Why did I pay this clown?
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Minnesota
Car: 1986 Iroc Z, red, t tops
Engine: Gm Performance ZZ3
Transmission: Built 700 r4
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Detroit Locker 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
I had a two car garage where one of my first attempts at working on my car in what I considered a major project was removing and installing the new intake manifold gasket. I did it and it lasted for around 8 years.
I needed it done again but had nowhere to do it.
The shop owner said he was a Chevy guy so I trusted him with my pride and joy.
eseibel67 ,What you say is true, but its guys like the one I used that give Mechanics a bad name. They crushed my under carriage with a two post lift because they don't know where the lift points are on a Third Gen Camaro AND they don't say a word when you go to pick it up about the ground effects on the side with a 4 in crack that was not there when you dropped it off.
This is with a custom $3,000.00 paint job.
Then you look under the hood and the plug wires look like a 10 year old child routed them.
When I said something to him about it he's said "we are a production shop and things happen".
He did make it right, I give him credit for that.
I have trust issues like many here with my car when it comes to Mechanics.
Even the rear end shop I have used agreed to use there one and only drive on 4 post lift when it came to my car . The other bays have the dreaded 2 post.
I needed it done again but had nowhere to do it.
The shop owner said he was a Chevy guy so I trusted him with my pride and joy.
eseibel67 ,What you say is true, but its guys like the one I used that give Mechanics a bad name. They crushed my under carriage with a two post lift because they don't know where the lift points are on a Third Gen Camaro AND they don't say a word when you go to pick it up about the ground effects on the side with a 4 in crack that was not there when you dropped it off.
This is with a custom $3,000.00 paint job.
Then you look under the hood and the plug wires look like a 10 year old child routed them.
When I said something to him about it he's said "we are a production shop and things happen".
He did make it right, I give him credit for that.
I have trust issues like many here with my car when it comes to Mechanics.
Even the rear end shop I have used agreed to use there one and only drive on 4 post lift when it came to my car . The other bays have the dreaded 2 post.
You should see the underside of my car, it looks like it was lifted improperly about a dozen times. My braces that go from the rocker to the floor are slightly crushed in from someone using them as a lift point on a 2 post lift, driver side floor is pushed up about an inch, rocker pinch seam is folded over in multiple spots on both sides, front sub frame is all dented up from floor jacks.
Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 418
Likes: 0
From: Fort Lauderdale
Car: 1991 Pontiac Trans Am
Engine: 305
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Just buy one of those cheapy refill hoses. Get the separate one, not the one already attached to a can. Should have a basic gauge. It'll do what you need it to do and cost like 15 bucks or less.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Yeah, it still does a little. It never did fog up as bad as it did that one day, but it did do it. There's a slight band of haze about 1.5" wide all the way across above the defrost vent. This is what it had been doing on and off for months before the BIG fog up from the Thursday before this thread was started. The AC pressurized slightly again, it hissed for a second or two again when I pressed down on the valve after I drove the car. I take that to mean the compressor is building up a little pressure in the system even though it's empty? IDK.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
You should see the underside of my car, it looks like it was lifted improperly about a dozen times. My braces that go from the rocker to the floor are slightly crushed in from someone using them as a lift point on a 2 post lift, driver side floor is pushed up about an inch, rocker pinch seam is folded over in multiple spots on both sides, front sub frame is all dented up from floor jacks.
Supreme Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 4,482
Likes: 9
From: Northern, CA
Car: 1989 Iroc-Z Camaro
Engine: TBI,5.0
Transmission: Automatic 700R4
Axle/Gears: Eaton Posi,3.42,LPW Ultimate Cover
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Third Generation Camaros and Firebirds are special animals and require a special touch in more areas than one. Sooooo, unless a man has actually worked on one including putting it on a two post lift, they are at a disadvantage. That goes for everyone including some owners.
Last edited by Ron U.S.M.C.; Jun 12, 2015 at 01:03 AM.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Meh, very very slightly. But considering the small amount of fog I've seen lately, that's to be expected. Like I said, I believe it's in the early stages of failure. Good thing is, I got a new brass/copper core--the last one Autozone will ever have I'm told. LOL They said they had to dig through the warehouse to find it, and that there will never be another. They are done with them. So either way, I'd want to put that in just because it works better than the aluminum.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Third Generation Camaros and Firebirds are special animals and require a special touch in more areas than one. Sooooo, unless a man has actually worked on one including putting it on a two post lift, they are at a disadvantage. That goes for everyone including some owners.
