As documented here, http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-lt1-acts.html , I took the car to the track for the first time last Friday.

It's basically stock, from what I can tell, with the suspected exceptions (know the T-stat and mufflers aren't, but that's all). If the odometer and seller can be trusted, it has about 157k miles on it (seller said it had previously-repaired front damage, PCM has a "Rebuilt by General Motors" decal on it).

Saturday afternoon I was running some errands, probably drove about 15 miles total in-town, stopped at a couple of stores, typical stop & go surface street traffic. Went back home, then was going to the parts store for some parts for the '57. I started the engine, put it in reverse, and heard a snapping/cracking sound. I had the radio on, so I put it in park, turned off the radio, and put it in reverse again. No noise. I started to back up, and it took some throttle to move. That didn't seem right, so I stopped, put it in OD, and had to give it a little throttle to get it to move (normally, it'll move without throttle at this spot in the garage). There was a bit of a dragging-brake chatter sound, not sure where exactly it was coming from, but knew something wasn't right. Got it back to it's parked spot (probably only moved it 2 feet, if that much), put it in park, turned it off, and haven't done anything since (was concentrating on racing the '57).

Hope to look at it tonight, but figured you C4 gurus would know right where to look.

 

my quess is the rear but hard to tell unless more is knowned

 

Pretty sure it's rear, not front (the back end picked up as I gave it gas in reverse), but I doubt it's the diff.

 

Okay, I've got one busy guardian angel.

Checked the rear this evening, didn't find anything of note.

Started to jack up the front end, and the right front tire pivoted. After I got it on the jack stands and the front tire off, I found this on the floor.




And a lonely stud.




Like I said, I didn't move the car very far.




I checked the threads, no problems. Cleaned things up, looked up the torque value in the FSM, torqued it down, but couldn't get the cotter pin to go in. Took the nut back off, poked around some more, got a small drift, and drove these out of the hole.




How or why there were three pieces in there, I have no idea.

And, I'm 99% sure I had looked at that ball joint nut in all the time I've had the hood up and looking things over, and would have seen a missing cotter pin.

And to think, the night before I was over 90 MPH 7 times.

The end of the grease fitting got busted off. I didn't try to replace it tonight. All new ball joints in the near future, I think. And, while we're at it, new shocks and bushings. Justifiable with 157k miles, I think.

 

WOW man...wow. You are one lucky dude. I am very happy for you, that things went down THIS way...and not some other. Whew!!


Just an FYI for you, odometer info is stored in the CCM (Aka BCM)....so if that hasn't been messed with, pretty likely that your 157k reading is accurate.

 

Actually, it read 123,9xx when I got it. The seller said 156k in the listing. It had a "rebuilt" title from a front end accident; most states would call that "salvage", but apparently in Arkansas there is a distinction between "rebuilt" and "salvage". Carfax couldn't find any records on the VIN. I'd believe either 124k or 156k, though. The seller also stated the "front end" had been rebuilt. Some of the front panels appear to be repainted used parts, and the right upper A-arm has more shims behind it than I'd expect to see (several more than the left side has).

I certainly agree with you about it coming down this way and not like it could have. I don't think the ball joint would have come all the way out of the spindle, but it certainly would not have steered or braked well. And I had just gotten those front saw blades mounted last Thursday (it had rears all the way around when I got it).

I really don't know about its maintenance or repair history, but I'm guessing things were removed in the rebuild process, and this ball joint was not properly torqued. The three pieces of cotter pin indicate multiple pin installations, and being too small. It's got the largest cotter pin that will fit through the hole in it now.

I don't think the spindle was damaged, as it gripped the ball joint stud just fine when I retorqued it (both times). I'll recheck it when I replace the ball joints.

 

Crazy, go buy a lotto ticket!

 

If it were me, it would be very, very near future. Do the threads on the stud & nut look ok?

That's very odd that it snapped the cotter pin off, and the nut backed off. Wonder if it had been "worked on" by the previous owner and not re-assembled correctly.(?).

 

I've never understood that. Doesn't it look like I've used up my allotment of "luck"?

 

Looking at replacement options now.

They looked fine. Cleaned up fine. Torqued up fine.

It's possible I only looked for the nut and didn't actually see the cotter pin. But, I think I would have noticed.

The pieces that came out of the cotter pin hole are very small, so it's possible the cotter pin that was in there was too small for the task.

That's my conclusion. Maybe not the one I purchased it from (she had it about a year, according to the title), but perhaps her "mechanic", or the PO before her.

I didn't get a pic of the baling wire holding the exhaust up before I got it fixed...

 

LOL! Come on, people!

 

Ever hear of a lucky streak?

 

I could add the story about the patch of oil I hit on the track Sunday at about the 1200' mark.

Something tells me guardian angels don't go with lottery tickets.

 

Sounds like your due then!

 

Saturday, Close call #1: Ball joint nut falls off
Sunday, Close call #2: Hit oil on the track at 100+ mph

So, the next one, I'm due...

 

 

Third time's a charm...