BUILD Quarter Life Crisis. It's a thing. v.GN

[Dr. Jimbo]

Lol she's originally from the area, and they were kind of sick of the southern work ethic. Sounds like that second part backfired though.

That's wild, and stupid, to make that move. Alas, I guess I can understand. One of my wife's factories down south can't do anything to motivate people to pick up the pace or hire more, no matter what the incentive: more money, more time off, more benefits, etc.

But, it sounds like they bought a time capsule, so also cool, but you should have snapped some pics!

 

[v6buicks]

That's wild, and stupid, to make that move. Alas, I guess I can understand. One of my wife's factories down south can't do anything to motivate people to pick up the pace or hire more, no matter what the incentive: more money, more time off, more benefits, etc.

But, it sounds like they bought a time capsule, so also cool, but you should have snapped some pics!

To be fair, they've been running a strong enough business that they're looking to retire and be closer to family. The building is way oversized as a golden parachute. It'll get subdivided, rented out, and be a cash cow once they get some long term tenants. I cannot even imagine how much that property cost despite being ancient, barely heated, and an in rural IN.

 

[Dr. Jimbo]

To be fair, they've been running a long and strong enough that they're looking to retire and be closer to family. The building is way oversized as a golden parachute. It'll get subdivided, rented out, and be a cash cow once they get some long term tenants. I cannot even imagine how much that property cost despite being ancient, barely heated, and an in rural IN.

Do I foresee a big purchase from you soon and a career change?

 

[v6buicks]

Do I foresee a big purchase from you soon and a career change?

One could dream.

 

[v6buicks]

This was really disappointing.

Summit's description doesn't state anywhere that the March kit is an underdrive system. As you can see, it's not just a little bit either. The quality is also pretty horrendous because the anodizing is already flaking off. This is getting returned, so I guess I'm going to attempt drilling and tapping the heavy but correct stocker for bigger bolts. Then I'll paint it black/put it back.

On a lighter note, things are starting to look more familiar yet better with cleaner/fancier parts. My Rockauto order arrived, so I was able install a 180* high flow t-stat behind a Racetronix billet thermostat housing. No more thin crusty steel! The rusty heater pipe reducer fitting that I painted about a year ago is also replaced with an anodized aluminum Racetronix piece. I was hoping to put the intake together when I had ALL the pieces, but I'm tired of having such a big pile of parts and not knowing where anything is. I wasn't able to clean up the two-pin temp sensor to my liking so I will replace that. I may end up painting the steel S hose fitting because Racetronix hasn't sent my aluminum one despite being in stock. I'll probably start blowing them up after my vacation if neither that nor my fuel pump whereabouts have been updated.

It's been hard to get a good picture of this complaint, but I finally found the right lighting. I decided at the last minute to not torque the plenum down on my new gaskets. The dents in the fins are not something I can ignore. It looks like some dumbass was using this as an anvil or something. Idk why else somebody would need to hammer on it.

I got some files and went to town. I didn't think it would be this quick or easy. I should have done it from the get go.

As you can see, my media had some trouble blasting the oxidation between the ribs, so I'll have to blast and repaint before deciding whether or not to keep the ribs or painted or polish them. I'm just glad I got them flat enough to make that choice!

 

[v6buicks]

I feel like a complete dunce for not noticing that RJC sells a black stock sized aluminum crank pulley with intercooler fan provisions for $175 or something. I'm sure it's of much higher quality too. I should really just buy it to replace the March crap, but I'm feeling a bit uneasy about my spending habits with this car. I have all the big ticket items in hand, but I have a feeling that I'm about to start getting nickel and dimed to death as I get closer to the finish line. For instance, I got the water pump bolts replaced with flanged stainless ARP units last night. They look awesome, but now a lot of other bolts I left stock look totally ridiculous. I have another $50 shopping cart at Allen's Fasteners, but I'm thinking of other pieces I may want before checking out. I'm sure there will be a few.

In other words, I should have the time and tools to fix the stock pulleys. It'll only cost me $13 worth of ARP bolts too. I'm going to attempt it. The bolts will have to get bigger than stock, but it looks like I will have no issues fitting a larger head. This piece dilled and tapped a lot easier than I expected. We are going up to 3/8-16. After that I will blast, paint, and install.

I still have no idea WTF I am doing for the intercooler fan. I'm hell bent on keeping it, but for now I'm going to experiment since I have a nicer one coming. I actually blasted the metal to see what would happen to the plastic. To my surprise, the plastic didn't seem to be phased by being pelted with aluminum oxide. Very interesting. I really don't understand this thing, but I love it! Now I have to decide if I'm going to try painting the entire fan including the yellow blades or try to retain that original look and only coat the center. A different color on the blades might actually look nicer, and painting would be so much easier. However, I'm not exactly convinced that I'll LOVE it since the whole point is to restore. I think just typing that helped me realize that I need to try to painting the center by itself again. I can always paint the rest later!

