Topics

31

General Buick Tech / Wide band for street use/tuning?

« on: July 24 2013, 11:46:12 AM »

Is a good wideband a valuable tool for tuning a new engine install? Or are they best suited for cars that see mostly track time?

32

IHADAV8 Playground / Holy Shit! Amazing TR vid

« on: July 19 2013, 09:35:56 AM »

I could watch this over and over.

The exhaust sounds off, and it sounds like it has a manual trans.

1987 Buick GNX Top Gear Test Track

33

IHADAV8 Playground / TIG welding?

« on: July 15 2013, 09:59:54 AM »

Is anyone here a seasoned TIG welder?

34

IHADAV8 Playground / Am I wrong?

« on: July 15 2013, 09:53:58 AM »

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/new-headers-install-becoming-a-pita.397486/

My reply towards the bottom.

Cliffs:
Guy buys shitty GN1 headers.
Notices the flanges are horribly warped, generally shitty construction.
People post and post telling him to NOT touch them and return them.
People tell him to get the flanges trued.
He decides to ignore the advice, decides to try to install them anyway.
No amount of tweaking will make these pieces of shit fit, so now he's out $800.

Nothing personal, but it's squarely on him, right?

35

For Sale/Trade/Want To Buy / WTB - Good used 86/87 ECM

« on: July 14 2013, 09:40:43 PM »

I can't get an ALDL signal from the ECM in the 87T, it may be a bad driver in the ECM, and I could use a cheap spare...

Anyone have one?

Cost with shipping to 33559 - thanks!

36

IHADAV8 Playground / NOS4GN Site

« on: July 14 2013, 10:29:34 AM »

Glen has an odd way of running his site. So now he's taking it down on all weekends? It's odd enough that he takes it down during vacation, holidays, etc.
http://www.nos4gn.com/servlet/StoreFront

In order to better serve our customers, we will routinely perform website upgrades on the weekends-Saturday's & Sundays.

Please note that this website may be temporarily down on Saturdays & Sunday's in order to perform these upgrades. 
Our website will be back up on Mondays.

I've never seen someone run a web site with hours like a physical store. 

Meh - of course it's his site - I just find it odd.

37

General Buick Tech / Fiddling with the 87 Turbo T

« on: July 14 2013, 09:24:00 AM »

In  addition to the A/C repair (Which is still working great) I have been fiddling with the T.

I have really neglected this car - and I have been fixing a myriad of basic issues.  Even after all these years of TR ownership, I still learn something new every time I work on them.

In no particular order...

After fixing the A/C - I took it for a few drives. Some all out WOT blasts, as much as I could with the lame transmission. I noticed that whenever I went into boost, the A/C would start coming out of the heater vents. Fine - I have a vacuum issue.
I ended up replacing almost all of the vacuum lines - I had let them go WAY too long. I checked the vacuum line to the vacuum reservoir - it had come off. Cool, I fixed the problem.
After taking it for a test drive, I see I had not fixed the problem, my HVAC panel was still losing vacuum any time I got into boost. I kept blowing out the "S" EGR vacuum line too, and would push some other lines off occasionally.

For shits and giggles I checked the vacuum check valve in between the hard lines and the EGR system. I pulled it out, blew through each end (Calm down, Earl) and noticed I could blow through either direction. One more than the other though. I wasn't sure if this was intended or not. I ordered a new one for $7.49 from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C982H2/ AC/Delco PN# 14047619

I did the same test with the new on, and there was NO airflow allowed in the correct direction, it was working correctly. I installed it yesterday morning. I held the old one up to a light, and noticed I could see light THROUGH the old check valve - I would say it's toast (Pics below)

If you haven't replaced the factory valve, or don't know if has been - CHECK THIS. I'm not running my Scanmaster yet - I hear this causes high BLMs at idle too.

Have you ever had one of those repairs that made a huge, dramatic improvement in something you were working on?

This was one of those times.

After finally getting ALL of the vacuum leaks fixed, and replacing that stupid little fucking valve - it drives like a brand new car. Never before have I had such linear boost on acceleration. A/C keeps blowing out of the top vents under boost. The boost  ramps up so smoothly, but will scream if you put the pedal down. It idles MUCH better. I can honestly say this is the smoothest TR I have ever driven. I wonder if all of the valves are bad in the cars I have owned.

