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Once upon a time.........................at the suggestion of Jeepster I accepted the challenge of installing a Wolff spring kit in my wife's J Frame, a 638 to be precise.
I never been inside a J Frame before and I was a little skeered there might be a bunch of parts that could easily get mixed up.
I was gonna send it off to Ahlmans and let them do a trigger job but again Jeepster encouraged me and said even a dimwit such as myself could easily do it. Said he's done several hisself, not sure what that has to do with me but it was encouraging.
Sooooo, I get the gun from the wife, it has a very hard trigger pull. Smooth enough, just hard to pull.
I carefully and systematically removed the side plate, no problems, all good. I kind of look around in there to see what's what and more importantly see where every thing goes. I didn't know what was in the Wolff package so I started there.
just a brilliant idea.
Well it's just a series of hammer springs, an 8, a 13, 14, 15 I think. I decided I'd just start with the 8 and see what I got.
It also looked like I wouldn't have to mess with any of them other tiny little pieces to do it so should be ok.
So I squeeze down on the hammer spring enough to get the cap and spring off the strut. All good.
Here's a picture of the cap, this will be the star of my little story.
Well I put on the new spring and cap and attempt to squeeze it down to get it in place when heck and damnation I lose it, the spring stays but the little cap, leaves the stratosphere followed by a stream of oh shucks and gosh durn it's and the depression sets in......................................
Well I know in my heart I'm never gonna find this blankity blank little piece of hard rubber but I also know that I just gotta look.
Break out the trusty flashlight and start checking nooks and crannies, alas in less than 5 minutes I'm scanning the floor and what to my wandering eye should appear but the little walk about cap. Eureka, thank you, thank you, thank you. The project can continue.
So this time I'm gonna be more careful so I chuck the strut up in the vise and figure to depress that spring and clamp it with some baby vise grips. Yes sirreeeee, I got this figured out by golly.
Well I'm a pressing down and have to tighten the vise grips just a scosh when heck and damnation, Houston we have a launch again. No clue what direction, full power. Dude your totally screwed this time, ain't no way..................
As tears begin to form making a total mess of my mascara, the depression and anxiety really set in this time. I'm ready to just toss in the towel, order the part, try again another day, but bawanna ain't no quitter, we gots to look some.
So out with the trusty flashlight once again, looking all over, and I kid you not, the lid on my little wood machinist tool box, (I sure ain't no machinist but I inherited a nice box) is up and by some miracle under the light of Rudolf's shiny red nose I happen to spy the walk about cap just a setting on the edge of that lid. My first thought was no way, your not that lucky, it can't be, has to be one of them thar mirages like the casino in Vegas.
But sho nuff there she be.
Well now the questioning thyself begins. Do we not press our luck, get drunk and be somebody or march on. Well again being the impatient type we press on.
I'm happy to report using a tiny tiny little nail utilizing the hole in the strut that in hindsight is no doubt there for this very purpose I was able to successfully get that bad boy back in one piece. Jury's still out on the pull I think it's better and I think it's totally acceptable.
One things for positive sure is I ain't taking it back out no more today.
Now I guess I'll work on that getting drunk and being somebody, my Marine got home last night, busiest day of the year at the airport, but that's another story for another time.
I never been inside a J Frame before and I was a little skeered there might be a bunch of parts that could easily get mixed up.
I was gonna send it off to Ahlmans and let them do a trigger job but again Jeepster encouraged me and said even a dimwit such as myself could easily do it. Said he's done several hisself, not sure what that has to do with me but it was encouraging.
Sooooo, I get the gun from the wife, it has a very hard trigger pull. Smooth enough, just hard to pull.
I carefully and systematically removed the side plate, no problems, all good. I kind of look around in there to see what's what and more importantly see where every thing goes. I didn't know what was in the Wolff package so I started there.
just a brilliant idea.
Well it's just a series of hammer springs, an 8, a 13, 14, 15 I think. I decided I'd just start with the 8 and see what I got.
It also looked like I wouldn't have to mess with any of them other tiny little pieces to do it so should be ok.
So I squeeze down on the hammer spring enough to get the cap and spring off the strut. All good.
Here's a picture of the cap, this will be the star of my little story.
Well I put on the new spring and cap and attempt to squeeze it down to get it in place when heck and damnation I lose it, the spring stays but the little cap, leaves the stratosphere followed by a stream of oh shucks and gosh durn it's and the depression sets in......................................
Well I know in my heart I'm never gonna find this blankity blank little piece of hard rubber but I also know that I just gotta look.
Break out the trusty flashlight and start checking nooks and crannies, alas in less than 5 minutes I'm scanning the floor and what to my wandering eye should appear but the little walk about cap. Eureka, thank you, thank you, thank you. The project can continue.
So this time I'm gonna be more careful so I chuck the strut up in the vise and figure to depress that spring and clamp it with some baby vise grips. Yes sirreeeee, I got this figured out by golly.
Well I'm a pressing down and have to tighten the vise grips just a scosh when heck and damnation, Houston we have a launch again. No clue what direction, full power. Dude your totally screwed this time, ain't no way..................
As tears begin to form making a total mess of my mascara, the depression and anxiety really set in this time. I'm ready to just toss in the towel, order the part, try again another day, but bawanna ain't no quitter, we gots to look some.
So out with the trusty flashlight once again, looking all over, and I kid you not, the lid on my little wood machinist tool box, (I sure ain't no machinist but I inherited a nice box) is up and by some miracle under the light of Rudolf's shiny red nose I happen to spy the walk about cap just a setting on the edge of that lid. My first thought was no way, your not that lucky, it can't be, has to be one of them thar mirages like the casino in Vegas.
But sho nuff there she be.
Well now the questioning thyself begins. Do we not press our luck, get drunk and be somebody or march on. Well again being the impatient type we press on.
I'm happy to report using a tiny tiny little nail utilizing the hole in the strut that in hindsight is no doubt there for this very purpose I was able to successfully get that bad boy back in one piece. Jury's still out on the pull I think it's better and I think it's totally acceptable.
One things for positive sure is I ain't taking it back out no more today.
Now I guess I'll work on that getting drunk and being somebody, my Marine got home last night, busiest day of the year at the airport, but that's another story for another time.
I'm still lookin for my cheerieos...
I am addicted to brake fluid...don't worry I can 
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