3eyedwagon

I have (2) Ball Joint, High Pinion Dana 60s that I'm not in need of. I've been trying to sell them as sets with the matching rears, and any needed drivetrain components. If you get serious let me know, I might be convinced to sell just a front, and send the rest to the crusher. They are in complete trucks. Keep it in mind, or spread the word if you know anyone in serious need.

^Donnie, you are out of your element.

Oh man, sorry. I had no idea this was a Brat. This kit was kind of designed for the EA82s. Plenty of people have installed this kind of kit on EA81s (like your Brat), but, I wouldn't call it as reliable as I would on an EA82. It works ok on a wheeler where you expect to be replacing axles often, but, I really wouldn't consider it on a daily driver. The EA82s have longer axle shafts which generally allows more suspension lift than the EA81s. Like I've said, EA81s have had this done, but, I wouldn't consider it if you are looking for something "practical, strong, and RELIABLE". This setup works really well on the EA82s....:-\ Sorry. PS: Strut lengthening won't work for the back of your car either. You don't have struts. You have a torsion bar, and shocks.... You'll need to consider a full body 1 or 2" lift. Alot more work unfortunately...

I'm in Mt. Vernon Washington all the time. I should just put that for my profile. I understand liking the idea of a one piece strut tower, and in a perfect world I would brace all of mine together. If you are looking for a cost effective way of doing it, the three square pieces is the way to go. It's super cheap, and has been proven effective on ALOT of vehicles now. Many of the NWWO cars have had this lift, and had the snot beat out of it with little problem. If you want something pretty, you can have it made. It will just cost you more.:-\ I answered most of your questions in the PM. They are the slanted blocks. The same exact blocks are on a few cars that have been beat pretty hard, so, Im confident they would work just fine. If you want a hand, find a way to get parts to Jeff's house in Mt. Vernon, or, I can meet you in that area some time. This is my busy time of year, so, don't be offended if I'm hard to track down. I work seasonally, and I'm away from the computer for a few days at a time usually. You'll need a set of rear struts to be lengthened, and whatever material you want the fronts made out of. If you like, I have the set I spoke of already. Hope I can help you out.

How hard are you planning on wheeling this thing? The reason I ask is that I have a set of the thinner (3/16" or so) front blocks already made. They'd just need to be installed. All they've been doing for the last year or so is sitting on my outside table collecting rust. They would be great if you aren't planning on wheeling a ton, and there are a few sets out there made from the same piece of square tubing as this that have survived for quite awhile. Anywho, at the minimum, they would be a great template for you to make your own, or if you really really want you could get me the the thicker material, and I could cut/drill them for you when I get a slow day. The rears would require a set of stock struts for me to lengthen. It can be done other ways, but, I prefer to lengthen the struts. This really isn't that tough to do man. You could find any fab shop, and they could make them for you pretty quick like.

A cheaper model won't bend exhaust tubing as well because of fitment, and alignment issues. It really has nothing to do with what is creating the force to bend the tubing, although improper use of the force can create problems as well. My bender is a walking shoe radial die compression bender. That means that while the radius die is being pushed into the inside of the bend, the shoes are being drawn out and wrapping the tube around the outside of the die. This design is not really anything special, it's pretty old, tried, and true. The important part is the alignment of the dies, and being able to replace worn parts in order to keep that alignment in check. That should be your number one concern when purchasing a bender. If the bushings (or whatever mechanism keeps the alignment in check) are worn, then the alignment will suffer, and ultimately your bends will show it. Like I said, this isn't a big problem on heavier walled small diameter stuff, but, alignment issues REALLY start to show up the larger diameter you are bending. Just think, the larger the diameter, and the thinner the wall, the less material you have, and the more you are asking that material to move/stretch. Any sort of lateral movement in the bending process can create all sorts of problems when trying to bend larger stuff. That is why you just don't see cheap benders advertising the ability to bend 2 1/2" +. I personally use 14ga aluminized on most of the systems I do, unless somebody needs something to "get them by", and doesn't have much cash. Then I will help them out with whatever I can. I like the way the 14ga aluminized bends, and it is just far stouter. Then again, I don't do much exhaust under 2". When dealing with exhaust under 2" diameter, 16ga being fairly standard wouldn't surprise me at all. Another bit of advice I can offer you is: Don't stockpile massive amounts of aluminized exhaust tubing. You're better off buying exhaust tubing as you need it. I was told by the people at Ben Pearson that older tubing (even good quality stuff) can be problematic to bend. I guess it loses it's elasticity as it ages. I can confirm that some stuff I had sitting around for 18 months or so didn't bend as well as the new stuff. Just letting you know so you don't go buying a truckload to outfit your shop. From what I've seen, this isn't as much a problem when dealing with plain vanilla steel tubing for bumpers, roll cages, etc. Good luck on whatever you decide.

