Thanks for the hookup on the Bilstein Sports, and also for the installation tips. Harbor Freight and I also got to be friends over the last couple of days, also. (LOL) Got the car done last night, and it handles like a new car even though it still needs an alignment.

Here is a pic of the old and the new:

<img src="http://www.hostdub.com/albums/WasatchVR6/DSCN1426.sized.jpg">

The hardest part of the install was removing the old aftermarket sway bar. Chuck Norris must have torqued down the mounting hardware for it back in the day. The front suspension was 100 times easier than the rear. The garage stinks of PB Blaster in this pic:

<img src="http://www.hostdub.com/albums/WasatchVR6/DSCN1427.sized.jpg">

Here is a pic of the finished product taken late last night on a test drive.

<img src="http://www.hostdub.com/albums/WasatchVR6/DSCN1428.sized.jpg">

Also Harbor Freight sells them for around $15.00. I think I got those on sale for $9.00. Beats going to napa or checker and renting them for the same amount.

Was planning to take it out on a little drive, and got about a block away from home. Motor dies, backfiring,... etc. Now there is a ton of noise coming from the head. I may have to put the car on the backburner for a while...

grrrrrrrrrrrrr, so much for driving today in awesome weather.

the engine on the Jetta went nuts, I got a call from my parents who were watching my kids. My Dad took them to the spa to take them swimming. My oldest daughter Taylor managed to get her foot caught underneath the door leading to the dressing room, and consequently removed about 2/3rd's of the skin off the top of her foot. My wife came and picked me up and we spent until about 3:00 in the morning with her at the emergency room at Alta View hospital. Fun fun fun.

I have been chatting with some people on the Vortex in the 12 valve vr forum, and at this point I believe that the factory oil cooler may be clogged, because a lot of oil is leaking from it, or my oil pump may have bit the dust. There was not a terrible amount of noise (ie smashing valves, etc) when the car died. And the car still idles, with much noise from the area of the head. Seems like lifter noise to me, hence the possibility of no oil reaching the head.

I will try to pull the front end off of the car and put it up in the air to check these items out. If I can't figure out what is going on, I will most likely have Elf and Hans check it out. I really want to get to know this motor better in the event of something like this happening again.