[Shotimes] Back on the list

[George Fourchy]

On Thu, 13 Feb 2003 20:11:59 -0500, Randy Smith wrote:

>Just wanted to write a note upon my return.  Some of you might remember me,
>but I've been gone for over 9 months now probably.  I've been looking at new
>cars for the past 3 months, but I can never make up my mind.

Hey Randy.....Welcome back!!

>Here is the list I need to fix on mine currently;
>
>Clunking in the back, particularly below 30 degrees.  99% sure it's the strut
>mounts.  Went to have them replaced for $300 and the mechanic changed the
>quote to $400 something when I showed up.  

That's definitely something you CAN do, for a LOT less than what they quoted you. 
The easiest aid you can get to doing the rear struts is to go to Sears and get a set
of those very skinny ratchet box wrenches.  You need the 13 mm to remove the nuts at
the top of the rear strut towers inside the trunk.  If you have the ratchet wrench,
you can do about an hour's work getting those nuts off in just a couple of minutes,
without doing a lot of disassembly.  Then go to the SHOTimes website and check out
my instructions on removing the struts.  They're pretty straightforward....do one
side at a time so you can use the other as a guide for assembly and disassembly. 
You can spend about 60 or 70 bucks for all the rubber parts for both sides, at a
dealer if you can get a discount, and have them in your hand, or order them from
SHONut Performance and Josh Teixeira.  His site is on the Website too.  Check his
prices before you go to the dealer, so you are armed with knowledge.  

>Power steering barely works when the car is cold and it's below 40degrees out.

My Turbo Coupe did this also (10 years ago) when it was in a snowy climate.  It had
well over 150K miles before it ever got there, and I can't say if it would have done
it when new.  I asked a dealer in Ok City which I trust, and was told it isn't
uncommon for this to happen.  The system had never been flushed.  After about 10
minutes of idling, it worked fine.....just had to warm up.  There are P/S cleaners
and leak sealers you can get at auto parts stores that can refurbish (to some
extent) the system if you add them to the fluid....you might try that first.  I've
heard recommended something called Lucas Power Steering Stop Leak and Rack
conditioner....supposed to be pretty good.  I'm about to try that in a couple of
systems I have.
>
>Something seems loose in the front end.  The three main things I feel are just
>a strange kind of loose vibrating from the right front when I make a sharp
>right at relatively slow speed.  Second if I'm rolling along at a steady speed
>in the power band in 1st or 2nd and nail it, it almost seems like the subrame
>shifts. 

You can get down there and tighten the subframe bolts easily enough.  They can work
loose, especially if you have aftermarket harder bushings installed.  The Delrins
tend to dent a little bit, allowing some looseness in the bolts to develop over
time.  The most likely scenario for your looseness, though, is the strut bushings. 
All the cars out there are getting on in mileage now, and the tension strut
bushings, which insulate the struts that go from the front of the subframe to the
lower control arms are beginning to shrink and deform, causing the tires to move
back and forth relative to the fender opening.  You can change them, getting new
higher performance ones from Josh T. at SHONut.  They are a pretty good deal...you
just missed a group buy.  To remove them, it is easiest to remove the lower control
arm as well, and so you might consider changing that, since the lower ball joint is
non greasable from the factory, and probably a bit worn.  The inner bushing for the
LCA, where it connects to the subframe, is also a wear point by now, and you might
be running a little more negative camber in your wheel alignment than you'd like
because of it, which will wear the inside of the tire.  To remove the lower control
arm, you almost need to pretty much remove the knuckle, except for the axle nut,
so....if your axles are original, you might consider pulling them, too, and getting
them rebuilt, or swapping them for some rebuilts.  You'll have new boots, CV joints,
and you can check the bearing in the knuckle for wear.  This is a lot of servicing,
but when you are approaching 200K miles, things wear that don't usually get thought
about, and if you swap all these things out, if they need it, you can have a nice
tight front end when you get it all together.

> Third is that the tires break loose way too easily lately.  

Regarding snow tires and their actions....I'll have to leave that to denizens of
snow country....I don't participate in that program!!  ;-)

>Ignition cylinder; keeps dinging like the keys are in when I get out.  Wiggle
>the black ring and it stops.  How hard is this to change?

That's just a function of wear in the ignition tumbler.  That is replaceable.  I did
it long ago when the Lowrider was stolen and recovered.  Others have done it more
recently.  There is a hole on the bottom of the steering column, on the right lower
side, where you insert a long slim piece of piano wire or other strong item and push
a button, then the tumbler will come out after you twist it to the run position
(with the battery disconnected).  

>It's also been about 85k since it had it's first 60k service.  I think my
>idler pulley bearings are bad too.  

Hopefully the information we have about finding new/adaptable idler pulleys is on
the website.  The pulley for the Gen 3 is a lot cheaper than the one for the V-6
engines, and is interchangeable.

Glad you're back!!

George and the Lowrider....still roaring along, just turned 259K miles, holding at
23-24 mpg on my (soon to end) Keystone Cops commute!!