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Woolwich Bagnet
Apr 27, 2003



It's red. You have an obligation to buy it if you haven't already done so.

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Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
YES

Though your truck might be faster :v:

CAT INTERCEPTOR
Nov 9, 2004

Basically a male Margaret Thatcher

IOwnCalculus posted:

I needed another car to work on, right?



You clearly thought car piles like I have is a good idea

Narrator : Its not

(Do it anyway!)

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




IOwnCalculus posted:

I needed another car to work on, right?



Nice! Buddy has one and I still can't get over that it doesn't have a trunk/hatch. Pretty cars though, no question.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Beach Bum posted:

YES

Though your truck might be faster :v:

Seeing as the truck is (in a straight line) the fastest vehicle I've ever owned or am likely to own in the foreseeable future, that isn't saying much :v:

Now, the fact that the CR-V or TJ would leave it in the dust is a different story. But (at least for now) I have no plans to try and add significant power to the GT. The performance per dollar on the Opel engine is hilariously bad. If I ever blow it up, then maybe it'd be time to look at tiny engine swaps.

Short term is figure out a wheel / tire situation to get it home, since I don't want to pay $200 to rent a Uhaul and a trailer, and it desperately needs tires anyway. After that it's going to be catching up on delayed maintenance and mild restoration work. New lenses, interior cleaning, poo poo like that.

randomidiot
May 12, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 11 years!)

Didn't you or your wife have one of these at one point?

Boaz MacPhereson
Jul 11, 2006

Day 12045 Ht10hands 180lbs
No Name
No lumps No Bumps Full life Clean
Two good eyes No Busted Limbs
Piss OK Genitals intact
Multiple scars Heals fast
O NEGATIVE HI OCTANE
UNIVERSAL DONOR
Lone Road Warrior Rundown
on the Powder Lakes V8
No guzzoline No supplies
ISOLATE PSYCHOTIC
Keep muzzled...
Pretty sure he did. Another case of replacing the One That Got Away. :allears:

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Yup. She bought a 73 GT on eBay in what must have been 2002 or 2003. We flew to LA and drove it home without any drama. The first drive the next day, it cut a tire and the fuel pump fell off.

It was fun but it was a very rough example, with a ton of Bondo and quite a bit of rust. Bought (and sold) it for about half of what I'm paying for this one.

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen
A 16v Swift GTi engine and Samurai trans drops right in, I've heard

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010
Oh poo poo, I thought it was a C3 Corvette (phone screen!).

Even more definitely yes now that I know what it is!

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Dagen H posted:

A 16v Swift GTi engine and Samurai trans drops right in, I've heard

Surely he has time to do another swap, right? :v:

If I end up in that boat I'd look at similar. Ideal would be a 1.0 Ecoboost but they're pretty rare and seemingly undocumented. Honda L15, if it fits :dadjoke: would be a riot.

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010

IOwnCalculus posted:

Surely he has time to do another swap, right? :v:

If I end up in that boat I'd look at similar. Ideal would be a 1.0 Ecoboost but they're pretty rare and seemingly undocumented. Honda L15, if it fits :dadjoke: would be a riot.

You can also get a supercharger for an L15 :getin:

Poisonlizard
Apr 1, 2007

IOwnCalculus posted:


If I end up in that boat I'd look at similar. Ideal would be a 1.0 Ecoboost but they're pretty rare and seemingly undocumented. Honda L15, if it fits :dadjoke: would be a riot.

This would be amazing! I'll toss in :20bux: to make it happen.

Elmnt80
Dec 30, 2012


Ford has an aftermarket control module for the 2.0 ecobutt for swaps. I'd bet it could run a 1.0 ecobutt easily enough. Just promise you'll have the tiniest front mount intercooler. :kimchi:

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Need to get the garage cleaned out, one way to do that is to get parts on cars.



Definitely easier to install than the ones on the WJ. Might need to shim the front tub mounts or just replace them, though.

Of course I had to get up at the asscrack of dawn to do this, and now it's 108 on the way to 112 today. Might do the front brakes tonight if the driveway cools down from "surface of the sun" before it gets too late.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Threw new pads and rotors on. It clearly had gotten a pad-only job relatively recently in life, since they still had a lot of meat left and relatively little dirt buildup. Rotors had a decent bit of rust scaling on the hubs.

Went to bed them in and while I've fixed the tendency to jump right under braking, now it has a soft pedal. Never had that happen without opening the hydraulic system. It's probably overdue for a flush anyway.

Even with the soft pedal I was able to get them toasty hot, so they're definitely burned in now.

Beach Bum
Jan 13, 2010

IOwnCalculus posted:

Threw new pads and rotors on. It clearly had gotten a pad-only job relatively recently in life, since they still had a lot of meat left and relatively little dirt buildup. Rotors had a decent bit of rust scaling on the hubs.

