OK. I give... I have the tank out and see no sane way to replace my steering coupler without cutting the cover off. What do I need to do to back that thing off so I can get to the coupler?

-Aaron

You have to unhook the steering shaft u-joint under the dash inside the cabin and then drop the whole steering rack from under the car.
The shaft and coupler will come out with the rack.

Funny thing is, you don't actually have to remove the tank to do that ...

In fact, i actually find it much easier and quicker to just dropp the complete front suspension with the rack and all. That way you don't have to fiddle with the tie rods etc.
And if you mark your top suspension bolts and plate, you can even get away without having to re-align the car.

If you are just replacing your coupler, cut the cover. When finished, I put cover on and tape it up. Nobody is going to see it but you. Did this job last February and I am not a good mechanic.

Very tempting, but I hate destroying things due to haste. I'm way to anal for that...

Or you can leave the top mounts in and not have to mark them and not have to realign. Just remove the shock nuts and drop the suspension with the struts.

I just did this, the same way Eric described, but the ujoint did not want to let go without some serious help (fat screwdriver and a BFH). I also remove my 19mm mc as the rack wanted to get hung up there as well. I suppose you could do it without that , but I was striping my car anyway,so it came out.

Check out forum from earlier this year:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=169863&hl=

i just cut the cover off. that way i could inspect it when ever i have the tank out. my coupler was so far gone, i would have never driven the car that way. had that cover not been hiding it.