TSG's Unified Fleet Thread

[thesameguy]

The sumitomos are known to have poor tire life

Got 2900 miles out of the Fiero's rears.

I don't see the problem.

Ha?

[thesameguy]

I really liked the SPTs when I ran them on the BMW a few years ago. The autocrossing crowd seems to have moved on from the SPT to the Conti DW for their go-to rain tire, FWIW.

I had them on the old SPG and I liked them as well. I feel like they are an old tire now, which is why I am leaning towards the BFG. Rain performance ultimately isn't all that important - although TR found it to be competent in the wet.

Bah - the S04s went on special it looks like... I don't think I want such a high treadwear, but that's a fine tire and dirt cheap right now!

[thesameguy]

Nearly went for the S04s, but did the BFGs anyway. They shipped today from NV, so should have them shortly. :up:

Annoyingly, the hose coupler I ordered out of SoCal shipped on Monday via USPS and still isn't here. In fact, it's nowhere. It left Industry yesterday and then got blackholed. I assume it's gone. Going to very irked if this effing piece of aluminum ends up holding me up after being so decisive about the wheels & tires. :down:

[thesameguy]

In theory, my TireRack shipment is out for delivery right now. Man, I love ordering stuff from Reno!

[thesameguy]

Got hosed - UPS decided my "please leave package" note was insufficient, so I somehow need to work out having someone at the house to receive my rolling stock. #irked

I did get my little aloominium tube, though, and after an hour in the garage this morning I am two battery lugs and some coolant away from starting the XR. There are some very minor loose ends to tie up, such as making connectors for the new fans and reinstalling the headlights, but I actually think this car is finally going to transition from "project" to "runner" again. Probably not til closer to Christmas (needs an alignment and a smog check), but please oh please before the actual, official three year mark.

I have this deep fear that I have overlooked something but I went back over every bolt and hose clamp I touched and all seems well. I think my only possible failures would be leaks - boost leaks (LOTS of pieces...) or maybe an oil leak from my AN hoses. Hoping that isn't the case, but I fucked with everything that can leak during this operation including rebuilding the steering rack so there are lots of opportunities. Here's to hoping...

[thesameguy]

Very near completion now -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_firstrunafterthreeyears.jpg

... but calling it done for the day.

I have a tiny amount of wiring, need that new bypass/diverter valve, and I'm gonna want those headlights. However, it held power steering fluid, oil, and coolant for several hours without incident so I decided to go for it...

Cranked it off and on for a little while with the fuel pump disconnected to get oil around the engine and build pressure... plugged the fuel pump relay back in and it started right up, same as always.


http://youtu.be/gi_oEeKKJ2g

RAD.

You will notice it's a TAD dusty. Furry, really. I let it fully warm up and revved the engine a bit, no leaks. Not quite the same as summertime at 6000rpm, but I'll take it.

Ordering the diverter valve in a bit, and will tackle the remaining minute details in a couple weeks. :up:

[Random]

w00t.

[pl8ster]

That's awesome. Damn, that's a lot of stuff under the hood. And I thought the main belt was really loose until I realized it was actually two belts with text printed on them :lol:

[thesameguy]

When I was taking that video I caught that effect with the belts too. I do think I should replace them as I have no idea how old they are. Of course, the timing belt is nine years old, so maybe whatever. I'll probably just wait until something breaks... at least for now. I just want to get it back on the road. ;)

The engine compartment is really busy, but it's a '70s era motor updated for fuel injection, turbo, and intercooler. Lots of stuff more or less bolted on to an engine and stuck in a compartment designed before much consideration was given to packaging, ;) I do feel good about the minimal amount of simplification accomplished during this operation... a lot of coolant hoses and metal piping got done away with, so at least that's something. I do keep thinking about reducing the size of the intake pipes from 2.5" to 2" to, hopefully, improve engine response and de-clutter. Just not sure I'd actually win anything. Maybe down the road.

Edit: The goofy blue vacuum hose just laying there goes away, BTW, it was just a quick & dirty git 'er runnin' placement. ;) Those hose is for the diverter valve and boost controller.

[thesameguy]

On a somewhat related note (and so I don't forget about this again), I do want to get some of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Oetiker-Single-Stepless-Clamps-Assortment/dp/B00AMAOU7M

Part of the XR's curse is a million little coolant hoses running around the engine externally, cluttering things up. From the factory, there are a dozen crazy molded hoses to do this, but all those hoses for the XR are NLA. In my hose reduction/future serviceability mission I replaced all of these molded hoses with generic poly Ts and bulk 5/8" silicone hose, but the result includes about 12 annoying, tiny little hose clamps. I'd like to take a play from VAG and semi-permanently clamp that shit together. The silicone hose should be largely invulnerable to failure, so I'll fix the sub-assemblies together and then use traditional worm gear clamps at the extremities. Should make it nicer looking.

[thesameguy]

I was hoping they were a tad lighter, but they'll do just fine -

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_tr_wheels.jpg

The cladding on the car needs a repaint like super bad, so maybe I will darken it up to match. Or maybe I won't. Paint doesn't make a car drive better. :p

[FaultyMario]

Just give it some 'almorol'.

[George]

Or some Rhino-Liner.

[thesameguy]

I almost ordered them unmounted so I could paint them, but at the end of the day I just don't care so much about aesthetics. I'm far more into the function of the thing than the form, and these are some very light wheels with reasonably grippy tires so I'm 100% satisfied. I should be a $200 downpipe away from ~300hp, and that should yield a very quick, very fun 2800lb car.

[Random]

For the sideskirts: what's the "As Seen on TV" finish restoration product du jour? Still NuFinish? :D

[GB]

Track Day at Roebling Road this past weekend. I don't know what this guy was running, but it was a beast. I didn't get a chance to talk to him.



https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B65cxOHiIV0GT3o3Y3o2WUhvZFk/view?usp=sharing

[thesameguy]

The XR4Ti is a *really* good car - I don't think a lot of people really appreciate how competent it is. :up:


For the sideskirts: what's the "As Seen on TV" finish restoration product du jour? Still NuFinish? :D

I think the finish on the cladding is so far past restoration it's not funny. I had really good luck painting the bumpers on the PT Cruiser which faded in a similar but more spectacular fashion, so I keep thinking about giving the panels on the XR a go. A mild sand, a little adhesion promoter, and some plastic-compatible paint should do it. Just hard to decide whether I care that much. And if I do, the right answer might be to have it done professionally and make a faux mono white XR:

http://home.comcast.net/~leesonic/white89XR83.jpg

Still like that look.

(I'd love to invest in a Cosworth body kit, but that will never, ever happen. $5k in plastic is reeeeeeedickulos.)

[Random]

And no biplane. :( Fuck that!

[thesameguy]

Hmm... bad example... What I posted technically isn't a "mono white XR4Ti," it's an '89 with body color cladding.

This is a real '87 mono white XR4Ti:

http://www.geocities.ws/novamog/Greg_Larsen_87.jpg

[Godson]

That faux mono white is hot.

[thesameguy]

That is pretty much the exact car I may end up with shortly - mono white and basketweave wheels. Plus some rust. :) It had the single-level wing, but it now has a hatch from an earlier car so it's a proper biplane. ;) We'll see.

[neanderthal]

Can you plasti dip it? There's a guy on advrider.com who plastidipped his Mercedes Sprinter. It's all in the preparation.

[thesameguy]

Plastidip is a huge PITA to keep clean. If you live in SoCal or keep the car out of the elements it's not so bad, but it's definitely not a year round outside paint. Personally I'd rather roller on rustoleum. ;)

[thesameguy]

This thing is neat:

http://www.amazon.com/Derale-16795-Red-PWM-Controller/dp/B00N0N75TI

A PWM-based fan controller. Allows for an infinitely variable speed radiator fan.

[Random]

I feel like this is something you need to do:
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/02/f695954bec1d11f6c4d8d22b8dcf147a.jpg

LED strip garage lighting. :D

[thesameguy]

Interesting you mention that, because over the weekend I ran the calculations to see about doing that over by the BBQ using lights similar to the ones on our stairs. It's not terribly power efficient compared to an LED bulb. Strip lights start around 24w per four feet (that's for white) - great for small areas but something like lighting a garage would not only be expensive to install but also expensive to run. That looks like 200-300 watts up there (not to mention $200-$300!).

[Random]

He's been requested to post the details--I don't think all that wiring is for the lights.

edit: he posted. Ha, this is great. The three grey boxes and six cards control a music-synchronized holiday light array on his house/front yard as well as a matrix array mounted on his garage door. :D "6 x 350watt 12v power supplies" for the roof lights, door matrix, and interior lights, he says. I assume that means the yard lights are on a different power supply or supplies.

934

Video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9_tgMME9s

:lol: at the rapping snowman.

[thesameguy]

That is... a lot. ;)

[Random]

Poking around on YouTube: some guy has a Northstar V8 swap in a Fiero...ho hum. :rolleyes:

With 180-degree headers. :eek:

Hawt. :D

[thesameguy]

There are a few such Fieros running around - one with an SBC, another with some LS-series motor. The build thread for the SBC one is kinda out there somewhere.

The N* was a cool motor, but man it's just not durable long term. Too many issues leading to financially inadvisable repairs. Now with small LSs and F-series transmissions there really no reason to entertain them, but they were certainly a neat step along GM's path... actually, kinda like Fieros in the first place. ;)

[Random]

There are a few such Fieros running around - one with an SBC, another with some LS-series motor. The build thread for the SBC one is kinda out there somewhere.


A few with 180-deg headers?

[thesameguy]

Yep.

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/090666.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUl_7_8u2g

Plus: http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/109963.html (teehee)

Seriously, Fiero people are nuts. If it can be tried, it has been tried. There is one dude convinced that static compression and forced induction are unrelated, and the reason we don't have 12:1 cars running boost is a conspiracy. His build thread is hilarious. There is another guy who stretched his car a foot or something so he could fit an Audi V8 longitudinally. Another guy who has a twin turbo BMW V12. Of course there's the VW diesel-powered Fiero. And a lot of two-part expanding foam. A lot. :lol:

[Random]

Yep.

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/090666.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YUl_7_8u2g

Plus: http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/109963.html (teehee)

Seriously, Fiero people are nuts. If it can be tried, it has been tried. There is one dude convinced that static compression and forced induction are unrelated, and the reason we don't have 12:1 cars running boost is a conspiracy. His build thread is hilarious. There is another guy who stretched his car a foot or something so he could fit an Audi V8 longitudinally. Another guy who has a twin turbo BMW V12. Of course there's the VW diesel-powered Fiero. And a lot of two-part expanding foam. A lot. :lol:

Fun! :D

(just wanted to clarify what you meant)

[thesameguy]

It's quite a mish-mosh of solid engineering and wacko nutjob stuff to be sure. I'm perpetually blown away by people who say things like "I wanted a pushrod front suspension, so I bought a mess of heim joints and got to welding" followed immediately by "how do I get a dual exhaust for my Iron Duke." On the former subject, you should check out the build thread for the guys out of Reno who do Lemons/Chumpcar. Their car is 100% out of control.

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/090867.html


That's a legitimate question. If we were doing this for a street machine, I don't think we would have attempted any of this. But for a track machine (well, except for the rare trip around the block to test something out) we had definite goals in mind.

First we wanted to increase the camber inherent in the geometry. The stock '88 suspension - cannot speak of earlier cars - just did not allow enough static camber. With the stock components, we were only able to get something less than three degrees of static negative camber. Once we were done here, we could actually get just over six degrees. Admittedly, we aren't going that far, but it is available. We also tweaked the camber gain/loss curve. Typically in a turn, the Fiero will lose camber on the inside wheels in a turn. Our goal was to limit the loss to under 3/4 of a degree with ten degrees of body roll. We missed that and ended up with 7/8 of a degree loss in ten degrees of body roll.

Secondly and every bit as importantly, we needed a bigger selection of springs on the front end. It's hard to find more than a few different springs for the Fiero. West Coast Fiero, for example offers a #350 and a #400 spring. That's it. And these are "custom made." By changing to a more common size, we can get springs from several suppliers such as AFCO, QA1, Eibach and a host of others. In addition we can get springs rates from ridiculously weak to absurdly high, in 25 lb increments. Given that we had the same spring availability at the rear, we now have the option of balancing the car. And lord knows, it needed some balancing.

At the same time, by converting to coil-overs, we have some adjustability on the ride height. I know that effects the geometry, but it also allows for adjustments using different spring lengths. More selection is a good thing.

We also reduced bump steer to .032" through 3 inches of bump and rebound. We made a lot of changes, so I cannot attribute the increased stability through corners to a single factor, but am told this was a big change in the right direction.

We also wanted to stabilize the caster. Some of the road racers run as much as 10-12 degrees of caster. We now have some adjustability, but set it for 6 degrees with no change in caster through three inches of bump and rebound.

And lastly, because we could. Come on, it's kinda cool and definitely fun. But again, the biggest reasons was the camber curve and spring selection.
http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd483/DonP87/Build%20Lemons%20Car/Front%20Suspension/IMG_3034_zps71a16974.jpg

[thesameguy]

I may (*may*) have turned a corner on the Suburban, and maybe not a good one.

This afternoon while driving I crossed over a highly rutted lane and the truck settled into a violent, rhythmic left-to-right shaking. I seriously thought a wheel was about to fall off. I took my foot off the gas and coasted for a bit, then applied the brakes. The shaking subsided so I pulled off the road to make sure my wheel was still there (half joking!) and then continued on. I didn't expect it was fixed, but there was nothing I could do at the moment. This evening the same thing on the way home, totally different road, not so heavily rutted. This time I recognized the symptoms and paid closer attention - it very much feels like the shaking originates on the passenger side.

When I got home I jacked the passenger side wheel around, messed with the tie road, climbed underneath. I could not find anything steering or suspension related that felt crazy enough to cause the issue. I will jack up the truck over the weekend (not driving it in the interim) to see if maybe it's a wheel bearing, though I don't see how a wheel bearing can only be really bad sometimes. Maybe totally failed shocks? It still has the duals on there from the factory, they are about 12 years old now - but why would it be just fine most of the time until it's suddenly very much not? Maybe a bad tire? They are crazy old now...

Anyway, what I did find for sure is that the passenger side motor mount is obliterated and the loss of height has the outlet of the fuel pump uncomfortably close to the chassis, and there appears to be a resultant leak of fuel - the motor mount is soaked in it! I started the truck up but could not cause a leak. I'm pretty much indifferent about that result... I'm going to replace the pump just in case....

.... Probably. I love this truck, but is this the thing that suggests throwing in the towel and getting a new one?

