2007xl50

Well the car is costign alot more at this point, but I have enjoyed reading the updates. I hope things work out for you and I have to say this post is my fav, at leat in a long time. Go have some drinks and a good time tonigght, let us know how it goes once the car is looked at.

W.E.G.

Right on!

W.E.G.

When viewed from an economic or necessity perspective, we inevitably come to this.

I love this vid:

IMissMy86TA

darn. sorry to hear about the rear end!

Richboll

Sorry to hear about your latest round of trials and tribulations. When I did my car pickup roadtrip, I had no problems at all on about a 700 mile trip. So with that experience, I would not hesitate to do it again. But I'm sure that you would have second thoughts about doing it again and that's too bad. I'm planning a roadtrip for the first couple weeks of March that's going to cover about 5,000 miles and 8 or 9 states. I won't be doing it in my Camaro but in a newer Grand Prix with about 4 times the mileage on the clock. I hope I have a little more luck on my trip than you've been having.

Didn't you have the differential oil changed before you headed out? Could they have put the wrong gear oil in?

I've enjoyed reading your post and remain amazed at your upbeat outlook. Instead of lamenting the bad, you've embraced the good. Good luck with the car once you get it home.

eseibel67

W.E.G. did ask for the gear oil to be changed. Old gear oil would give clues as to potential problems, but just changing it will not ensure that the rear end is good. But since the shop missed a burnt cap & rotor, they likely didn't scrutinize the condition of the gear oil while it was blooping out, either.

W.E.G.

Going to install a complete (and warranteed) rear end, and exhaust from the cat back.

Expensive yes, but I've always wanted to do something like this.

Only injury sustained so far was the "club" for the steering wheel bit me.

Just had lunch with my rifle team buddy in Radford, an en route back to Fairfax on the Upper deck of the Megabus. Will Megabus back when it's ready and finish the Kowalski Run!

As for the gear oil, who knows?
Probably was the original oil from the factory, before the change. That rear end was destined to cost money soon anyway. At least I got to drag it to the mount and sacrifice it to the great Chevy gods with proper wailing, smoke, and incantations!

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

I love your story and your positive outlook!

I dream of driving cross country in an old car someday.

two-if-by-sea

iTrader: (22)

Scour Craigslist, and pick up a used rear from a car being parted. Takes about 4 or 5 hours to do the swap. If you get another non-posi, you can probably nab a decent one for $100 - $150

W.E.G.

Home safe and sound via Union Station in Washington DC!

Just got back from steak dinner with my wife and a good buddy.

Nice to put on clean underwear for the first time in a couple days.
I knew I shoulda bought some fresh ones at the Walmart in Mississippi when I had the chance.
Never pass up a chance to buy clean underwear.

Car is still 300 miles away in Radford.
Will ovenight funds for the repairs to the mechanic in the morning.
He could see that I was upside down in the car, and reasonably did not want order expensive rebuilt-and-warranteed parts unless prepaid.
You get what you pay for with 25-year-old junkyard parts.
Sometimes thats all you can do. But an ordinary 2.77 Camaro rear end is not one of those situations.

Exploring options for the return trip.
Can't find much fault in the Megabus really.

How different it is to be at real keyboard to post after 5 days of pecking on an iPhone!

I feel like I'm about to pass out, and that I shall now do.
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2007xl50

Glad you back home safe and sound. Like i said before-soon you will have a new car if you keep replaceing everything. Well keep us posted when the car is up and going again.

W.E.G.

UPS overnighted a check to the mechanic today.

He said he'd confirm when its received.

W.E.G.

Funds arrived at shop.

Parts ordered.

Dmans85

Dang, I was going to throw out the suggestion to travel a little further east on I-10 my direction to give you a potential hand, "just in case" before heading north. Oh well, glad you're home and great documentary.

W.E.G.

Shop manager seemed to think parts could arrive as soon as Monday. That would be super. I'm thinking even if they get there as late as Thursday, a Saturday pick-up could be a possibility, so long as the weather cooperates.

If I get the good word, I'm gonna be waitin' on the bus.

W.E.G.

Parts all arrived. Work underway.

Going to add a couple rear brake cylinders too. One was seeping just a bit, so might as well do the pair.

If the weather holds, Saturday is looking like it will be the day.

2007xl50

Good, to hear. let us know when she's home safe and sound.

W.E.G.

Slight setback on our timing for getting the car back from Radford.

Mechanic called me today and said the rear end that arrived is not correct for this car. The part that arrived has 2.73 gears. Mechanic opened up the rear end that died, and has determined that the correct ratio is 3.42.