See what I mean about the nickel and diming? I got a new coolant sensor, but now the other two switches look like shit. I'm probably not doing anything about those though. They are clean and not corroded. Some day the new sensor will catch up.

Highway Stars has a molded heater hose kit that I need, but I'm holding off on buying that too. Since I go on vacation next week, I don't really want packages piling up on the porch. This is probably going to be the final update for a week because I haven't packed anything yet, and there's no way that I'm going to have any time for the garage tomorrow. I think I can leave satisfied though.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

I'd be satisfied too if I did work that clean looking.

 

[v6buicks]

I'd be satisfied too if I did work that clean looking.

It's actually kinda funny how the tables have turned. I don't really know why I was so worried about getting the engine ready to drop in before the 25th. The engine bay isn't ready, but that's about a couple solid nights of work away. I'm still rushing (and simultaneously procrastinating the engine bay paint) to get things done, but it's a rush to get things right instead of just done. Sure, it's going to run exactly the same as if I didn't go through with most of this, but it'll look a lot better doing it. I'm also learning a lot about paint prep and good spraying techniques, so I hope this will translate into better craftsmanship moving forward.

Speaking of which, the media blaster was a solid buy and worth the effort. I love having it, and I will likely be blasting every piece of metal that requires paint moving forward. It's more wortk but it's like free primer without the risk of screwing up. I will have to post an update in that thread though because I developed my first issue with it.

 

[v6buicks]

Just kidding. I had a lot more garage time than I anticipated today, and I happened to wake up with a great idea for painting the booster in a way that ensures coverage and makes any potential mistake (runs) go the right direction. Leave it in the box!

And no. Shitty nickel plating or whatever came on it will not fly. I'm sure the color would be fine, but I don't trust it as far as holding up to the elements.

I started with Automotive Touch Up's primer. Then I sprayed VHT roll bar paint.

After a flip and giving the same treatment, I just needed to catch the outermost edge.

It turned out pretty awesome for a pitted reman. It'll look a ton better than the beat up piece it's replacing! I also confirmed that this one will be quieter too. There is an entire extra muffler packing on it that my old one doesn't have. I'm very excited to hear and feel the benefits of this dual diaphragm unit.

It turned out looking super nice, but I'm saving the R&R for another time.

This is a tiny detail that I've wanted to pursue since the day I converted to vacuum brakes. The shiney billet vacuum block on the very top of the engine works great and won't fail like the original plastic piece, but it looks so out of place on a dull original throttle body. Since there is now an option for smooth finish (looks stock) instead of ribbed, I opted for that when I bought a new one.

It took a couple tries but I finally got it looking right!

Looks better than this, right?

Oh yeah! By the way, the throttle is torqued down. As is the intake manifold. I know I'm in the minority here, but I am a believer in the rubber intake rails. I've never had one leak. This particular set happens to fit really nicely too. I just splooge the corners really good.

Spurt

Spurt

Plop

That's not gonna leak.

I painted the drilled and tapped crank pulley right before I ran out of paint. Looks like that gouge is deeper than I thought. I'm gonna send that though. Nobody will see it.

All this pretty painting has me nervous about using chains to drop this thing in the car. One thing I'll be looking for is an original lift bracket like the one I saw at the BCA Nationals.

I knew taking an F-load of pictures of this 4000 mile '86 would come in handy! That bracket looks like it would be super handy too. My box of original parts doesn't seem to have it, so I hope someone else will come through for me.

Now I'm for sure done working for the week. I have a plane departing at 5:30 AM.

 

[DEEZUZ]

Holy fuck you packed that gear set

 

[v6buicks]

Holy fuck you packed that gear set

I couldn't remember where the Vaseline was supposed to go, so I just put it everywhere. It'll melt... Or maybe that's why I didn't have oil to my rockers.

 

[sktchy3.8]

I couldn't remember where the Vaseline was supposed to go, so I just put it everywhere. It'll melt... Or maybe that's why I didn't have oil to my rockers.

I'd change that filter asap after you first start it lol. Last time I packed a pump like that it all ran right through and gooed the hell out of one.

 

[DEEZUZ]

Jesus

 

[v6buicks]

It's really only on the upper surface fwiw. Oil filter will be changed as soon as I get it in the car. It was only there for priming and masking the timing cover.