[Random]

Broken sway bar link? Almost sounds like the Jeep folks' "death wobble."

[thesameguy]

It's a solid axle on leaf springs, so swaybar or not shouldn't make a difference. Though, there is a swaybar, and it's in good shape. :) The "death wobble" scenario more or less describes the scenario, though, and looking at a few videos looks like what I experienced, so maybe I should be looking at tires and/or alignment. Neither can be in very good shape, and they likely need attention. Still - is this money/work I want to put in?

(Side note: New fuel pump and a pair of motor mounts costs $20)

[JoshInKC]

Yep, four-wheel death wobble was the first thing I thought.
I've got no personal experience with it - but I'm given to understand that if you want to try a cheap fix, a new heavy duty steering stabilizer might do the trick, especially if yours is worn out, which it probably is.

[thesameguy]

I just can't figure out the combination of factors that initiates it. It would seem like there would be an external "feature" (acceleration, braking, road irregularities) that would set of an unstable front end - but I can't think of any commonality between the first time it happened and the second, or why it *just* started out of the blue. So weird.

My recollection is that all the shocks (including the steering) were replaced in 2002 - before I owned the truck - which I think was about 40k ago. Something like that anyway. I think those dampers are dirt cheap though and easy to replace. Worth giving it a go!

... Or just get a newer truck. :|

[thesameguy]

Maybe go buy one of these for testing purposes -

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/pts/4789976879.html
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/pts/4763167371.html

I am definitely not going to invest in new 16.5" tires.

It's also possible I don't care right now. Hard to figure out.

[thesameguy]

Feeling - in a nutshell - totally defective right now. The wheels on the Suburban are not 16.5" as I'd imagined for the last ten years. Just straight up 16s, with 235/80-16 XPS Tractions on them. Those LR-E tires retail for about $300/ea and are not even on the table, but nothing is stopping me from getting some ~245/~75-16 take offs and going with that. I cannot believe I never actually checked the tires in ten years but just took someone's word for what they were - or imagined that they told me. WTF?

[thesameguy]

I chose to totally ignore the Suburban's situation today, and am planning to for a while. Had a long talk with the girl about what we'll do - she is totally sympathetic to my car habit and my car sentimentality, but she's a good sounding board nonetheless. We don't have an immediate need for the truck, so I may just put it away for a little while and think some more. The dog is stable again and able to ride in a car, so we don't absolutely need to take her places in the Suburban - though she does love it! I'll keep an eye on CL for a good tire and/or wheel scenario and maybe approach this like I approach everything else - totally mercenary, totally opportunistically. ;)

In brighter automotive news, got down to business this morning and finished the last few items on the XR - electrical connectors for the new fans, wiring for the new coolant temp gauge, and installing the horns the PO removed in '03. (ROFL - 11 years without horns). Put air back in the old Nokian tires, yanked out the jackstands, and backed it out of the garage. I was feeling saucy so I got the girl to ride my bumper in the Fiat (very expired tags) over to the tire store to get an alignment so I can get to using my fancy new rolling stock!

My tape measure alignment turned out give a little extra toe (I set it while on jackstands, not on the ground) but was very close to right, so that made me feel good. With the Fiat staying on my rear we ran a couple errands and put probably 15 miles on the XR, all surface streets but in & out of traffic. The ride was pretty much drama free - which I thought was totally remarkable.

Sadly, I have some additional to-do items - I am getting zero boost (hopefully just a wastegate adjustment, I just eyeballed it), the radiator fans are coming on way too early (~190 degrees, they spend a lot of time on but are doing a GREAT job), and I think the parking brake is stuck. The latter problem is the oddest one - I can see/feel the levers moving at the calipers, but the car will bring itself to a very complete stop when creeping without throttle. It could be rusty rotors, but it surely feels like brakes. There is some slop in the handbrake lever I don't remember, so perhaps the levers aren't fully releasing. Oh - and the driver's power window no longer works. Crap - also a somewhat unstable idle, but I think that may be the old bad diverter valve I installed for testing - it was wrecked when I pulled it off the Audi a couple years ago. ;)

Not too bad - and happily nothing even remotely serious. I ordered a new diverter valve and will mess with the other stuff once that shows up. I think I'm very much on track to have it roadworthy by the end of the year. ;)

[Godson]

Sweetness!

[thesameguy]

I had some unexpected time today so I did a quick compression test on the parts Jag and spent a little time on the XR. I had fully expected the dragging brake issue to be the parking brake but as it turns out that probably wasn't the issue. The right rear parking brake wasn't quite fully releasing, and it looks like that issue was the cable stuck in its sheath. I lubed up both levers and sprayed from Seafoam down the parking brake cables and they seem happier now. That's a new one to me in CA - I've had a lot of cars sit for protracted periods and never had a brake cable seize - but nothing compared to what I think the actual issue was... One of the pistons in the front right caliper seized in its bore. It was NOT like that prior to driving - that happens to be the corner I tested the new wheels on and it was fine a couple weeks ago. Today, I couldn't spin the wheel by hand at all! Even with a compressor I couldn't get the bottom piston to retract, so clearly something went wrong. A very weird failure. Somewhat randomly I had a spare passenger side caliper so I swapped it on and things seem better - but it still seems to be dragging a little excessively. It could just be the new caliper, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt for the moment - at least it spins. ;)

I added a few spins to the WGA arm, bled the brakes (sorta had to), rechecked the fluids, and swapped the new wheels & tires on. I need to dig out the two spare wheels I have & get all the old ones on CL. Hopefully someone wants some retro tuner 17" wheels for the Focus. ;)

[Godson]

I had the same thing happen on the M3. Stuck caliper...BAD. I damn near broke a 9in C-Clamp trying to compress it in.

[thesameguy]

It's a very weird problem - I can't even imagine what would cause a single piston to seize. I can't get too mad. These were $40/ea remans from like eight or nine years ago. They are $35/ea on rockauto right now. Meh. I will dismantle it and see what went wrong. Still not sure why the excess drag on that side - maybe some artifact from storage or left by the jenky caliper.

I was hopeful the window problem was the switch as the contacts were burnt, but as it turns out the contacts were burnt because the motor isn't doing anything. Guess I gotta dismantle the door panel. Not fun on '80s cars - something irreplaceable always breaks.

[pl8ster]

That stinks. It was an easy job to remove the door panels on the Silverado, but they probably designed them that way based on how they spec'ed out the window regulators :lol:

Was the boost issue just an adjustment like you were hoping?

[thesameguy]

It's not that it's difficult per se, it's that c1986 plastic is all brittle and Ford hasn't sold replacement plastic since the '90s. Every piece of plastic on that car is just waiting to shatter - and I don't have a 3D printer yet. ;)

I've not driven the XR since Saturday - it's kind of a production to get it out of the garage since the Southwind is occupying a significant portion of the driveway. That said, I started thinking the boost issue might not be the wastegate actuator anyway. I have a boost controller on the car which should be preventing anything less than 15psi from getting to the actuator anyway. It's possible it simply didn't have enough tension and exhaust flow is blowing the wastegate open, but it's also possible the whole issue is old gas. That has never been a problem for me before, but with e-brake cables and brake caliper pistons seizing, all bets are off on this car! :)

At this moment, I'm not in any hurry to drive the car since I need to get that diverter valve replaced. It at least leaks through the diaphragm into the vacuum port, so that's air bypassing the throttle plate and messing with my idle. It could also leak between its sides, dumping boost pressure right back into the low side of the turbo. Autohaus has not shipped the replacement yet - three days of "handling" seems to be their new thing, which is a little irksome. Kinda undoes the whole benefit of ordering from AZ vs. the east coast. I need to remember not to order from them on time-sensitive stuff. Not that this is all that time sensitive I guess... got a party in SF the Friday and another one next Friday, so any sort of serious Saturday work is probably out for a couple weeks. Likely case right now is getting it smogged on the 27th. I don't need a working window, stereo, or actually even boost control to pass smog. ;)

[thesameguy]

In other other news, I took advantage of some saved up paypal earnings (sold computer stuff) and a random sale to order some new headlights for the Fiero. Like so:

http://cliff.hostkansas.com/images/2012/lights_2.jpg

I was originally planning on getting some flush-mount ones that don't pop up, but after some soul searching it's obvious that part of the Fiero's charming '80s-ness is pop up headlights. ;)

I've always wanted to mess around with Hella's modular lighting system so this is a good opportunity to do that too. ;)

90mm is a lot less than 6", so I am looking forward to better, um, looking forward.

[Random]

And, FWIW, the non-pop-up lights offered for the Miata are all pretty bad at actually, you know, lighting up the road.

[thesameguy]

I wish I was smart enough to design a circuit that could turn voltage into ohms.

[Godson]

:erm:

[Random]

Local autocrosser is selling his in-laws' cars (they just moved to assisted living): a 2000 S500 and a 2002 X-Type. Any interest? :devil:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4783602752.html

X-type isn't listed yet.

[Godson]

I read the other day that most of the parts for those really aren't that expensive. The BS stuff like fluids are though.

[thesameguy]

The only two things I can really think about right now are a Suburban or some sort of wagon-y type thing in lieu of a Suburban. Chances are I am going to do nothing, though. Having a severe case of analysis paralysis ATM. I have been trying to distract myself by thinking about how to replicate this:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/saab_pressure_transducer.jpg

with modern electronics. Coming up with pretty much nothing.

[JoshInKC]

What're we looking at? Seems somehow familiar, a heater control knob or something?
Is it off the falcon?

[thesameguy]

It's a pressure transducer from the SPG. It turns boost pressure into a resistance value, about 10ohms/psi. This particular one had a bad accident and the black wires inside fried - no idea how that could happen. The common failure, as one would expect, is that variable resistor fails in infinite resistance and low boost is the result. Nobody uses this type of device for anything anymore, because there are solid state devices which measure pressure far more accurately and far less expensively. The problem is that all these solid state devices output variable current (eg, 0-5v) instead of creating variable resistance. There is no modern equivalent of this device. I would like to retain the stock boost controller on the SPG because it manages boost and knock, but I just don't think it's possible. :( I have small box of these devices (about 10) and they are all failed in roughly the same way. I can't imagine I'd have better results from parts found in junkyards.

[JoshInKC]

That makes sense, the thing at the left side of the photo is the hose nipple, rather than the stem for a knob or button.
I totally get what's going on then.
It really seems like the type of device that should have application somewhere these days, but I'm damned if I can come up with what.

[Godson]

It is a potentiometer attached to a pressurized switch.


Sounds like you need to get in touch with an electrical engineer.

[thesameguy]

Indeed.

[thesameguy]

Wish this wasn't $30. Seems like an insane price for a bolt and some red plastic.

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/cei-103004_w.jpg

[thesameguy]

Also, the VAG power distribution center thingy is neat:

http://webpages.charter.net/pinkney/imghost/vwvortex/fuses_labeled.JPG

PN 8N0937550A

[thesameguy]

I ended up getting up stupid early - much earlier than I should have after last night, anyway - and got some stuff done.

New diverter valve on the XR - the old one was originally in the Audi and no good. It was leaking between the fresh air side and the vacuum fitting. That would probably be a contributor to the wonky idle, but probably not to no boost. No worries, it's one thing down.

I dismantled the bad brake caliper -

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_brake_pistons.jpg

The piston on the left was moving fine, the piston on the right was seized in its bore. These are crazy pistons - they are like sheet metal coated in plastic. They weigh absolutely nothing! You can see the damage at the tip of the piston where I had to use a pair of slip joint pliers to wrestle it out. There is also some scarring on the plastic coating in the area where it seized against its bore. I really don't know what caused the failure, but I am assuming the piston is what's bad, not the caliper. I'll see if replacement pistons are available cheaply, but I can't imagine saving much money vs. buying a reman $35 caliper...

It's starting to rain again I guess, so maybe some GTA til it stops then I'll take a look at the power window.

[thesameguy]

Time for these to get up and on out.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_gtsport.jpg

[Random]

Specs?

[thesameguy]

17x7, ET40. I didn't mention them to you because I didn't think you'd be interested - they're heavy, 22lbs IIRC.

[Random]

My uncle has a boat that needs anchors... ;)

:D

[thesameguy]

Don't judge. After you've looked for two years maybe you'll lower your expectations too.

[speedpimp]

This (http://autoweek.com/article/wait-theres-more/must-have-accessory-well-equipped-1980s-driver-2-screen-dash-tv?utm_source=DailyDrive20141216&utm_medium=enewsletter&utm_term=headline-center&utm_content=body&utm_campaign=awdailydrive) is THE vintage accessory for any of your '80's rides.
http://img2.autoweek.com/styles/gen-932-524/public/80s%20Car%20TV%20close.jpg?itok=URImLem1

[thesameguy]

Wow, that is like '80s Japanese electronics cool! :up:

[thesameguy]

Wish this wasn't $30. Seems like an insane price for a bolt and some red plastic.

Admittedly I failed to make financial progress, but I may have made functional progress... ordered one of these:

http://outboardparts1.com/2eem/images-large/A/AFI/BEP_7022S.jpg

It's going to be a distribution point for battery cables in the SPG. Although I liked the pretty red plastic one posted above I couldn't justify the price tag. This one is $10 more (WTF?) but is a little more flexible since it allows 360 degree entry and can gang both polarities in the same spot. That was justifiable to me. Also, I would have had to pay Summit Racing $15 for shipping and handling for the red one, and Amazon only $3 for tax. Technically, I saved $2. Technically. :D

[thesameguy]

The Fiat had its first problem today - a fault in its charger. Kind of serious business, as not being able to charge the thing creates a short term drivability problem. ;) Took it to the dealership - they loaned out a 500 Pop and no estimated return time. Gonna suck paying for gas this month, but at least it's cheap right now. :)

[thesameguy]

When I bought the XR the previous owner had converted it to use a side terminal battery because the original battery was "UT" style and basically irreplaceable in the US - that was a style of battery terminal that never caught on. Because it was dumb. But the side terminal solution never worked really well because it placed the terminals within a half inch of the battery shield - safe to operate, but a little iffy to connect the terminals and impossible to use jumper cables or a charger.

I was going to leave it and focus on other things, but while tightening the O2 sensor (kinda forgot it was not even finger tight), I found this:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_deadfusible.jpg

That is the fusible link that basically powers the entire car (battery->link->alternator->fusebox) and in very not good shape.

I really don't care for fusible links (bad '80s tech) and the battery situation has been annoying me, so I redid it. Reused the battery out of the E320 I bought for parts earlier this year, put my nifty new battery terminal crimper to work, and threw in a megafuse to replace the fusible link.