Listen to the advice that Rob, and GD are giving you. You can pick up a used piece of equipment for a fraction of the cost, and often end up with a far nicer machine than you originally budgeted for. I watched Craigslist for nearly a year, and did alot of research before I bought mine. I ended up finding a guy that was in desperate need of getting rid of a machine that he had inherited. It was a long drive to go get it, but, it was well worth the trip. I ended up with a machine that cost over 10k new for pennies on the dollar. I think I'd have a hard time reproducing that deal, but, that's what waiting, and watching is all about. I ended up with a Ben Pearson MC59 with a very extensive die package. I couldn't be happier with it. It had a few issues when I got it (backpressure gauge was broken, it was dirty, and out of alignment from being moved multiple times), but I saved thousands of dollars, and got a machine with more dies than I would have had I bought new. I also learned a ton along the way. If you do some research on these machines you can see that they are fairly easy to inspect for wear before purchase, and that they are made to last forever. This is relevant to nearly all brands of benders. They are very similar whether they are Bend Paks or Ben Pearsons. They have rotation bushing or bearing packs that are straight forward to replace, and all the systems are simply inspected by checking for play in the components. After some looking it over I found that mine had very very little wear. Boy was it dirty though...:-\ Glad to see you already learned about the die packages. Yes, they are very expensive, but, the machine can't do the job without them. Improper die fitment will make you go nuts. It is crucial when bending larger thin walled tubing. You won't notice it as much on smaller thicker tubing. If all you want to do is 2"- and heavier walled, one of the cheaper manual benders will do that stuff just fine. You really don't start to notice the high quality fitment until you get into the 2 1/2" + thin walled stuff, and then it starts to deform quickly with a misalignment. The best piece of advice I can offer you is this: Take care of your dies, and they will take care of you. Seriously, I cannot stress that enough. That was one of the problems when I got my bender. It had grit, and grime all over the dies which made it bend like a piece of crap. After talking to the really nice people at Ben Pearson I took the time to clean all of my dies thoroughly, and oil them frequently. Now I oil them all the time, even not when in use. This prevents rust. I also keep them covered to keep dust off of them. There is alot of friction going on with a compression die bender, so, cleanliness is super important to prevent crushing or other deformation of the tubing. Again, this gets more important the larger the tubing, and the thinner the walls. However, I can tell a difference on even the thicker walled smaller stuff. You just get a better looking bend with less "push in" (that's from the walking shoes pushing the tubing in against the radius die) if you keep the die/shoes, and workpiece well lubricated. My machine operates on 220v, and is sort of a behemoth, but, man can it bend some tube. It also is nice to be able to flare/expand/compress exhaust, make Buick balls, and other exhaust flanges/fitments, and has a nice degree bend shutdown switch. Finally, it came with the card catalog for making reproductions of stock exhaust systems, and the accompanying degree finders. These are handy things to consider, and a really good reason to buy a bit more machine. It also came with a few sets of dies for various sized tubings/pipes that the original manufacturer didn't offer. The original purchaser had them machined.... That had to be expensive. I know what you're saying about the dies too. I called Ben Pearson to order a set of dies for 3 1/2" and 4".... They cost more than I initially paid for the entire machine, and setup.

It all depends on what kind of quality you want out of the finished product. If you don't mind a wavy job, go ahead and just sand it. If you are looking for no distortion, you obviously go ahead and remove it. You may also want to check for compatibility with the paint you are going to be using. If you just sand the surface of the chip guard it will be releasing stored gasses, and if those gasses are not compatible with the paint being put over top of it.... bad things will happen. Fisheyes, complete seperation, sloughing, and others. I'd try to figure out what that stuff is made off, or, I'd just get started on removing all of it. You could also try shooting a test pass over some of it. Having fun yet???? Take your time. You'll get there... just think of all the stuff you're learning along the way. Can't say the same for the people that go to Maaco!!