I had wondered about that myself when I was talking with the mechanic last week from my hotel room after the highway breakdown. At that time, and with time on my hands, I was perusing the FAQ on this forum, and I noticed the reference for 3.42 for the V-6 model.
See https://www.thirdgen.org/1988-chevy-camaro

I mentioned that then to the mechanic, but he was telling me that his jobber was telling him that the correct rear end was 2.73. Not wanting to come off as too-big-for-my-britches on a subject about which I am no expert, the 2.73 unit was ordered by the mechanic.

Now we know.

The 3.42 is ordered and should be there in a few days. Small inconvenience.

Very unlikely she’ll be ready by this weekend. Got my sights set on the weekend of February 16 with hopes of finishing the last 300 miles of the Kowalski challenge.
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Richboll

As easy as it would be to say 'Ya shoulda shipped it", memories like this make for stories that you can tell forever.
I'm sitting on the edge of my chair and waiting for the conclusion of the "Kolwalski Challenge"
Good luck and and know that I and others are right there with you and enjoying the adventure.

W.E.G.

Thanks.

...and to think the Oddysey has only begun!

Bring on the trials and travails!... I shall meet them with fortitude!!!

I'll admit I've been on the edge of my seat too. So much so, that I've read the sports-page twice, and I think my leg has fallen asleep!

W.E.G.

Woo-Hoooo!!!

Got a call from the shop.

They got the rear-end issue all sorted, and she's ready to roll!

Exhaust repaired, and a fresh inspection.
I may not even need my earplugs for the remainder of the journey.

Picking it up Saturday after all.

Tie me to the mast, and bear my ears to the fair wind... I want to hear the sirens' call!


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2007xl50

Good to hear man, but makes me wonder if the shop is pulling one over on you meaning they just put the 2.73 rear end in and will tell you it has the 3.42's and think you will never know. I mean it just seems fast to get the other rear end. What was wrong with the exhaust? I mean my TA only has a 24" glass pack coming off the Y-pipe with about a 1 foot spout on it and it's not crazt loud. My RS has a Flowmater cat back and the mid pipe has some holes in it and it's not what I would call real loud.

W.E.G.

The old exhaust?

Broken off at one of the mufflers, corroded, and supported with coat-hanger wire.

Dunno about the speed of the acquisition of the correct part. Mechanic and I discussed the gears at some length. I still speak car pretty well even if I'm not as light in my feet with an air-wrench and breaker-bar as I used to be. Proof will be in the pudding on the gears when I clear the on-ramp Saturday afternoon.

Richboll

If you have a concern that the ratio isn't correct, you can always do the old tire rotation versus driveshaft rotation trick. I've always found it to be close.

Have the mechanic put the car on the lift, mark the driveshaft with a piece of chalk or marker and rotate a rear wheel (usually passenger) 1 full revolution while counting the number of times the driveshaft rotates.

You'll end up close to 2 3/4 turns of the driveshaft (to one tire rotation)for something like 2.73s....3 full turns for a 3.08....3 1/4 turns for 3.23.

Or I guess there is always the seat of the pants method. Either way..Good luck.

two-if-by-sea

iTrader: (22)

It will be easy to figure out if it does not have the right gears, when your speedo is about 21% off. I did the opposite in my car, 2.73 to 3.42. Speedo gears are sometimes hard to come by, and the tranny housing is different between the two gears. A GPS should report your true speed.

W.E.G.

I'll be running the free version of the Speedbox app on the iPhone.

W.E.G.

Nice.

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/...st?query=22032

W.E.G.

Just tested the Speedbox app on the Beltway with the Camry. Speedbox is registering consistently 3 mph lower than the Camry speedo.

2007xl50

Most speedo's are off from the Factory. In the past few years I have had a handful of new Kia's and the speedo's on all of them read 5 mph faster than my GPS. I hope the trip goes well for you.

IMissMy86TA

Agreed. Speedos normally show faster speed so we wont get tickets I believe

project89

iTrader: (1)

when u want to work on that v6 or upgrade it to give it more power come visit the v6 section .

we can teach u how to get 350+ hp reliably out of that engine for around 1,000 bucks

Richboll

There goes the gas mileage!

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Got a link? I want to read that! Awsome!

I had a 4th gen with a 3.4 and a t-5 I wanted to build, as far as I got was a 75hp dry shot, deleted cat, and moroso intake.

project89

iTrader: (1)

my v6 car with the 3.1 and turbo that makes just shy of 400hp gets over 32mpg highway with 4:10 gears and high stall non lockup converter if u drive it like a human. start laying into the throttle and u will go threw a tank of gas very fast

look in the power adder section for fast eddis build , or look up my turbo build

W.E.G.