I took 2 random drives  yesterday toying with it. It was wet out, so I took it easy. What a blast to drive now!
I tried to pry the old check valve apart - it was so brittle it broke apart with little convincing. There must have been a backfire or something - a hole was blown clean through the valve diaphragm. Good to know I was pressurizing almost the whole vacuum system for probably YEARS. I need to check all of those items too.


After I fixed the A/C, and when it was running with the fan on high, etc - the alternator started squeaking. I finally figured out the belt was slipping - something I hadn't seen in a TR before. It was a Goodyear Gatorback, about 7 years old. No dry rot, I can still read the print on the belt - but I think it hardened from age and lack of use. It looks a bit glazed, and if you look close at the pics below - in the valley of an outside rib - you can see where it wore the belt down, you can see the underlying belts/cord. I pulled a new Dayco off of the GN motor and installed it - all is well now.



I installed a home-made ground strap:


I repaired the alternator exciter wire, it was damn near severed, very close to where it comes out of the loom on the valve cover.

Replaced the return line above the gas tank, it decided to split a nice leak. I blame ethanol.

Whyhellothar:


There's more, I will update a bit when I get a chance. And yes, I have been wrenching on the GN too.
 

38

Message Board Announcements / SimpleMachines/Board Software update coming today

« on: July 10 2013, 11:47:21 AM »

I will be updating the forum software today - the site may be in maintenance mode for awhile, or however long it takes to upgrade.

I will announce once it's done, and list and fixes/features of the new version.

Thanks
Mark

39

IHADAV8 Playground / Pyro6! How was/is the fireworks biz?

« on: July 10 2013, 09:46:20 AM »

I assume you are running a bit ragged with the 4th - any god work stories from last week?

40

A/C, Heating and Cooling / Office duster/HC152A conversion

« on: July 07 2013, 02:26:41 PM »

The thread gnonyx posted here: http://www.ihadav8.com/forum/index.php?topic=3983 (I will cross post most of this on TBS.com) got me thinking about this conversion, I decided to try it on the 87T. I had rebuilt the A/C 4-5 years ago, but it stopped blowing cold, I still had R12 in the system.

It hadn't worked in ~3 years, but still had a bit of pressure. That's a good sign.

I purchased:
ACDelco 15-50120 Orifice Assembly
ACDelco 15-1681 Accumulator Dryer (This is the correct TR part #, despite what Amazon and RockAuto say)
Four Seasons 26777 Cap & Valve Air Conditioning System Seal Kit
This includes new valve cores for the system, and some spare caps. After much Googling and reading, a large amount of A/C leaks are from these. From the looks of the old ones, they may have been factory. All were replaced.
New Orings (I already have a shit ton of them)
8oz PAG150 oil
1/2 gallon A/C flush
4 cans 10oz office duster, Big Lots, $4 ea (only used 3) (They had R134 there for $6.75/can - with R134 being phased out, I am considering a bit of a stockpile)
New compressor seals - Got the wrong ones, another error from Amazon and Rock. Turned out to be simple orings I already had.

I went all out I guess. I pulled the evaporator out (That's another issue I read about - old evaps that get corroded/clogged, etc, especially pre-cabin air filter cars) and soaked it in a bath of home A/C coil cleaner. I gently brushed it, and cleaned it, used plenty of water. It didn't look TOO bad to begin with, but I swear I can feel more air volume in the cabin.

I did snap the evap cover when I was trying to remove it, this is the first time I have taken one apart. instead of Googling how to remove it, I went all cowboy on it. nothing a little silicone won't fix, and hey - it's gonna be my son's car soon. :p

I was not impressed with the amount of debris behind the wide trim strip and other parts I removed - spent a little while cleaning that up. I scavenged and reformed the black sealing goo and reinstalled it. I think I only stripped two screws - that's a win for me.
I pulled everything out, flushed it all (Except compressor) I pulled the compressor out and drained what oil out of it I could. I put a bit of the new oil in and rotated it a few times (Thanks Charlie!). I think this is the factory compressor, and has never been out of the car. I'm not sure. Either way, it's working. I ended up getting flush all over the left side of the engine - gave me a reason to clean up the motor a bit.

I installed all new orings, new orifice tube (old one pictured below), new accumulator and all new valve cores. Reinstalled it all, then realized I had forgotten to add oil. It was really late, I was beat - but I had to get the system buttoned up so I could put it on vacuum. As fast as I could, I put 2oz in the condenser, and the remaining ~4-5oz in the accumulator.

