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 “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb The gently caress is this? 2000 Chevy S10 V6 5-speed w/180k miles. Blue. Named it Hercules (dad's nickname in high school). Much back story below. 4 years ago, my '97 Nissan Maxima's alternator died at the same time that the strut mounts blew up, the rear fender rusted off, the ignition switch found a permanent home outside of the steering column, and the tires went bald. Dad told then-26-year-old me that the car sucks and isn't worth repairing, so let's go get me a truck. He put the up the $1,800 for the 2000 S10 V6 you see above, making me its 4th owner. He refused repayment from me stating the cars that his dad had bought him when he was my age. We bought it with a misfiring 4th cylinder. The dude from whom 2 years later, the fuel pump went and died in the parking lot at work. It was a slow death and would sometimes fire-up, other times not. I looked into what it would take to replace it, and even if I did get that running, the brakes were failing, the transmission had developed a slip when you get it over 2 grand, little red puddles were forming underneath the parked truck, and a bunch of other nonsense. I decided fuckit, I have a big-boy job now, so why not have a modest car payment? I was plumb out of PTO to fix the truck, so I towed it 90 miles to my dad's house and parked it. In the trees. For a year and a half. There it sat, gathering spiders, squirrels, and the ire of my step-mom. Six months ago, the fuel pump needed to be fixed so that we could get it out of the trees and sell the darn thing. Pops and I spent a weekend getting the thing in running shape, so I drove it back to the house my girlfriend and I had just bought and slapped it on craigslist. It's been up there ever since, and I just took it down today. Why? I became an uncle about six months ago and decided that since the only heirloom vehicles we have in the family are tractors, that my little nephew might be interested in a 31 year-old pick-up when he's finally able to drive. I'm also tired of living vicariously through Roadkill, so I thought I'd get my hands dirty. TL;DR: I want to give my nephew my truck in 16 years, but it needs to make it there and beyond. And be cool. What's the sitrep? Here's a screenshot of my Trello board for this bad boy. I wouldn't get anywhere without it:  It's not in order as far as what needs to be fixed when. I'm sure some of you more knowledgeable types are giggling at this dumb list and what I've left off. That's fine, I know I'm new at this and am probably doing it wrong.
What've you done lately? Well, I found out why the brakes squeaked and barely worked:   I had planned on replacing just the pads, then I saw the condition of the rotors and thought that putting new brake pads against those rotors would be a profoundly dumb thing to do. The A/C got recharged today, so I'm ready for the "feels like 100 degrees" weekend. I'm also happy that this truck, unlike my 2002 VW Golf, only needed a recharge and not an entire A/C system replacement. What's next? If I'm very lucky, I'll be able to get the u-joint replaced this weekend, along with the synchromesh fluid in the tranny. Not sure if I'll have time; a friend is coming over so we can put coilovers on his 2009 VW GTI. Bonus content Under the hood:   Garage/modest tool collection/neat old clock I found in grandpa's shed:     Disclaimer I don't know what I'm talking about since I'm not a mechanic, merely a tinkerer. I'll probably goof up some terminology and the names of parts, please correct me. My ex-mechanic-turned-preacher dad talked me out of going into car repair so instead I started a career in IT. I hate it here, but the pay's okay. This is obviously a huge project that I'm undertaking on my own, with very little experience, so don't expect daily updates or anything.
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Jul 16, 2015 19:48
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I foresee your tool collection growing in the near future... Also, being a manual transmission, it definitely isn't slipping. The clutch is probably worn out, so I would change that instead of cracking open the trans. Change the fluid in the trans anyways, just as a preventative maintenance measure. Unless of course the trans is leaking from everywhere, then go nuts.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:03
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lolricecamrylol posted:I foresee your tool collection growing in the near future... Thanks for the transmission tips. I'm pretty sure I'm using "slipping" in the wrong sense of the word, but that's kinda what it feels like when it happens. I'll be checking out the clutch, for sure. The only things that are leaking, that I can see, are the lower intake manifold and the oil coolant lines (I think). I'll review the recommended service list that I received the last time this thing was in a shop.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:17
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Basically, if it revs without accelerating while in gear with your foot off of the clutch, then the clutch is slipping, not the trans. Get it up to about 40mph in 4th gear, then stand on the gas. If it feels like the engine free revs, then you need a clutch. Also, check for leaks underneath where the transmission mates with the engine. If there is oil there, it may be coming from the transmission input seal or the engine rear main seal. Either one is not good for the clutch, as it is a dry friction plate that WILL slip when contaminated with oil.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:24
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I'm in for the ride! When are you going to tell this kid that it's his truck if he wants it? I assume it won't be this year. Have you done a u-joint before? It's not too bad of a job, but you need to be deliberate and patient when putting the new one in so the needle bearings don't go all fucky and sideways.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:27
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lolricecamrylol posted:Basically, if it revs without accelerating while in gear with your foot off of the clutch, then the clutch is slipping, not the trans. Astonishing Wang posted:I'm in for the ride! When are you going to tell this kid that it's his truck if he wants it? I assume it won't be this year.  I'm gonna tell his dad (my brother) what I'm up to and see how that goes.I have not done a u-joint, so I'm thankful for the input! Cursory googling has informed me that a MAPP torch might be required, but only if it has nylon retaining clips or whatever. We'll see! I'm planning on taking welding courses next spring/summer, too, so that might come in handy.
