There are two interesting assumptions in that first sentence: first, that I don't have what I need to build the tool in my garage, and secondly that I live closer to NAPA than Home Depot! Both would be incorrect...but I bought the tool anyhow because I needed to buy the springs.
This is what happiness looks like.
Popped that little bugger right in and out. Sweet. Thanks for letting me know first that these tools exist and secondly that they're so affordable.
Here's what I did. See those two little springs? Those are what was broken. $3.42 at NAPA, problem solved, we now have a turn signal switch that not only moves like it's not about to shatter but also cancels on its own. Such luxury. And solved with under $4 worth of parts! Again with the love for common vehicles with parts interchange and availability. Also, look at the size of that big bastard of a spring on the column which has no need to be so heavy.
While I was at the shop taking the final bits out of the Subaru carcass, I put the Jeep up on the lift to change out the trans fluid. Jeep put a drain plug on the automatic drain pan, bless them. But it's at the shallower end of the pan, so you still get a surprise wave of fluid when you break free the seal of RTV that the previous guy put in there. My poor shoes. After some dinking around and learning and learning some more, I got the fluid change done and the truck does seem to shift more smoothly - especially from R to P. The old fluid looked good, but what I do I know about automatics.
The engine is weeping oil from the oil filter mount (new o-ring, $1.99 on the shelf at Autozone) but also has a questionable rear main seal. I cleaned everything off to make sure it's not the oil filter mount pretending to be a leaky rear main, but I think that's wishful thinking. If it were mine, I'd probably leave it alone because it's not leaking enough to actually drip. But this is Eric's.
In other news, the PS pump makes a bit of a whining noise after you've been driving for a while. I checked the fluid level and it looked lower than I wanted, so I dumped some Lucas Oil magic juice in. I'll drive for a bit to see if it helps. Probably should change all the fluid, honestly. It looked pretty rough.
Also, the recalcitrant driver's power door lock appears to be working. I lubed everything last time I was in there, and maybe it took a while for it all to loosen up. So that's good.
I also noticed that the rear axle is making contact with the exhaust on really big suspension movement. This is not a new trick based on the dent in the exhaust that brought it to my attention. I'm not sure this is really a problem, it simply identifies a bang and will eventually solve itself. The rear brake lines are taut at full droop, so between that and the fact that they're 28 years old means that it's probably time to change them out.
I then took the Jeep for some exercise and drove up and down some dirt and through some gulleys. Best part was ripping out through the bumpy access road giving the Fox shocks a workout and blasting past a fairly new half-ton pickup that was very slowly working through the potholes going the other way.