Hi, my 88 Fbird recently failed NJ inspection. So I need some help to fix the problems.

I have an exhaust leak. I think it is on the passenger side exhaust manifold. How would I positivly identify it besides guessing where it is louder? I have noticed that the rear bolts are studs. Would it be a good idea to remove these and replace them with real bolts? How would i remove them? Removing the regular bolts is a pita as it is.

Question number 2. I failed for a loose seat. The seat doesn't lock and folds foward and back. It figures I pass emissions but fail for a loose seat . How could I fix this? The passenger side does the same thing. Is this a common problem?

Thanks for the help.
Jim

 

Seat?
Examine it yourself, I'll bet you'll see y.
Manifolds, easy.
Two ways.
One Look for WHITE POWERDY STUFF on all crevices of the manifolds.
Then look from below.
OR
Spray water from a cheap spray bottle on the hot manifold. Air blow out will be shown.
Removal is easy.
All bolts 10mm
When ya get a spare manifold set from the wrecking yard, grab the extra bolts.
Use vice grips to remove the studs.
They do come out quite easy.

Oh....
GO LAKERS
GO LAKERS

 

The seat "back" doesn't lock, or the seat bottom itself slides towards/away from the gas/brake pedals?

Our seats are bolted to rails. If you unbolt the seat from the car, flip it over, and you can unbolt the rails from the seat. You could probably get junkyard rails for pretty damn cheap.

In fact, these "rails" allow us to use almost any bucket seat from any mid-80's-early 90's (and maybe more!) GM car!! Yep! When you guys go to junkyards, check out the celebrities, pontiac 6000's, etc! My original seats were shot to hell. I was looking in junkyards, in "only" camaros & Firebirds, for seats, and couldn't find crap. One day, I glanced into a Pontiac 6000 S/E station wagon- It had MY original seats in it!! I found out later that my original seats (two-tone gray, map pocket sewn to back of seat) are trans-am seats from the mid-80's.

So, I pretty much knew that the seats would fit. I unbolted the wagon's rails from the bottom of those seats; my rails bolted right on. One problem- the wagon was a 4-door, and the seats wouldn't tilt forward. That'd be hell for any rear seat passengers- but even worse, it'd be a pain if I wanted to put anything behind my seat! (Screw the passengers, if it bothers me, it's gotta be changed! Ha!) I removed the upholstery from the side of each seat, and swapped the tilt mechanism from my beat up seats to the good wagon's seats. Then, one last problem- the wagon didn't have any seat belt guides on the sides of the headrests. Well, I went on a guess, and poked thru the sides of the headrests of the wagon's seats with a pin- I found screwholes! So I screwed my seatbelt guides right into the headrest of the wagon's seats- and had perfectly "new" front seats, for $15/each.

Whew.

Okay, NJ emissions. You can use all bolts (no studs) for the manifolds. Do a search for manifold bolts on this forum, someone recently found an old message by me, in which I gave the exact bolt specs. Find the bolts at a Pep Boys or similar; they're metric, and Home Depot's metric bolts are TOO WEAK. The bolt must be stamped "10.9" on the head, equivilant to a grade 8 standard = very strong. 8.8 isn't a strength you want for a manifold bolt. Coat all threads of the new bolts (in fact, coat them excessively!) with antisieze compound, $3 for a tube at Pep Boys. Tip; look in Pep Boys' hardware bins for the bolts. The prepackaged bolts will cost you an arm and a leg. Go for the bulk hardware. I had to go to a few Pep Boys to get enough bolts.

As for finding the leak; well, first, be very careful when working around a running engine (hair/fingers/jewerly/clothing can get snagged.) With that "TomP is not responsible for you" disclaimer, you could try starting the motor when it's cold, and "feeling" for air. Or, use an old piece of heater hose as a stethescope, and carefully move the hose around the manifolds until you hear the leak.

Oh- in the first paragraph, that should be "flip the seat over" and not "flip the car over", haha

 

Thanks for the replies.
It was the seats dont lock. But if they are that easy to replace, I may just do that. Were the celeberties and 6000s come with bucket seats? I didnt realize this. This seems like the best course of action since the drivers side seat was torn up anyway. I wont flip over the car!

Ok now the exhaust manifolds. I have been soaking down the bolts, so I exspect that they will be easy to come out. I will let you know how the project goes.

Tom, I see you are from NJ, where was the Junkyard that you got the seats from for such a good price? I know of one in south Jersey that is really cheap (entire engine for $150, and good engines, I picked up a 3.8 with a recent head job and a bottum end with no wear), but I dont want to travel that far for just a seat.


Thanks
Jim

 

You can also use Fiero & Corvette seats, too!!
MAKE SURE YOU USE A LINE WRENCH ON THOSE BOLTS
GO GET THE SET FROM SEARS FOR $20!
Loosen, first, then use ratchet & 10MM socket.
BOTTOM pipes bolts=15MM
Soak those too!
I have Fiero seats with the speakers in the headrest in my S-10 Blazer.
I love listening to those speakers.
Led Zepplin, Album ONE, SIDE TWO, LOUD!
Certain female singers....
"WHO'S NEXT" THE WHO LOUD!
Grateful Dead!
What hearing?
I lost it at all the car races & Rock Concerts I attended!