Horrible brakes vibration!

[Tonglebeak]

It's only a 3000 mile trip >_>

[LordDurock]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ponti...QQcmdZViewItem



Lol. I wouldn't want someone buying a whole car just for brackets though.

why you could send them all oyu old breack hard wear and have them sell if again. lol i'd do it

[Tonglebeak]

I'd still consider paying you to fabricate some brackets, but we need specs on them. It'd be nice if we have them, because that's the _only_ part that can't be bought from a store.

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

...install another Chinese drum...

Quality Control, or mixture of raw materials, is lacking for Chinese products.

I bought for SBC a harmonic balancer, which has incorrect diameter where timing cover seal contacts it.

I've never had a problem yet with Chinese drums, but 99% of my braking is light footed.

I suggested checking bearings, since with time they do dry out, along with their seals going dry. They are double-roller bearings, and when they go out, they may or may not make noises that is heard..until too late....but if brakes are in adjustment, a bad bearing could smoke the brakes or it could act up when brakes are applied, which is what happened to me.

On any twenty year old vehicle, I would check bearings, unless you know the history...having 50,000 miles means nothing when a long time line exists.

I replaced both rear wheel bearings, even though only one went out....I may replace the front ones next year, but I can't figure out if they have been replaced before or not...I drive longer distances, and sometimes, it is cheaper to DIY than get stalled somewhere.

[LordDurock]

hell of you get creative you cna repack the bearings (did that to my 82 in the front) i had the cv sharfts out and i put hte wheel on and moved it back and forth tell it work its self aparts. then i just cleaned and repacked............

[turbokinetic]

I don't know what kind of grease GM puts in the bearings on these cars - my mom's LeSabre has 370,000 on all 4 original bearings!
I did check the bearings, thanks to your advice, and both rear bearings were tight, smooth, and silent. I would do both if one was bad. This car I have personally put 100,000 miles on since the turbo installation!!
All pointers are appreciated. No one person knows everything. I can tell you lots about custom ECM calibrations, automatic transmissions, and electrical; but I have not had to do much in-depth suspension or brakes work.
I went ahead and replaced the drums after checking the following: bearings, return springs (new), free-flowing condition of the hoses, linings, and parking brake mechanism.
Had someone partially-actuate the brakes with drum removed and the wheel cylinder could retract without delayed action or binding. It is less than a year old. Fluid lines are about 10 years old but have seen only clean #4 dot fluid. They freeflow nicely.
Parking brake cables work smoothly, had someone actuate that with drum off as I watched. No binding or sticking. Leading/ trailing shoes are in correct position and wheels are torqued properly.
Someone suggested 1989 Cadillac aluminum finned drums. Seems they used a JA2-pattern drum with an aluminum finned housing and an iron lining on the late 80's DeVille.
It is sure nice to have smooth brakes again. That vibration developed slowly and I didn't realize how aggravating it was!
I had also thought the unueven bluing happened as a result of the warpage, instead of leading to the warpage. I'll stop using the parking brake unless absolutely necessary to leave pressure off the drums. The idea of the parking brake warping the drums when applied hot and left applied as the drums cool makes sense to me. I trust the park lock in the transmission on any mostly level parking surface anyway.

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

you cna repack the bearings (did that to my 82 in the front)

Yes, if you catch them in time....but front bearings are $100.00/pair for my Beretta...and normally, once you replace them, you don't worry about them for another 100,000 miles...normally.

I suspect they have been replaced....normally, from my experiences, the front ones go out first...then the rear ones...but stuff happens.

When its warmer, I will replace transmission CV-Seals...and have a good look...

[turbokinetic]

I know for a fact, 99.9% certain my mom's car has never had wheelbearings. It's been in our family since new. The only way they could have been changed without my knowlege was if the dealer did it under warranty.
The only warranty service I'm aware of was replacing the ECM and injectors to correct a misfire (by Kossmann's in Cleveland, MS). They kept the car for more than 3 days on 2 occasions and never got it fixed. The problem continued to get worse. The problem actually turned out to be bad ignition wires, diagnosed by a 15 year old friend.
No idea on the bearings on either of my Centurys, they were both used cars.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2949396 <---This is the war machine with 370,000 miles.

