Random Progress on my beater 82
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Random Progress on my beater 82
I am now sinking more money than I paid for the car into it to get it to reliable driver status. I have ordered a bunch of stuff so far including suspension kit, weatherstripping, aluminum radiator, new water pump, all hoses belts, all four calipers, master cylinder, brake lines, headlight relays, vac canister, actuator seals, new ECM, Hypertech chip....on and on! Also a very gracious member of this forum is sending me some control arms to rebuild as I have a cracked one. Rather than make a bunch of threads, I will post progress with pics everyone loves to see on this one thread.
So far I got the hood off and removed the radiator. Not in that order though because I am stubborn.... I have the water pump off and after scraping off some funk I hit something shiny and I found that I'm not the first one to be in here. This is the matching numbers engine and it runs like it has a mild cam in it, but I was thinking that was the ECM/PROM problem but seeing this timing cover has me wondering.....maybe it was installed just for the new front seal it came with...
Now to scrub, degrease, sand and paint what I can get to and put some new stuff back on.
So far I got the hood off and removed the radiator. Not in that order though because I am stubborn.... I have the water pump off and after scraping off some funk I hit something shiny and I found that I'm not the first one to be in here. This is the matching numbers engine and it runs like it has a mild cam in it, but I was thinking that was the ECM/PROM problem but seeing this timing cover has me wondering.....maybe it was installed just for the new front seal it came with...
Now to scrub, degrease, sand and paint what I can get to and put some new stuff back on.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Got the new water pump installed and changed the thermostat housing. It was pretty nasty looking. I did have to remove the engine hook from the intake as the angle was a bit steeper, but looks like it should work. Hit some of the bare metal with rustoleum, not show quality, but should hold up OK. Also recieved my new all aluminum radiator from Amazon.com. 146 bucks shipped. Its a three row to boot. I will monitor the temps with it closely and hope it does the job. Cant be worse than my factory clogged one with holes in it. I think it looks pretty good actually.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
"Hey whats that glowing in the garage?"
"hmmm....Thats my 35 dollar LED work light...Still magnetized at the bottom inside the now assembled passenger door"
You couldn't pay me 35 dollars right now to take it apart again. Maybe in a few weeks when my hand scars heal I will get it back out. On the bright side, lol, my window goes up and down great and I have matching door locks!
"hmmm....Thats my 35 dollar LED work light...Still magnetized at the bottom inside the now assembled passenger door"
You couldn't pay me 35 dollars right now to take it apart again. Maybe in a few weeks when my hand scars heal I will get it back out. On the bright side, lol, my window goes up and down great and I have matching door locks!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Yes. whoever designed these door handles was called some bad names yesterday....
More progress... got out my cracked lower control arm. That explains the spring spacers on that side. They were trying to compensate for the sagging control arm. That thing was on borrowed time!
More progress... got out my cracked lower control arm. That explains the spring spacers on that side. They were trying to compensate for the sagging control arm. That thing was on borrowed time!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Got new shocks in the mail today and my Hypertech streetrunner chip. Installed it in my new/reman ECM. I dont have a chip holder, but installed it according to pictures I found showing the notch in the chip goes towards the screw hole. Also the number one pin is marked on the board and the notch on a chip should always go this way, also the chip socket has a notch on it. As long as standard electronics practices were followed when designing these, it shouldn't fry. I would be Lying if I didn't admit to being nervous though.......
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Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Thanks for the good advice. I work in avionics and have been through a nasa level 2m micro/microminiature soldering and board repair course. We had to install a lot of dip chips. They still give me some pucker factor though. The quick and dirty way is to use the table to bend all the leads on one side at a time until they line up. Then a gentle push and it goes right in. I just wish the instructions from gm gave me a warmer fuzzy about chip orientation.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Received some of the "new" control arms to refurbish yesterday. I was able to use my air chisel to remove the bushings and a mix of cutoff wheel and drill bits to remove the upper ball joint. I did have to use the cutoff wheel on the bushings sleeves that were stuck on the cross shaft. That was the biggest booger of stripping them down to me.
I found a local powder coating outfit that quoted me 100 bucks for all four conrol arms and both spindles. That includes blasting and coating! I think thats more than reasonable so I will bring them the front springs and any other doodads I can get together and just get it all done.
I found a local powder coating outfit that quoted me 100 bucks for all four conrol arms and both spindles. That includes blasting and coating! I think thats more than reasonable so I will bring them the front springs and any other doodads I can get together and just get it all done.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
One of my helpers wire brushed the cross bars and painted them yesterday along with some of the exposed frame. I got the rear shocks on, and just waiting on the UPS/Fedex/USPS to finish bringing me my parts. Also a shot of my new "that-will-do-for-now" tires. Cheap and better than expired ones and will last until I get new wheels/Tires. They will also make the slot mags a bit easier to sell when I do yank them off.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Yeah, he might be the only 9 year old spending spring break wrenching on a vette. He does have fun. He likes brushing on rustoleum the most. Wont win any beauty contests, but looks perfect to me!
Racer
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
O yes thats a good one!
"Hey whats that glowing in the garage?"
"hmmm....Thats my 35 dollar LED work light...Still magnetized at the bottom inside the now assembled passenger door"
You couldn't pay me 35 dollars right now to take it apart again. Maybe in a few weeks when my hand scars heal I will get it back out. On the bright side, lol, my window goes up and down great and I have matching door locks!
"hmmm....Thats my 35 dollar LED work light...Still magnetized at the bottom inside the now assembled passenger door"
You couldn't pay me 35 dollars right now to take it apart again. Maybe in a few weeks when my hand scars heal I will get it back out. On the bright side, lol, my window goes up and down great and I have matching door locks!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
I have removed the last of the parts im replacing. Its a good feeling to be done removing things. Now im just waiting on my Wilcox order to arrive so I can start installing more things.
Racer
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 354
Likes: 0
I had to change radiators on my.....
SS454rk after cam gear failure getting debris through out the entire engine including the rad. engine oil cooler, the aluminum rad. I used was not only very light turned out to be very efficent the trk used to run at or around 195 now w/ the aluminum unit at or around 180. And every 10lbs off is equal to about 1 or so hp and off the front better weight distribution to the drives I'm following your post because as soon as this weather breaks I'll be doing some of your things including the body bushings I'm very sure some colorful names will escape when doing that!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
My body bushings at the rear are not in good shape. Its a someday project for me right now. Been reading up on slipping new ones in and will do that before any paint and body happens. I would weigh my old radiator vs new but my old one is full of crud and it wouldn't be accurate, but its easily 1/4 the weight.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,248
Likes: 67
From: Warrington PA
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
that 82 is looking good......I also have to put my chip in, just been putting it off......you are making good progress, not because of you, but because of your 2 helpers, we all know they are really the behind the scenes builders....