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_megafuse1.jpg
http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_megafuse2.jpg

Totally pro. :up:

[JoshInKC]

Very nice looking. :up:
I am 150% with you on fusible links.

[thesameguy]

Crazy that dozens of amps were rampaging through that wire for who knows how long!

[Godson]

Fusable links are about as intelligent a design as you can get.







Said no person ever. Fucking stupid design.

Your setup seriously looks amazing.

[thesameguy]

"What we did put some barely adequate wire right here so the fire will be controlled. Sort of." :down:

The XR is running quite well. Got the window fixed, the brakes are no longer dragging, and it's making a very strong 18psi. The hybrid takes a little longer spool up than I'd probably like, but it comes on pretty progressively with full boost by 3500rpm or so - it was hard to watch the boost gauge and tach and the road at the same time. Unfortunately the connector for the idle control valve finally shit the bed so I need to do something about that stat. I am still experiencing a random high idle. It could be the idle control valve or it could be the computer relearning good behavior - but I really feel like there is an actual issue somewhere. Maybe a leak, maybe the idle valve is failing. Not sure, but I know it's gonna show up at the wrong time and eff up my smog test.... still gonna try and do it Saturday though.

I'm pretty stoked - the idle is the last thing on my to do list with this car for now. :up:

[thesameguy]

I am so committed to the XR being done it's officially out of the garage and the XJ8 is now in there, awaiting its fate. I did a compression test on the engine (all good), and then nosed it into its grave. Happily, the transmission started slipping horribly during the 50' drive so now I can be 100% confident this car is crap and must be destroyed. I'm hoping to repeat the success of the parts E320 - get what I want/need from it and make a small profit on the investment. $600 should not be difficult!

[Godson]

"What we did put some barely adequate wire right here so the fire will be controlled. Sort of." :down:

The XR is running quite well. Got the window fixed, the brakes are no longer dragging, and it's making a very strong 18psi. The hybrid takes a little longer spool up than I'd probably like, but it comes on pretty progressively with full boost by 3500rpm or so - it was hard to watch the boost gauge and tach and the road at the same time. Unfortunately the connector for the idle control valve finally shit the bed so I need to do something about that stat. I am still experiencing a random high idle. It could be the idle control valve or it could be the computer relearning good behavior - but I really feel like there is an actual issue somewhere. Maybe a leak, maybe the idle valve is failing. Not sure, but I know it's gonna show up at the wrong time and eff up my smog test.... still gonna try and do it Saturday though.

I'm pretty stoked - the idle is the last thing on my to do list with this car for now. :up:


Correct me if I am wrong. But ODBI computers don't have the ability to "learn" any behavior. I was always under the impression they were read only.

OBDII was read and write-able.

[thesameguy]

Depends on the computer - nothing about OBDI or even pre-OBD one prevents an ECM from having NVRAM. For example, c1988 Bosch injection (Motronic, Jetronic 2.4) can write variables such as last IAC position, MAF calibration data, and up to three error codes. I don't know what sort of capability EEC-IV has, but I do believe that EEC-IV has better functionality than contemporary Bosch systems.

"OBD" was only a loosely defined criteria for minimal functionality that wasn't much better than pre-OBDI. OBDII came about to refine that minimal functionality requirement and to add a common protocol and physical interface to get at the data. Nothing about these standards or lack thereof meant manufacturers weren't off doing all sort of nutty stuff before and since. ;)

[Godson]

Right. But my experience was that the eec-iv wasnt that...smart.

[thesameguy]

EEC-IV is as good as any of its contemporaries IME. Obviously not like what we've got today, but not really lacking in any functional department. It ran a bunch of engines over a long period of time just fine.

The XR got through smog without an issue, so that's done. Readings were a little high, but it's cold here this morning and the car is full of three year old gas so not really a surprise. Hardly worth worrying about in any case - because it's done! The idle held out through the entire test and then popped up to 1500rpm on the way home. No idea what's causing it.

Idle aside, it's running great. Of course I had to remove the boost controller for the test, and motoring around with a solid 8psi felt great - not fast, but great. New tires seem excellent, I think the replacement steering rack is the later higher ratio version, and nothing is leaking or exploding. It's maintaining engine temps excellently - better than it ever has so I feel pretty good about my cooling system rework.

The idle issue is annoying, but not a real functional impairment. I tried pinching off all the vacuum hoses with no effect so I'm left with the EGR valve, a leaky throttle plate, or an electronics issue. I think I can move past the idle calibration idea since it's intermittently shitty, leaving me with a rogue sensor, wiring, or the computer getting wacky periodically. IIRC the TPS is new, but now that every part for the 2.3t is made poorly for cheap it's kinda hard to have faith in any of them. Meh. I can work on it slowly - actually, I must work on it slowly since I have no idea how the idle control on this car actually works. :lol:

[Godson]

Does the car have an Idle air stabilizer?



EDIT:

http://www.stinger-performance.com/tech.html


Seems it does. I'd go through this.



I'd check resistance and voltage at sensors first, just to exclude them, then do the base idle reset.

[thesameguy]

Yeah, that's all basically reprinted stuff from the factory manual - although Stinger suggests adaptation can take 75 miles (the FSM makes no such claim) so maybe it's worth waiting. I really think the IAC is the culprit - it's the only thing that could really cause the idle to spontaneously raise and lower - but I'll give it some more time to learn and see what happens. They are kinda pricey, so I'd prefer not to buy one if I don't have to.

As a side note, my exhaust came from Stinger... they know their 2.3s!

[Godson]

:lol:


Small world I suppose!

The Volstang had a fucked up idle...but we know what the real issue was there.

[thesameguy]

I wasn't sure about them initially, but the Tire Rack wheels are growing on me. They might look better (or worse) with a clean car, but it's tough to say.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_dirtybutrunning.jpg

If I was smart I would order Stinger's 3" downpipe right now and install it. It's technically not smog legal, but since I just passed smog it wouldn't be a problem for two years. ;) I am not sure that a) I want to throw three bills at this car right now or b) do anything that might compromise my ability to drive it for a while. Enjoying it with Good Working Stuff for a while and then upgrading to Yet Moar Powah down the road doesn't seem like a bad plan.

[thesameguy]

Not by planning, but all the Ford Stuff (Jag, XR, Falcon) is out front while all the GM Stuff (Suburban, Fiero, Cadillac) is in back. :up:

Is the Southwind GM? I think yes.

[thesameguy]

Because I'm a car nerd I spent a lot of Thursday cleaning out the garage... I went through the "XR Spares" area to clean out stuff that no longer applies to the car. In the process of my cleaning, I found a brand new idle control valve still in its original box. Nice! I installed that and have my fingers crossed it fixed the idle issue. If not, I know I have a larger issue of some sort.

I am now in the enviable position of having to buy THREE car batteries. I need a new battery for the Fleetwood (the 30 footer) and a pair of them for the Fleetwood (the 22 footer). It's a Fleetwood battery festival! I was hoping to cram Group 49 batteries in - these are the big mamma jammas used in boatier luxury cars (like the Jag) but that isn't going to work. Next best option is probably Group 34, which is a pretty common size. I was eyeballing the $2400 Braille lithium battery, but something about a $2400 battery seems wrong. Now I'm torn between whatever Autozone has in stock and a $150 Exide Edge which is, by all accounts, a kickass battery.

http://www.remybattery.com/Assets/ProductImages/Exide_Edge_FP-AGM34_AGM_Battery_LG.jpg

[Random]

The TRM wheels look like Team Dynamics wheels, IMO, which is perfectly fine for Ye Olde Euromobile. :)

[speedpimp]

Ford Falcon Fastback, made by Holman Moody. Only three were built.
965

[JoshInKC]

I think they ran those in the NASCAR compact class against Valiants and got completely obliterated, along with everything else.

[thesameguy]

Man, with some other wheels under there that thing would look pretty cool! Very interesting to see those '40s curves on Ford's cutting-edge '60s car, too. :)

[thesameguy]

Thought I would mention:

For whatever reason, the GM and Ford tire sealant kits continue to be really expensive on ebay for no obvious reason - there are tons of them just sitting around unsold. At the same time, Hyundai/Kia ones have become available and are dirt cheap. The GM/Ford ones appear to be a little nicer package - the sealant slots into the compressor housing and there's a switch to choose air or sealant. The Hyundai/Kia ones are actually rebranded Dunlop kits, and the sealant is a separate component that you either choose to stick between the compressor and tire or not. Although I like the packaging on the GM/Ford situation better, it in no way justifies the 2-10x price premium it seems to carry right now. Sign me up for some $20 Hyundai ones!

Hyundai/Kia/Dunlop:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c220/supergenesis/IMG_20120919_121045_zps0b251c4d.jpg

Ford:

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/attachments/2011-mustang-gt-tech/111803d1285861187-had-use-tire-mobility-kit-morning-img_7575.jpg

[thesameguy]

Oh, and I ended up buying a Napa battery for the 30' Fleetwood. It's $105 after my AAA discount, making it the cheapest option. Interestingly, Napa now rebrands Interstate batteries instead of the Exide batteries they used to - the lady at the counter said they were having so many Exides come back they switched manufacturers. Simultaneously, everyone on the internet says Interstate batteries have gone to shit and they should not be trusted. So....... I dunno. All the other premium batteries have multi-year free replacement, but the Napa has a two year free replacement and then a six year prorated warranty. Not too much a difference to me - not gonna have the motorhome long enough to worry about it. ;)

I bought just the one to make sure the Group 34 would fit in the 22' Fleetwood. It's tight, and it'll be dependent on the exact location of the battery terminals. There is a 34R battery, with terminals on the opposite side, but I do prefer the idea of a universal battery that fits either side, rather than a specific battery per side. Maybe 34 and 34R are common enough that I shouldn't worry, but I remember having to find 26R batteries for the Saab and it was never fun. It'll be a month or two before I start on this, so I've got more time to think. ;)

[speedpimp]

Around that same time frame Chevy put out a Nova fastback that were mostly used in drag racing.
http://www.novaresource.org/history/novafb1.jpg

[Godson]

I've had damned good success with interstate. Usually last me linger than the factory installed battery

[thesameguy]

I have too - the 10 year old batteries in the Suburban are Interstate and they are great.... but the internet rumor mill suggests quality has dropped off in the last few years.

Frankly, I think ALL batteries have gone to shit. The Interstates in the Suburban are the last actually good batteries I have. The Optimas in both SPGs lasted barely three years. I've been through three batteries on the Cadillac in four years. Two batteries in the Falcon in four years. Three batteries on the XR4Ti in seven. Modern cars are hard on batteries and I get that, but '80s cars should not be suffering two and three year battery life.

Given that the intertubes agrees that all batteries suck today, I figured I might as well save the money - and a short life won't affect me anyway. ;)

[thesameguy]

Epic day on Monday... split work at 2:30 to go buy cars!

First up is the '99 Suburban I was looking at before Christmas!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/99_suburban.jpg

Owner had some obstacles that delayed selling, but followed up with me when it actually became available. It's a 1/2 ton, 4WD, 350/4L60E. He was the second owner, having bought it in '02 or '03 from his neighbor with 22k on it. He racked up another 145k, making it notably low mileage for a Suburban in these parts. Most of them have 200k or more. When he bought it, his wife complained that she wanted leather so he forked out two grand for a complete leather interior - and they kept it up. A really nice interior for a '90s Chevy. It's 100% stock except for lit running boards and a pair of overhead Audiovox DVD consoles, one of which no longer works. I don't think the dog is interested in Disney movies, so it really wasn't a concern for me. He just had two grand worth of work done on the truck - coincidentally exactly the same work my '84 needs... new tires and front end rebuild. :lol: He also had the AC serviced this past summer and the fuel pump replaced.

It has four problems: The turn signals don't work, the power locks are intermittent at best, the driveshaft will need rebuilding at some point, and one of the covers that flips down over the middle row seats is broken. For two grand, I consider this a great score. It was $500 less than next passable truck, and a grand less than anything approaching its condition. He needed it gone, and I was first on the list. Patience paid off, it seems!

I ended up putting about 100 miles on it yesterday and it was awesome the whole time. No hiccups, noises, or unexpected bullshit. It made HUGE inroads in me facing facts and dumping the '84 - although I did order new motor mounts and a fuel pump for it. ;)

[Godson]

Lsx ?

[thesameguy]

LSX in the Suburban? Hell no, it's a Vortec 350.

I used to tow with the 350-powered '87 Suburban and it was always fine - sure seems like SFI and an electronically controlled 4-speed can only be better. :)

I've towed with my friend's 5.3l Avalanche so I have an idea of how it performs, and frankly it's underwhelming. The 5.7l was a good motor for mostly commuting/sometimes towing, whereas I feel the 5.3l is (understandably) aimed more squarely at commuting and gave up some towing. That's part of what convinced me to go with a GMT400 and a 350. If I went to a GMT800 truck, I'd definitely want the 6.0l.

[novicius]

Cam it. *coff*

[thesameguy]

The other thing I bought on Monday is a 2004 Hyundai Santa Fe. I think everyone knows I have a weird job that entails buying random cell phones, home theater gear, and occasionally spending days hanging out in front of big houses but it's jumped the shark... now I'm acquiring cars. A few months ago I bought a 2007 Silverado and then an '03 (IIRC) Expedition, now it's an '04 Santa Fe. The difference this time is that I own the Santa Fe - the reason is that I'll also be responsible for disposing of the truck and it was just easier to keep it in my name rather than shuffling titles around. IT/home theater/auto dealer? That's me.

Presenting a 2004 2.4l FWD cute ute:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/04santafe.jpg

The good: It's a one-owner car, that has had on-time oil changes at the damned dealership for the last ten years. It runs. The interior is in remarkably nice shape.
The bad: It's a damned first gen Santa Fe. This is bar-none the most appliance-y car I have ever driven. It has all the features and functions of a car, but they are executed in such an emotionless, sterile way it's unnerving. It makes all those '80s/90s Camcords feel totally inspired. Beyond that, the paint looks like it was in a hail storm on the front end and has serious clearcoat issues in the back. 90% of the dash lights are out, so it's pitch black on the road at night. The rear speakers are blown. It didn't wait 24 hours before throwing a CEL for a bad warm up cat.

The last item is troubling. I get the ins and outs of used car buying, but this fucker came from a dealership and I feel like they are obligated to take a certain level of responsibility. I'm actually pretty sure the law disagrees with me, but I sent them an email letting them know the score and that I was not happy with this potential deception. That said, I pulled the spark plugs out last night and they are terrifically old and WAY out of spec - .039"-.043" and they were all around .050". I brushed them cleaner and regapped to .040" and crossed my fingers. I'd like to not have to argue with a shady small used car dealer.