 

[v6buicks]

Shiiiiiit

I just watched the latest Legit Street Cars video about the GN and finished with two things on my mind. 1.) Damn, does that man like to spew a lot of bullshit! He seems to make these videos completely up as he goes. 2.) I'm reminded that I'm a dumbass for not doing ANYTHING to permanently delete my EGR while I had both the intake and heads off.

It prompted me to research a bit because I don't think I can get away with this black RTV and block plate alone. At the same time, I really don't want to pull the intake off again. I'm debating the idea of just jamming something down both ports (pipe plug for the round one and random metal garbage down the square one?) and either JB or red RTVing it it sealed. Then the block plate is just a double redundancy. I'll plan on grabbing some of this extreme temp JB Weld.

 

[sktchy3.8]

Get some of that cold steel epoxy stuff. Iirc it's good to like 600⁰. Worked great for the pcv I don't see why it wouldn't handle an egr port at the intake.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

Shiiiiiit

I just watched the latest Legit Street Cars video about the GN and finished with two things on my mind. 1.) Damn, does that man like to spew a lot of bullshit! He seems to make these videos completely up as he goes. 2.) I'm reminded that I'm a dumbass for not doing ANYTHING to permanently delete my EGR while I had both the intake and heads off.

It prompted me to research a bit because I don't think I can get away with this black RTV and block plate alone. At the same time, I really don't want to pull the intake off again. I'm debating the idea of just jamming something down both ports (pipe plug for the round one and random metal garbage down the square one?) and either JB or red RTVing it it sealed. Then the block plate is just a double redundancy. I'll plan on grabbing some of this extreme temp JB Weld.

When I did my Astro originally a long time ago, I just filled the valve up with JB Weld honestly.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

I clean up brass sensors against a bench wire wheel. Those plastic bristle abrasive brushes work pretty good to clean up the plastic connector stuff if you can't just clean it with a Q-tip

 

[v6buicks]

Pony up time

VHT chassis/roll bar satin black

I'm not in love with it, but the frame is more protected than it was before.

PS pulley was a bitch. Needed to re-tap the shaft threads and use a combination of wrong hardware that would work. Started with this because the bolt was too short. Flange got the pulley started.

Switched to a big nut as a spacer and a washer until the bolt bottomed out.

Then there was finally just enough space to fit a jam nut and a washer to finish the job.

The paint made this job extra tough. I had to put a lot of muscle in it. I'm not very happy about that because my puller sucks. I don't expect this pulley to come off again.

I discharged the AC despite having a working system. Compressor looks like shit next to my freshly painted engine.

Highway Stars repops the sticker, so I'll repaint this thing and make it pretty again. If I ever get the right compressor clutch tool, I'll be replacing this one. I'm hoping that the slightly gravelly pulley is what's causing my belt chirp. I'm not betting on it. Original R4s that work are worth saving though. They suck, but the remans are even worse. I'd like to keep this one as long its does it's job.

I'm hoping to make the most out of the discharge by upgrading the condenser as well. Hence the radiator being removed. The one I found at AutoZone has double the amount of tubes and fins, so it should be more efficient. Let's hope it fits well. I'm happy to see that the radiator is not corroded all to hell. A good cleaning and paint job should be all it needs. Even the core support is looking really nice which is a huge relief. I thought I was opening a massive can of worms by discharging the AC, but I thin I've dodged the biggest shit storms. The TA radiator which is the only one that actually fits correctly is almost $1000, so I'm fine with nursing this one along even if it leaks a tiny bit.

ARP bolts for the crank pulley. Note the lack of intercooler fan. I wanted to keep it, but I couldn't find a way to restore it to my standards. I even bought another one on ebay. It's a lot nicer, but still not nice enough. I give up. This looks better, and the fan doesn't do anything.

Engine installation tomorrow.

 

[v6buicks]

I didn't take any pictures of the process, but one of the other club members did. He managed to capture some interesting facial expressions and my bald assed head a lot too.

Husek restalled D5 going in primed with a full quart of fluid.

And the engine

She's a fucking cunt but she's in. We ended up pulling the passenger side mount off and reinstalling it when the trans and driver side mount were lined up and bolted in. The other guy in the picture has had his GN engine out many times, so I'm glad he was there to do this with me. There's no way I would have got this done on my own or even with local friends. At least not in a day.

FedEx dropped goodies off while we were working too. Condenser is here early!

They certainly don't make them like they used to though. That's for better and worse. The original was sturdy and fit like a damn glove, but wasn't very efficient. The new one doesn't fit worth dick and could easily be folded in half, but would clearly cool a lot more.