Don't let the scarceity prevent you from getting one. As I said, most of the drivetrain parts are readily available in the aftermarket. Alot of the stuff is shared throughout American automakers in that time period. I know the Eagles shared some parts with Jeeps of the period. Any of the specific stuff like body parts, or interior parts can be found on an AMC specific forum. I'm a member over at "TheAMCForum.com", and you would be amazed how many of us there are. There is a healthy network of parts around the country, and the enthusiasts are downright rabid about helping each other keep these things on the road. The entire AMC/Rambler brand was one of frugality, and ingenuity. That's something that can still be seen in its' enthusiasts. There is a good following for the Eagles, and I'd be really surprised if you had a hard time finding parts for one with a tool like TheAMCForum.com at your disposal. A Forester will be worth less tomorrow while an Eagle is starting to climb in value. Just sayin'..... We'd love to have another member...

They are an AMC product, so, there is going to be a few new things to learn. Some of the wiring is counterintuitive if you've grown up on Chevys or Fords. The drivetrains are sound. Especially the 258 inline 6. It is an absolutely bulletproof motor, and many have rolled 300k with maintenance. The rest of the drivetrain is equally sound, and despite the fact that the company is extinct, parts are pretty readily available. Some of the odd stuff you may have trouble finding, but, all the drivetrain essentials are out there. AMC was pretty notorious for compatible parts throughout different lines of cars, so, you may find the part you need on another AMC model. Their build quality is typical late 70s early 80s stuff. Fitment won't be amazing, but, if you're into Subarus you'll probably be used to that. I'd say go for it. We have 3 AMCs, and I'd gladly buy another. I actually kind of am considering doing so at the moment. They definitely are something different.

You guys really NEED to read up on this. The answers to questions being thrown around are incomplete at best. A flattening agent is used in the clear coat on a base coat/clear coat system, NOT the base coat. There is really NO POINT in using a flattening agent in the base coat, unless you intend to not clear coat it, at which point you'd be better off just waiting a week. Nature will make an unprotected base coat pretty flat in a matter of days. Most base coats come out pretty dull anyways. The clear coat is what adds shine, and depth. I would bet you could throw alot of flattening agent in a base coat, and still get good shine with multiple unflattened clear coats. That is what a clear coat is for. There are plenty of ways to skin this cat, but, you need to do some reading, and then decide if you want to use a base coat/clear coat, or a single stage paint. Then from there you'll need to research how to achieve the matte look you want. Each process requires a different way of obtaining the flat/matte/semi gloss look. With a clear coat you can scuff/fine scotch brite the clear coat, or add flattening agent to the CLEAR. With most single stages you can buy a ready to shoot flat/matte/semi gloss, or add flattening agent to a gloss color if you are trying to get an exotic color. Read up, you need to get educated on this, because people are filling you with various answers, and until you have some perspective, they are all useless.

About the flat: The flatter the paint, the worse it is to maintain, and the quicker it absorbs impurities, and looks like crap. Semis are just that. They are semi flat, so, they will still absorb things like oils, UV, and abrasion more quickly. Pearls are equally tough to shoot. It requires a very very even coating or you end up with depth problems, and not alot of options to fix it other than sanding and re-shooting. The way you lay down metallics, and pearls is very important. It takes discipline. You need to be very measured, and mechanical, laying the coats down the same everywhere. Pretty much like a robot. A change of handspeed, or going back over one area one time too much, and you'll have a spot that will look different. I wouldn't suggest pearls to a beginner, but, on the other hand, there's only one way to no longer be a beginner, and that's doing it. If it's a cheap car, and you just want to play, GO FOR IT.

You need to read up on this. You can get flat coats using as many as 4 parts. Most common is 2 parts, and you can buy it in premixed 1 part if you plan to shoot immediately. The same exact is true of non-flats. Most common enamels are just 2 parts, so your reason isn't sound. You might want to do some research before deciding that flat is right for you. If you want it to look good you need to know that flat paints take alot of upkeep, and generally wear more quickly due to their lack of abrasion resistance. Even the newest best flats tend to fade far more rapidly because they absorb UV rays, and don't have a top coat to protect from oxidization. You can do a bit better by shooting clear, and then roughing it, but, even this will look bad far faster than a normal paint job. There's a reason that the only nice quality, long lasting flat black paint jobs you ever see are on old hot rods. They are typically stored inside, and only taken out on weekends. Or the owner is OCD enough to re-shoot it often. Try washing a flat black vehicle, and get back to me. If you're going for a "piece of crap car look", then flat will do the trick. If you want it to look nice, you are in for at least 2x the work over a conventional paintjob.