Went to bed them in and while I've fixed the tendency to jump right under braking, now it has a soft pedal. Never had that happen without opening the hydraulic system. It's probably overdue for a flush anyway.

Even with the soft pedal I was able to get them toasty hot, so they're definitely burned in now.

The brakes on my 2000 CRV as bought were loving terrifying. I could slam the pedal to the floor, and I might, might get the fronts to lock up. I flushed some truly horrendous poo poo out of the brake system with the power bleeder, and it was a night and day difference. I'm pretty sure the brake fluid in there was at least 5 years old.

Brake flush should be right up there with oil and coolant that's one of those things you just oughta do when you buy a used car. A quart of DOT3/4 is so cheap you really can't lose unless you have undeniable proof it was just recently done.

Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 10:51 on Jun 30, 2019

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





I've got speed bleeders sitting ready for the TJ. It's much better when the fluid isn't scorching hot, which tells me it's overdue for new fluid in a bad way. If they end up being as painless as I hope I'll buy a set for everything else too.

Swapped a Honda blower motor into the CR-V air conditioning. The cheap aftermarket one I put in a few years back must have developed a bad winding since every once in a while it wouldn't start until you smacked it. I've also had two instances where the computer wouldn't engage the compressor, which I hope is just it having a failsafe for when the fan doesn't work.

Opel is delayed by a week, since the seller apparently never bothered to check the title against the car until a week post auction. They're getting that square with the AZ MVD this week and I'll pick it up next Saturday.

Also swapped some LED taillights - with side markers added - onto the TJ. I still might dig out the CHMSL light wiring that the PO apparently lopped off and tucked somewhere when installing the tire carrier, but there's no doubt about anyone seeing the light from these.

opengl
Sep 16, 2010

Speed bleeders are amazing, I’ll never do it any other way. Never had luck with mityvac type devices, but the speed bleeders are dead simple.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003







A progress has been made.

I finally finished unbolting the old upper A-arm brackets and gave the frame underneath a quick wire wheeling / spray bomb. Bolted up the passenger side bracket temporarily and took out a 4.5" hole. Called it good for the night after that because my poor old M18 compact drill was scorching hot afterwards and nearly let the smoke out. As it is I think the speed selector jammed.

We'll see if it survives an identical hole on the driver's side tomorrow night.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





IOwnCalculus posted:

We'll see if it survives an identical hole on the driver's side tomorrow night.

In case anyone was wondering, the answer is no. RIP Mil-eh-wau-kay 2601-20, got halfway through the other hole and got roasty hot and started throwing bits of fan or motor or something out the vents. Now to see what I can get my hands on at a reasonable price and timeline.

Also, just to gently caress with me, need to replace some of the grub screws and the boot on the steering shaft I put together years ago. Had to remove the shaft to make room for the drill and one of the grub screws stripped right the gently caress out.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





New drill showed up today, finished the job that killed the old one in about a minute. Then spent some time removing the frame bracket for the clutch linkage, since if/when this truck goes back to a stick it will have a hydraulic clutch.

No photos because I was also fighting off a loving swarm of some bitey gnats I've never seen before. Getting mosquito bites is nothing new for me when working out there, especially since I never feel them until hours later when they start itching. Whatever these fuckers are, they hurt.

Barring some possible cleanup grinding / hammering / painting, and one more much smaller hole drilled on each side, I'm finally at the point where I can start installing poo poo semi permanently. After fiddling around with the included hardware for long enough, I decided to order some nordlocks to go on everything, but I may need to assemble things at least once before they arrive.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





So.

Runs and drives = won't crank
Fuel system = Roadkilled antifreeze jug behind the driver's seat and a clacker fuel pump
Shifter = stuck in either R1/2 or 3/4

So, glad I got a trailer, but now I'm sitting in a parking lot in Tucson, waiting for roadside assistance because one of the trailer tires picked up a goddamn nail.

Powershift
Nov 23, 2009


Have you tried turning it off and then back on again?

The tire, i mean, if it's one of those smart tires you just turn it off for 8 seconds, then on for 3 seconds, then off for 8 seconds, then on for 3 seconds, then off for 8 seconds, then on for 3 seconds, then off for 8 seconds, then on for 3 seconds, then off for 8 seconds, then on again. That is assuming it's on the newest firmware.



For real though, stay safe, i hear the rough part of Tucson is.......Tucson

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Lesson learned on Uhaul. If you get a leaky tire, don't waste time heading to a Uhaul location to have them swap a spare on a loaded trailer because they won't do it. Once the roadside assistance showed up he had it swapped in five minutes tops.

