Buckeye88

need to organize my mess


I'm not complaining...I love my 85' and knew going in that it would probably be a 60/40 split on repair vs. driving time. For the most part it's been closer to 30/70 (on the road with issues).


2 weeks ago she was towed after a hacked line for a fuel shutoff valve ruptured in a gas station parking lot. It was an easy fix, the tow cost way more than the new steel lines and time to put them in.


Last Sunday morning 7/30 I was driving home and just before I got home the temp spiked and the car started blowing coolant. Once in the garage I could see it was coming from the back and front of the intake manifold. I ordered the gaskets, new water pump, timing chain/gears and exhaust flange gaskets/donuts.


Started tearing sown the motor on Saturday around 11 AM and had it down to the last bolt on the Intake manifold by 5:30ish. Of course this was the bolt that was going to snap off....the rest of the bolts in the entire top end of the motor were no more than snug....this damn thing was really rusted in the block.





passenger side front corner broken intake bolt.


It's currently doused in a mix of ATF and acetone, hopefully it breaks free. I'll be removing the accessories tonight so I can get at the timing chain and install the new water pump.


Question for those in the know: While in disassembly I had gas/gas smell in the vacuum lines running under the plenum. Would this be due to a bad fuel pressure regulator diaphragm? If not, what else could cause it....bad EGR?


Also found another broken ground strap. It looks like it's coming off the firewall somewhere, the top connector is missing. Any idea where it would ground to on the engine?


Hoping to start reassembly tonight (if the damn bolt will break loose). All aluminum parts have been soaking in a dawn/water solution to break down the grease. A good scrub and rinse is all that's left for the plenum, runners and intake manifold.

MikeP84

I would guess that the gas smell is just from the leak. My guess is that it just soaked into the vacuum line. The charcoal canister filters out that gas smell so maybe its time for a new one? not to sure about that tho. Just a thought.

I have an 84 but my ground in that area come from the fuel pump relay bracket to just the top of the intake. I would guess any easy bolt would work, like one of them that holds the base down to the heads.

As for the bolt, that stinks!!!! I read somewhere to be very carful about acetone(I think) near the fiberglass body. Hopefully it will come out but the last thing id try to do is drill it out. Maybe weld a new nut onto it?

Robban_C

I´m doing the exact same work on my 1990 now. Changing the intake manifold gaskets because it leaked oil in the rear end.
Had the intake manifold, runners, plenum, throttle body etc glass beaded (is that the right term?) yesterday and sprayed them with some clear coating/varnish today.

Anyway, that broken screw can be a real pain in the ***. I would try heating the screw with an oxy/acetylen torch until it barely glows slightly. Let it cool COMPLETELY before spraying some WD40 or similar and let it soak for a day or so. Then try to loosen it.
Never try to loosen it while it is still hot from the torch!

Welding a nut on it like Mike says above is also a good idea.

I would chase the threads with a tap to clean them before mounting the intake.
The tip here is to lubricate the tap with ethanol (!) before tapping the threads. Yes, ethanol, like the one you drink at saturday evenings, but concentrated and made undrinkable.
I´m sorry but I can´t translate any better than that but Google Translate suggests "Methylated spirits" which means nothing to me.
Anyway, it keeps the tap from seizing while cleaning up the thread.

MikeP84

Yes glass beaded may be the right term. There are several different types of (bead) blasting out there and the name changes depends on what type of material they use to clean the metal. Heating it also a good idea but be carful! wouldn't want to ignite the oil, crack the head or burn the head gasket. If simple soaking doesn't work and you don't have a welder or oxy torch I would just take the head off and take it to a shop. When I chase threads I usually just use oil and then clean with some brake cleaner but its all the same idea.

Robban_C

Absolutely and that´s why he should heat the screw as much as possible and the head as little as possible.
The other way around is better for loosening the screw but might ruin the head so better be safe than sorry and direct the heat to the screw instead.


Oil is preferred when chasing (or threading) threads in steel/iron but ethanol/alcohol/"Methylated spirits" is preferred when working in aluminium. Oil (except for some oils specially formulated for cutting threads in aluminium) isn´t nearby as efficient in aluminium as that fluid that I can´t translate. The difference is huge!

