what did you do to your ride today?

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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

ifixalot wrote:I've heard about the newer wires with soy but way back, years ago,
We had a 73 Camaro which sat for a few weeks as we tried to sell it. Mice ate the plug wires. So, I bought a new set, put them on and they ate those too.
They ate a hole in the hood insulation too. In my 68 Camaro, they ate through the plastic kick panel to get into the car from the vent. Then they climbed up to the headliner and ate a hole in it to get over the visors where they made a nest. I replaced the headliner and sun visors because I could not get that stink out of the car. If I drove the car and as the sun heated the roof, the stink got worse. I bought every odor product out there, I even bought a UV light to locate the exact source of the mouse piss. It took a lot of work and time to finally get the odor gone.
On my house, we have Styrofoam insulation sheets under the plywood siding. They tunneled through the Styrofoam to get into the house in one spot. I filled that spot with Bondo and that is when I started setting traps outside. I've had no mice problems since.
They have really been giving you #ell... The single most affronting thing they've done to me since I last moved was getting into one of my Plymouths (also a '73, BTW) and chewing a hole in the pocket of my favorite!! wool blazer, then crapping all over my front seat (vinyl bench, so it could have been worse)... I'm still mad about that one. Rodent damage is pretty prevalent out here, but moreso in the winter with cars that are driven every few days, since they climb up into the bay at night to get warm after the engine has shut down.

I've found that in our area, traps and poison actually attract them in from the woods (of course, it is bait after all, they think it is food). Earthkind makes a repellent that really works out here. Honestly, I need to buy a few cases of the stuff, it is just pricey.

Dang, we could start a whole new thread just on this -"What did the rodents do to your ride today?" :roll:


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

Found a BRM (Black Rose Metallic) Z-26 at a local yard, and got a bunch of parts for the Zs (both of my '95 Z-26s are BRM). Washed the old '95 Z-26, and replaced the deck-lid that was on loan from the Teal Indy (that car has a replacement deck-lid with a Fiero GT wing spoiler). Then, I started peeling the flat-black Plasti-Dip from the spare white rear bumper-cover the Z was wearing, and will replace it with the salvaged BRM cover. Lastly, I will switch-out the damaged right-side ground effects for the new one, and see if I can replace the quarter-window rubber trim without too much trouble. I wish I had gotten to the yard early enough to snag the front bumper-cover too, but I think the car has been crushed now. :( After that I will turn my attention to the interior -I also grabbed a pristine rear seat-back to replace the fire-damaged one in the car, and I will need to replace the headliner after that, eventually I will replace the torn dash with the near-mint spare I have. Carpet? I'll probably just clean it really well... This poor car has been through so much, but it is still a good car, and worth saving to me. I'm glad I got it back.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

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Got all the body-work pieces installed yesterday, and decided to attack the failing water-pump. Replaced the Duralast that has been in there for the last decade (I think) and put in a Gates. Sadly, the Duralast pump is probably fine -the pulley has a slight wobble to it (I thought it was the pump), and the noise I've been hearing is mostly the A/C compressor -I should have checked it out better. BUT, it is a good thing I got into it, because I found that the tensioner was completely stuck. I couldn't find the near-new spare one I have that came with the new Z's engine, so I tried rebuilding the old one. It was packed with corrosion and dried-out antifreeze (this car suffered severe engine-damage with the previous owner due to coolant loss and overheating). It moves now, but not smoothly (pitting maybe or just a problem with the plastic pivot bushing?). I found another spare tensioner with a chip in the case -it will work fine for now. I really hate the newer-style engine-mounts though, having to dismantle the whole thing just to deal with the belt is idiotic, and I still think the design-team at GM responsible should be forced to work for Ford. :evil: Or should have to change these belts five times per week, if working for Ford doesn't qualify as cruel an unusual punishment...
This is the last remaining exterior damage from the fire.  Even replacing the quarter-window trim will help further.
This is the last remaining exterior damage from the fire. Even replacing the quarter-window trim will help further.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

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Worked on the DOHC V-6 Z-26 today. Bent some 5/8 aluminum tubing to serve as a heater-supply line from the lower intake under the TB to the heater-core, cut the stock heater-hose a little shorter for a good fit. I also replaced the original quick-connect fitting with a flare-type connector, so the aluminum tubing gets a good secure connection. I filled the coolant system with a pro-grade cleaner and two gallons of distilled-water. I will flush it all out and replace it with fresh glycol after I get some run-time on it. Also flushed-out the power-steering pump, it had some contaminates in the discharge port from storage, but it looks good now.

