 May 2008 Activity Log 
5/22/08
S1A - Built a spring compressor and removed the spring from one front and one rear damper. The dampers appear to be in good condition, offering excellent resistance to both compression and expansion, and exibiting no leaks. I plan to clean, paint and reuse them. If they prove to be unsatisfactory, I can always replace them later.
All of the pictures I took today are posted here. High resolution photos are available on request.
I used scrap 1/8" thick steel and a 36" long 1/2" threaded rod (Home Depot), cut in half to construct the compressor. The bolts around the inside periphery of the top plate are 3/16" and the washers were found in my junk box. The crappy welding job is due to my hurry to complete the compressor and my old-age eyesight (My glasses don't work well inside the welding helmet). While it doesn't look pretty, it works very well.
Note: Once the spring is compressed past the top retainer, slide the rubber bump-stop down the damper shaft to make room to remove the retainer.
5/02/08
S1A - Straightened the heater fins and pressure tested the core. Used my leak-down tester to pressurize the core to 20 psi and did not observe any leakage. Submerged the unit in water for a bubble test. Reassembeled the heater so no parts get lost and put it away for later use.
Next task is to disassemble the damper/spring assemblies.
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