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Jul 16, 2015 20:34
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I saw you were looking at maybe getting some parts at a local yard. Mine has a few S10s and S10 Blazers of that vintage if you're looking for anything on the smaller side. Best of luck man. We're here to help.
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Jul 16, 2015 21:34
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Update! Spoke with my brother and he laughed at the idea of this truck making it another 16 years. He also decided that his kid ought to buy his own car so that he doesn't treat it like garbage the way we did when we were younger. So there's that. Murphy's Law states that when you finally pull your truck off craigslist, some bozo will send you a text that same day asking if it's still for sale, but only after you've made up your mind to keep it. This bozo turns out to be on my roller derby league and wants the truck. He lives less than a mile from me, so since the gift to the nephew plan is out, the best-case scenario is that I sell Hecules to my buddy. I told him that if he buys the parts and the beer, I'll supply the labor, which seems pretty normal for this kinda thing. He's a homebrewer and he's very good at it. lolricecamrylol posted:Basically, if it revs without accelerating while in gear with your foot off of the clutch, then the clutch is slipping, not the trans. Boaz MacPhereson posted:I saw you were looking at maybe getting some parts at a local yard. Mine has a few S10s and S10 Blazers of that vintage if you're looking for anything on the smaller side. Best of luck man. We're here to help.
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Jul 17, 2015 17:02
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 You, and other crazies learning to work on old cars for the first time, are the lifeblood of AI. Keep rollin with the updates, bud!
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Jul 24, 2015 15:19
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Adiabatic posted:
UPDATE Coilover on my friend's GTI install took 10 hours, an angle grinder, and a mere three trips to the parts store. The angle grinder was used to cut the bolt holding the stabilizer bar link to the control arm after I broke one triple square bit and stripped another. We were happier than pigs in poo poo when we were done, but that left me no time to apply my skills to poor Hercules. Front license plates are required on all vehicles in Minnesota. I have a $108 ticket proving it. The front bumper got torn off in an unfortunate parking lot incident so it's parked in the garage until such time that I can find the other license plate and wire it up somehow to the truck. I spoke too soon regarding the air conditioning. That fucker started blowing hot after just 3 days. The Valvoline instant oil change folks (I'm scared of refrigerant, okay?) told me that the work is guaranteed, so I brought it back in. They couldn't find any leaks, just like last time, charged it up, and I'm fully expecting it to leak out again. I voiced these concerns to the tech who seemed sympathetic (seems like a common trick) and agreed with me. VIOC can't give me my money back, but if I get the system fixed (  ) he'll recharge it for nothing no matter when I bring it in. He suggested that I try fixing the fittings first, but only after the thing blows hot again.The u-joint is loving. Stubborn. I'm not talking about the clips, which I suspect are nylon, I can't even get the driveshaft out. It's this long two-piece deal with a center support bracket which I've removed to make sure I can slide this thing back toward the trans. I tried prying it loose with my BSSS (Big lovely Slotted Screwdriver) but it wouldn't budge. After wrenching on it for 15 minutes and putting a slight angle in my BSSS, I hosed it down with PB Blaster and will be taking another crack at it this evening.