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
just a quick note here , next time you suspect your heater core , but aren't really sure , a quick cooling system pressure test is all it will take to let you know if somethings actually leaking or not . Just about any autoparts store that rents/loans tools should have one for rent or borrow , and it takes every bit of the guesswork out of it . It's just as easy as taking off the radiator cap , putting the pressure tester's cap in it's place , and then pump the system up . If it holds 15 PSI without dropping , your cooling system is intact . If the pressure drops , it's leaking , somewhere . A nice quiet spot to pump it up can be most helpful as often times you can follow the faint gurgle/hiss sound to where the leak is .... Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Yeah, I did that several times when I suspected a head gasket issue. I haven't done it recently, but to be honest, I don't care to swap this out even if it's NOT leaking. (Although a foggy windshield on a 90* day kinda narrows it down...) I was lucky enough to find that "last" brass/copper HC, and want to use that instead of the cheap aluminum one Mr. Clown put in. I also wouldn't want it to fail again under a pressure test and soak my carpet with antifreeze after I've worked so hard getting it cleaned up from the last failure! LOL
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Ofallon, MO
Car: 1985 TransAm
Engine: 4bbl 305
Transmission: Automatic
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Funny, this reminds me of my dealership days.....
Mitsubishi Heater cores on the Diamante used to leak at the Orings all the time. That job calls for about 8 hours dropping the dash and every other piece of crap behind it to R+R the heater core. We would see 3 to 4 a week.
I had a tech that could put his left arm up under the dash, and just replace the o-ring "blindly" he had done it so many times.....it took about 4 minutes!
Hardest part of that job was to wait about 7 hours to tell the customer it was done.
Mitsubishi Heater cores on the Diamante used to leak at the Orings all the time. That job calls for about 8 hours dropping the dash and every other piece of crap behind it to R+R the heater core. We would see 3 to 4 a week.
I had a tech that could put his left arm up under the dash, and just replace the o-ring "blindly" he had done it so many times.....it took about 4 minutes!
Hardest part of that job was to wait about 7 hours to tell the customer it was done.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Ofallon, MO
Car: 1985 TransAm
Engine: 4bbl 305
Transmission: Automatic
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Sorry, I forgot to add additionally -
In my experience the aftermarket cores (from Oreillys, Autozone, Napa, etc...)
Are really just not very well made pieces of Alluminum, and will can fail prematurely paticullarly at the welded tubes that connect to the heater hoses.
The original brass ones are best to use, if you are taking the original out and replacing with an aftermarket one - its best to have your original repaired and put it on a shelf for the future.
Im not saying they all fail, just I have seen a VERY high rate of failure in them.
In my experience the aftermarket cores (from Oreillys, Autozone, Napa, etc...)
Are really just not very well made pieces of Alluminum, and will can fail prematurely paticullarly at the welded tubes that connect to the heater hoses.
The original brass ones are best to use, if you are taking the original out and replacing with an aftermarket one - its best to have your original repaired and put it on a shelf for the future.
Im not saying they all fail, just I have seen a VERY high rate of failure in them.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Funny, this reminds me of my dealership days.....
Mitsubishi Heater cores on the Diamante used to leak at the Orings all the time. That job calls for about 8 hours dropping the dash and every other piece of crap behind it to R+R the heater core. We would see 3 to 4 a week.
I had a tech that could put his left arm up under the dash, and just replace the o-ring "blindly" he had done it so many times.....it took about 4 minutes!
Hardest part of that job was to wait about 7 hours to tell the customer it was done.
Mitsubishi Heater cores on the Diamante used to leak at the Orings all the time. That job calls for about 8 hours dropping the dash and every other piece of crap behind it to R+R the heater core. We would see 3 to 4 a week.
I had a tech that could put his left arm up under the dash, and just replace the o-ring "blindly" he had done it so many times.....it took about 4 minutes!
Hardest part of that job was to wait about 7 hours to tell the customer it was done.
