When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
that's the kind of stuff I do on my car. mundane stiff, but it'll maintain your car. check the under carriage and touch up the tar under coating (even more mundane)
Finally got around to "passing" smog today and compared to last time, this was a cake walk.
First off, I don't normally run with any smog equipment, but when I redid my exhaust recently I also built a cat section that could installed when needed (yes, as seen in the photo the cat was welded upside down; oh well, it still works). The cat was the first piece to go in, and afterwards I was seriously concerned about passing given the smell was far worse than before (horrendous sulfur smell). Headed over to the testing station and racked up a whopping 2210 ppm on HC which, while it isn't the worst this car has seen, is far above our Oregon limit of 220.
When I got home I noticed the cat was running pretty cold, and unfortunately that only meant one thing: the air pump had to go back on. So a couple days later and I found all the parts to get things reinstalled. Due to my intake mods all vacuum control passaged for the ACV were blocked off. Here's the solution (keep in mind it's only used for smog testing):
Yeah, just wedge the valves in the correct position with a nut, not big deal... So anyway, got everything installed and here we are:
And of course the wideband wasn't doing anything useful anymore (don't mind the pollen/dust, also that's a "temporary" install location):
However now the cat was happy, and thankfully all smells had completely disappeared. Back to the testing station we go for round two and...
By golly who said a rotary couldn't be clean? I was genuinely surprised by the numbers, as last time I passed - with a stock engine mind you - at 219 out of 220 ppm; but 33...? Criminy. Anyway, after celebrating I promptly removed all the extraneous equipment once again, which brings me to the second thing I worked on today...
...my header exhaust leak:
Turns out the old RB header that was sitting in the trunk when I bought the car is too warped and pitted. I've finished for the day, but the going sure is slow with my best available tool being a small belt sander. I'm making progress though, and I'm certainly excited to not hear ticking sounds every time I pull up next to something. Also note that some of the other black marks are paint from the header, not leaks.
And as a side note, Rustoleum High Temp Grill Paint works wonders on exhausts. It isn't very tough, but it doesn't flake or peel up from heat in the slightest (for street cars at least). I use it on all mild steel exhaust parts (including the header) and the only time it gets damaged is if the part gets scuffed accidently. The stuff dries fast and keeps rust away nicely, and it's also quite cheap compared to other purpose made solutions.
Put my 84 tab on my vintage plate. I had to register it with 85 on there, but since my car was build 11/84 and the plate already has a November month tag, I couldn't resist breaking the rules and sticking a 84 tab on. The registration doesn't specify anything about the year tab (annually-paid registration has the sticker id printed on it but not vintage plate reg) so I think this is some disobedience that I'll get away with.
Replaced my twenty-five year old Infinity speakers and 8" JBL sub-woofer in my GSL-SE with new Rockford Fosgate speakers front and rear, and a new 8" Kicker sub-woofer. I'm very satisfied! with the results Rear Speakers New Sub-woofer New Front Speakers
Replaced my twenty-five year old Infinity speakers and 8" JBL sub-woofer in my GSL-SE with new Rockford Fosgate speakers front and rear, and a new 8" Kicker sub-woofer. I'm very satisfied! with the results Rear Speakers New Sub-woofer New Front Speakers
Nice!
I plan on doing some upgrading on my '79 when it goes back together. It never even *had* rear speakers. The embossed area is there, but the hole was never cut by the factory (r previous owners.) '79s don't have cargo bins (or rear seats) because of a federally mandated chassis brace that turned out to be unnecessary, so there is just a flat panel back there that a previous owner put 6x9s in, and I upgraded to 8" coaxials that I found long ago. I once mocked up a complete replacement for that panel that would be a sub and amp cabinet, but subwoofers have gotten so much better since then that I can get just as much bass with a smaller cabinet set-up like yours. I just need to get the cargo bins from an FB and install them first. Looking forward to it. I do have 6-1/2" speakers in my front doors already - I need new door panels, so not sure those will stay, but probably.