I put it on a vacuum for ~2 hours while I cleaned up, etc. I then left it for the night.
The next morning, I went and checked, no leaks. For giggles I turned the vacuum pump back on, it may have run for ~2 more hours.

I had a hard time figuring out the correct charge for this freon, I couldn't find a reference to that anywhere.

So, here's what I came up with, am I right?

Factory Charge: 3.25 lbs R12
HC152A molecular weight - 120g/mol
R12 molecular weight - 68g/mol

Corrected - thanks gnonyx!
HC152A molecular weight - 68g/mol
R12 molecular weight - 120g/mol

68/120 = .56

3.25lb * 16oz - 52oz factory R12 fill, or 29.12oz of HC152A/R152 (52oz * .56)

I was using 10oz cans, so - three cans should be a fill? Assuming ~1-2oz loss overall while adding freon.
When I took it for a ride yesterday with ~22.5oz - the center outlet temp got down to 51f. Ambient was ~80f, humidity was ~60%.
Idle, it will get down to ~55f. After reviewing my math above a bit more, I added ~5 more oz this morning.

Also - before I added anything this morning, the resting PSI is 85.5, and yesterday, I couldn't nook up my high side port, an oring popped loose in the connector. Then I realized  this morning I could just remove the R134 fitting, and use my R12 high side hose.

Here's better the running pressures from this morning, AFTER adding a total of ~26.5oz (Estimate)
Low side - 37PSI
High Side 190PSI
Center outlet temp was 54, this is at idle.

I await the lambasting for something incredibly simple that I fucked up.

Some interesting links:
http://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-archive-71/c-charging-easy-cheap-safe-alternative-refrigerant-997918/page4/
http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f135/how-to-r152a-conversion-493953/
http://www.sae.org/events/aars/presentations/2008/manhoekim.pdf

Pics!








Old orifice tube. Doesn't look too bad to me - experts?


Suckin!




The bad part is I found out the driver's side upper control arm bushings are completely shot - it explains the random clunking. I think I will wait for the son to come home on leave - he needs to learn how to rebuild a TR front end. :p

Kinda hard to see in this pic, but they are the worst I have seen. Oddly, the passenger side bushings look tired, but they aren't disintegrated like the driver's side.

41

IHADAV8 Playground / <KanyeWest>Barack Obama doesn't care about black people!</KanyeWest>

« on: January 18 2013, 02:01:01 PM »

How can he continue to ignore Chicago?

Mr. President, please come to Chicago.

In Washington on Wednesday, as you rolled out a slate of gun control measures quickly cobbled together in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, you said, “If there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try.”

If you believe those words, Mr. President, here is a heartfelt suggestion: Come back to your adopted hometown and personally host a summit that grapples seriously with the causes of -- and crafts meaningful solutions to -- gang violence in America’s big cities.

It’s really not much of an exaggeration to say that parts of Chicago resemble a war zone. The numbers are grim. Unofficially, there were 513 homicides in Chicago in 2012, nearly 100 more than New York City, which recorded 414 killings but which has a population three times larger. Chicago’s body count is 200 more than the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan last year. The carnage has continued unabated into the New Year.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/01/18/mr_president_chicagos_gun_victims_need_you_now.html

42

General Buick Tech / Do I have an N/A inner fender in my 87 T?

« on: December 31 2012, 12:10:57 PM »

I was working on the GN< and had the T next to it, hood open. I noticed the inner fenders are different..

87 T passenger side inner fender: (Note the raised mounts in front of MAP)


87 GN passenger side inner fender:


What gives?

43

Transmissions / Teflon required for braided trans lines?

« on: December 31 2012, 12:07:19 PM »

I was reading over "there" about braided trans lines, and some said teflon hose is required.

I bought non-teflon from Summit Racing, they say it's good for trans lines. I did note it's good up to 300 degrees F, that should be fine for a street car, right?

44

IHADAV8 Playground / "Elite" NFL QB's have a discussion on Facebook

« on: October 05 2012, 11:24:25 AM »

Dammit - click this link for full size pic
http://www.ihadav8.com/images/QBConvo.jpg

45

IHADAV8 Playground / Obama Supporter Interviews Herself

« on: September 20 2012, 07:59:48 PM »

 

Obama Supporter Interviews Herself