Spring may be here, but my mind is lost
03-27-2017, 07:43 PM
#1
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Car: 1988 iroc-z (original owner)
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Spring may be here, but my mind is lost
The joy of working on a nearly stock 29-year old car: 1988 LB9, 5-speed manual, 305, IROC.
With spring arriving and my younger (HS freshman) son off to South Carolina for the week, I got an early start on an overdue project. I have leaky valve stem seals and a leaking head gasket (back end by #8). An I thought that I would take the next few weeks and do a little extra work, since the heads would be off.
Reading the forums and watching many videos, I decided that I would do some minor porting and then have the intakes enlarged to 1.94 by a shop. I want to keep the car essentially stock--i.e., no engine swap. The plan was to stage all the work and purchases, including some headers. I thought that taking the heads off would be about an 8-hour job and, once off, I could order the porting kit. I expected it might take 12. Wrong.
Saturday I was in the garage at 6am (dropped the younger one off at school in downtown Cleve at 5am for the bus trip) and was looking forward to having the heads off by the end of the day--Sunday mid-day at the latest.
Well, after many colorful metaphors I got the plenum and runners off. The worst was yet to come. One of the four (passenger side, front) bolts for the fuel rail is seized, and I ended out rounding off the head. My fault, I forgot that bolts touching aluminum were metric, and I used an SAE. Bye then it was too late The other three broke loose easily. Vice grips, beers, channel locks, Liquid Wrench, and a slew of four letter words were of no help. My wife asked me how it was going. The look on my face didn't require a verbal response. She said she would leave me alone. My older son was curious why I was using a torch on the bolt next to the fuel line. I explained to him why. He was worried about the gasoline.
Sunday--yes Sunday--I ran out to get a set of Grip-tite sockets. Three stores were out, one only had SAE. So I just applied more Liquid Wrench and awaited monday.
After work today I found a set at Advanced Auto. Confident that they would save the day, I hurried in the garage, filed a three flat faces (that's all there is room for a file) on the bolt as recommended. The 10mm Grip-tite didn't. The 8mm wouldn't fit. Why the blankety-blank isn't there a 9mm?
Dremel time. Cut out a groove for a flat head screw driver. More LW. Wait 15 minutes and grabbed the impact tool and hammer. Success? Nada. broke the bit--probably not hardened enough for impact.
Tomorrow is another day. Steel and aluminum are still a bad combo.
Why did spring arrive? To get my hopes up and dash them? Or just to tell me that I should have another beer and hope that tomorrow will be better?
With spring arriving and my younger (HS freshman) son off to South Carolina for the week, I got an early start on an overdue project. I have leaky valve stem seals and a leaking head gasket (back end by #8). An I thought that I would take the next few weeks and do a little extra work, since the heads would be off.
Reading the forums and watching many videos, I decided that I would do some minor porting and then have the intakes enlarged to 1.94 by a shop. I want to keep the car essentially stock--i.e., no engine swap. The plan was to stage all the work and purchases, including some headers. I thought that taking the heads off would be about an 8-hour job and, once off, I could order the porting kit. I expected it might take 12. Wrong.
Saturday I was in the garage at 6am (dropped the younger one off at school in downtown Cleve at 5am for the bus trip) and was looking forward to having the heads off by the end of the day--Sunday mid-day at the latest.
Well, after many colorful metaphors I got the plenum and runners off. The worst was yet to come. One of the four (passenger side, front) bolts for the fuel rail is seized, and I ended out rounding off the head. My fault, I forgot that bolts touching aluminum were metric, and I used an SAE. Bye then it was too late The other three broke loose easily. Vice grips, beers, channel locks, Liquid Wrench, and a slew of four letter words were of no help. My wife asked me how it was going. The look on my face didn't require a verbal response. She said she would leave me alone. My older son was curious why I was using a torch on the bolt next to the fuel line. I explained to him why. He was worried about the gasoline.
Sunday--yes Sunday--I ran out to get a set of Grip-tite sockets. Three stores were out, one only had SAE. So I just applied more Liquid Wrench and awaited monday.
After work today I found a set at Advanced Auto. Confident that they would save the day, I hurried in the garage, filed a three flat faces (that's all there is room for a file) on the bolt as recommended. The 10mm Grip-tite didn't. The 8mm wouldn't fit. Why the blankety-blank isn't there a 9mm?
Dremel time. Cut out a groove for a flat head screw driver. More LW. Wait 15 minutes and grabbed the impact tool and hammer. Success? Nada. broke the bit--probably not hardened enough for impact.
Tomorrow is another day. Steel and aluminum are still a bad combo.
Why did spring arrive? To get my hopes up and dash them? Or just to tell me that I should have another beer and hope that tomorrow will be better?
03-28-2017, 09:25 AM
#3
Re: Spring may be here, but my mind is lost
You are a lot like me. Some sons floating around, looking for blocks of time to do some "me" stuff", getting into trouble and having a wife or child ask how I'm doing and only my face and head turning is the response and seriously evil swearing when no one is around (most of the time).
It sounds like you worked on these cars back when they were new. I did (except mine were Mustang 5.0s). These cars are around 30-years old now if you can believe it. To make matters worse, they weren't of that high a quality to begin with, and mixed metric/english and iron and aluminum.