Do something else. Flatblack is super played out, especially on foreign cars. We get it, its an attempt at utilitarianism. How unique. If its not a tractor, or built before 1950, it's really starting to get sad. And I have a flat black S10:rolleyes:. It's going gloss just to get away from the me too crowd.

The main downside to the Summit paints is the loss of selection. You only get a small pallet of colors to choose from compared to the custom house brands where a virtually infinite numbers of shades can be made, and matched to existing paints. The quality probably suffers slightly, but, what do you expect for being able to shoot so cheaply?

The biggest problem with running a very high loss of backpressure is the chance for expelled exhaust gasses rapidly heating the exhaust valves. You need, on minimum, about 12" or so of tubing away from the heads. 18" is far better. Running straight out the head is ok for just starting it up to see if it runs, but, I would suggest not running for long. It will cook the valves, and seats. In most cases it ends up burning an exhaust valve, but, I am talking about v8s as that's what I know more about. I understand now what you're talking about in the bends of the tubing. It is very difficult to prevent flattening in the bends when using a compression die bender. There will always be a little bit, but, there are measures to prevent much. You're just asking alot of the tubing when effectively crushing and reshaping it. Lubing the dies, and tubing goes a long ways to preventing flattening. I have extensively compared mandrel bent tubing bends, and that of my machine. I even went as far as to do a measurement of volume in CCs on two pieces of 2 1/2" 14ga tubing bent on a mandrel machine VS bent on my fairly well tuned die machine. They were both 18" in length before bending, and the loss was under 10ccs on a 180* bend. It ended up being about a 4-5% loss of volume. I did alot of research on all of this when I first got started. I understand your concern, and it is good that you're paying attention to things like this in hopes of achieving maximum efficiency. Another thing to think about with the flattening of the pipe is that while it may be slightly flattened (usually on the outside of the bend) it has expanded to the sides resulting in a somewhat ovular section of pipe. The dies fit just a hair loosely allowing for expansion to anywhere the tubing can escape to, and while bending really sharp bends, you can witness the expansion in that direction. So, yes, some flow is lost, but, I've learned that on a well tuned machine it is usually negligible. Especially for what most of us are up to. Another thing I'd like to share is the fact that the smaller the tubing, the less distortion/deformation you will get when bending it. Once you get up to about 2 3/4" tubing you start to realize how important it is to have a machine set properly as any flaws will begin to show. The smaller stuff will often be a breeze after that. Good luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for.

That's the best question that could be asked of the OP in regards to helping him figure out what he needs. If it is a $1000 car that you just want to dress up, and have fun with I'd suggest trying some of the Summit single stage. I've always had it work well for me, and with a steady hand (or some wet sanding) you can get it to come out pretty nice. I've even had one gloss black job on a Caprice that was actually really impressive. The drawback is that there are only about 30something colors to choose from, and it isn't going to be as long term durable as a nicely done quality base coat / clear coat. If you are trying to get your vintage car show ready, I would advise a good base coat / clear coat, and ordering the exact shade you want. The downside is that it's going to cost you far more, and be far more labor intensive for a beginner. Metallics will add even more work to this equation as most of them need a clear coat over them.