I wouldn't call any part of Tucson truly rough, but then again I lost track of how many bikes I had stolen when I lived there, and once chased off some blatantly obvious car thieves.



Driveway is a busy place now. And yes, I could probably overlap the TJ and the GT by nearly a foot, and the first contact would likely be TJ tires to GT bumper.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





I'm thinking there's a non-zero chance I way overpaid for this Opel, but... gently caress it, it's pretty and the body is solid.

I've only been able to work on it in spurts between the combination of crazy heat and my own frustration, but the starter is definitely getting a shitload of power, since the ground cable will actually get warm to the touch. There's a big clunk out of the solenoid, and then nothing. At this point that leaves me with the following possibilities:

*The starter wiring is hosed somewhere, somehow
*The starter is hosed
*The engine is seized

I'm going to try and spin the engine over tonight. Might try just pulling the plugs and pushing the car in gear, might pull the radiator to get a socket on the crank pulley. If the engine isn't seized then I'll pull the starter and order parts to build some new battery cables.

If it's seized... then engine swap plans may need to happen much sooner than anticipated. I just wish I could find any information on bolting any RWD gearbox to a Honda L15 other than the adapter they offer to bolt it up to Hewland Formula Ford gearboxes. I'd settle for similar info on any other modern, widely available tiny four cylinder... GM 1.4L, Ford 1.6L, etc. Something I can grab out of a yard for cheap.

IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Jul 16, 2019

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen
GM 1.4/AR5? Hmmm...

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





I can't find poo poo on what bellhousing pattern the tiny Ecotecs use, but yeah that paired with an AR5 would even be slightly appropriate. Especially since AR5s are dirt loving cheap.

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen
Wikipedia suggests that the 2.4L Malibu and 1.4L Cruze/Sonic shared an automatic transaxle, so it's certainly plausible that they share a bellhousing pattern. Nothing concrete, though.

Dagen H
Mar 19, 2009

Hogertrafikomlaggningen
How big is a 13B?

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Dagen H posted:

Wikipedia suggests that the 2.4L Malibu and 1.4L Cruze/Sonic shared an automatic transaxle, so it's certainly plausible that they share a bellhousing pattern. Nothing concrete, though.

Turns out someone has made the 1.4L turbo work in a Locost using a T5 out of a 98-99 2.2L Isuzu Rodeo/Amigo. Downside is that the engine is still fairly tall, and is only available with a front sump oil pan.

Amusingly enough... it seems like that might even actually be the same bellhousing pattern as the Opel CIH, since the 2.2L in said Isuzu is the Opel X22XE. And that transmission can be had for $200-$500 all day long, unlike the Getrag 240 that goes for $2k. Need to look into that more since the transmission is probably going to come out to sort out the shifter anyway.

Based on a limited bit more farting around, I think a more realistic modern engine swap candidate would be one of the Ford Sigma engines - 1.0T, 1.6, 1.6T, in conjunction with a bellhousing adapter and a NC/RX8 gearbox. But I don't know that I need to go this route yet.

So, minor but very significant progress tonight:

IOwnCalculus posted:

*The starter wiring is hosed somewhere, somehow
*The starter is hosed
*The engine is seized

Wiring: Possible but not as likely.
Starter: If it wasn't before, it started smoking a bit tonight.
Engine: Not seized! :woop: There's fuckall room between the engine and the radiator but I was just able to sneak a 19mm wrench in there to confirm that the engine was not totally seized. Then I pulled the plugs (which are obviously very old, but otherwise good - no fouling, no damage), popped it in what I think is fourth, and gave it a shove... spins over fine. Big sigh of relief on that one.

So now I need to order a new starter. I can get a direct replacement for $50ish plus shipping, but OGTS sells a "new design" for 4x as much which is stronger and lighter. As far as I know it's a stock Opel starter for a later 2.4L CIH engine, which never came to the US, so I should be able to cross-reference and possibly find it for a lot less.

Edit: According to this it looks like it cross references to, of all things, the starter for a '93 Saab 900. Good old incestuous GM.

IOwnCalculus fucked around with this message at 08:37 on Jul 18, 2019

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




My buddy has a GT and has talked swaps before. Looks difficult with the constraints to me. Any plans for the suspension? I was always dumbfounded about the transverse leaves in front and figured that would further complicate things.

Glad the engine is ok, even if you're already talking about other options. :v:

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





If the engine is good enough for now, I'm not going to rip it out anytime soon.

Yeah, GTs are super space constrained. The CIH isn't much larger than a pushrod engine, and most truly modern engines are taller and wider.

The absolute largest engine swap I've seen in one without major sheet metal work is a 2L Zetec. There's a few 60 degree V6 swaps but those require firewall cutting. Since this GT is relatively solid and I have no bodywork skills, any swap I do I'd rather not cut to accommodate.