I started building the 3-inch exhaust back from the downpipe, I still have to get over the rear suspension and hang the muffler, but... I stuffed the Flowmaster onto the end of the pipe as far back as I have it built and ran the car, and unless the dual twin-outlet Z-26 tips help quiet it down, this will be too loud with just this muffler. I may consider putting a glass-pack or something in-line to act as a resonator, but I don't know if that will be enough either...

I admit to a little disappointment that so far I can't recognize any trace of the distinctive 60-degree V-6 growl...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

Took a trip out to a junk-yard again. This one had a '96 base in BRM (Black Rose Metallic), like both of my '95 Z-26s. Got a good hood from it, and snagged the alternator-cooling duct assembly -I have one already, or most of one at least, but unless someone has had bad experiences from using them, I will but a duct on the old '95 Z. Also got a washer-bottle neck/cap from a late 90's Regal -I will be using Woody's awesome washer-filler relocation idea with it.

Put some time in on the DOHC V-6 Z today too, not much, but starting to catch-up on little things like putting the brakes back together and (trying) to put the cooling-fan back in (I knew the left sub-frame had to be dropped-out to fit it in through the bottom, but it looks like the starter also interferes...) I will be looking for a simpler alternative, unfortunately.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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woody90gtz
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by woody90gtz »

Fixed the truck for zero dollars. Sweet!

Been low on power lately and just started not starting intermittently. Crank in vain for 10 minutes and then magically start no problem. Did it once a few weeks ago and been fine since. Lent it out to Tiff's family and it got way worse. By last night it was totally done - 15 miles from home at their house. Brought over an old spare dizzy from my 1ton 5spd parts truck and did it in their driveway sweating my ass off, but it fired right up.

It always seems like no good deed goes unpunished.


91 "SS" - WOT 3400/5spd - 13.29@101.6 - World's fastest N/A FWD Beretta
96 "T56" LS/6spd/8.8 RWD swap - 13.45@104.7 lol
GEARHEAD dezign youtube
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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

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I crossed 140k on the old '95 Z yesterday (woo-hoo! :Yahoo!: ). Not really that much -this is about the average mileage for my cars -we have a few in the family with a bit less and a few with a lot more -my 'old '88 Camaro has somewhere around that much (I lost track on the third instrument-cluster swap, but I think I have everything written down somewhere), but the 350 in it has well over 350k... All of our Toyotas are between 220k and 270k...

I replaced the rear seat-back on the old '95 today too -the 'new' one has been sitting in the house waiting for a small four-legger to claw it up, it seemed like a safer idea to get it in the car. Cleaned out a bunch more broken glass from underneath the rear seat bottom too (the poor car has had not just one but two back-glass replacements now), and found nearly a buck in change, two pens, and some dog hair -I never knew a dog spent time in this car before I owned it. %) Now I need to replace the headliner, right quarter-window moulding, dome-light, rear package-tray (rear shelf) and rear speakers, and no one would know the car looked like the one from "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles". Okay, and a little paint too... :D Anyone have some BRM lying around in a can?
Thanks for the laughs John...
Thanks for the laughs John...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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ifixalot
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Location: Deerfield Illinois

Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by ifixalot »

My 96 z26 needs the main parking brake cable changed out. The 88 needs a new PS cooling line installed. I have the parts but
I've been fighting a muti-year battle with gremlins in my mini van which came to a head last week.
Symptoms include SES lights, rough running sometimes, dying after starting, idle speeding up and slowing down at random.
Slight chugging while cruising at 60 mph. And lastly, dying while driving at 60 mph and suddenly coming back to life only to die again.
I made it back home. Finally, after replacing every sensor over the past few weeks, checking wires, double checking timing multiple
times over the years, I figured the only thing left is the ECM. I had bought a spare off Ebay some time ago. It was cheap insurance I thought.
So I changed that out this week. While doing that, I see this little white box just below the ECM. It has connectors on it so I look and I see
one connector just doesn't look right. I cleaned up the contacts and swapped the ECM. I made several trips of various lengths and the van
has performed flawlessly. So I guess I killed that gremlin. I just don't know what the white box and the circuit inside do. Was it that, or the ECM.
I'm not changing the ECM back just to find out. I got some service manuals coming that I got cheap off Ebay and then I'll find out if that white box had anything to do with the troubles with the van.
This week I plan to get the Beretta work done that I started.
UPDATE: It wasn't the ECM, turned out to be a little capacitor/condenser in the distributor. Disconnected that and she runs great.
Last edited by ifixalot on Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:40 am, edited 2 times in total.