[86euro]

Nice work!

[turbokinetic]

It surprised me how hard it was to find parts for that engine. Seems they only made it for 2 years with that exact configuration. It has rocker arms with pedestals (similar an Olds V8) instead of the more common Buick V6 rocker-shafts.
My parts man at Northport Auto Supply located a set of good used rockers and pivots for me. The original ones had some bad wear on the pivots. Mom had neglected the oilchanges a few times. Plus the 370,000 miles on the engine!
I wanted the compression up to 9.5 and couldn't find pistons anywhere to make this happen. That is when Northport Machine Shop said they could cut the block and heads to get the CR up there.
It was worth it, the engine runs strong and gets excellent fuel economy.
If you have a Buick V6 look at the rear exhaust header. If it is a fabricated weldment (not a casting) you can easily increase your top RPM power. The hole in the main tube where the outlet flange is attached is always very small and irregular. I don't know why they left it this way. Porting this out to the diameter of the flange is worth some top-RPM power, by its self.
Later, got to get some rest for tomorrow!

[turbokinetic]

Nice work!

Thanks! It was rewarding, since that car has been in the family since it was brand new. I remember as a kid about 16, when Dad drove up in the driveway in that car and we all thought it was someone else. It was the first "brand new" company car he had, and certainly the first new car in the family. After the lease was up, dad bought it from the company.
It has seen lots of the country. We've taken several trips out West to New Mexico visiting relatives. Many trips to Texas visiting. It's been to Rochester, NY several times visiting family. We've gone into Canada with it sight-seeing. When it was a company car it saw some of Mexico just across the border. That car has seen lots of blacktop.
I remember our old-school mechanic (who had been working on mom's Nova) didn't like it at all. He said it had "a computer" and it would be behind a tow truck before the warranty was out. It has NEVER been behind a tow truck. Every failure has been close enough to home and the car would still run to some degree, or it was fixed where it was broken down. (Things like alternators, belt tensioner, etc.)
The fuel pump went out once and I got it to run one more time by banging on the tank. Drove it straight home and changed the pump. That was the closest it came to a tow truck in all its life.
When the transmission failed at 330,000 miles, it would still run in manual second and mom made it home from town.
It's been in 2 wrecks, one when mom was delivering Meals on Wheels to some local people, a neighbor of one of the people she visits backed into the right rear door and ruined it. Had to replace the door. Then someone in an Acura NSX rear-ended her and the bumper had to be replaced. (you should have seen the mangled-up Acura... nasty)
Dad paid $5000 for the car when he bought it from the lease company. It has not had a payment since and has given this service. I don't feel bad spending money to rebuild the engine. New cars are so high now and this one gets such good mileage, it would be foolish to do anything else.

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

I know for a fact, 99.9% certain my mom's car has never had wheelbearings.

All bearings & grease & seals are not the same; GM contracts with vendors...so, your mileage may vary...especially, if you live on rural roads (dusty), the dirt will absorb grease, and shorten lifespan.

Sealed bearings have come a long way since timken bearings...but I have replaced these units on vehicles with less than 118,000 miles, on older vehicles.

When the grease evaporates, it leaves a clay residue, which does not lubricate the balls...then its a matter of time/mileage.

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

....my mom's LeSabre has 370,000 on all 4 original bearings!

Check them too....wheel bearings go out....that's why most all auto houses have them in stock in my area....and yes, I've head of 3.8 motors going 350,000 miles without overhaul...but the ones I know of were "over the road" miles.

I've showed this pic before, but this 1987 3.8 I bought had a locked up motor at some 117,000 miles on it, due to Nylon Cam gear sending bits of nylon into oil pan, which the bypass opened up (below support strap) and motor's rods/mains got squeezed on oil supply and locked up.