You have the right idea that tight bends are the enemy. That is where mandrel bending really shines, but, you have to realize the expense of a mandrel bend machine. They often run upwards of $30,000 new, and can climb far higher depending on the range of pipe they will bend. In turn, that expense is passed on to the customer. There is nothing at all wrong with that, it's just that alot of people these days hear that new craze, and think that a tried, and true system like compression bending is no longer acceptable. I've even had people go as far to tell me that a competetive exhaust system cannot be made on a compression die bender. Most people don't realize how many 11 second cars out there have 2.5" - 3" compression die bent exhaust systems. Another problem is that due to the buzz about mandrel bending, many very talented exhaust people have closed shop. You can now order a mandrel bent system for most cars through the mail, and have it to your doorstep. The real laugh is that many people will order these systems for upwards of $500, and then take them to the exhaust shop, and have them installed. I have to laugh, because these people are paying twice for the same labor. They often end up having well over $1000 into a system when they could have had a very similar system bent, by a pro, for around $600-$800. I will give you the straight scoop lowdown. The AMX previously mentioned had long tube headers that end under the drivers seat, making exhaust jobs butter. I had just under $300 into materials on that job including a very nice set of Flowmaster Super 44s, and about 20 feet of 14ga aluminized pipe. That means $300 in 6 hrs of labor totalling a VERY NICE exhaust system for $600. As you can imagine, a longer car will cost more, and there isn't much shorter than an AMX. If you are going to have a custom job bent, I cannot say enough to go ahead and get the good pipe. The heavy walled 14ga aluminized pipe sounds far better, gives that mellow throaty reverb, and most importantly bends really well. I've bent the cheaper pipe, and it is really hard to get it to bend nicely. It's thinner, and sometimes harder making it dimple, flatten, and do other strange crap. Aluminization will also last a lot longer making it a far more sound long term investment. I've seen aluminized systems here in Washington last 15 years or more without leaking. That's a great return on your money VS. having a setup rot in 5 years. You are dead on about Bernoulli's principle. What most people don't think about when it comes to exhaust is that any time you are flowing exhaust into an area larger than the valve opening, you are creating stagnant exhaust flow. A little stagnation isn't the end of the world, but, when you are running 3" exhaust on a head with 2" exhaust valves you are creating a problem. You are only emptying one cylinder at a time, unless something is terribly wrong:lol:. I won't argue about the sound, as I can understand the desire for that deeper rumble, but, if you are interested in function over form, you are wasting alot of potential. As you said; oversized exhaust tubing will cause a loss of "tip in" power. Most of the time, that is what people are after, but, they end up setting themselves back with their exhaust choices. I guess it is all a happy medium depending on what sound you want. It sounds like you have a good grasp on this, so, I won't bother preaching to you about that any more. I am not a professional exhaust guy. I'm just a muscle car enthusiast who bought a WAY overkill tubing bender to do work on my own vehicles, and those of my friends. I will not pretend I am an expert, but, I am learning alot every time I do another job. To me it is an excercise in being more self reliant, and basically a free education. Exhaust work, like most other things mechanical, is all about your patience, and attention to detail. The same exact machine used by two different people can result in vastly different exhaust systems. It's all about the standards of the person using it. I'm located near Mt Vernon Washington. I wish we were closer, as I'd be glad to give you a hand. Unfortunately, I don't know any exhaust people that far south, but, I'm sure you can find someone. It sounds like your shop is capable, but, that they may have used pre-existing, or store bought bends to do your system. I know alot of times the wrinkle bends you see are store bought from places like NAPA. I don't think any good shop would have a hard time mating your existing system to the new motor. They'd probably end up cutting it about under the passenger seat, and just make what they need to from there forward. Even with good pipe I couldn't see it costing more than $200 or so.

This question just isn't going to work. It's like asking what brand of oil is the best, or what kind of filters are the best. All you're going to get is a bunch of speculation, and statements like " I shot a car with Dupont one time in a snowstorm, and it sucked. ". That isn't going to help you at all. Anyone who's shot much paint will have a brand they prefer, but, that is because they have experience with it. I've had good experiences with some, and bad with others, but, if people were honest, and unbiased with their opinions most would realize that bad results were/are usually the result of bad prep work, and inexperience. I've had Dupont Nason flop, but, to be honest I'll gladly admit that I wasn't experienced shooting metallic paints, and that was probably why the metallic fell over on me. The best advice I can give you is this: The best paint is fresh paint. Stuff that has been sitting for a long time will often catalyze poorly, and do strange things like fisheye. I've shot a fair amount of all sorts of paint, and I've found that freshness is the most important thing. I've used the paints from Summit, and have also shot bargain basement brands from GI Joes. I can tell you that they worked great, but, don't let them sit on your shelf for months/years, as they've probably already been sitting awhile before you ever ordered them up.

It's an AMC AMX. The 401ci was used from 72 up, and is a popular drop in to replace the dwindeling supply of older AMC 390s.