Just bought an 80 spent the last day detailing her. And a few hours cursing at the 79 because the brakes locked up in storage and I can't move her into the garage so I can't put the 80 in the garage either tomorrow is a new sets of car Dolly's and they both go in the damn shop. Probably with a lot more screaming at the 79. I swear the car hates me. But pricing a rebuild kit for the 79 and praying I don't need a second one for the 80, i will know next weekend. That was my evening, before hopping on here and diving into the forums.
Put in Energy Suspension black poly tension rod bushings replacing the old factory rubber donuts. Did a ****-ton of measuring (and re-measuring) the nut locations and protrusion of the threaded ends prior to disassembly. I was worried about screwing up the toe in if the poly bushes were much thicker.
The FSM spec is 10.75 +/- 1mm of thread exposed on the rod end. Both sides were over that at ~13+ mm to begin with (more caster, wee bit of toe in?) The FSM also says to torque the inside nut to 80-100 ft-lbs after setting the outside nut's thread position. Not having a tool to torque the inside nut from the side, I started out by leaving the inside nut in place and torqued the outside nut as you normally do. At 90 ft-lbs the exposed threads matched the measurements from before disassembly.
So although the poly bushes are thicker when uncompressed, when fully torqued down they match the "stack thickness" of the old set, presumably installed at the factory. The car tracks really nicely with no pulls or drift at high speed, so I think I did ok on the geometry.
It has a bit more feedback from the road surface to the steering wheel and feels nice. This in combination with a recent steering box adjustment has really made a difference, such a blast tossing it around.
Well I came across a post talking about how the double screw mechanism in the sun roof **** had a press fit insert holding it together. So I tore that whole thing apart. Found out you need to put the smaller diameter plastic screw onto the "gear" and then put the insert on the screw and re insert it with gentle blows. Then the larger plastic screw and the washer and screw it back into the insert you just put back and then reinstall. You do need to take off the actual plate that the sunroof locks onto. Aside from that new ignition in the 79. And moving the parts car and beginning the stripping process. All while fighting with my father about why I'm not taking on the 79 limited as a project car. He almost had me on that one.
Took me around 1hr and 30 minutes, is a little time consuming, but doing it myself saved me $180 bucks, the end stitching could have being better but oh well I dont do that for a living. I thought you stitch through the material but you dont, you weave on the finishing stitches done already by the vendor.
Took me around 1hr and 30 minutes, is a little time consuming, but doing it myself saved me $180 bucks, the end stitching could have being better but oh well I dont do that for a living. I thought you stitch through the material but you dont, you weave on the finishing stitches done already by the vendor.
Looks awesome Manny!!! Im so jeaulus of how nice that car turned out!! I am very happy it has such a good home now. If you want to buy another one..... I can hook you up again!!! lol
Hooked up the vacuum advance to my intake. Seems to run smoother under some conditions? IDK, it definitely doesn't run worse so I'll leave it there for now. Used the blue silicone vacuum lines, so at least it looks cool.
I drove my car to work as normal... but it was HOT, and the ac wasn't blowing. So I put a new compressor in now its cold and I'm happy I can drive to work tomorrow with A/C.
I drove my car to work as normal... but it was HOT, and the ac wasn't blowing. So I put a new compressor in now its cold and I'm happy I can drive to work tomorrow with A/C.
Looks like another fan of the R152A DusterSpray. Nice work James.
Looks like another fan of the R152A DusterSpray. Nice work James.
Yup, been doing the propane cooling system a while. I've had my suspicions that the old compressor was on the way out, but I don't have an R12 manifold gauge so I can't test high side pressure.
Yup, been doing the propane cooling system a while. I've had my suspicions that the old compressor was on the way out, but I don't have an R12 manifold gauge so I can't test high side pressure.
Propane, say it ain't so. That stuffs dangerous, R152a is barely flammable.
now its cold and I'm happy I can drive to work tomorrow with A/C. 