[IMG][/IMG]

[85_Ciera_Rebuild]

...old-school mechanic...didn't like it at all. He said it had "a computer" and it would be behind a tow truck before the warranty was out....

Back around 1979, at one GM school in Kansas City, the instructor informed the mechanics that the days of throwing parts at it are over, when it comes to these new electronic engines.

Needless to say, over the years since then, consumers lost tons of coins by by mechanics who couldn't trouble shoot computer controlled engines...and still do today.

Old school mechanic just means someone who didn't put the effort into learning. But, when you had points/carb, trouble shooting is easy...fewer components to fail.

If you understand engine basics, and understand that computers normally take input information (sensors) and coverts that to output devices (e.g. fuel timing, egr, etc), then you have a sense of what's happening. But, for DIY, we don't always have the right tools or a scanner to see what's happening, and OEMs do not always fully explain what is happening in the circuits.

For instance, I have not got a scanner program yet for my 88 Beretta, which if I did have it going, I would be looking at the IAC valve to see if it changes position when the key is turned on. After it is warmed up, it wants to stall with a warm start....so, it could be several reasons for this, but unless you have some data, it can be a PIA to figure out where the problem is. There's the rub....not knowing what the computer is doing.

[turbokinetic]

Nasty oil pickup!!!! I hate it when that happens. On my 84 Century, I changed that awful nylon gear just in time. It was starting to crack and fail but I got it before it stripped.
Anyway about the old-school guys. Yes I agree. They have no desire to learn about the ECM systems or electronic transmissions. They talk of the ECM like it is a thinking creature with a will to defy them, even after being trained and told how it works and that it is only a "box" that follows instructions. It is really sad.
My dad got a used 1995 Olds Aurora, with the 4.0V8 and 4T80 transmission. It had a "welded clutch" and the Olds place would sell him a reman transmission for nearly $2000. It would start and stay in 3rd and the SES lamp was on. I had him take it back and get the codes read, the tech said it had a "blown tranny code" but never did tell dad the code number.
Knowing this is a jackass answer I started looking for scan sotwares that would work with the Aurora. In 95 it has a half-breed scan interface that no one supports except a few high-end tools. I decided on Ease Diagnostics. It works but it is too "kiddie-fied." Before you can use the program, you actually have to click away a warning screen about looking at the computer while driving and wrecking; and exhaust fumes in a closed garage.
BUT it has some good points. it supports real-time datalogging and DTC reading on the Aurora and all my other ALDL cars. Plus the interface hardwre is ALDL, OBD1.5, and OBDII compatible.
The codes for the transmission were for bad shifting solenoids. When I took the pan down, the sonenoids had broken off. There was an update kit with 2 new solenoids and a different clip to support them to keep them from breaking.
So the "blown tranny" and "welded clutch" was actually a $50 factory-recommended update that the same dealer had IN STOCK. It took an hour for me to install.
In this day and age everything is getting more and more electronic. The equipment I work on is no exception. We've got at least 5 different interface boxes and software programs.
You wouldn't beleive the bone-headed questions that some of my co-workers ask. These people are factory-trained professionals (just like I am) and they lack basic knowlege about electric circuits and diesel engines.
Right now I'm in a hotel 4 hours from home. I drove down to Mobile, AL to repair 2 machines with electrical problems. The first one came from the factory and ran one time. Then it shoots the fuse for ECM and other major electronics.
Spent at least an hour on phone with customer trying to diagnose it but had to make a service call anyway. A piece of optional, dealer-installed hydraulic equipment had been installed with a hose crushing and grounding out the wiring to a hydraulic pressure switch.
http://68.209.87.173/Temp/MVC-001Fann.JPG
The second machine had no front-end lights. There is a manual-reset Buss Hi-Amp breaker for the front end lights, and in spite of the detailed explanation the operator was unable to press the reset button. He had inadvertently pressed the manual-trip button at some point this week.
Oh well this is job security. Sorry to rant and rave.
Hopefully will get my 84 Century running this weekend. The turbo repair parts were delivered today according to UPS tracking.
Later,
David