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Jul 24, 2015 20:05
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Yay, another GM 4.3L, the engine that loving sucks in every department but will never die because they're bulletproof. I've seriously seen those engines north of 400k and still limping along, refusing to die a dignified death. Dollars to doughnuts you're leaking refrigerant through the high-side port, but you need to charge the system along with some dye and run a UV light over the engine compartment to confirm it. If it is, you can unscrew it (very carefully, don't kink the aluminum line) and replace it, along with the dryer, and then read and apply everything in Motronic's A/C thread to vac and refill the system. Be not afraid of the refrigerant! If the driveshaft is constructed how I think, soak the front slip yoke in penetrating oil overnight, then put a prybar (a real prybar, not a screwdriver) between the U-joint and the differential yoke, apply firm pressure, and gently tap it forward with a hammer to loosen it. It may help to jack the rear up and set the frame on jackstands so the rear axle is hanging free, giving you a little more distance between the diff and trans. And yes, you will have to torch the nylock inserts out to change the U-joints, just apply heat until they melt and catch on fire. Also note: the ignition switch was faulty on S-10s from 1996 through 2001, it makes bad internal contacts that act like any number of intermittent electrical gremlins, including a failing fuel pump. The general first symptom is that the key won't turn all the way back to lock because it can't read the circuit off of the neutral interlock switch anymore. It's worth replacing. Also, when you did the fuel pump, I hope you replaced the wiring pigtail too, because the major cause of fuel pump failure in these is a corroded pigtail.
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Jul 25, 2015 16:03
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rndmnmbr posted:Yay, another GM 4.3L, the engine that loving sucks in every department but will never die because they're bulletproof. I've seriously seen those engines north of 400k and still limping along, refusing to die a dignified death. The tech at VIOC mentioned checking the high pressure port, along with the fact that VIOC stuff has the dye in it. I'm gonna go check out that thread. I will fear no refrigerant! We replaced the pigtail because we got the cheapo pump from RockAuto which didn't come with a generic, wire-it-yourself connector. After doing all that, we wrapped it up and zip-tied both ends so that (fingers crossed) no moisture will get in. When we yanked the old fuel pump and put in the new one, everything fired up right away, but I'll still replace that ignition switch since I'm familiar with that kinda thing. Thanks a bunch for the input! I'm looking forward to buying a MAPP gas torch 
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Jul 26, 2015 01:08
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Just remember that the Rotsun has never made it to the end of an episode in running condition. I have yet to replace the ignition switch in my '97 S10 Blazer because I'm broke as hell, but it's the first thing on the list to do. I loving hate this piece of poo poo, but it's what I've got, thank you rear end in a top hat who stole my '92 Dakota That Could Not Die. Being that he also stole all of my deceased grandfather's tools out of the toolbox too, and stuck me with another POS S10, I hope he dies of venereal diseases caught while giving blowjobs in the streets to feed his starving children.
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Jul 26, 2015 07:27
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Does yours still have the piece of poo poo ignition column where you have to disassemble half the loving thing from the wheel down to replace the ignition switch, and the entire thing just to tighten the mounting screws? Or did they go to a less pants-on-head retarded design with the rounded body style?
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Jul 26, 2015 08:25
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Enourmo posted:less pants-on-head retarded design Ahahaha, no. You've always had to disassemble half the steering column to change the ignition switch in a GM truck platform, even as far back as the early C/K series. And trust me, the rounded body style is only more pants-on-head retarded in every single way, they just kept adding more horrible poo poo to gently caress with every refresh, like they were in a competition with VAG or something.
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Jul 26, 2015 16:34
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This fucker will not budge. Rear yoke/u-joint with the bolts and straps removed:  Center support bracket with bolts removed (not stuck):  Where the driveshaft meets the trans:  What am I doing wrong? I've been soaking the rear u-joint and trans connecting area in PB Blaster every day for the last 3 days. In the first picture, you can kind of see some yellow flecks from my new 18" pry bar and it isn't doing loving poo poo. I'm ready to drop the rear assembly and torch the fucker outta there with it still attached. gently caress.
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Jul 27, 2015 14:53
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Is the ujoint still attached at the transmission? I can't really tell if that one has straps or bolts or what. Does it LOOK like prying should work? Is there a slip section in the driveshaft that looks like it should be able to compress with your prying against the joint? Does the center support piece have completely free movement or is it still bound in some way? Astonishing Wang fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Jul 27, 2015 |
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Jul 27, 2015 17:01
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Astonishing Wang posted:Is the ujoint still attached at the transmission? I can't really tell if that one has straps or bolts or what. quote:Does it LOOK like prying should work? Is there a slip section in the driveshaft that looks like it should be able to compress with your prying against the joint? Does the center support piece have completely free movement or is it still bound in some way?