Will do!

Looks like I lucked-out on dodging the nor'easter. Although Saturday probably WON'T be suitable for tackling the last 240 through the Valley with the windows down.



For now, I'm just looking forward to driving it without having to wear earplugs to defeat the unholy cacophany of exhaust-leaks and the demonic shrieks of gnashing gears. It will be interesting too to see whether the shifter lever no longer looks like a Sybian dialed-up to 11 when moving at highway speeds.



If I actually make it home this weekend (with the car on its own wheels, that is), I'm looking forward to showing everybody the toxic floorboard and the glued-down-trash-bag dashcover, and the driver-side door hinges from hell.
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Richboll

Wow! It's starting to sound more like a career than a hobby. Good luck with the trip and the project!

W.E.G.

On the road again....

W.E.G.

Rolling!

Richboll

Can't beat that!

W.E.G.

Just drove my old paper route in my old home town!

Johnny Blaze

iTrader: (15)

Awsome

W.E.G.

OK, so I get ALL THE WAY BACK to Vienna with this car.

...and I pull into my buddy's driveway and rev the motor to cause whatever alarm this (still fairly loud) car can cause.

Bob comes out and checks out the car, and I brag about it and we rev the motor some more, and I haul *** out of his cul-de-sac.

Then I get about 3/4 mile from my house.

...and I depress the clutch pedal - which goes all the way to the floor without any resistance.

Pluck me with a pogo stick!!!

No clutch now!!!

3/4 mile from the house.

I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!!!

So, I call my buddy, and he comes over and we push the car into a legal parking space which is literally TWO BLOCKS from my ususal mechanic's shop.

I'll go over there in the morning when its light out, and I'll shoot some pics and a vid to show what happened.

I just need to get it into FIRST GEAR to drive it over to Bill's shop.

As I was driving home (well before the clutch-pedal incident), I was pondering what bothered me the most about this car. The SOAKING WET floorboard on the drivers-side front is without-a-doubt the thing that bothers me the most. I decided, during the drive, I would pay Bill to figure out why my floorboard stays soaking wet. Probably the windshield - which I am not competent to reliably diagnose, let alone actually repair by myself.

I guess Bill is going to get the clutch job too.

I am wide open to suggestions as to what to do about the clutch pedal.
Suggestions failing, I will accept heckling and derision.

two-if-by-sea

iTrader: (22)

The floor is soaked, most likely, because the floorboards are rusted out (see post #4 in this thread). It's a very common problem with these cars. My first car, an '83 Berlinetta that I bought in '89, had this problem. The car was only 6 years old at the time, with only 80K miles, yet the floorboards were completely rusted out. After a while, it will get moldy and stink. I used to always have like 5 vanilla trees hanging from the cigarette lighter to try and mask the smell. In the summer, the carpet will dry out pretty quickly. This time of year, the carpet will stay wet.

eseibel67

Now this story sounds like a fairly tale. After you get the clutch fixed a front tire is going to fall off as your rounding the corner to get on to your street.

JK of course, your attitude has been really good about all this so far, but your pateince must be broken by now.

The good news is that the clutch problem likely isn't as bad as it seems. Clutch itself might be ok, the problem might be with the external hydraulics.

You need to send a link of this saga to the guy that has your gun. You have no recourse, but this has turned out to be quite the bum deal.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

More likely than rust is the heater core its shot.

W.E.G.

I certainly can't vouch for the heater core per se, except to say that I just drove the thing 1400 miles, and there does not seem to be any coolant loss.

Isn't the heater core on the passenger side of these cars too?

My right shoulder feels like somebody been whuppin' on it.
I'm not used to laying across a door jamb and poking, prodding and peering.

I think I may have found a suspect for the ingress-point of something.

Driver side... far left side firewall...



Same view as previous but from wider angle


Note daylight visible around rubber-grommet, pass-through guide for electrical circuit

W.E.G.

I shall now retire with visions of wire-wheels, bondo, and POR-15 dancing in my head.

AmorgetRS

iTrader: (6)

You are correct, I misread your original post.

Richboll

And so the Kowalski Challenge saga continues....

2007xl50

WOW, this car is crazy, I thought the few small loops my RS has thown me was bad. Now i'm starting to see why he gave you the car for a $500.00 gun. I'm just waiting for see a post where you shot the car with one of your other guns LOL! Well good luck and as always keep us poasted.