On Tue, 31 Jan 1995, David Kao wrote:

> I carried my 73 super beetle short block in my vanagon and went to a nearby
> autoshop. I brought my 36mm socket with me. I asked the shop to loosen the
> gland nut for me. No hassle! It took them seconds with an air rachet and
> a big smile. It's free.
> 
> David Kao

Well, I might have to opt for this.  Last night, I attached my shiny new
Craftsman breaker bar and socket to the gland nut, slid on the 6' torque
multiplier, and promptly snapped the breaker bar off right at the socket!

Incidently, I'd like to tell you all about the nifty engine stand I built.
Someone had given me a workbench mountable VW engine stand (~$25 at
JCW).  However, I don't have a workbench to mount it to.  So, I designed
and built a floor stand out of 2" angle iron, bolted together and 
cross-braced so it's sturdy.  Parts and labor (to cut the pieces to length)
ran about $32.  It's stable enough that I was able to break my Craftsman
wrench without it even budging.  The nicest thing about it is that it
breaks down into a 2" square by 5' package that fits easily into the back
of my Bug!

Dave
'71 Westfalia & SB