I just got back into it about five weeks ago. I bought an 89 IROC Convertible and am just now emerging from the hate part of the love-hate relationship. I keep telling myself to have patience. That I should expect nothing to really go as smoothly as I am hoping. Many bolts seem either loose or stuck. There is grease, oil, rust, and dirt in many places that used to be clean. Clearances aren't as generous as I recall from three decades ago. Fortunately now, this isn't my daily driver and I can simply cover the car back up in defeat and head to work the next day and try again next time. Beer helps.
Hang in there, use your street smarts to prevail. You won't win every battle but you will win the war.
No more romantic musings. Have you tried an easy-out? You could also try to grind it off and drill it out.
It sounds like you worked on these cars back when they were new. I did (except mine were Mustang 5.0s). These cars are around 30-years old now if you can believe it. To make matters worse, they weren't of that high a quality to begin with, and mixed metric/english and iron and aluminum.
I just got back into it about five weeks ago. I bought an 89 IROC Convertible and am just now emerging from the hate part of the love-hate relationship. I keep telling myself to have patience. That I should expect nothing to really go as smoothly as I am hoping. Many bolts seem either loose or stuck. There is grease, oil, rust, and dirt in many places that used to be clean. Clearances aren't as generous as I recall from three decades ago. Fortunately now, this isn't my daily driver and I can simply cover the car back up in defeat and head to work the next day and try again next time. Beer helps.
Hang in there, use your street smarts to prevail. You won't win every battle but you will win the war.
No more romantic musings. Have you tried an easy-out? You could also try to grind it off and drill it out.
Last edited by Tootie Pang; 03-28-2017 at 01:21 PM.
03-28-2017, 09:47 AM
#4
Re: Spring may be here, but my mind is lost
Cut the head off the bolt and get the fuel rail out of the way. If you have access to a welder, you could try welding a nut onto the old bolt stub. Otherwise, heat the aluminum boss around the bolt heads with a torch (propane is less likely to melt aluminum). When it's good and hot, tap it a few times moderately with a hammer, and try backing it out. If you have a stud remover, and have enough room, it'll usually work better than most extractors, etc. With the fuel rail removed, you might even get lucky and it might just turn out by hand when the tension is relieved.
Be careful about drilling. The aluminum is softer than steel. Use anti-seize when it goes back together, anywhere you have steel threads into aluminum. Use thread sealer on intake bolts into the head, or you'll end up with oil and water seeping out.
Be careful about drilling. The aluminum is softer than steel. Use anti-seize when it goes back together, anywhere you have steel threads into aluminum. Use thread sealer on intake bolts into the head, or you'll end up with oil and water seeping out.
03-28-2017, 07:43 PM
#5
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Join Date: Apr 2008
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Car: 1988 iroc-z (original owner)
Engine: 305
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Re: Spring may be here, but my mind is lost
thanks, gents.
is my son's response to my dilemma of hours wasted tonight and a new issue that arose.
I tried a couple more impact bits on the slotted head, and broke those, so I grabbed the dremel and cut the head off partially and tried an easy out without success. I then ground down the remaining bolt flange until I could see the circumference of the bolt in the rail. Disconnected the fuel lines and saw that the fuel line bracket bolt had to be removed from the intake. Could not fully remove it because the fuel lines are in the way and those cannot be manipulated because the alternator interferes. No problem remove the alternator, right?
$%@#%, the upper left bolt is siezed! Stripped it! Tried the Lisle torx bit remover with impact and that did not work. Damned galvinic reaction!
So now I do have an actual question. This bolt is the one that has the nut on the back side for the stabilizer bar (whatever it's called) to the intake. I tried hitting it hard (with the nut on it to save the threads), thinking that it just slips through the aluminum bracket and it torqued down with the nut. Because the bolt would not come out (didn't want to wale on it with a sledge hammer--well maybe I did WANT to), the aluminum bracket must be threaded, right? (and is this the right sub-forum for help?)
Good news is that we are taking my older son for a college tour tomorrow, and I will not be frustrated by this car for at least one day. I just told my wife that I perhaps should just sell the IROC after 29 years and get a Z06:-) For some reason she said NO.
No, I do not have a welder, btw.
I tried a couple more impact bits on the slotted head, and broke those, so I grabbed the dremel and cut the head off partially and tried an easy out without success. I then ground down the remaining bolt flange until I could see the circumference of the bolt in the rail. Disconnected the fuel lines and saw that the fuel line bracket bolt had to be removed from the intake. Could not fully remove it because the fuel lines are in the way and those cannot be manipulated because the alternator interferes. No problem remove the alternator, right?
$%@#%, the upper left bolt is siezed! Stripped it! Tried the Lisle torx bit remover with impact and that did not work. Damned galvinic reaction!
So now I do have an actual question. This bolt is the one that has the nut on the back side for the stabilizer bar (whatever it's called) to the intake. I tried hitting it hard (with the nut on it to save the threads), thinking that it just slips through the aluminum bracket and it torqued down with the nut. Because the bolt would not come out (didn't want to wale on it with a sledge hammer--well maybe I did WANT to), the aluminum bracket must be threaded, right? (and is this the right sub-forum for help?)
Good news is that we are taking my older son for a college tour tomorrow, and I will not be frustrated by this car for at least one day. I just told my wife that I perhaps should just sell the IROC after 29 years and get a Z06:-) For some reason she said NO.
No, I do not have a welder, btw.