Assuming I don't drive it through the front door of Gary's Auto Sales, I am obligated to keep this car for a year or so. I'll be reimbursed for insurance and paid a reasonable storage fee. There is a high probability I will just end up with this car... maybe it will end up replacing the E320 down south? Dunno.

(I may also end up with that Expedition - it was supposed to remain in Las Vegas for another year for testing, but the case is likely settling this week and then it will need to be retrieved and disposed of too. I almost held off on the Suburban anticipating the return of the Expedition, but I really don't want an Expedition and the Suburban was too nice to pass on.)

[thesameguy]

Cam it. *coff*

There is only one thing I plan to do with the Suburban: Maintenance. Or some loose interpretation of it. I'm going to start off strong with a transmission fluid change, filter change, and tuneup and then just let go and drive it into the ground. Just like the last two. And likely the next two. :D

[pl8ster]

I know you didn't buy it for yourself, or because you thought it was awesome, so I don't feel bad saying that generation of Santa Fe is one of the ugliest vehicles on the road today.

But nice work on the Suburban, that does seem like a screaming deal - it would probably have cost close to twice as much here. So counting the Santa Fe, I calculate eight vehicles in your possession...Fleetwood, F eetwoo , Jag, Falcon, XR, Suburban, Suburban, Santa Fe. That is amazing.

[thesameguy]

Don't get about the SPG, the 5-door, the Fiero, the Fiat, and the parts Jag.

That is pathetic. I have got to get on getting rid of things stat.

All those years of Korean cars were ugly. It's amazing how much Hyundai and Kia have improved their styling. Their cars are some of the nicest looking everyman cars on the road today.

http://www.roadsmile.com/images/hyundai-tiburon_red_18.jpg

http://ipocars.com/imgs/a/c/e/f/o/hyundai__sonata_2_0i__lpg_gas_conditioning__climat e_incl__warranty_2001_1_lgw.jpg

BLECH.

[thesameguy]

The CEL came back on the Santa Fe today.

If I lived in BFE, the replacement part could be had on ebay for $95 and I'd not even mention it. Because I don't, it's a $1000 dealer part - widely available on the internet for about $750.

I am not relishing the idea of having to confront the dealer about this. I know they are going to say a) We never drove the car - got it from an auction, put it on the lot and b) tough luck, as-is. This is why I don't buy from dealers. It's the same bullshit as buying from a private party with a 20% markup. I'm hoping that the thought of tangling with angry lawyers over what amounts to change will soften them, and I am thinking about mentioning yelp et al reviews that read "Bought $3000 car, needed $2000 repair within 12 hours" is publicity they don't want. I'm probably willing split the cost. Mea culpa for not watching the O2 sensor monitors during the test drive and just checking active codes, but how many people bring a professional scan tool to buy a $3000 car? Beyond that, I'm pretty sure they withheld facts. No way they could have gotten this thing home from the auction much less survived two or three test drives without the light coming on. It comes on like clockwork on the 5th drive cycle.

Sadly, I need the car so in the end if they say "Fuck off," that's what I'll have to do. At least the warm-up cat isn't a functional impairment. The thing can serve its purpose with a check engine light on. Maybe down the road I'll buy a $300 parts Sonata or Optima (there are always some on CL) and steal its precat.

I am putting way too much thought on this. I hate confronting people about issues when I'm virtually certain the issue stems from a lie.

[thesameguy]

Got bored at work, spent 20 minutes looking up the RPO codes on the new Suburban. Happy to report it includes a locking rear diff and the HD towing package (weight distributing receiver, trans cooler, high capacity air filter, 7-pin electrical). :up: It's 3.73 gears and (not surprisingly) not the 4.10s, but it's rated for 7,300 pounds which more than covers anything I'll ever want to do with it. A smart person would have checked out these codes before buying the truck. Me? I figure ain't nothing can't be fixed. Plus, lazy.

[Random]

Got bored at work, spent 20 minutes looking up the RPO codes on the new Suburban. Happy to report it includes a locking rear diff and the HD towing package

...or least it had all those things when it left the factory.

<-- Debbie Downer.

[thesameguy]

Based on what the guy I got it from said, it makes sense. First owner was a weekend racer and used it to tow his race car to the track. A base model half ton Suburban with HD towing and a locking diff is exactly what I'd get if that was what I needed to do.

Second owner did nothing except the DVD system, oil changes and fix stuff as it broke. He said the front end work, tires, brake, and fuel pump were the only maintenance outside of oil changes it needed in 12 years. Of course that means the trans fluid and brake fluid is ancient, but that's true of most of these trucks anyway.

It's highly unlikely anyone swapped a diff or an air cleaner assembly. Plus I looked, so I know they didn't. :P

The turn signal issue is the stalk - the symptom is that the relay continues to click even after the stalk has returned to neutral, although the lights stop flashing. Apparently it's common. Common enough that aftermarket stalks are $46 on Amazon. Heh. Haven't looked into the power locks, but it's almost certainly the actuators - $120 and a lot of time. I've also got a $180 rockauto order waiting for various maintenance items, so I'll have around $2500 into it. Very happy with that number - very!

As expected, Gary's Auto Sales said "there's no way we could have known, the cat issues are on you." Yeah, I called it. I started to argue that there was simply no way they were unaware of the problem, but that's a totally dead-ended line of discussion so I backed off and instead indicated I understood their position, but was going to be unable to just let it go at that. I offered to cover half of the $800 and do the labor myself. They're discussing it and will let me know later today. I sure hope they come back with an affirmative, but I'm turning over words in my head that could find their way to yelp, Google, etc.

[neanderthal]

To sell it, it would have needed to pass a smog test. Which wouldn't have happened with a CEL on.

I'd press harder.

[thesameguy]

I definitely will.

But, in their defense (which I should not admit to) the Santa Fe has a weird thing which I have never seen before. After a reset the monitor checks take about three drives, then on the fourth all the monitors set ready and you could smog it. It's on the FIFTH start that the CEL comes on, and since we're talking about the warmup cat that only happens if the engine is cold. If you did the three drives and then never let it cool down again the CEL might never set and you'd be able to smog it. I personally find it highly unlikely that you'd be able to buy a car, transport a car, detail a car, smog a car, give a few test drives in a car and never let it cool down, but hey, anything is possible I guess.

I spoke to the owner - he is calling the dealer to see if he can beat my price on the cat so we're not dead in the water. I think he wants to help. Or maybe he's just scared of what happens if he doesn't. I don't know. I'd really prefer he was of the mindset that the right thing to do is to help, but I'll take fear too.

[thesameguy]

They have agreed to split the cost of the pre-cat. Unfortunately they also already ordered it rather than let me do it, which puts me in a cumbersome financial position. What's probably going to happen is I'm going to put in $350 of my own bucks, and cross my fingers the vehicle ends up with me in the end. To help mitigate my risk, you best believe I am going to put LOTS of miles on this POS and extract some value that way. :up:

[thesameguy]

While waiting for a friend to arrive so I could replace the motor mounts on her car, I took a few moments and made a quick & dirty bracket to stow the Hyundai tire mobility kit in the Falcon. I played with a few different locations then settled on the seatback, figuring even though it's a little annoying to reach, I won't be reaching it for it very often. ;) Saved me 26lbs and cleared up a lot of trunk spare... I do love these tire repair kits (or, I think I do, I've never used one yet :lol:)

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_compressorbracket.jpg

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_compressor.jpg

I need to actually install a cigarette lighter in the car so I can use the compressor... mustn't forget to do that. ;)

[thesameguy]

Started fixing the turn signals in the Suburban last night. I traced the problem to the multifunction switch itself, the symptoms being once engaged, the relay would not stop clicking even after the switch was turned off even though the lights would stop. Leave it to GM to implement the weirdest turn signal system in the universe. Dealer gets about $200 for the switch, Dorman gets about $80. I found the awesomest, cheapest switch on Amazon for $50. My logic was that the original lasted 15 years and I probably only need to get 3-5 out of it... plus, how hard can replacing a turn signal switch be?

Answer turns out to be VERY. Pull the lower dash off, pull the air bag off, pull the wheel off, dismantle trim around the steering column, stuff hands into tiny crevices under the dash to disconnect multiterminal connectors. I spent three hours on it and I'm about 75% done. No wonder it's a $700 job at the dealer. I thought people were just being reactionary. Now I kinda wish I'd bought a better switch, but whatever. I'm sure it'll be fine.

While crawling around in the car I found a Clifford alarm brain and most of the DVD system. It's an Audiovox console with a pair of 681A monitors and a DVD player in the center console. Looks like a load of state of the art Y2K technology. Probably cost several grand back then. Although I will never use the system I kinda want to get it working again - seems stupid to have something taking up a bunch of room that doesn't work. We'll see how motivated I am. :) I will also investigate that Clifford alarm - at the very least, I'm hoping it's new enough I can slot some other DEI brain in its place and have keyless entry with about zero work. I guess I'll need to have working power door locks first, though. Heh.

I'm also debating on whether to go ahead and install a new stereo right now... I've been searching in vain for some way to install something other than a single DIN unit as they look goofy in the 1.5 DIN opening, but I don't think that exists for a reasonable price. C'est la vie. The radio is really doing me fine so far, but I'm sure at some point I'm going to want Bluetooth or USB. One more damned car stereo I need to buy, I guess.

[novicius]

I wasn't sure about them initially, but the Tire Rack wheels are growing on me. They might look better (or worse) with a clean car, but it's tough to say.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_dirtybutrunning.jpg

If I was smart I would order Stinger's 3" downpipe right now and install it. It's technically not smog legal, but since I just passed smog it wouldn't be a problem for two years. ;) I am not sure that a) I want to throw three bills at this car right now or b) do anything that might compromise my ability to drive it for a while. Enjoying it with Good Working Stuff for a while and then upgrading to Yet Moar Powah down the road doesn't seem like a bad plan.
There are a few windy roads here in town, on account of the foothills and the Sierra Nevadas, and I've enjoyed them in numerous cars. But the CTS-V was WAY too fast for them - it was always short shifting, part throttle, or leaving a seriously deficient margin of error. The Fiero is about right - I can push that thing to 100% and still have time and room to react. I can't imagine even thinking about pushing a GT350 on a public road - the risk to self and especially others is just way too high. I'm actually slightly concerned I will have engineered the fun out of the XR4Ti, but I guess I can always turn the boost back down. ;)

Edit: And yes, working at a law firm has ruined my sense of fun. Too many victims of irresponsible drivers pass through here.
Continuing this discussion here vs. the Mustang thread (http://gtxforums.net/showthread.php?915-2015-Ford-Mustang/page4) -- have you taken the XR4Ti out into the sticks yet?

[thesameguy]

I haven't actually driven it except around the block. My insurance agent is being non-responsive to emails. I somewhat regret ever switching away from an online-only insurer, but the legacy dinosaurs at AAA beat the price with more coverage. :( I can't get the XR registered until it's insured. I will get the new Suburban smogged tomorrow (the previous smog lapsed ten days before I picked it up and I didn't notice). Once that's done, I will need to get over to AAA anyway to register it so I'll get them both insured at the same time. And the Santa Fe too. Heh.

[novicius]

I think you need to reorient your free-time focus from "wrenching" to "tuning". Complete with pics & vids. :smh:

[thesameguy]

I fell behind last year - the dog incident zapped my summer entirely and Burning Man was an additional financial drain. I have to push through a lot of wrenching over the next few months. I cannot handle loose ends.

Some People I Know are trying to put together a rental of Thunderhill sometime this spring, which would be a fine opportunity to dial in the XR. Most track day organizers understandably don't want their event to devolve into a test & tune, but if it's just me and 10 or 15 friends with the track to ourselves... It'd be great if there was a functional way for me to also bring the Fiero, but since neither one can tow the other it'll have to be choosing favorites.

Really, though, there shouldn't be that much to do. The brakes and suspension have been well-sorted for years. I did all that before I started doing anything with power. This extra-long push was to address that shortcoming. I expect it will be a nicely balanced vehicle. Well, nicely balanced insofar as it is laggy, peaky, and bone jarring as a proper '80s turbo car should be. :up:

[novicius]

Having two running toys is a nice problem to have! :up: :up:

Seriously tho': I want a YouTube channel of TSG's Too Many Toys Racing Team pics & vids of the cars -- preferably with girls covered in glitter giggling and strapped to the inside. #turboglitter

[GB]

I really don't understand what you do for employment. :? *boggle*

[thesameguy]

Having two running toys is a nice problem to have! :up: :up:

I could definitely also take the SPG, but I've had a lot of seat time in c900s and I'm for a change. ;) Plus, in my warped head 900 Turbo is kind of a respectable ride - a fucking Fiero and a Merkur, though. That's head-scratching. I'll mention that I will in theory be sharing track space with a bunch of much better cars... the shittiest probably being a 2015 400C and the best, depending on how you look at it, a 1st gen Viper GTS or a '14 Maser GTS. #quantitynotquality


TSG's Too Many Toys Racing Team pics & vids of the cars -- preferably with girls covered in glitter giggling and strapped to the inside. #turboglitter

As it turns out it's more like Too Many Toys Parking Lot, but the glitter I have locked up. Locked the fuck up.


I really don't understand what you do for employment. :? *boggle*

Some days, neither do it. My job title is Network Administrator.

[Godson]

As it turns out it's more like Too Many Toys Parking Lot, but the glitter I have locked up. Locked the fuck up.




Stripper pole in BM RV

[GB]

Some days, neither do it. My job title is Network Administrator.

Which requires you to drive a crap 10-year-old Hyundai? Are you undercover or something?

[thesameguy]

Got the '99 Suburban re-smogged today, passed quite easily. :up:

Pulled the '84 into the garage so I could get to work on the motor Pulled the air cleaner and disconnected the batteries. Then dragged out the engine hoist, got it hooked up, and put a little tension on it while I crawled underneath to see what I was up against. OMG, fuck that noise. Turned off the lights, went inside and had a beer. I'm going to need some serious motivation to do this work. It looked like, in a nutshell, No Fun. I feel like $20 in parts is going to be a full day's worth of work. Argh.

[thesameguy]

Which requires you to drive a crap 10-year-old Hyundai? Are you undercover or something?

Yes to #1, no to #2. I have to drive it to and from Modesto, hopefully only a couple times. Then I just have store it for a while.

[thesameguy]

Stripper pole in BM RV

We seriously talked about that, but it's just too narrow. As is, it would be a pretty lame show.

[speedpimp]

Too narrow? Time to upgrade to a unit with slide outs.