Suspension, probably just a refresh at first.

DJ Commie
Feb 29, 2004

Stupid drivers always breaking car, Gronk fix car...
The Nissan CD007 is surprisingly small for a strong 6 speed, and adapters are getting common. Maybe that's an option

Suburban Dad
Jan 10, 2007


Well what's attached to a leash that it made itself?
The punchline is the way that you've been fuckin' yourself




DJ Commie posted:

The Nissan CD007 is surprisingly small for a strong 6 speed, and adapters are getting common. Maybe that's an option

CD009 is the latest and greatest, IIRC. I don't think it's any bigger, either.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Strong is not really much of a concern, since it's not like a CIH is capable of big power. I'd wager the CDxxx boxes have their shifter way far back and/or are long overall anyway. Between the short length of the car and the torque tube on the rear axle, the driveshafts look about as stubby as some CJ5 shafts, even with something short like a T5 out of a 4.0 S197 Mustang.

At any rate, getting the thing started is still job 1. Turns out I was not onto something with the Saab starter - while it is exceedingly similar to the Opel starter in almost every dimension, the bolt holes that mount it are slightly too small, and more importantly, one is just plain in the wrong spot. A shame because it looks like everything else about it is drat near the same.

I did re-terminate every wire at the starter other than the battery cable itself, which I'll end up just replacing wholesale soon enough. Now to see if there's any other chance of finding the updated gear-reduction starter through a more normal channel.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Further research on the starter: it seems that the compatible Saab unit is one for the V6, not the 4cyl Saabs. Which is even more expensive new than the one from OpelGTSource.

Ordered a stock replacement from Rockauto for $55 shipped. Hauled the old one into AutoZone for shits and grins - it didn't do anything but clunk on their tester either.

I might order a Saab V6 starter from a junkyard at some point, but right now I just want this thing to at least move under its own power first.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





C10 progress:

Driver's side:


Basically ready for arms and the coilover.

Passenger side:


All holes drilled but nothing mounted yet.

The only annoying things about this kit are the duplicate hardware - they included both individual nuts and welded nut plates for the same fasteners - and the fact that it appears to be built assuming the engine towers are still riveted to the frame. C10s of this vintage have three holes in the upper frame rails for the towers, and this kit needs a hole drilled in the side of the frame directly beneath the center one (which is used in all configurations). But with anything larger than a rivet head in the frame, the side bolt would foul on the top bolt.

Not a huge deal - just drilled another hole through the towers and frame and moved that bolt about an inch forward.

I'm also using nordlocks and/or red loctite on nearly every bolt I touch.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





So back to the TJ - today I had to do a hard stop from highway speeds and discovered that the brakes were fading at the end of that single stop. Fuuuuuuuck that.

Went to install the speed bleeders tonight. Rears were, unfortunately, the wrong part number despite them being exactly what Russell said should work. On the plus side, they do fit the C10 calipers, so I'll use them there. Went ahead and installed the fronts - I'm officially converted, holy poo poo. Easiest brake flush ever. Feeling slightly better but I haven't gotten it up to any actual speed yet. Ordering bleeders for everything else while I'm at it.

It was also a bit telling that when I removed the passenger front bleeder, there wasn't so much as a drip of fluid. Driver's side leaked everywhere as soon as I cracked it loose. I'm also a bit concerned at some grime buildup on the booster - I'm thinking the master might be leaking slightly, even though it wasn't low on fluid at all. Cleaned it to keep an eye on things.

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IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





Still some oozing coming from behind the master, and even after fully bleeding it, it's still relatively easy to bottom out the master. So I'm going to replace it, and all of the hoses, since that's a pretty cheap load in the parts cannon.

On the Opel, got the new starter yesterday. It's still an old non-permanent-magnet style starter but it is considerably shorter in length than the one that came off, which is kind of nice. It won't be able to use the bracket that ties the back of the motor to the block, but whatever, neither do the newer permanent magnet style starters. Bolted up fine.

Hitting the starter button in the car does a big fat nothing now, so I've got some wiring to trace and possibly reterminate. So I hit it with a manual starter switch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnQq0qEJguY

Promising. Sounds quite good, even compression, no rattles or clunks. Then, for shits and grins, I popped the plug wires back on and turned the ignition on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH4soWOPTbA

So close. Given the small leak on the fuel line, the fuel pump is pushing something to the carb - no idea what quality that substance may be but it's clearly somewhat flammable. Since by this point I was already soaking in sweat after relatively light physical work, I called it a day (at 9AM, for fucks sake AZ). Not sure yet if it's a lack of fuel or spark after the starter gets released, though I'm leaning slightly towards the latter.

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