It seems like some turbo Buick folks aren't too bright. I've read about people cutting the car up over this which is absurd. Yeah it'll fit like a glove if you notch the core support for the tube, but wtf. I just bent the line. There are also goofy mounting feet, so I bent those out to fit the mounts. It sits nice and solid in it's home now despite the size difference.

Since the condenser outlet had to be bent, it no longer matched up with the liquid line to the orifice tube. Lucky that one could also be easily bent to fit.

Drop in replacement? Not quite, but what do you really expect from a shitty AutoZone condenser for a 37 year old car? It's thinner and shorter, so it actually has a much smaller footprint. However the much greater surface area of the tubes should result in cooler temps.

This is not as great of news. I'm surprised this system cooled at all because that's a lot of garbage. It's not flakey metallic garbage like I'm used to seeing but ugly nonetheless. I've heard this is something that can happen when you use ester oil. I guess it likes to gum shit up. Maybe I need to re-flush and re-oil with PAG. I just worry about doing that with compressor which likely still contains some mineral oil.

My buddy says he might have some sound mat that I can have for my GNS radiator box.

It's a nicely made piece. The factory ducted the radiator with sheets of rubbery plastic just zip tied together. It was shit and hasn't withstood the test of time. The GNS piece is lazer cut aluminum and held together with screws, but it rattles BAD. It's actually kind of embarrassing to slam the hood, and now is a great time to deal with that.

SInce I seem to have figured out the condenser, I guess it's time to paint again. Radiator is looking good!

I'll probably lightly paint over the front of the condenser too. I want it to be black, but I certainly don't want to overdo it and hurt the cooling either.

I'm very happy with today's progress!

 

[sktchy3.8]

I guess I would be worried about the paint trapping heat in your radiator and condenser but I can totally understand why you would want to paint it. I just remember somebody climbing all over me when I was gonna do the same to my intercooler and ended up just doing the end caps. I'm sure it's fine though I'm pretty sure I've seen plenty of painted ones and I would guess as long as you don't cake up the tubes it won't matter much as far as efficiency goes?

Looks like your coming right along tho great work man!

 

[v6buicks]

I guess I would be worried about the paint trapping heat in your radiator and condenser but I can totally understand why you would want to paint it. I just remember somebody climbing all over me when I was gonna do the same to my intercooler and ended up just doing the end caps. I'm sure it's fine though I'm pretty sure I've seen plenty of painted ones and I would guess as long as you don't cake up the tubes it won't matter much as far as efficiency goes?

Looks like your coming right along tho great work man!

It's not a huge deal as long as you don't try to cover it completely. The factory condenser is painted black on the front, but not the back. You just have to spray it enough so you can't see it through the grille, but not so much that the fins are completely covered inside. Plenty of aftermarket parts even come fully coated like my precision intercooler. I wouldn't stress it.

Thanks man. Feels good. I can't wait to drive it.

 

[v6buicks]

No more blotchy light grey.

I remember installing this thing being a big PITA too. Not sure what the trick is, but the rod and pedal do not like to be mated or separated.

ew

Good enough

I need a new firewall gasket though, so the new booster is going to have to wait a little longer. However, I was staring at this area long enough to finally figure out the purpose of little yellow zinc coated bar! The entire time I had owned this car it was just hanging over the grommet as the only way of holding it against the firewall. The alky wires made it too big to pop in. Seeing the dangling harness clip made things pretty obvious.

Since I had the cover off the car anyway, I decided it was time to go in the other side and swap chips.

I didn't recall asking for more boost, but it looks like I'm going to get it!

Annnnnnddd

I am so happy with all these paint colors. The engine bay is going to look great when I'm done.

The driver side remflex header gasket did not go in unscathed. It's hard to explain, but I basically separated a layer of material off one of the ports because I didn't realize it was hung up on something. It's still there, but that layer was bent pretty good. I know that's usually grounds for throwing the gasket away, but the torque spec for header bolts on this thing is 37 ft/lbs. No wonder I had so many leaks before! I was just reasonably yanking these things tight with a gear wrench, but 37 ft/lbs is basically the same as putting my entire body weight into that little wrench. I think it'll be fine. These gaskets are so far compressed that I really don't see how a crease could still exist.

I'm hoping that my new media blasting gun comes today. I have a lot of parts waiting to recieve love.

 

[Mr_Roboto]

She'll scoot at 23-25 PSI I bet!

It's amusing how far a 7148 box has gone over the decades. I mean, it's flat out crude by today's standards but still getting the job done.

 

[v6buicks]

I agree. Not only is it wild what can be done with these chips, but how close the tune is right out of the box. Eric knows what you need. I'm still mind blown over the SD chips and how much you can get away with on those. Those chips are pretty much phased out since the introduction of ECUGN though. For the money you can't beat it.