What Did You Do to Your A-Body Today?

[tlc1976]

Went on the first trip that was more than an hour away yesterday. Went downstate to meet Dr Pol from the tv show, then to the first away game for our high school. With my gf, her daughter, and the daughter's friend. First time I've ever got to utilize the a-wagon the way it was meant to be used, with kids in the 3rd seat waving at people and enjoying the travel.





Rolled over 80k miles on the way. Today in just a little bit we are doing the same but going a couple hours up north to the zoo. Monday we are walking the bridge together. But I do that just about every year regardless if anyone goes with me.

[CorvairGeek]

Went on the first trip that was more than an hour away yesterday. Went downstate to meet Dr Pol from the tv show, then to the first away game for our high school. With my gf, her daughter, and the daughter's friend. First time I've ever got to utilize the a-wagon the way it was meant to be used, with kids in the 3rd seat waving at people and enjoying the travel.





Rolled over 80k miles on the way. Today in just a little bit we are doing the same but going a couple hours up north to the zoo. Monday we are walking the bridge together. But I do that just about every year regardless if anyone goes with me.

That's awesome! Love the show.

[Drop Top Olds]

Noticed a popping noise when braking. I was thinking I had a bad ball joint(s). Upon further investigation I found the left front cradle bolt was loose (1/2" gap between washer and the cradle). Re-tightened all cradle bolts and the "pop" is gone. Next project will be replacing the back up light switch on the Getrag 282. Took a lot of searching to find the switch on a salvaged Beretta with same transmission.

[Drop Top Olds]

There should be a special place reserved in the ninth circle of Dante's inferno for the person that located the back up light switch on the Getrag (Muncie) 282.

[CorvairGeek]

Did battle with the heater core again in the '96. The replacement went almost 10 years. I 'remembered' installing an all aluminum one, but it was not the case.









Couldn't get the warranty replacement to go through the firewall. Finally worked the smaller (pressure) side through, but no go on the suction. Exchanged this at O'Reilly's for another aluminum one (every one that I've seen has been made differently, including a brass soldered one dated 2008 that I didn't want again) and this one almost went through. Finally took a rat tail file and opened the plastic of the HVAC case to make it go. I replaced all the heater hoses and found the Gates White Stripe hose (generic 5/8" & 3/4") sold by O'Reilly's now has a smaller OD so that the original style spring clamps don't work. Luckily, I had enough older stainless clamps to replace them.
Having to replace the battery and change the oil were a lot easier.

[gbb]

93 Century Wagon - AC Delco pads and rotors.

[tlc1976]

Saturday I took my gal down to the city for Sweetest day. No problems. Sunday we took it to the laundromat since its so much nicer for hauling a bunch of baskets. Came out to find a puddle of brake fluid under the drivers rear tire. Quick look said it had to be a wheel cylinder. Kept dumping fluid in it to get it home that night. Autozone doesn't list them on the website but search Autozone thru google and it comes up with options and one of them was correct. Store had 2 of them for $12 each so I got both. I replaced the one tonight and cleaned up the huge mess it made. I'll do the other eventually, as it would be nicer to change before it blows out. I've also got the small side of the garage cleared out to park the Cruiser over the winter, weather is holding for now but that time is approaching.

[T Type]

I replaced the heater core in my 86 Century T Type on the week end. Taking the lower dashboard apart was awkward and tedious but the hardest part was getting the pipes of the new heater core through the holes in the firewall. In my car to the right of where the heater core mounts there is a black plastic part that makes up the right side of the heater box. I could not find any screws to remove it and it seemed to be glued to the firewall and it blocked my view of the holes. After a while I got it installed and got everything back together.

[CorvairGeek]

Changed the oil and filter today in the '92 at 243K miles.

[gbb]

Changed blower motor on 93 Century 3.3. Other day fan started smoking out of defroster vents. When I removed the motor there was ice buildup stopping fan. Recent snow and freezing rain ( never did this in the 15 years that I had this great car. Then removed cowl and removed large chunk of ice there. Installed new fan.

[Tyson]

I don't have an A-body (yet) but I searched local classifieds for one today.

[CorvairGeek]

Put a starter solenoid on the '96 today. It is at 195K miles (original starter). I am absolutely amazed at the difficulty in doing this job, compared to the 3300, assuming you remove the starter to R/R the solenoid.

[73blazer]

Replaced my rear brakes on the STE AWD. The guide pins on one side must have seized and tthat pad wasn't getting used much and cracked and fell to pieces. Holy cow, hope those calipers never go bad, they are unique to the AWD and don't exist anywhere OEM or aftermarket, don't ask me why they're different than non-awd STE rear disc brakes. The caliper is a really goofy two piece caliper, and not a carrier and main, it's literally like someone cut the caliper in half length-wise then bolted it back together. ANd whoever designed that e-brake cable/spring setup, holy cow. The cable runs through the spring, so once you remove it, good luck getting it back on. I have the real GM service manual, it says jack squat about it, "re-install e-brake cable ferrule through the return spring and onto the lever notch" ... yeah...after fighting it for an hour, I got smart. I compressed the spring with a bolt and nut, then used 3 even spaced fairly beefy zip ties to keep it compressed, release the bolt, then you can slide it over the cable and have plenty of free cable sticking out to grab the ferrule and hook it, then cut the zip ties.
I've done late 70's Eldorado rear caliper before, similiar lever and spring for the e-brake, but the spring is on a different part of the lever and the cable does not run thru it so you can put the cable on then put the spring on.

[tlc1976]

Aren?t they the same as the early w-body rear calipers? Or not quite? In any case I remember those getting a lot of complaints too.

[73blazer]

Aren?t they the same as the early w-body rear calipers? Or not quite? In any case I remember those getting a lot of complaints too.

Nope. From some quick research, the AWD rear calipers are unique to only that 6000 AWD model. W-body has different ones, as well as earlier 4w disc FWD STE's. Save them if you have a junker!