I have a 1979 L82, until last week it has not been driven since 03. It has sat in a climate-controlled garage though since 03. I have rebuilt the carburetor and replaced the rear brakes. I have also changed out all the fluid in the vehicle except the rear diff fluid which I plan to do soon. Anyways the issues I'm having are that the rear wheel bearings are scratching with every rotation and it is quite loud at this point so I have not driven it for fear that it will build heat and break. When I did move it from the previous owners to my house it had a very bouncy ride quality at under 2500 RPMs but I think it is due to the bearings. The headlights are also slow to come up and come up unevenly so I think there is a vacuum leak in the system. It also shoots out a very thin white smoke from the exhaust and the same colored smoke is coming from the right side of the engine bay down by the exhaust manifold. The engine bay is rather dirty and I think over time oil has dripped down so I think it might just be burning off old oil that was dripped on it. I'm also not sure which of the gadgets are working properly or not and I have no idea how I would fix them. The transmission fluid leaks slowly but I'm pretty sure the pan gasket just needs to be replaced. If possible I would like some suggestions for things that I should take a look at. I am also looking to do as much of the repairs as possible myself but if a repair requires an expensive specific tool ill have to take it to a shop. I'll also post a bunch of pictures of something if it could help with the diagnoses of the problems.

Thank you,

 

Let's break this down a little better;

1) The rear wheel bearings are scratching with every rotation and it is quite loud at this point so I have not driven it for fear that it will build heat and break.
2) When I did move it from the previous owners to my house it had a very bouncy ride quality at under 2500 RPMs but I think it is due to the bearings.
3) The headlights are also slow to come up and come up unevenly so I think there is a vacuum leak in the system.
4) It also shoots out a very thin white smoke from the exhaust and the same colored smoke is coming from the right side of the engine bay down by the exhaust manifold.
5) The engine bay is rather dirty and I think over time oil has dripped down so I think it might just be burning off old oil that was dripped on it.
6) I'm also not sure which of the gadgets are working properly or not and I have no idea how I would fix them.
7) The transmission fluid leaks slowly but I'm pretty sure the pan gasket just needs to be replaced.

1) Sounds like the brake or parking brake making noise.
2) A very bouncy ride is not caused by bearings, maybe shocks or bad tires.
3) Replace any leaking vacuum lines.
4) Need to put some miles on the car and monitor
5) Maybe leaking valve cover gasket
6) Define gadgets????
7) Replace pan gasket.

 

Sounds like your off to a great start. I think you’ll likely find all your answers for your issues you mentioned here in the related posts on the forum, There is great info shared by all.

I will add, I hope you invested in Bitcoin five years ago so you now have the resources to fund the C3 money pit. That’s what’s keeping me going to buy my junk,,, Ya need to get some miles on it to get some issues to go away, and others will definitely show up.

 

I'm sorry I meant gauges, not gadgets. mainly the fuel gauge it bounces all over the place.

the tires are probably 20 years or older but they don't have any signs of cracking but I do plan to replace them here soon

I did just replace the valve cover gasket and the smoke seems to be coming from further down.

something else I forgot to mention was the when I jacked up the back right side there was a very small amount of play in the tires which is what made me think bearings

 

Do not drive that car with 20 year old tires, your running on may pops. Hard to say what a little play means, is this holding the side of the tire or the top and bottom? If I was concerned about bearings because my car was "very" bouncy I would expect to have lots of play vice a little.

Need further troubleshooting on the fuel gauge (do a search) may be the tank sending unit.

Need to pinpoint the white smoke below the valve cover location, could be oil on exhaust manifold or pipe or exhaust leak.

Oh and we like pictures, post some up of your trouble areas.

 

These are some photos. I have some videos with the sound coming from the backside and a sound coming from the engine but I'm not sure how or if I can upload videos.

 

links to the videos showing the noise coming from the engine and rear wheel.

 

I'll throw a dart at the squeaking as the brakes,,, shot pads or parkbreak parts fallen off into the drum,, have you pulled a wheel yet???

 

and put some 15x50 wally world mobil 1 full synthetic with zinc in it as motor sounds like mine and drive it after repairs..

brakes sounded like mine here..
Rear brake scraping binding help 79 L82 please - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

nice looking original car..!! i have same exact but manual..check out my learnings when bored on my profile and posts..

 

@interpon I just did an oil change but I used STP High mileage 10w-30 motor oil because it what I read someone else used.

 

The white smoke, (or steam - as it may be), may be from a corroded head gasket leaking into the cylinder and out the tailpipe, and from between the head and block. Do a pressure test if all else fails.

 

Prioritize your list and avoid chasing everything at once. Something like this:

1. Safety - frame, birdcage, brakes, tires, steering, wheels, springs, shocks, bearings, hubs, electrical system, lights
2. Drivetrain Integrity - oil leaks, coolant leaks, fuel leaks, exhaust leaks, PS leaks
3. Fuel System - tank, pump, lines, vapor recovery, hoses, carburetor
4. Cooling System - radiator, hoses, overflow tank, heater
5. Exhaust System - manifolds, pipes, mufflers, cats, hangers, tips
6. Drivetrain Performance - engine, transmission, differential, driveshaft, half-shafts, u-joints
7. Driver Comfort - seats, pedals, steering wheel, shifter
8. Vehicle Appearance - body, paint, trim, interior

You don’t need to replace everything, just inspect it and prioritize your list of repairs and actions to make the car safe before you start driving it around. Good luck and welcome to the “damn something broke but I love this car club”!

 

79 L-82 4 speed 15 year owner here. Your wheel bearing noise might be the caliper moving back and forth on the rotor as the wheel spins. Mine has made that noise, and taking the caliper mounting pins out and greasing them fixed it. You might try that first, as that's really easy an cheap. My fuel gauge also bounces, but only about a quarter tank, not past full as yours is showing. I haven't gotten to the bottom of that yet. As others have said, the smoke sounds like it needs further investigation to see if you're leaking oil, or whether the head gasket is bad/cracked head, etc. Keep us updated and we'll see what we can do to help out. Oh, and REPLACE THOSE TIRES, yesterday!!!!

 

YEP! I see that spring gone arye , 👀 ,
Mine sounded like that, then a spring fell out. No more squealing,,😂

Also 💯%agree,, dont roll another mile on those tires, check out posted pics on how they take out quarter panels and fenders when they fail,,, thats 1/2 your bad ride,, tires are square, not round anymore,,🤣😂

 

What tools would I need to fix the parking brake besides wrenches and sockets? Like how should I remove the rivets on the hub?

 

read the link on mine.. i put it in the reply above..including removing rivets.. read the many other threads on your issue(s) after you plan your fixes and or inspections..
also willcoxcorvette.com search there for articles..
example below your fuel gauge

You searched for fuel gauge | Willcox Corvette, Inc.

 

@interpon ahhhhh is see so you have to drill the tops of the rivets out. Do you have to do anything with the ends of the rivets or does it matter if they stay in.

 

toss them..don't need.

before you remove NOTE how it cam off in case of any run out issues..put back on same way.. i use a punch and put a couple dots to align

 

Usually if a fuel gauge is pegged on full it is a bad ground

 

I was able to drill off all of the rivet heads.