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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

Not Beretta work, but... Went over to a friend's house to help him build an exhaust for his old truck. Decided to drive the '89 RS Camaro... Maybe not a great idea. Turns out the tire that had a slow leak got a fast leak shortly after I aired it up -the valve-stem appears to be dry-rotting. So I swapped-on a pair of Firebird wheels I have sitting around (leaky was on the rear -my '89 has a relatively rare 'Australian' Borg-Warner 9-bolt limited-slip disc brake rear-end, so the rear tires must be the same size or it can be damaged. Relatively rare is, yeah, relative -I now have three 3rd-Gen F-Body cars with that axle, plus a spare... %) ). The car has been sitting for a while -the ICM inside the distributor failed last Spring, and I've never gotten around to test-driving the car much after repairing it -I've been taking the '88 convertible out instead when I've been in a Camaro mood. :D I have forgotten how irritatingly the car vibrates at highway speeds -I am almost certain the driveshaft is out-of-balance or bent somehow. It has been that way since I've had the car. It will go on my list to replace soon because other than that, the car is a blast to drive -it has a Police Special 5.7, large-tube Hedman headers, Flowmaster exhaust, tubular torsion-bar, and a five-speed conversion, and goes sideways on request (even in second gear, I noticed again today).


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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GT_Indy
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by GT_Indy »

I took my subs and amplifier out of my 96 Beretta and installed a dual 12 volt plug in the trunk to power an electric cooler and stuff for my long trip and relocation. (Some groceries will require traveling 300 miles one way every few weeks), small town.
Did a once over on my 96 to make it ready for a 2500 mile journey.

I'll probably go from 132k to 300k miles on this car over a 2-3 year period. lol.


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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

Put a new shift-knob in the '95 DOHC Z. Went with a heavy stainless ball with a "Neo Chrome" finish. Kind of looks like the prismatic haze of oil on water... Nice feel, glad I could find the stainless variant instead of lightweight aluminum. Threaded right on, since I am using a Grand Am shifter in this car -16mm threaded shaft looks much nicer than the stamped Beretta shifter...


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
EPfiffner
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by EPfiffner »

Oil change, tire rotation. Adjusted rear brakes.

Fighting a high idle so I did a once-over for vacuum leaks. Pulled the IAC and cleaned it even though it looked ok. Did the mysterious "idle relearn" and she was idling at around 650 in gear, much better. We will see if it creeps back up.

Also installed my RK Sport front motor mount insert which required some fabricating, I'll put some pics in my members rides thread.


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Rettax3
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Rettax3 »

On the way home today, I noticed the idle was running pretty high. When I pulled over and popped the hood, I found the rubber fitting connecting the rigid plastic line from the intake to the EVAP Purge solenoid under the coil-pack at the back of the engine had crumbled, leaving a vacuum leak. But I also noted a strong smell of raw fuel... Apparently the O-ring on the fuel-supply line into the fuel rail had deteriorated and cracked -there was a pretty big puddle near the base of the #5 injector from it. So I took some time to pull of the upper manifold and replaced the O-ring. I had forgotten that the last time I had pulled the upper manifold, I had to silicone it back down (no gaskets on-hand for the 3400 intake -still had that same problem... :pardon: ) At least now I used Ultra Grey, instead of Ultra Blue, although that blue had been on there for years now without any problems, and even peeled off easily for me.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
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ifixalot
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Location: Deerfield Illinois

Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by ifixalot »

I'm replacing the front parking brake cable. Raybestos BC94603 I got it from Rock auto.
The damn thing is too long. I don't have enough adjustment to tighten it up.
I guess I have to pull it back out and see if I can mod an end to make it shorter.
I bought way back in July so I can't return it but it Raybestos says it's right for my car.
Go figure.


Dorus
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Re: what did you do to your ride today?

Post by Dorus »

I washed my car today :D


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