Considering all of the trips to Reno I wonder if tsg works for Tom Hagan.

[thesameguy]

Reno? Not me. I've only been to Reno maybe 10 times in my life... and only one or two of them "to" Reno - the other times I've just been passing through.

I started on the Suburban's motor mounts, and let me assure you it is, in fact, No Fun. In two hours I got all the fasteners out, so now it's just sitting there somewhat supported by the engine hoist. The fitting on the fuel pump is INSANELY TIGHT and I can't budge it. I need a - wait for it - 5/8" crow's foot to put more force on it. :lol: I've have metric ones, but not SAE. I'm going to call it for at least a while, though, laying under the truck with my head craned up is taking it's toll. If I get ambitious I will go get that tool and resume tonight, but I think I will probably hold off til tomorrow.

In other news, we just had our second problem with the 500e. The first was about a month ago when it stopped charging reliably. We took it in, they reset the computer, and it's been fine. Today it's dead .Totally dead. Unfortunately the girl closed the charging door so now it's locked shut and the key is stuck in the ignition. Oopsie doodle. Guess it's going to the dealer tomorrow. New cars - they aren't any more reliable than old ones. Know how many times the Suburban has done that? Zero. Saab? Zero. And there's over half a million miles and six decades between them! :lol:

[Godson]

Per the stripper pole:

It should be an outside "add-on feature"

I have a feeling it will be of a "if you building, they will come" kinda thing.

[thesameguy]

The only thing I want to do right now is get the high pressure line off the fuel pump. It absolutely will not budge. :(

[novicius]

Reinforce the roof, deck chairs and an audible "Up Periscope!" feature?

[Godson]

That could work too! And would likely offer more interesting show material to arrive.

[thesameguy]

Zero explanation, but this mother effer is KILLING ME!!!!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/84suburban_fuelpumpoutlet.jpg

I have put everything I've got into this damned fitting and the only thing I've won is a bunch of damaged or ruined tools. I cannot understand how a stupid IFF fitting can be so tight that it is immoveable and yet not broken and leaking. I can only guess that Captain RTV was assisted by Super Tight Fitting Boy (HA!) when installing this motor.

I have nothing left to try to remove it. NOTHING. My only options right now are find a new pipe or make a patch. The former looks like it would require removing the intake manifold and the coolant crossover which doesn't sound fun - assuming I can find a replacement pipe anyway. The latter I think is a totally safe move as I think this mechanical pump makes less than 10psi. The only point of concern could be getting a rubber hose to stay attached without any sort of barb, but at such low pressure I think it'd be okay.

I fully expected rusted-on motor mounts, but no, instead *this* is what screws me.

[Godson]

New line. Cut that bitch off.

[thesameguy]

I wonder if I could use a compression fitting to seal the pipe end and put a barb on it? I've never used a compression fitting on steel before, but in theory that works, right?

[thesameguy]

This page/site is making me very happy right now.

http://www.airtexve.com/custom_searches/ds_oil.php?showall=yes

[thesameguy]

I gave up and used a tube cutter to sever the fuel pump outlet pipe. I will repair it with rubber. No worries.

As it turns out, one of the motor mounts was not like the other:

http://sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/84suburban_oldmounts.jpg

[novicius]

:lol:

I had a busted motor mount in my old '71 'Cuda -- when it broke, the entire motor tried to leap out of the engine bay! :o

[thesameguy]

Fortunately the metal shell keeps the engine inside the engine bay on the Suburban, but metal was the only thing doing its job. The rubber on the passenger side was... not there.

I have everything apart now, and the new mounts in place. I think I am down to lowering the motor and bolting up the fuel pump. I've read the latter can be a bear, as the pump is driven by a sliding shaft and the shaft needs to be depressed to fit the pump. Unfortunately there is nothing to hold the shaft in the depressed position - once you remove your finger it slides back out and blocks the pump. Dumb design. I'm not sure what the approach here is, though I've read you can pack some grease in there to slow the shaft down long enough to insert the pump. I don't want to do that since it means changing the oil six months ahead of schedule, but I guess whatever... it's not like there are a lot of choices. Maybe the internet will yield an alternative approach. My next hurts from keeping it craned up off the floor for three hours so I'm done with this for today.

[JoshInKC]

There's a trick for that - on the front of the block, in-line with the f/p pushrod, is a bolt (3/8?) that usually appears to do nothing. Remove this bolt completely, and get a longer one of the same size. Use you finger to hold the pushrod up in it's bore as far as possible, then finger-tighten your new, longer bolt into it's temporary home. This'll hold the rod up well enough to get the pump on and tightened.
Warning: whatever you do, don't forget to swap the bolts back before you try starting it up. I'm given to understand that they hate that.

[thesameguy]

I don't think that hole exists on the diesels, unfortunately. :( Everything I've read says grease is how you do it on this motor.

[JoshInKC]

Oh, I totally spaced that it was the oil burner. Yeah, afaik, grease is the way to go. Maybe you could find something that'll integrate into the oil without necessitating an immediate change?

[thesameguy]

I'll try and use as little as possible to get it to stick. Worst case it's a $25 early oil change. Not ideal, but I guess could be worse.

I wonder if something like frozen assembly lube would be adequately tacky?

[Godson]

Piece of thin sheet metal?


Also, that engine mount reminds me of the failed on in Hans. Only, the metal is what failed and not the rubber...because, only BMW could engineer metal to fatigue before a bushing...

[thesameguy]

Lucas Assembly lube worked adequately. I slobbered up the pushrod, pushed it back into its hole, and slipped the pump in before it could slide back out. It took a couple tries as maneuvering the pump into place required some extra dexterity, but it did work. The truck is 90% back together - I need some emissions hose and somehow managed to lose one of the bolts that holds a motor mount to the frame, but everything else is buttoned up. I bled (I think) the fuel system and ran it for 5-10 seconds to ensure the pump was working and all seems well. I didn't want to run it for longer with no air cleaner or PCV system - although really it probably wouldn't have cared.

I am a bit horrified how long it took to install $20 worth of parts involving less than 20 fasteners. That is one terrible job.

I should get the remaining hose later this week. Assuming it runs and isn't spraying diesel everywhere I'm done with the truck and will either sell it or park it for a while. I have not yet determined whether I can bring myself to get rid of it or not. We'll see.

Next up is installing a cigarette lighter in the Falcon, since my Hyundai air compressor is kinda worthless without that. I will probably also replace the instrument cluster lights as they don't work reliably. Although I don't like playing catchup, I feel like this all going pretty well. ;)

[JoshInKC]

I still have to say, it's pretty weird that the Falcon doesn't have a lighter. I thought that by the early 60's everything in the US had a lighter. Does it have an ashtray?
Hope the dash light installation goes well, sometimes those things can be oddly problematic.

[thesameguy]

It *has* a lighter but it's literally scorched. Someone in the ownership chain did something underneath the dash that resulted in letting a lot of smoke out. The insulation on the cigarette lighter and stereo wiring was mostly gone, and what looks like a ground wire from the stereo to the chassis was burnt in half. The socket/receptacle of the current plug looks like it may be aftermarket as it doesn't fit the dash right at all, and I'm thinking maybe it contacted ground in a way it shouldn't have. I bought a new socket/lighter/knob from FalconParts to replace it, and I'll power it from the "radio->battery" fuse I installed in my new fuse panel so I don't have to use factory wiring. Shouldn't take too long at all.

The cluster lights are another story. I think the issue is that the plastic bulb holders don't "snap" into the cluster body, they kinda hang there. I think it results in a poor ground. What I'd like to do is find some alternative socket that fits the hole and has a separate ground rather than grounding through the body. Maybe use an LED if I can find a compact enough dimmable one. I have been driving around without dash lights because I hate taking the cluster out - it's a pretty jenky assembly and I don't like handling it.

[thesameguy]

These guys may actually have replacement sockets - neat!

http://www.repairconnector.com/

Plus.


We are based in Fresno, California and our business is listed and registered under Voyager Enterprises. No, not the Star Trek Voyager Enterprise but that would be cool. I spent over thirty years in the auto parts business in various areas from parts sales to service writing. Please don’t get me wrong, this gives me no rights to knowing everything but it was a great way to learn that customer service was more important than anything no matter what business you are in. We try very hard to make everyone a happy customer.

[JoshInKC]

Wow, those guys are awesome. 4/5 pin Mopar electronic ignition connector pigtails! Those used to be roughly equivalent to gold in value.

[thesameguy]

I am shocked at what they have - a lot of that stuff I've been told repeatedly is impossible to get!

[thesameguy]

The Suburban gave me a little scare when I couldn't properly bleed the injectors, but it turns out the battery was just a little too weak to generate good fuel pressure off the starter. I guess even two big batteries don't quite have the juice to crank the motor for two minutes, even allowing for some recovery between 15-second bursts. A little while on the charger and I got a good bleed and a rip roaring healthy start. Although I admit I haven't spent a great deal of time under the hood of the truck, it sure seems like it's idling faster than usual and I'm not sure why. Much of the vacuum system was in very poor shape (my bad) so I replaced all that rubber, but on a diesel that shouldn't really have an effect on the idle since engine speed is fuel controlled. At the same time I don't think the new lift pump should have any effect either as it's the injector pump that puts the diesel in the cylinders. Soooo..... maybe my imagination?

Anywho, it starts, runs, doesn't leak, and the engine is now mechanically attached to the chassis so those are all good things. I'll drive it around a little this weekend. I just need to unpack it from the garage - which could take 30 minutes in and of itself. :lol:

Just sitting in the seat listening to the engine I started feeling attached to it. IT'S SUCH A GOOD TRUCK!

[thesameguy]

Had a few minutes between work and an evening get together so I got the Suburban unpacked. The unfortunate side effect of my efforts is that slack the totally trashed motor mounts were covering up is now 100% evident - either the u-joints are worn or the diff is. My money is on the u-joints as there is a decided delayed thwack when shifting between D and R. I'm not going to even investigate that right now - the truck isn't going to be doing anything difficult so it's little more than an annoyance. After low speed maneuvering around the yard I think the idle speed is probably spot on - it creeps in gear with the same tenacity it always has. It *definitely* starts infinitely better than it ever has - a super healthy crank->catch every time. I'm guessing the oil fuel pump has been dying for a very long time.

The Falcon is now in the garage, with this on the to do list:

1. Rewire the ignition switch - when I replaced it in the summer of '13 (ARGH!) I didn't quite wire it properly and it's been grating on me. Absolutely no functional repercussions, it just isn't right.
2. Install the cigarette lighter
3. Fix the instrument cluster lights
4. Replace the Park-Neutral switch on the steering column
5. Install a Megafuse between the alternator and the battery. For safety. :)

Depending on how long that takes me, I may also work on getting the horn and wipers working. For the horn I think I just need the actual horn ring - a decent one is less than $50 on Ebay and I may be able to get one at a local junkyard (AM Dismantling, they specialize in old stuff). The wipers will entail a trip to a different junkyard for a vacuum reservoir. We'll see. Cursing and Rain-X have been doing me fine for four years. ;)

[novicius]

I hear foglights make you go faster.

http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/plugins/PostviaEmail/images/1963_Ford_Falcon_Sprint_Coupe_Monte_Carlo_Style_Re stomod_For_Sale_Front_resize.jpg

[Random]

Hella faster, in fact.

#bayareapride

[thesameguy]

I actually have a pair of those on the 5-door - but I am not going to drill the bumpers on this car. Really, with my kickass wiring the headlights are *plenty* bright. Although the beam pattern is a little lacking, the overall brightness of the Falcon's headlights is every bit as good as any car I've owned save maybe the HIDs on the CTS-V. If I was going to do anything with the external lighting on this car I would probably just do some Hella or Cibie H4s, maybe with a city light since the parking lights are basically non-existent.

That actually reminds me, however, of the other thing I wanna do - but may not - replace the factory fuse holder, or reroute its functions to the glovebox fuse panel. Either way. They are old glass fuses in a very inconvenient location and they bug the piss outta me. While the cluster and ignition switch are out I might as well do this too - access will never be easier.

[thesameguy]

There's a headlight switch:

http://www.championfalcon.com/images/Electrical%20&%20Lighting/C4DZ-11654-AR.jpg

And the fuseholder plugs into that:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_fuseholder1.jpg

And on the other side of the fuseholder are the fuses:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_fuseholder2.jpg

There are a few approaches here, I'm just trying to figure out what the cleanest one is.

[Godson]

Jesus fuck that's scary.

[thesameguy]

It's worked for fifty years, it's just a PITA to get to.

[thesameguy]

You know what's remarkably hard to find? A non-bussed 10-circuit ATM fuse holder. Unexpected. If you're in the UK, it's decidedly easier.

And I can't quite deal with taking this all apart and putting it back together without proper fuse protection, even if the factory didn't deem it necessary. :(

I have an idea for a totally optimal solution, I'm just not sure my sheet metal reach is as good as my grasp. ;)

[thesameguy]

Got BALLS-DEEP in the Falcon this weekend and came up with a plan. That plan required ordering some plastic pieces, so I didn't actually make it very far with my original set of goals. Instead, I got OCD mission creep on the megafuse installation. I made this dorky little panel:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_megapanel.jpg

which sits right behind the driver's side headlight. Previously, the relays for the headlights were there but it was a good location for the megafuse holder so I made the mounting panel to hold stuff without having to drill into the body. I also went ahead and installed fuses for the headlights, since I hadn't bothered to do it originally. During the work, I really tried to talk myself into simplifying - as it is, each headlight and each beam is it's on relay contact and fuse (four contacts, four fuses) which is gross overkill. Simplifying would save like a six inches of wire and two ATM fuses - not enough to be fussed about. Although if those relays ever fail replacing them will be expensive - I guess if they do, I'll simplify them. ;)

While I was down there, I also took steps for working horns. I don't actually know if the factory horns work, but they are old and crusty so I decided to toss them. Fortunately, I have a 2003 XJ Sport sitting around that was more than willing to cough up its horns...

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_horns.jpg

Look at the size difference! The factory horns probably weigh 3lbs each, the Jag ones less than a pound. The Jag horns sound nice too and take up less space... Now I am kinda excited about having working ones. I'm gonna be honking at EVERYTHING.

[thesameguy]

Oh, and I never found a good source for 10-way ATM fuse holder short of paying an arm and a leg or importing one. I did however find this:

http://www.littelfuse.com/~/media/images/products/power-distribution-modules/littelfuse-pdm-hwb18.jpg

which is a 9-way (3x3) configuration, and has the advantage of being able to support up to four ISO relays and three ATM fuses instead. It's quite compact - 2.4" x 1.5" x 2.0" - but unfortunately it's too wide to do what I need it to in this instance. Still neat. And there is a 60-pin version available (5x4 fuses) too. The small one is $5 and the large one $10, so I ordered one of each just to have around. ;)

[thesameguy]

Oh... and...