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Ofallon, MO
Car: 1985 TransAm
Engine: 4bbl 305
Transmission: Automatic
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Glad you got a Brass/Copper one, probably be the last one you ever have to install.
As far as going to dealerships, they serve there purpose for the person that is not capable of doing the job themselves or is scared to attempt so.
I would figure that not one single third Gen owner on this board is that type of customer, and if they are - they wont be after owning the car for a short period.
I have seen lots of work come into the dealership because the customer found some other cheap laborer to do the job, and incorrectly as well - costing 2x as much to correct the problem....should have started at the dealership first....
Incidentally, Its not very well known, but most dealerships will typically match a competitors labor rate, but not the parts prices.
I think just about anyone would agree that OE parts are the best choice for a replacement anytime.
Best of luck, I just changed mine out and sent the original core out for a repair.
As far as going to dealerships, they serve there purpose for the person that is not capable of doing the job themselves or is scared to attempt so.
I would figure that not one single third Gen owner on this board is that type of customer, and if they are - they wont be after owning the car for a short period.
I have seen lots of work come into the dealership because the customer found some other cheap laborer to do the job, and incorrectly as well - costing 2x as much to correct the problem....should have started at the dealership first....
Incidentally, Its not very well known, but most dealerships will typically match a competitors labor rate, but not the parts prices.
I think just about anyone would agree that OE parts are the best choice for a replacement anytime.
Best of luck, I just changed mine out and sent the original core out for a repair.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Haha, yeah I agree. You prob'ly won't find anyone on here who says they took their thirdgen to a dealership and thus and such happened..... I've got a good tranny shop here in town I might go to to solve some tran and rear end issues that I'll have to get around to eventually, but a dealership will never see my shadow as long as I live if I can help it!
Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 272
Likes: 2
From: North Phoenix, Az
Engine: 305 TBI/305 TPI
Transmission: World Class T5/missing
Axle/Gears: 3.08/G92 3.45 posi
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
There's been quite a few people that just remove that bulky kick panel under the dash to access the heater core to remove it. My buddy did his in less than 2 hours. As far as the coolant thing goes, if your windshield fogs up and it's oily, my personal experience has taught me that it's coolant. I'm not going to ever say for 100% sure since I'm not physically there, but usually that is caused by the heater core failing. If you already replaced it then it could be residual, so I would just keep checking the coolant level like suggested. If it doesn't go away soon, you might have an issue.
These cars came with R12 so if you have R134 it's technically aftermarket. If you still have R12 it's getting very expensive to find it which is why so many people just convert it to R134.
As far as mechanics go, I personally don't trust any mechanic really. The only thing I go to mechanics for is stuff like getting them to press something in for me or remove something that I can't no matter what I do. Never bring a whole car to them though, usually a part. I try to do everything, mainly because it's way cheaper and more resourceful doing it myself.
These cars came with R12 so if you have R134 it's technically aftermarket. If you still have R12 it's getting very expensive to find it which is why so many people just convert it to R134.
As far as mechanics go, I personally don't trust any mechanic really. The only thing I go to mechanics for is stuff like getting them to press something in for me or remove something that I can't no matter what I do. Never bring a whole car to them though, usually a part. I try to do everything, mainly because it's way cheaper and more resourceful doing it myself.
Thread Starter
Supreme Member
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
From: Indiana
Car: 92 Formula WS6, T-top
Engine: 5.7L T.P.I.
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Limited slip, 3.23 10 bolt
Re: Why did I pay this clown?
Yeah, agree about mechanics. But I don't think its residual because it's been 15-16 months since the old one was replaced, and that included two cold winters. I cleaned the windshield off twice to test, and it re-fogged up again both times. I put my new b/c core in yesterday, and inspecting the aluminum one, it was tough to tell where it was leaking. Looked like I saw a little residue on the side, but it's hard to say. Even if this doesn't fix the fogging issue, the way I see it it's still time well spent becasue I'm getting a b/c core. If it still fogs up, it has to be the AC, but the system is almost totally empty, so I'm not sure how it would be that.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Royal_Z
Engine/Drivetrain/Suspension Parts for Sale
4
Sep 30, 2015 08:45 PM