As I suspected the hole in the repro coned washer is not correct, It's far to big, the spring slips right through it. As luck would have it, I was looking for a small screw and ran across an original coned washer! How about that for planing? Still don't know where the one is I put away for safe keeping! Humm! The diameter of the hole is smaller than the repro washers, it just slips over the shaft and retains the spring. That's the reason why I got so confused, you see I'm not loosing it afterall. Now I understand the correct order of things at the firewall there was never a rubber grommet the leather goes next to the firewall the cone washer then the spring the cone faces the engine. Wow this was a challenge, almost like understanding my wif's instructions on how to take the garbage out to the dumpster! LOL Good thread thanks guys. Frank PKNY