The diesel Suburban seems *very* happy. It starts far more readily than it ever has, idles smoother, and honestly it seems like engine response is improved. All good things. I've put about 60 or 70 miles on it and the crazy oscillation has not returned.

However - I think I can feel the oscillation still - it's just very slight. It's possible I am being hypersensitive, but at several distinct times I've been aware of subtle feeling that isn't quite right. Now that it's not so earth-ending, I can experience it a little more minutely - and I think it's an up-and-down motion and not a left-right motion. I am wondering if the issue is a damaged shock not adequately controlling body motion, and maybe it was being amplified by the engine having a good inch or two to join in the fun. Could also be the tires, maybe a bad balance or failed internals.

I don't think anyone else driving the truck would note the motion and it doesn't drive poorly at all. But I do think it's there, and I don't think it's actually death wobble at this point.

[thesameguy]

Got me some new horns back into the factory locations:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_newhorns.jpg

And am loving every minute of the battery terminal crimper. Making perfect battery cables makes me soooooo happy! (And so does my totally kustom battery hold down ;) ):

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_finishedbatterycables.jpg

The super-jenky throttle return spring makes me decidedly less happy. Someday I gotta do something about it.

[pl8ster]

Yeah, that spring looks a little...sprung.

But re: horns, are they a fairly universal gig? I ask because Cadillac horns from the 70s are the BEST and would add an imposing presence to just about any vehicle - for instance, the horn in my Silverado was weak to the point of almost being embarrassing.

[thesameguy]

Yep, horns are mostly totally interchangeable. There are a couple oddball exceptions but you'd have to try and find them. The Fleetwood has a great horn, but in the Falcon I prefer the size and weight savings - and the Jag has a nice tone anyway. ;)

I want to try and find a spring that works directly on the throttle arm so it's less conspicuous...

http://www.speedwerxstore.com/images/products/large_1927_PXTTS.jpg

I just haven't figured out how that works yet, so I've done nothing.

[thesameguy]

Nearly done...

Got my new cigarette lighter installed:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_ciglighterdone.jpg

Looks rad. The circuit will support 20a, which is way beyond what the compressor should ever need. It's direct to the battery, unswitched. :up:

Got the old fuseholder out:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_oldfuseholder.jpg

The plastic is in great shape, but most of the metal is not. They sell parts to rebuild it, but it's a lot of trouble and expense just to get back to four fused circuits with glass fuses in a totally unreachable place. :down:

I made this bracket to hold a trio of "power distribution connectors" - they are basically 8-circuit connectors repurposed to hold four ATM fuses:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_fuseholderholder.jpg

I lack the tooling to make perfect, repetitive cuts but I did just fine with a Dremel.

The fuse holder holder screws onto the steering column support. I also made a bracket to hold the ignition computer in a better location - although double-sided tape has done a great job holding it to the vent plenum, the location was not ideal for getting the programming cable connected to it. Now, both the fuses and the Megajolt are still very much out of view but at the same time easily accessible:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_lightfuses.jpg

Unfortunately, one of the pins in the Megajolt's connector randomly failed, hence the connector & wires hanging down and looking ugly. I ordered new pins for that, as well as new light sockets for the instrument cluster. That stuff should arrive late this week and I'm expecting to put it back together next weekend.

Sadly, I'm putting the horn back on hold - it's gonna be about $100, and it's money I don't want to spend on the old bird right now. I need to get the parts Jag into the garage and dismantled - with any luck some good funds will come out of that effort, and we'll see about a horn for the Falcon then.

(Although I am thinking about just tucking a momentary switch someone to use the horn in the short term - it ain't fancy, but it's a solution. ;) )

[pl8ster]

I say screw the weight savings and get a Caddy horn for the Falcon :hard:

[Random]

Hire a coachman/groom to sit behind you and blow the horn.

http://www.smfilarsky.com/images/DV08CoachHorn.jpg

[thesameguy]

I'm no math whiz, but I feel like the push button would take up less space and probably weigh less.

Got my Dorman 85805 bulb sockets in today, and they fit perfectly in the instrument cluster. In fact, they're so authentic I was even able to pull the center contact wire out of them and replace them with the factory wires so I don't have messy splices in my dash. Now I have very bright instrument cluster lights!

I also received my tiny little Molex Minifit terminals and repaired the Megajolt wiring.

I was able to test all my wiring and it all works perfectly. Unfortunately I did not have time to reinstall the instrument cluster before I needed to head back to the office, so that'll have to wait. I also learned my left rear stop light does not work reliably. I think the bulb socket is hosed as it looks a little melty. A good 30-60 minutes of work should get it back together.

Then, onto dismantling a Jaguar and hopefully earning some money. I paid six bills for it and have already ganked parts that probably would have set me back two (not including the horns - I could have used Saab horns ;) ). I am pretty sure I can get that four hundred back no problem, and probably 3-6x that without trying... although it might involve firing up my ebay account which I don't much relish. :( Whatevs. If push comes to shove I can scrap the whole thing for five hundred. I'd just like to make a little off the easy stuff if I can. :)

[pl8ster]

Easy stuff + scrap? Sounds like a win-win.

[thesameguy]

The Falcon is officially back together tonight - the last piece was replacing bulbs in the instrument cluster. I used multi-SMD (omnidirectional) BA9 LEDs, primarily because they offer better dispersion and much lower temperatures which should keep plastic happier. I went for the warmest color I could to try and stay close to incandescent light. I really didn't succeed, but I'm not mad at the result.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/falcon_ledcluster.jpg

It's at least white and not blue, and to my eye it looks oddly okay with the cluster layout. A little neon-y, a little art deco-y. Wrong time period, but it's ok. ;) It's definitely 500% superior dispersion, and the dash dimmer still works reasonably well. When it works. It doesn't work very often. :)

I replaced the two cluster lights as well as the lights for the high beam, turn signal, and oil light. I left the generator light as an incandescent as if there's insufficient resistance the alternator won't charge. The alternator light doesn't spend much time on (hopefully ;) ) so it shouldn't be a problem.

I just have to clean up my mess inside and it's done for now. Next pass will include replacing the headlight switch, the turn signal switch, and addressing the horn ring. It's not much money or time, but more than I am going to invest in it now.

Onto the Jag!

[Godson]

That looks awesome!

[speedpimp]

Ditto.

[thesameguy]

Learned something kinda unfortunate about the GMT400 trucks, and that is the NV246 transfer case is a pile of shit. The oil pump has a tendency to wear a hole in case. Fortunately, that is not my problem. I have the other problem, which is the tailshaft bearing has a plastic cage that fails. I had incorrectly assumed the clicking I heard was worn u-joints, but after taking a good look at it today I'm pretty darned sure it isn't the ujoints. Research led me to the tailshaft bearing issue. :(

The solution is a shit ton of work and about $200 in parts. I am thinking about trying a fluid change to see if it helps, but have no expectation it will. I am strongly considering having a shop do the work, as even on a Suburban-height vehicle wrestling with a xfer case sounds like no fun. I can't be too upset - it was still a great deal on the truck. ;)

[thesameguy]

I think it's this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74ID2ep0as0

[thesameguy]

What I am *really* not a fan of is wrenching on appliances. I just spent four hours figuring out what went wrong with my frigging washing machine and I can't quite put into words how irked I am about it. The only silver lining in this cloud is that I had the skill and the tools to do it, because adding a multi-hundred-dollar labor bill on top of what would have been a $380 part would have probably caused me to get in a car and drive down a sidewalk. I was able to escape with a few hours of lost time of $200 for the part. Assuming, of course, this part fixes it. Won't know that until Tuesday. Since I've potentially saved $400+, I can't quite say "what a waste of time," but FML anyway.

[KillerB]

As long as Home Depot keeps carrying its Made-in-the-US Admiral line of washers and dryers for $399 each, I'm puzzled as to why anyone would waste time or money fixing one.

[thesameguy]

Because those are really highly inefficient machines with tiny capacities and limited material handling and no anti-static, anti-wrinkle features? YMMV, but that's why I didn't buy any.

[thesameguy]

This is the stupid part that failed on the washing machine:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/delete/stupiddishwasherpart.jpg

There is NOTHING complex about this part, but it carries a retail price approaching $400. Happily I got it for $160 (and $40 in overnight shipping). I can't believe anyone in clear conscience said, "Yeah, this looks like a $400 part." Asses.

[Godson]

y'know. You could have soldered something like that up on a breadboard most likely

[thesameguy]

There is a single microchip on the underside, which I believe to be the thing that reports back to the main computer this part has failed. I believe the failure point is probably the big VRs under those heatsinks - the "everything is fine except the motor won't turn" sounds like a voltage regulation problem. Who knows? Problem is, I could have dinked with it and had dirty laundry until I figured out the issue or given Sears $200 and had clean laundry... really, it was no choice at all. I may still investigate it... end up with a spare or an interesting story, anyway. ;)

[Godson]

Keep me updated :lol:

[thesameguy]

Fun fact: Costs more to insure a Hyundai Santa Fe than an XJR. Why? Bodily injury premiums are nearly double. Rather supports the reason why I have the stupid thing in the first place!

[thesameguy]

Also:

Now the XR4Ti is properly insured so I can resume driving it - very excited about that!

The Suburban's xfer case is in less-than-ideal shape, and the shop recommended replacing the rear case. I think they're exaggerating the situation, but OTOH I (amazingly) trust these guys and I know they have to defend their repairs... they have to do the right thing and not the good enough thing as I might be able to do. We talked for a bit, and a full rebuild of the case is about $1200. Reman ones are a couple grand, used ones about six bills. $1200 seems like fair money for a rebuild, and even though it's fully half what I paid for the whole truck (!!!) I still feel financially defensible - $3250 for a '99 with 160k with a new front end, new tires, and a new xfer case is totally fair money in my mind.

The only thing that sucks about the timing of this repair is that I'm probably not going to have the opportunity to install the new stereo in it before I need to take it to LA next weekend. AM/FM FTL. :( Oh well, I am grateful to have the option of a nice, newish truck to make that trip in instead of having to rent a full-size SUV or having to take the diesel truck over the Grapevine. That, quite frankly, sounds AWFUL.

On the subject of the diesel Suburban, it's running great. I've put several hundred miles on it in the last two months and there's been zero sign of issues. It does everything it's supposed to do, so I guess the motor mounts were responsible for the death wobble? I dunno. Now I'm really not sure what it's fate is, or should be. Don't care so much right now - it's not even a concern right now.

[Random]

Pick up a cheap FM transmitter for yer magic phone(s)?

http://www.amazon.com/Transmitter-IC-F27-Universal-Smartphone-including/dp/B00HIATW04/ref=sr_1_2?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1425681026&sr=1-2

[thesameguy]

Hmm... I do suppose something like that is on the table... it only needs to last four days and 1000 miles. Good call.

Hey, I wonder if the DVD system is tied into the stereo? If so, I could use its aux in port... I need to check that out!

[Kchrpm]

My anecdotal experience with cheap FM transmitters is they're fine in smaller cities (Dayton and Flint), garbage in ones with a bunch of radio stations filling up the channels (Philadelphia).

[thesameguy]

Most of the need is in central CA where there is nothing. Once we're into LA, the radio is cool. :up:

Unrelated, the XR is very old.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_regstickers.jpg

[Random]

We did that drive in '94 or so in a Penske rental truck--all I remember is 50000 WATTS OF COUNTRY POWER emanating from Fresno. Sad times. :(

[thesameguy]

I used to commute to Hollywood for a consulting gig in the '90s, but I honestly don't remember what the central stations were like then. I was rockin' a 12-disc Pioneer changer back then. Totally baller.

Today, the valley is filled up with Spanish-language radio and hard-core conservative and religious talk radio. Sometimes I tune in just to see how long I can stand it - occasionally it's so out there it's hilarious, but usually it's just sad. There is one station in Fresno that is actually pretty good - I think it's a Clear Channel station and largely the same as one in SoCal. There's a good 150 miles when it comes in, but that still leaves a solid 2-3 hours of driving with nothing tolerable to listen to. We'll be going slower than normal since it'll be the Suburban and we'll need to take more frequent breaks since we'll have the puppy. Gonna want something FO SHO.

[pl8ster]

Looks like the paint is rubbed off the raised right edge from all the times that stickers have been applied :lol:

[thesameguy]

It's all part of the patina. :)

I commuted in it today, first time since November of 2013 I think. Maybe it was November of 2012? FML. Whatevs. Some things nobody probably cares about:

1. I feel like the steering is very slow. I replaced the rack, but failed to notice whether maybe a later slow-ratio rack replaced the earlier quick-ratio rack. Not like there's an option, when dealing with Merkurs you get what they sent you. :lol:
2. Lag is a bit of an annoyance. Really far better than I expected it to be, though. It's definitely not going to win any drag races, but 3rd gear is pretty epic.
3. Definitely picked up a few ponies. Running the same boost I have since installing the first IC, but with the ported/coated exhaust manifold, big turbo, big IC, and improved intake piping the fat part of the curve is definitely fatter. 40-80 is super.
4. Initially happy with the G-Force Sport Comp-2s... They are a nice mix of grip & comfort. I haven't pushed the car hard, but it feels right in all the places I normally color outside the lines. :up: I am again reminded how shitty the front geometry on this car is, and how unfortunate the total lack of adjustment is. :( Wish I'd picked up a set of camber plates when they were still being made. :(:(
5. There is *still* a crazy whistle as the turbo spools up. Since I redid most of the intake plumbing, there are only two places this sound could be coming from: The actual turbo emanating from the air filter or a leak in/near the intake manifold. I've resealed the manifold twice, and with 20psi in the intake tract the only leak is at the EGR valve (which is unfixable). For my sanity, I need to blame the turbo. I need to yank the hood and drive around with someone's head out the window. :lol:

My actual to-do list on this car is so incredibly small right now I feel pretty good. I need a cosmetic fix to the place where the parking lights were (now filled by intercooler!) and I need to address my wee little downpipe. Maybe if I'm feeling saucy an LSD. After a big refurb, though, I'm looking forward to a couple years of just driving it and staying well clear of the to-do list. ;)

[CudaMan]

My local music stations, when I'm in an FM mood:

105.1 [rock of all kinds]
104.1 [rock/alternative with a taste of hipster]
95.7 [classic rock]
90.7 [college station, probably weak outside of town]

It's quite good here compared to, say, South FL if you're into rock.