I´m sorry for the "language barrier" but I guess that I´m better at English than you guys are at Swedish.

Joe C

- I spent some time at Saab back in the 90's working on the JAS-39 Gripen program. I was surprised just how well you folks speak English. in fact, some of you speak it better than some of us (take that Jim Acosta).

BTW, I married a "Sundström" - .

MikeP84

Hmm interesting, learn something every day! Luckily I haven't had to chase any aluminum threads yet but I will have to shortly.


That's alright, your English is better than some Americans! Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?

car addict

Denatured alcohol

Robban_C

Thanks guys! The problem is when we get to some technical terms that I don´t know and Google can´t translate.

Joe, congratulations to your Sundström.

Mike, I live here:
https://www.google.se/maps/place/640+45+Tumbo/@59.0316865,15.5553743,8z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x465e8e852b48657b:0x7bad4979fcc62dcb!8m2!3d59.4335953!4d16.3385793?hl=sv
That is about 77 miles west of the Swedish capitol Stockholm and about 100 miles north of Linköping where Joe probably worked on the JAS-39 Gripen.

Anyway, we are far from the topic now so let´s get back:
car addict has most certainly found the right translation since it says that on the warning labels. You know, those small texts on the cans that no one ever reads. It says "denaturerad alkohol" in Swedish and there´s also some colouring agent and something to make it undrinkable. That´s it and it is very effective when you tap, drill, ream, lathe, mill etc in most aluminium alloys.

Buckeye88

Sorry to keep bumping this thread, but I have a new issue after getting the car put back together. Buttoned her up on Saturday and then went back through and made sure every bolt, electrical connection and vacuum line were up to snuff. We were leaving to meet some friends so I started her up really quickly and she ran awesome...no more coolant out of the exhaust. Other than a exhaust leak out of the passenger side flange it was great. The next morning I started her up and went for a ride, ran great the whole time. Got her back and ran the codes (no check engine light came on) but I had a code 22 - low TPS voltage. I reset it right to .54v and then went to start her up again....cranked until I gave it gas. She started, but blew white smoke out of the exhaust again.


Anyway, played with it for awhile and when nothing worked it set the TPS to .34v. She kicked right over and ran great. WTH?????


Any ideas? Faulty IAC?


I also have a code 34 (MAF Relay?) - I believe that is behind the bread box and in an 85' there is one relay for the MAF and the burnoff module? Could those be related?

MikeP84

Relay is behind bread box near ecm from what I have read. I am not sure but I would guess they are the same. I would replace relay and set back to .54v and see what that is like.

Buckeye88

Thanks Mike, I replaced the relay and cleared the codes. Took it for a short drive, now I have a code 33. Everything I've read on-line makes code 33 sound like a crap shoot to solve.


My vacuum lines are all fine. The MAF, burn off relay (in the 85 it is a one-off expensive part to replace) or could be the harness from the MAF to the ECM? If all of those check out, it could be one of many grounds or the ECM. Mechanical I'm fine, electrical and I'm over my head.


As I was shafted on the FSM I had expected in the mail weeks ago, anyone have any '85 specific tips on code 33?

Joe C

Buckeye88

You are the MAN!!!! Thanks!

MikeP84

Car just has to much power so voltage is high!!! lol

Buckeye88

was able to track down the issue, found a broken wire in the MAF harness. I soldered the wire and used a piece of shrink tubing to insulate it. Drove for an hour and she's a different car. It's what I expected when I bought her in May.

Pulled her back in the garage and pulled the codes......nothing but a 12.

Thanks Mike for for the detail from the FSM, it led me right to the problem.

Spending the the rest of the summer putting miles on her and will attack the dash and suspension over the winter. Cant imagine how she'll feel to drive running well and have new bushings and shocks. Turned her sideways a few times tonight....feels like driving a CORVETTE!!!!

MikeP84

Wish I could take credit for FSM but wasnt me, regardless glad to hear you got if figured out and your enjoying it!