 minutes actually working on it. He was told he could expect to pay about $150 to have a mechanic do this job for him.

After the job was complete and the tools put away we went for a nice little cruise around Madison with the top down. The temperature was perfect. I really enjoy driving my Miata with the top down after the sun sets. It makes a for a very pleasant ride. Unfortunately I don't get out much after dark.

Truck update: I managed to get the steering wheel and steering column out of the truck cab. Items remaining: brake, emergency brake, and gas pedal. Also the gas tank. I suppose there is probably a couple of things hanging on the firewall that need to come off as well. I will probably pull the engine and transmission again before removing the cab. I suspect that will make the job much easier.

Dwayne got his brake lines finished up on the 70 Charger. I keep looking for it in the parking lot at work, but he keeps leaving it in the garage at home.