[thesameguy]

I think it's 104.1 I listen to in the area... it usually comes in north of Fresyes and sticks around til Bakersfield or so, maybe as far as the Grapevine.

[CudaMan]

I forgot my Bakersfield presets... been too long since I had that job. 106.1 rings a bell...

105.1 has been getting more of my listening time here lately. They've evolved since a couple years ago, and play more metal now. :rawk:

[thesameguy]

I may have overstated or at least incorrectly stated the XR4Ti's lag issue. Pre-boost power is probably down. However, I found out this evening that unlike with the previous setup boost is building by 3000rpm in second, and ON by 5000rpm in second. I've been taking it easy and have been avoiding winding out the motor, but this evening I decided to take second to redline and nearly blew right past it. 5k-6k is gone in the blink of an eye. It is way more like driving a strung out Saab or Volvo than it's ever been... that is, '80s-tastic peaky power. YEAH!

The downside to this is that now my head is spinning with just how much awesomeness a 3" downpipe could bring to the equation. Hmmm.

I should really be focused on fixing the lingering idle speed issue, but that is about zero fun.

[Kchrpm]

What caused the switch from peaky turbos to ones that die as they approach redline? Purely a design/engineering decision?

[thesameguy]

You mean like on the Mustang? Purely an engineering decision. Most modern turbo cars - Volvo, GM, etc. - don't taper off like that. I am sure in the case of the Mustang Ecoboost Ford wanted big fat muscle car torque but did not want to step on the GT's toes. A modern, safe 2.3t should be hitting the 350hp mark and that would probably result in a less torquey feeling low end and output really close to the GT. Using a small turbo in a small exhaust manifold means you get that sudden wall of torque without getting near the GT in ultimate power. I am not sure why they cast the exhaust manifold into the head. It could be to save money, but it could also be to hamstring tuners. I mean, if word got out that a manifold & turbo swap would result in a car that could kill the GT, people might stop buying the GT. I dunno.

Back in the '80s Ford finally sorted out their Lima 2.3t and found it would happily make 250hp as-designed... and that would have hurt the V8 Mustang. Their solution was a really bad cam that knocked 75-100hp off the top. To put it in perspective, the Volvo B230FT (which is heavily based on the Lima 2.3t) mode 15 less horsepower than the Ford motor at half the boost. Much like the new Ecoboost Mustang, Ford wanted the old 2.3t to have big fat torque (=high boost) without V8-threatening horsepower. Volvo just cut the boost (and the torque).

Of course, Saab's solution was a lot more elegant - they implemented the first electronic boost controller. In midrange rpm it allowed full boost, but at low rpm and high rpm boost was electronically limited to provide smooth power delivery while still limiting ultimate horsepower. Back then, all Saab cared about was torque and maximizing fuel economy. Eliminating that boost taper freed up 20-30hp. Those were good times. :)

In any case, because I am still running the stock cam my XR behaves exactly like an Ecoboost Mustang, for the same reason... I have a super-strong midrange but by 5000rpm power is starting to drop off again. It can't breathe, shitty cam. Second gear is weird because 0-5000rpm = 0psi, and 5000-6000rpm = ~5psi. Even though I'm not making anywhere near the same power as, say, 3rd gear at 4000rpm & 15psi, it's still a huge sudden increase in output. I'm guessing the ramp is something like 100hp at 5000rpm in 2nd to 150hp at 6000rpm in 2nd. I LOVE TURBO CARS!

[Kchrpm]

Ok, that makes sense. Most of what I've read about modern turbo cars is the their rev limits and in general ability at higher revs was quite a bit down on similar output naturally aspirated cars, and I remember as a kid that those characteristics were reversed (but I was mostly paying attention to Corvettes and the like).

[thesameguy]

In the early days turbos were primarily used to boost ultimate power on cars, but Saab turned that around by using turbos to boost midrange torque and improve fuel economy. Over time and especially today that approach is used more widely since fuel economy is suddenly very important here again. People are building engines with what would historically be considered an undersized turbo because all they want good fuel economy from a heavy car that doesn't feel underpowered. With direct injection and a high static compression ratio, the turbo is the cherry on top that gives big engine feel to tiny engines. :up:

[Kchrpm]

All makes sense now :up:

[thesameguy]

I have been doing a little struggling with continuing ownership of the Jag. I originally bought it for a) air conditioning (ROFL) and b) to have a nice car when the situation warranted. As it turns out, the Fiat is pretty much entirely fulfilling both purposes, and after owning an electric car I don't think I'd ever not have one around. It's conceivable that whatever is next might be a hybrid (like a Volt, not a Prius) but I hope/believe that by the end of 2016 there will be some other EVs on the market... like a Tesla or something. The Jag isn't getting and won't get much use.

And the Jag has a couple issues - the ABS module needs to be replaced, and the cluster I swapped in to replace mine that had a bad gas gauge has a bad temp gauge, and topping the list is the oxidation on the roof I thought I could control got way outta control last summer when the car sat outside, totally filthy, for several months while I tended the dog. It's pretty ugly. I've been going back & forth on getting a fix-it type of paint job - but those dollars on a car I'm unsure about are hard to justify.

Today may have been the final moment. I went to go pick up the Suburban and my dad ended up driving the Jag back to my place so I had a chance to just kinda watch it go down the road. The XJR is fucking awesome, no way its going anywhere anytime soon.

[thesameguy]

.......aaaaaaaand the Suburban's transfer case has totally failed. Spontaneously shifted in 4WD, won't shift out, "Service 4WD System" light on. Glad LA got cancelled or I would be fuming right now.

[thesameguy]

Talked to the shop that did the transfer case work this morning, and they're sending a tow truck to fetch it. There was some talk about "we tested the encoder on the bench and did an extensive road test..." which to me felt like a pre-fucking, where they come back in a couple days with "Well, it failed randomly, not our fault" but I'm hoping for the best. I will be really irked if a bearing replacement turns into something more. This is why I work on my own stuff. :down:

I took a look at the XR's idle issue, and found a leaky vacuum port. Looks like maybe it was blowing open under boost and sucking closed under vacuum - perfectly explaining the post-psi high idle. That has been adjusted. I also made a new EGR blockoff plate out of 304 stainless. I hate having to defeat emissions systems, but if nobody is going to make a boost-tight EGR valve I'm left with no choice. Kinda lame - sometimes this state really hamstrings itself. So many ways to solve this and keep functional EGR valve, but none would pass smog. :down:

I started taking the parts Jag apart - man, I love the way newer cars are assembled. Perfect, exact fits everywhere. It's fun watching it come apart, and I enjoy playing with the disassembled Legos. You should see the hood hinges - they're nuts!

[thesameguy]

Got Suburban back. Shop says the encoder (like a speed sensor) in the transfer case had failed, and that there was no charge because they should have tested it while it was out. Odd to say that after explicitly stating they had tested it while it was out. No idea, but it didn't cost me anything except an hour of driving time so whatever.

I think I finally got the XR's idling problem solved, however in exchange for idling at 900rpm all the time it developed a random wicked stumble below 2000rpm. I've since found one of the clips that holds the #1 injector connector on is broken, so the connection was weak at best, possibly even intermittent. After zip tying it in place, the stumble became worse, but totally consistent. Like, it always idles poorly and stumbles below 2000rpm. I can tell no difference in idle with the #1 injector connected or disconnected, and it moves like stink over 2k so that suggests a leaky or clogged (bad spray pattern) injector - and probably not actually the #1 injector, but some other injector that's dumping too much fuel. I *think* I may have smelled rich exhaust the other night too. Since they're only $25ea, I think I'm going to order some remans. $25 injectors may be quite bad, but they can't be worse than my 20 year old ones, right? I dunno! If nothing else I could learn something if the behavior changes...

I'm going to think about it a little bit before I do anything - but sadly it seems the XR's roadworthiness may have been overstated.

[thesameguy]

I spent an inordinate amount of time on the road this weekend - about 16 hours in two ~8-hour drives... Rancho Cucamonga, CA and back. Blah. It was time for the Mercedes one year check up & maintenance fest and Easter weekend was my only opportunity to do it until late June. I did not want to push the oil change to 16 months, so, well, whatever.

The Mercedes is still in very good shape. Frankly, I expected much worse! It is +8,000 miles since May of 2014. All four tires were about 4psi low except one that was 8psi. Fortunately I left them in November at 38psi, so even 8psi low isn't really that far off from spec. It does irk me that even though I bought her a compressor and an easy to use digital gauge she can't be arsed to check the tires, but I gotta get over that. All the fluids were full and the only new damage is on a front crossmember that hangs quite low - a big piece of tubular steel that looks like maybe it was an afterthought in the latter years of the W124. It's mangled and twisted on one end, probably from bottoming out on one of the Inland Empire's obscenely (inappropriately!) deep and wide gutters. Seriously, these gutters are all scarred from cars bottoming out. I mean, when you live there you should know about them and act accordingly, but they're INSANE. Look at these things!

1149

Fortunately there was no important contact from the incident, although now that crossmember is about 1/4" from the bottom of the radiator. It won't take another hit without doing serious damage - so hopefully there aren't any more!

I was happy to see the protective film I made/installed on the headlights still looks awesome:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/e320_headlightfilm1yr.jpg

It's made from 3M vinyl and I've been using it on various cars for many years, but with the Benz is the first application that I did really well and the headlights were in great shape to start with. One year, no peeling or yellowing or anything else. Awesome!

I gave the interior & exterior a thorough scrubbing using the full assortment of protective products - 1Z Rubber Care on all the seals, Meguiar's Leather Cleaner/Conditioner on the seats, Mother's VLR on all the vinyl surfaces, and a coat of Klasse AIO on the paint.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/e320_1yr.jpg

(Yeah, I parked on the grass, but CA is in a drought and I didn't want to waste water!)

The paint on the horizontal surfaces wasn't great to begin with and it's taking a beating from the IE's sun, but there's no getting around that. It's still presentable, and it's still a nice car. Mechanically, I think this is the best we've gotten out of a car for her at the Year One mark.

I have mentioned it before, but the driver of this car is a borderline horder. I almost took a picture of the trunk to share with you all but didn't. I don't actually know why, because I am going to tell you what was in the trunk:

o 1 gallon of Mercedes coolant - new
o 2 1 quart bottles of oil - new
o 1 pint of power steering fluid
o 2 12v cigarette-lighter style work lights (30 year old incandescent things)
o 1 tarp
o 8 canvas bags
o a "ball" of grocery store plastic bags (like a plastic bag full of plastic bags)
o 1 squeegee
o 1 50 year old box with ratchet & sockets
o 4 blankets
o 2-3 weeks worth of postal mail
o 3 cardboard boxes holding all this stuff

:sadbanana: It's like the start of a bug out pack, except missing everything useful. Or a road trip kit for a car that never sees road trips driven by someone who doesn't know how to fix a car. it's all bullshit that just sits there wasting gas, looking awful, ruining the trunk carpet. Bah.

We took the '99 Suburban, transfer case repaired and with a fresh tuneup on it. I kept my speed to 65mph to help improve fuel economy, and after netting over 700 miles to a tank I was feeling pretty good about its performance. Unfortunately that was on 37 gallons of gas (not quite but almost a full tank) so economy was only about 19mpg. Can't really expect more, but I was hoping for it. The diesel will break 20 at 60mph on its 3-speed so I hoped with an extra gear and a light foot the gas one would too, but no such luck. Oh well.

This trip did a LOT on selling me on the '99... it was so comfortable and quiet and easy to drive it made getting 19mpg almost worth it. Man, the '99 is just a really great truck. I am really happy with it.

[speedpimp]

What is the purpose for those shitty gutters?

[Random]

Stormwater collection and there was some reason (other infrastructure, cost, no need for 99% of the year, whatever) that they couldn't/wouldn't do an underground system, like normal. You see that arrangement all over SoCal and occasionally up here.

[thesameguy]

I think the idea was to handle runoff from the San Bernadino Mountains, but those types of rains are few and far between (decades?) and the "system" is just horribly cheaply implemented. I guess we are talking about the budget area of SoCal so that might have something to do with it. I really don't know. All I know is that streets leading away from the mountains have these crazy gutters and they wreck cars. :)

[thesameguy]

You see that arrangement all over SoCal and occasionally up here.

Yeah. but they're *really bad* in this area. Most every intersection - it's a surprise when you cross a street that doesn't require slowing to a near-stop.

Just one more reason why I can't grasp the desire to live there.

[neanderthal]

Yeah. but they're *really bad* in this area. Most every intersection - it's a surprise when you cross a street that doesn't require slowing to a near-stop.

Just one more reason why I can't grasp the desire to live there.


It's cheap.

[neanderthal]

I almost want to pay you to take that poor car off her hands.

[thesameguy]

It's cheap.

It's cheaper but it's not cheap. What she pays in rent could get her a small house in Davis or a nice apartment in a nice area in Sacramento. Her utilities are almost 3x what we pay. The weather is not that nice, the smog is frequently awful, the whole landscape is nothing but shitty chain businesses, and going anywhere means fighting traffic. I get the beach communities, I get metropolises like Los Angeles proper, and I get the quaintness of Claremont or even Pasadena. I could possibly even grasp the "work in LA live in IE" thing like "live in Stockton work in SF" - it's a great way to pad your bank account. Short of that, the IE is one notch off the from the desert. SoCal money to live in a place no better than Arizona is insane to me. It's ugly and brown and expensive.

[neanderthal]

It's cheaper but it's not cheap. What she pays in rent could get her a small house in Davis or a nice apartment in a nice area in Sacramento. Her utilities are almost 3x what we pay. The weather is not that nice, the smog is frequently awful, the whole landscape is nothing but shitty chain businesses, and going anywhere means fighting traffic. I get the beach communities, I get metropolises like Los Angeles proper, and I get the quaintness of Claremont or even Pasadena. I could possibly even grasp the "work in LA live in IE" thing like "live in Stockton work in SF" - it's a great way to pad your bank account. Short of that, the IE is one notch off the from the desert. SoCal money to live in a place no better than Arizona is insane to me. It's ugly and brown and expensive.

Correction; it's cheap for LA.

I live 1/2 mile from million dollar properties. The low end of Northridge property values is $500000. Low end. I just checked on Zillow.

But otherwise, I hear you.

In 4- 5 years, i'll have completed 25 years in my union (full pension) and will be looking to move out of the LA area to somewhere I can afford to buy a house. In the meantime, i'm loading up my 401K. Fortunately my rent is reasonable.