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Jul 27, 2015 17:17
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Beat on that old grimy fucker with a hammer, then Pry More Harder.
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Jul 27, 2015 17:42
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Adiabatic posted:Beat on that old grimy fucker with a hammer, then Pry More Harder. I think this is all there is.
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Jul 27, 2015 17:43
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I better hit the weights. Is the flange thingy in any danger from my prying? I'm using that for leverage.
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Jul 27, 2015 17:47
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Nah. From the look of the flakes, you're prying in the right place. Do it on both sides, alternating. Beat the fucker on the actual u-joint, into the yoke. Hopefully that will break it loose. It ain't gonna get more stuck. It also may be time to consider air hammers.
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Jul 27, 2015 17:56
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Adiabatic posted:It also may be time to consider air hammers. Get the rear axle jacked up and throw your tranny in neutral. Then you can rotate it around hitting every side. An air hammer will make short work of it.
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Jul 27, 2015 18:29
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Really beat the sides hard and try to mostly hit the u joint. Since its being replaced it can take a breaking. Just avoid hitting the drive shaft or the yoke. And buy a big pry bar or big rod of steel and just pry the poo poo out of it. Theres a reason most professional mechanics have a three to four foot prybar.
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Jul 27, 2015 19:35
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http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/pry-bars/3-pc-pry-bar-set-68339.html Use the big one and the biggest hammer you can swing. If most things dont loosen up with that combo, it either becomes heat, press, or destroy time.
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Jul 27, 2015 19:46
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It looks to me like the slip yoke is pretty much already all the way into the transmission, and it's probably rusted to all gently caress anyways if one of the PO's or the factory didn't put a dab of grease on it the last time it was out. I'd still jack it up by the frame and let the rear end droop as much as it could to give him a bit more travel. And beat the gently caress out of it.
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Jul 28, 2015 00:44
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UPDATE I've heeded the advice of all of you and  I couldn't believe it when it finally fell off. Sitting here an hour later I still can't believe it's not attached to the truck. Just needed a whole lot of wanton yanking and prying and so on. Anyhoo, I got the thing off, and found out that the next step requires a vice much larger than the one I have:   The vice as you see it is as wide as it will open, but then I had a thought that could go around both the narrow vice AND the nylon retaining rings...  It's not the greatest idea, but it's the only one I have and I hate stopping in the middle of a project to go get the CORRECT tools.  Now I'll be able to fit each side into my vice and press it out using the large-socket-and-smaller-socket method. It's really rusty and isn't really going anywhere, but I'm sure I can make it work  As a bonus, I noticed while under the truck that my driver's side rear shock no longer has an effective bushing, so I get to add that to the list. scuz fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Aug 2, 2015 |
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Aug 2, 2015 20:27
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Jörmungandr, the World Vise posted:
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Aug 2, 2015 21:22
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To scared to beat them out with a hammer and a good solid bar of metal? That's my favorite way of getting old u joints out. It works all the time you just have to be careful and watch what you whack or have a whole drive shaft to replace.
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Aug 2, 2015 23:27
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UPDATE!SouthsideSaint posted:To scared to beat them out with a hammer and a good solid bar of metal? That's my favorite way of getting old u joints out. It works all the time you just have to be careful and watch what you whack or have a whole drive shaft to replace.  . Now it looks like this: Drove it around the block and I'm pronouncing it road worthy. The rumble at all speeds has gone and so is the loud CLUNKing noise when shifting gears. I think the stuttering problem that I mentioned further up the thread is not a drive train problem but an engine problem I mean poo poo, it might have to do with the distributor cuz I'm not sure whether I put that back correctly.
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Aug 8, 2015 01:40
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 UPDATE! The truck has been sold. It was sold a while ago, like a couple days after I fixed the u-joint in the above post, I just never posted about it. I'm sad that the truck is gone, but its funds went a long way in resolving some ancient debts that Teenage Scuz racked-up with his relatives. I see Hercules every once in a while, and he's running strong. His new owner is a friend of mine (the roller derby guy from earlier in the thread), so I get homebrew and he gets work done, if he ever decides to get anything fixed. He reports that the A/C is working just fine now (of course it is), the parking brake doesn't work, and there's a power steering leak. From the sounds of things, he's not gonna get anything done on the truck besides oil changes and top off the fluids after they all leak out, so this project isn't so much completed as it is on hiatus, likely forever. Tune in next
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Oct 7, 2015 15:24
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