You don't need mandrel bent exhaust. Mandrel bent exhaust is a big buzzword at the moment, and alot of magazine articles have alot of people thinking that it is necessary. A compression die bent exhaust system will work just fine. Although from the description of the job you had done before, I would go elsewhere. You can find an experienced, good muffler shop that has a compression die bender, and they can do a great job. Pinches, dimples, flattening, and other deformation of tubing that has been bent with a die bender is a sign of improper hydraulic pressure settings on the machine, and the dies being out of alignment. Aligning the dies, and setting the machines back pressure properly takes experience, and knowledge, but it is very doable. Especially considering you are using such small tubing. Compression die benders are often used to bend 4" exhaust tubing, and I can tell you first hand that they can be properly adjusted to do so without dimples, or flattening of the tubing. The quality of the tubing used on your system may also be suspect. I use 14ga aluminized exhaust tubing on all my systems, and can routinely bend 2 3/4" tubing 180* with very little flattening in the deepest part of the bend. No dimpling, no pinches. None of that. My advice would be to find an experienced tubing bender, and have them make whatever you want. If you want to mate it to your old system, that would be very simple. Now, as far as the thought of mandrel bending, the entire purpose of mandrel bending is for the smoothest bends possible to decrease backpressure. A 2" system on a 1.8L engine is already plenty enough to kill any idea of backpressure. It is even plenty for a 2.2L engine. Unless this car is highly tuned, and seeing constant high RPMs you are way overthinking this. The 2" system will support more flow than is needed with a moderately built flat four. To give perspective, I recently bent a full length dual 2.5" system for a 401 ci (6.6L, exactly 3 times more displacement than an ej22) v8 running through super 44 series Flowmasters, and over a rear diff. That engine is tuned to 450+ HP, and the dual 2.5" die bent system will flow it easily. Mandrel bending is great in a perfect world, and I don't want anyone thinkning that I am badmouthing it, BUT, THE REALITY is that 99.999999% of enthusiasts just don't need to spend the extra money on it. Unless your car is highly tuned, and needs every bit of flow it can get, or you are working with incredibly tight spaces and need extremely smooth bends on the smallest tubing that will work for the application, you just won't notice ANY difference for the money spent.

Sounds like you had a run of poorly built parts causing you to chase your tail. I've had similar things happen with bad coils from Echlin. That crap gets frustrating in a hot hurry. Glad you got it fixed. Way to stick in there.

I'm not from your area, but, try thinking out of the box when it comes to finding a good aluminum weldor. You won't necessarily want to go to nothing but the listed fabrication shops as the majority of them will deal in steel. There may be some boat repair places in your area, or look for food processing manufacturers. Think of anywhere that uses alot of aluminum, and stainless. Dairy equipment places are another one. So are trailer manufacturers. Try starting at your local welding store. The weldors have to get their gear somewhere, and they'll often leave business card on the bulletin board. Ask the guys behind the counter, and tell them exactly what you're up to. Alot of the people that work at the weld shops can weld themselves, and may be willing to tackle it for you when they aren't busy. Most welding equipment stores have machines set up in the back, and might be able to give you a hand. I'm not sure if there are any vocational schools, or technical colleges in your area, but, check them out if there are. You can probably find someone at one of them that will do it the cheapest. We did this kind of work all the time for donations to our college chapter of the American Welding Society.

Match the RPMs up, and you'll be fine. I ride motorcycles alot, and rarely use a clutch once rolling. IE: from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd. Downshifting as well. As long as you are in the neighborhood with your RPMs you should have little problem. The only problem you'll have is if you are accelerating hard, and trying to shift up, or, are revving to high and trying to downshift. All you are doing when shifting without a clutch is making the gears engage more quickly than they otherwise would. The gears receive a little bit of shock whether using the clutch or not. The gears are incredibly hardened, and will handle tons of abuse. It takes alot of hard shifts to wear them out, and make them break. I've shifted this way on just about everything I've ridden. Four wheelers, dirt bikes, sport bikes, and custom styled motorcycles. The long term affect is that you'll wear your gears a little quicker than you would otherwise, but, we are talking very little difference if done right. I've torn dirtbike/fourwheeler transmissions apart on bikes that have been shifted this way their whole lives, alot of them shifted clutchless without lifting off the throttle, and they all looked fine. I won't tell you that you can't pop a gear, because you can, but, you can pop a gear shifting with the clutch too. I'd run it. It will be a little tougher getting going, but, just park on a hill, and avoid stop signs. You'll be fine. Don't overlook taking the outter case to a tig welder. You may be able to find someone who can build up the aluminum housing, and then you can "machine" it back to "ok". I've used this fix on some things that weren't worth dumping alot of money into, and had good results.

A plain old plumbers paint pen will do a great job. I get mine at NAPA, and they do the trick great. Shake the pen back and forth, get the paint flowing out the tip, and carefully apply. I've been doing so since 01 or so. Did so alot more back when I was into the "street race" scene. I still do so on a few rigs. I always had orange, or red lettered tires, and was constantly being asked where I got them. Nobody ever figured that it was a simple paint pen. It lasts about 3 months before needing to be touched up (In my perfectionist opinion). It holds up to tire shine, and washing. It may not hold up as well through mud. I don't know, as all the cars I did it to were lowered street vehicles. If you want to take it off, it comes of with Westleys tire bleech. There's no need to buy anything expensive. The paint pen sticks are about $5, and will do a set of tires numerous times.