[thesameguy]

I completely understand living in a place if it works in the end. I'd probably live in a shithole for a while if it meant meeting my long-term goals. In this case, she is hemorrhaging cash that she doesn't even actually have trying to cling to stuff she doesn't need in a place that broadly sucks. There is no upside other than status quo. I am not unsympathetic - I know how difficult it can be to get outside your own head and see a situation clearly, but by the same token she has to do that, because her failure to make good choices now will mean she is going to need a significant bailing out by the people she ostensibly cares about. That, as they say, is not cool.

The upside is that whenever I come back from her place I am invigorated and enjoy a renewed sense of purpose and ambition. She is the opposite of what I want for myself - she kind of represents all my worst fears about myself! Upon return, it did not take long for me to decide to tackle the XJ8 I bought for parts four months ago but have been lacking the motivation to deal with. It is quite clearly clutter, and it's gotta go.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/jag_parts1.jpg

Front end ripped off, fluids drained, and a good chunk of pre-motor-pulling decluttering going on. :up:

I'd like to call specific attention to the massive hinges that attach the hood. They are fantastic mechanical bits - I am trying to find something awesome to do with them! :lol:

I am debating taking a sawzall to the front crossmember to just clear it out of there and make pulling the motor easier, or giving it a go as it was intended to be pulled. I do enjoy an education, but OTOH when am I actually going to have another reason to pull a motor from an X308? Probably never. Kinda leaning towards the sawzall. :D

[Godson]

Chop the bitch out and call it good.


Don't waste time on education. Truth be told, you'll do 99% of the same work anyways.

[thesameguy]

I ended up doing it "the right way." I realized I had to get the cats out of the way to do anything, and with them gone reaching the bellhousing bolts was not even remote a problem. Took about 15 minutes to pull the cats and another 30 to pull the motor.

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/jag_parts2.jpg

Gotta make a pass through the interior and grab necessary items and yank some portion of the brake system but this thing is just about done already. I'll be happy to have it gone!

[CudaMan]

Garage space is such a precious commodity. :) Strong work!

[thesameguy]

I also replaced the fuel injectors on the XR4Ti. It has a weird rough idle and I'm hoping it's the result of clogged injectors - they have been sitting for a long time, and the last time I know they were replaced was in the '90s. They might be 20+ years old with 200,000+ miles on them.

There aren't a huge selection of low-impedance 36# injectors out there, but someone recommended using Tomco injectors so I figured why not... Tomco injectors are rotary/disc type instead of pintle-type. Their claim to fame is that they are self-cleaning and less affected by subtle changes in fuel pressure. Back in the '90s these things were the shiznit and everyone thought they were the future. Unfortunately, they have some drawbacks - they aren't as directional as pintle type injectors and they can't ultimately flow as much. For a stock application on a 2v/cyl head, their limitations do not affect me. :) They do look neat!

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_tomco2.jpg

I started it up and reset the timing - it was 3-4 degrees off, not sure how I passed smog like that. Whatever. I also wired the car up for a heated O2 sensor - I think the sensor needs to be replaced, and I might as well do a heated one while I'm at it. :) Now I am waiting on the replacement sensor and a new fuel filter... hopefully these items cure my idle problem. If not, next up is a new VAM - but I really don't want things to get there. My experience with reman airflow meters is not good.

[thesameguy]

Garage space is such a precious commodity. :) Strong work!

That's a fact. The XR was in there for three years, now this! The Falcon really needs its home back. Leaving me short only seven spots. YEAH!

[thesameguy]

Now I am waiting on the replacement sensor and a new fuel filter... hopefully these items cure my idle problem. If not, next up is a new VAM - but I really don't want things to get there. My experience with reman airflow meters is not good.

Hmm. Maybe I will just reuse the downstream O2 sensor from the parts Jag for this. Can't think of anything better to do with it, and since the Jag wasn't throwing any O2-sensor related codes, I think I can assume it is good. Reuse, recycle!

[CudaMan]

Short seven spots? You win. :) We are short 4! But our garage only holds 2 and even that is a challenge. The lease gets relegated to curbside parking.

[thesameguy]

I think it's seven. I don't know. All I know is there isn't any room, partially due to the fact I have possession of two cars that aren't mine. The upside is that they are absolutely preventing me from acquiring anything and that's not all bad. Also, I am fortunate that I don't have to resort to curb parking... of course we don't have curbs in our neighborhood so that's a consideration too. ;)

I have a vision of building a second garage with two or three spots, I'm just not sure what something like that costs, and I've done zero investigation because I'm just not sure it's a good use of money. If it was five grand or maybe ten I'd get going on it, but I feel like it's probably more like twenty or thirty and I'm just not even remotely that motivated.

[thesameguy]

Smogged the SPG today, continuing a five year streak of not a single failure. Most people be like da fuq, but for me five years represents something like 40 smog tests!

It did however BARELY pass. HCs at 15mph were at maximum and NOx were abnormally high. At higher speed everything was fine. I suspect this car needs a tuneup something fierce, as IIRC I did nothing back in '10 when I got it. Nothing aside from swapping the fuel injection system, replacing every suspension part (including the metal ones), a clutch, and a head gasket. I suspect it needs new ignition parts stat, and probably at least a new fuel filter. I think I am going to wrap that stuff up with swapping the fuel tank and pump in May or June. It's totally fine for now! :D

[thesameguy]

Got the new fuel filter for the XR4Ti, and after a conversation on the XR4Ti forum ended up installing a 4-wire O2 sensor pilfered from the parts Jag to show someone how to install a heated O2 sensor. Got excited, fired the XR up, and got a weird result. Idle set in rock-solid at ~900rpm but was clearly, horribly missing. But a perfect miss - although the miss was very pronounced, the idle was otherwise perfect and reliable. It was a huge improvement over the last few weeks. Traced it to #2 by pulling spark plug wires - thank Dog there are Magnecors on there and you can yank them off without fear of taking a spark plug's place. I had a awful, pit of the stomach feeling there was something Very Wrong with #2, but just to be sure I swapped the #1 and #2 plugs... and the problem moved!

In all my years of wrenching on cars I have never seen a plug fail internally, but that appears to be what happened. Years ago I bought these goofy but expensive E3 plugs. I didn't think they were a good idea, but other folks on the XR forum swore by them so I figured I'd give them a go. Should have trusted my gut - $10 spark plugs = snake oil. I found a box of Motorcraft copper plugs (probably OE on the car!) in the garage last night so I'll install them this afternoon and see where it gets me.

[Random]

Speaking of: am I the only one that has to duct-tape the spark plug socket onto the socket extension to actually be able to remove the socket from the installed plug?

Maybe that's a sign that I don't use my spark plug socket much. :lol:

[thesameguy]

I have six or seven different spark plug sockets and only one of them works right - like, it holds the plug and stays on the extension. All the others either won't hold the plug or have such a death-grip the extension comes off. I cannot remember what car it was, but one of them had a very deep plug well and the latter scenario unfolded, leaving me in an hour-long panic, trying to get the socket out of the well. It was not good. I nearly threw the socket away, but the thing is they all come into play now and then - including the death-grip stuck-in-the-well socket which is the only one thin enough to get the plugs out of a Alfa SOHC V6.

[Godson]

Ride a motorcycle, you'll have more plugs fail internally than in cars.


I have had 2 fail internally since I started riding. They are a bitch to diagnose, especially when they haven't completely failed.

[JoshInKC]

... I cannot remember what car it was, but one of them had a very deep plug well and the latter scenario unfolded, leaving me in an hour-long panic, trying to get the socket out of the well. It was not good.
Been there, done that. 3T-C Toyota motor - Hemi-heads w/ the plugs/wires going through valve cover. Turns out the random plug socket I grabbed was weirdly shallow enough that the terminal on the plug pushed the extension out of the socket once fully seated. Hour-long panic is exactly right.

[GB]

Speaking of: am I the only one that has to duct-tape the spark plug socket onto the socket extension to actually be able to remove the socket from the installed plug?
Never thought of the duct-tape idea.

I've always thought I had a problem digging the sockets out of the plug wells because I'm a lousy mechanic.

[thesameguy]

It's quite nice to hear I'm not the only one with spark plug and spark plug socket trials!

I tell you, there is something to be set for crappy old heads without spark wells. Changing plugs on the XR took like four minutes!

These are the E3s that came out:

http://www.sacsaabs.org/sacsaabs.org/misc/xr_e3plugs.jpg

They look fine, but one of them is definitely not like the others. I have no recollection of what was special about these plugs, or whether the multi-electrode thing was the whole deal. Whatevs. They're $40 worth of trash now.

New Motorcraft coppers in, and the car seems to be running fantabulously. Idle is flawless, low-RPM power is improved, and the transition to boost is far less dramatic and more linear. The combination of new injectors, the 4-wire sensor, and four actual working spark plugs seems wonderful.

I only expect to get an oil change's worth out of these plugs, though - 18psi and a dirty old motor won't be kind to copper.

Plan is to run it for a few months, see how it does, and then tackle to the next phase... a 3" downpipe and ~22psi. I suspect that should be good for a solid 300hp and ~350lb ft. It'll be fun but I won't lie - adding some low RPM responsiveness wouldn't be all bad. Ah, '80s boosted motors. :D

[thesameguy]

Range Rover finally sold, commission made. :up: I can't decide whether I'm happier to have a few hundred extra bucks or a free spot to keep a car! :P

[novicius]

:up: :up:

[Godson]

I HATE multi ground strap spark plugs. IME they are just there to last longer.

As ground strap 1 burns down, until resistance increases enough to where it transfers spark to the next closest ground strap. this sounds like a great idea, but I have always felt the extra ground straps interfere with the combustion space. I really like a good platinum single strap plug. Like the NGK R. I ran them in both M3s, I run them in the Monster, and I am going to run them in the 911. The seldom carbon up, and they offer a great idle on tough vehicles (like italian V-twins).

[thesameguy]

I definitely don't disagree about goofy spark plugs. A few folks on the XR forum said they worked really well on the 2.3 and I gave them a try. Typically platinum plugs don't work well under high boost, especially with old ignition systems. They just don't make as big as a spark as copper plugs (platinum is harder but less conductive) and are thus prone to spark blow out as combustion chamber pressures ramp up.

NGKs work really well on the Saab, but they were awful on the XR4Ti - erratic boost and an awful idle. I had also tried Autolite Platinums as they also work really well on the Saab - at least for idle, they won't support 1bar+ at all - but they sucked too. The E3s were another attempt at a spark plug that would last more than an oil change. I am going to give some Denso or NGK Iridiums a try - they weren't around the last time I did plugs on the XR (:lol:) but were a good choice on the APR-chipped Audi and the Solstice, which were also sensitive to plugs.

[KillerB]

Yeah, my turbo Miata was hell on spark plugs. They only just managed to last one oil change.

[thesameguy]

As it turns out there are a bunch of reviews on Amazon about E3s failing in short order, so I guess my experience is not unique. Maybe the facts just hadn't come out when I bought mine in... 2009? 2008? Way back when.

On the upside, with the Motorcraft coppers the car is running awesome. The only issue I have experienced is a semi-random idle stutter that appears to be temperature related. If I restart the car when warm, for 20 seconds or so the idle is very unstable. Light application of throttle gets it sorted back out and everything is fine. Similarly, when the car is very warm and has been for a while (sitting in traffic, etc.), very rarely the 20 second period of unstable idle will return. Again, light throttle for a little bit cures the issue. It is clearly temperature dependent - it never happens when the car is cool or cold. And, it never happens when the car is hottest - it's always in the middle of the gauge, but after things have been heat soaked from sitting. 99% of the time, however, the idle is rock solid and super smooth. In general the car runs excellently - turbo spools up nicely, utterly reliable 18psi of boost, and it's very quick. It doesn't have the throttle response the Solstice had, but it definitely has the same pull. I caught myself doing 80 on a surface street yesterday :eek:

This is the strongest the car has been in the ten years I've owned it. I feel like all the boxes have been appropriately ticked. Between the drivetrain, suspension, brakes, and tires it's an awesome package. Sure, there's more to do - there's always more to do - but nothing that *needs* to be done. It's a nice place to be. :)

[Yeti]

I saw your Falcon vids. Looks like that one is running strong. Bare feet and left-foot braking be damned :p

[thesameguy]

Yeah, I put it up for sale and figured that might help. Didn't realize til I'd posted them that I got my bare feet in the damn video. ;) I tend to left brake automatics in general, but in the Falcon it's for safety - stopping distances in that car are not impressive and I figure every second saved shuffling feet is a bunch of feet earned :)

It is running great though - it's just awesome to motor around in.

[speedpimp]

Rex Ryan approves of your video!:up:

[thesameguy]

It's not happening for another month or two - the vet has all my money - but a while back I bought a pair of replacement headlight mounts for the Fiero. They use the Hella modular 90mm lights in place of the big ol' sealed beam lights. I actually don't have a complaint about the performance of the sealed beams, but in the raised position the headlights are such an annoying visual obstruction and source of noise I really want to do something about them. I almost went for a flush-mount kit that replaces the popups entirely, but for all my annoyance I find the popups to be an endearing '80s quality and I kinda want to keep them. :)

This is what the brackets look like out of the box:

http://cliff.hostkansas.com/images/2009/12-11-2009_185.jpg

And this is what they look like installed:

http://images.fieroforum.com/2010/before_and_after_pic.jpg

I'm obviously not going to install them without something to save them from rust. I have been planning on having them powder coated black like this guy did, but I started thinking about maybe paint-matching them instead. I feel like black keeps the '80s character, whereas paint-matching a trim part is a more '90s thing. Anyone have an opinion?

[Random]

Black.

[George]

Black.

[Random]

Black, number ooone.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ea/cc/56/eacc5602bb6f9a2febb67d2ecea21705.jpg

[George]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46kXH6GGtT0

[thesameguy]

Well, alright then! :D

[Random]

I've seen the occasional picture of a Miata with body-colored headlight surrounds, and it looks very odd. *shrug* :)

[thesameguy]

Somewhere I saw a half-355 kit on a Fiero with a body colored headlight surround and thought it looked pretty good, which is why I started thinking about it. But on a normal ol' Fiero it could look weird, and black will absolutely not look weird. :)

The one I'm thinking of looked like this:

http://cliff.hostkansas.com/images/2011/IMG_0797_%5b640x480%5d.JPG

but IIRC was white or yellow.

[Godson]

the answer is always black.


But my vehicle choice of colors is rather dull honestly....

[George]

I'm changing my vote to chrome-plated! :rawk:

No, actually I just came in here because I just heard "Paint It Black" by the Stones and thought of this thread. Silly, huh?