What a week so far...

[blindeyed]

So yeah.. last week, worst I've had in a while. Started off with me simply installing a new 180* stat. That's when it went downhill. 1st, my water pump started leaking. So, I decided to just go ahead and replace the whole thing. Cars at 120k miles, so why not? So I got the old one out and the new one in, worked like a charm. Then I had some hoses start leaking where the metal band goes on the end. So, took out the bands, replaced them, tightened everything down, viola.. no more leak. Well after all that was said and done, the car started misfiring, and bad. I couldn't understand it. So I swapped out the coil packs with my spares I had off my other engine I have, and bought some stock ACDelco spark plugs and stock replacement wires and went at it. Now, it runs... I'm just waiting for the next thing to break on me. And never again will I use those NGK Iridium spark plugs. I only had those in for 20k miles and yet one of the tips was completely erroded. Had nothing left on it. What's tripped me out the most about this, is the problems happened back to back. One after another. I'm just like wtf??

[1986Z28]

you break a mirror or something

[Nate355RS]

I feel your pain. When I got my car it was first a tranny leak, fixed it. Then exaust leak, fixed it. Then a rocker arm came loose, fixed it. Then my passenger side window motor crapped out, working on it. Then the hack job alarm that came with the car decided that I don't need a working ignition so since yesterday I've been starting my car by turning the key on, popping the hood, and jumping the starter silonode with a wrench. It should be fun fixing that one. It's was pretty much as soon I got finished with one thing another popped up, but on the bright side most of that stuff is going to hold up for a while, if not I'll just fix it again.

EDIT: Forgot about a broken shock mount and inaccurate tach, but I don't take corners too hard and I have an automatic so they're no biggie.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by Nate355RS

I feel your pain. When I got my car it was first a tranny leak, fixed it. Then exaust leak, fixed it. Then a rocker arm came loose, fixed it. Then my passenger side window motor crapped out, working on it. Then the hack job alarm that came with the car decided that I don't need a working ignition so since yesterday I've been starting my car by turning the key on, popping the hood, and jumping the starter silonode with a wrench. It should be fun fixing that one. It's was pretty much as soon I got finished with one thing another popped up, but on the bright side most of that stuff is going to hold up for a while, if not I'll just fix it again.

EDIT: Forgot about a broken shock mount and inaccurate tach, but I don't take corners too hard and I have an automatic so they're no biggie.

Damn, and here I thought I was having it bad. I don't I could have the patience to deal with that stuff.

On a side note.. has anyone ever lost their locking lug nut key? I need to change my brakes badly.. but can't seem to find the friggin thing.

[skibum1111]

I have lost several of those. If it's the factory type (round with lines in it) find another key and beat it on with a hammer. They turn right off, then put the key in a vise and punch out the lug nut. If they are the thread on key type use a grinder to put a flat spot in it (if you can get at it) and turn it with a pipe wrench. If that won't work, you're gonna be drilling for a while.

[Rally Sport]

Id head out to a rim shop, usually they'll sell you a lock for 10 dollars.. thats what I had to do because I lost the lugnut key for my Monte's rims.

[Nate355RS]

Originally Posted by blindxeyed

Damn, and here I thought I was having it bad. I don't I could have the patience to deal with that stuff.

Ah, it's not so bad, all that stuff happened over the course of about 3 weeks. I actually like it cause it helps me wind down after school and work and just take it easy fixing some stuff. And it's a really good feeling right after you fix something on your car that was not working before. The exaust leak was the hardest but it's sealed up good now, and I think I'm going to just pay someone to fix the window motor, don't think I have the right tools for that and I don't like puzzles where you can't see the pieces. Oh yea, a few beers always help with any frustrations.

[blindeyed]

Yeah my lugs came with the rims when I bought them on ebay. Not sure what kind of locking lugs they are, but they are identical to these:

http://www.westcoastcorvette.com/ima...ts/lugnuts.jpg

I'm guessing those are stock Corvette lockers?

Originally Posted by Nate355RS

I think I'm going to just pay someone to fix the window motor, don't think I have the right tools for that and I don't like puzzles where you can't see the pieces.

Oh c'mon man, if you can do all that other stuff mentioned then you can surely swap out the window motor. All you really need is a drill and some basic tools. Took me about 45 minutes the first time I did it on mine. I'm sure Rally can give ya some good pointers with doing it on a third gen.

[Nate355RS]

Yea, I think you talked me into it. I was contemplating going ahead and doing it myself, I just need to get in there and figure out how it all works. If worst comes to worst and I can't quite finish it up, one of my family's life long friends owns a shop and he'll do it for next to nothing and show me how.

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by blindxeyed

Now, it runs... I'm just waiting for the next thing to break on me.

I spoke too soon... now the starter went out. I was pissed and was being sarcastic with my dad on saying that I should just trade it in for another car with lower miles. That's when he said by the time I'm done fixing all these problems I keep having, I'll practically have a brand new car. That helped alleviate the mood a little since it did make sense.

Any tips you guys can give on changing a starter? I'm pretty sure it's the same concept as changing one on a V8. I'm 99.99% sure its the problem, because when I went to start my car it did nothing. No sound at all, just nothing. So I got a hammer, banged it on the starter a few times, and it fired up np. Before that it did seem like it was having trouble starting a few times.

[wrightz28]

this is on your 3.4 'bird right?

If so, the crossover is a unrelentive poo head. My neighbor was trying to swap his kids starter, didn't feel like going out there 'cause it was cold. After seeing him out there for a few hours (and consumed a few brews) I figured I 'd better see what the hold up is before he dies of pneumonia.

Long story short, he was trying to drop the exhaust from the front, broke half the damn bolts. I've dealt with the same issue in the v8 3rd gens and knew better to pry the pipe down a little while another set of hands jambs the starter in place Just don't go too nuts on it

[blindeyed]

Originally Posted by wrightz28

this is on your 3.4 'bird right?

If so, the crossover is a unrelentive poo head. My neighbor was trying to swap his kids starter, didn't feel like going out there 'cause it was cold. After seeing him out there for a few hours (and consumed a few brews) I figured I 'd better see what the hold up is before he dies of pneumonia.

Long story short, he was trying to drop the exhaust from the front, broke half the damn bolts. I've dealt with the same issue in the v8 3rd gens and knew better to pry the pipe down a little while another set of hands jambs the starter in place Just don't go too nuts on it

Yeah, it's my 3.4. In fact, I just finished doing it last night.. might I say, some absolute BS! I had to take off my entire passenger side header just to get the frigger out. Which, just to get that off, I had to take off my whole accessory bracket, my altenator, my compressor, and part of my coolant line (to get to a bolt holding the accessory plate on).

After getting all that crap off I got the old one out with no problem. I got the new one in, and went to tighten the positive terminal on it, and that pos screw coming out of it broke it half. I was barely even turning the wrench, and I felt no resistence so i just kept turning waiting for it to tighten up, then all of a sudden it just broke off. So I went back to Advance Discount, and of course they didnt have any more starters I could exchange it with, so i had to drive 10 more miles away to their larger store with the wharehouse, waited 30 minutes in line and finally got it. Went home, got it all put together, worked great.

Now, I just got home from school and my altenator feels like pissing me off. On the way home, it decided to stop working. My radio was flashing off and on, and I barely got up our driveway (tranny got stuck in 2nd gear, go figure, electronic). So now my battery is dead, and I cant get to work. I'm gonna wait for it to cool down and check to make sure I have the terminals tightend down on it first, which I'm pretty sure I do. Both the altenator and battery are about 2 years old, so I dont see either of them already going out on me. I swear, I'm getting to the point to where I'm about to just trade this damned thing in. If it's not one thing then it's another, and once I fix that damned thing I've got another to fix right after it. It's BS, I dont any kind of time interval between all this shit breaking down, it's all just back to back.

[wrightz28]

Meh screw all that removing junk, a little brute force with a pinch of I don't give a flyin rat, gits-'er done