Progress Thread Daily Driver.... 89 GT - Body & Paint Done

That radio install looks clean. I really like seeing this done without that ugly radio adapter that screws in the dash. I just remembered that years ago folks used to put a strap of metal from the back of the radio to the center rear of the cubby to keep it from tipping out. There used to be a screw hole ( for extra radio ground ) in the center of the back of the aftermarket radios. No idea if new radios have that anymore.

There's an angled bend in that cable that can get flipped around. It's in the wire end that connects to the flapper dilly.
Thanks, I will keep it in mind if the cubby become loose. Currently the cubby fits pretty snug inside the console opening. Its all friction that is holding it in. This radio is pretty small and light as it has no CD player. Not sure if it has a screw hole but I will check when I do the final install.

I hope to take a closer look at the flapper cable in the next day or two.
 
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I just looked at some cable pictures. I didn't see that bend I was talking about. I work on so many types of cars it's hard to keep an accurate memory of things I don't deal with all the time. Mine may be bent. I'll check it when I get home ( if I remember. Smh ).
 
It was dry most of the weekend so I got a bunch done. Saturday, after the rain stopped, I finished installing the tweeters in the dash then I tackled the HVAC blend door cable. What a pain that was. It fought me the whole time. First I flipped the cable up so it was out of site. The thing binded both directions this time. I took it apart again and straightened the cable out and cycled the door. Cable didn’t feel smooth so I lubed it with some graphite. Once it was free I put it back together only to find out the gear jumps a tooth on the knob. Took it apart once again to fix that. Once all back together I see the bulb from the bezel sitting on the shifter:fuss: I put the bulb back in and stopped for the day. Pic attached for the cable looping up.

On a side note, the blend door cable on my 86 is hanging down as well. It was like that when I bought the car but previous owner did the heater core shortly before I bought the car. He used a stick on zip-tie holder thing to keep it up. I did the heater core again a couple years ago. I zip-tied the cable like he had it but shortly after the adhesive failed and now it is hanging down. Maybe someday I will fix it. But now I know to check the cable orientation before putting the dash back in.

Today I was greeted by a puddle of coolant under the car. One of the water pump bolts was seeping a bit so I tightened it and now it is leaking worse. The thread sealant must have let go even more when I snugged the bolt. I assume I am going to have to drain the radiator to fix this? This same bolt was leaking off and on when I bought the car. Was not this bad though.

I didn’t feel like fooling with that today so I wired my amp for the speakers since it was dry today. I cut the plug off the dead premium sound amp I have and used that to wire the speakers in. Both dash and door speakers work as well as the rears. I still have to tidy up the wires but for the most part it is done. Tomorrow I will tackle the sub amp after work since it looks like it is going to be dry for the next few days.
 

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My stereo install is done. I am quite happy with how it sounds.

The water pump is still seeping. So a little back story with it. The pump on this car has seeped for years. My buddy I got the car from, replaced the gaskets a bunch of times, he did the timing chain cover as well with no luck in stopping it from leaking. He eventually gave up and would fill the radiator as needed. He did that for years till he eventually parked it and drove something else. When I bought the car it had sat for approximately 2 years. For the first few weeks, I drove the car it didn't leak and then it would leak off and on. I did the same thing and just filled as needed till the heater core puked its guts out. I decided to take care of it then and replaced it with a new pump. I used the right stuff on both sides of the gasket and the cover as well using thread sealant on the bolts. It had over a week to cure before I filled the cooling system. Everything was fine till last week when I noticed a puddle under the car. I maybe have 600 miles on the car since the work was done. At first I thought it was from the bolts as they were a little loose. Tightening them made the leak worse so I pulled the bolts out and re-thread sealed them. Ran the car for 45 minutes in the driveway. No leaks. Next morning, checked the water pump before I left for work. It was dry. I drove to work 26 miles and checked it when I got there. Dry again. Went to go home that evening and checked it before I left and it was wet. The attached picture show where the water pools up and drips from.

Any idea what is causing this? I do not think it is the pump as the old one seemed to leak in the same area. You can see the rust water stains below on the balancer from the previous years of leaking. I did read last night that someone said that the 90 deg hose kinks and can cause the pump to blow the gasket out due to it not being able to relieve the pressure? Sounds weird to me but I did replace that hose when I did the pump and it does look a little kinked but I do not think it is kinked to the point where the flow is 100% obstructed? It seems to leak when the car cools down.

I replaced the water pump on my Saleen when I bought it like 14 years ago and to this day, I never had any issues with it. I replaced the 90 deg hose then too but the hose on the Saleen has more of a smooth transition than the 89 does. Not sure it is work the time to try out the theory the other person had? Thoughts?
 

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@Mideseye007 - So is T-Bar the correct terminology for T-Tops? Wondering if it like everyone referring to the Mustang as fastbacks when Ford called them a Sportsroof.

@TIGGER - can you also circle which bolt you think is leaking on the picture of the water pump?
 
Originally I thought it was this bolt but that was before I saw the puddle up top. I re-thread sealed it along with the one above it. I do not think they are leaking.
 

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Only other thing I can think of if it is still leaking is to replace timing chain cover. It may be cracked or warped just enough that when it heats up it leaks and then when it cools off it stops or vice versa.
 
Thanks AeroCoupe not sure I am at that point yet but I will keep it in mind.

Just for fun I ran an experiment last night when I got home. Typically the car leaves a 3-4” diameter puddle of coolant under the car over night. When I got home last night I pinched the 90 deg hose with a plastic clamp. I had an 18” or so dia puddle under it this morning. Here is a picture what the hose looked like when I got home along with a picture with the clamp. I wonder if it is contracting as it cools off? I might play with the hose next and try to make it a smooth 90 deg bend.
 

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So I looked at your pictures again and then looked at a brand new water pump pictures. The leak appears to be puddling up right above the left hand side (when looking at the pump from the front of the car) coolant passage into the block. These are the paths I see for coolant to get there:

1) from the where the bypass hose connects to the nipple on the pump but I think it would have to spray a little to make it over to the area it is puddling.
2) from where the bypass nipple is pressed into the pump housing - I do not think this is likely because if it was leaking coolant here it would puddle further down on the pump or maybe not at all and just run down to the floor.
3) from where the heater hose connects to the nipple on the pump
4) from where the heater core nipple is pressed into the pump housing
5) pump face to timing chain cover face seal - this would be from the top of the pump counter clockwise over to the top of the engine block coolant passage port through the pump. Granted it would have to migrate down from the top of the pump so I would think you could see the trail?
6) possibly block face to timing chain cover face seal - again this would be from the top of the timing chain cover clockwise over to the top of the engine block coolant passage port through the timing chain cover. This could happen if you used only RTV or trimmed the gaskets flush. However, if you used the fel-pro gaskets and left them like the come out of the box then they stick up and bit when installed and would act like a dam and trap any fluid between the block and pump on top of the timing chain cover.

Last possibility is the thermostat housing is warped and leaks. I had this happen and to prove it i laid a machinist file across the face of the water neck and made a couple passes and sure enough there was high / low. Got a new one from OReillys and problem solved. Fought that for over a year on my Coupe.

I also had the ARP bolt kit from LMR installed in the timing chain cover and water pump as the stock bolts that pass through the water pump and timing chain cover just get ate up and I have seen too many of them break off in the block.
 
I think I have the same exact leak going on. I noticed that the last time I drove and parked my car, but haven't investigated that yet. The water pump is newer, replaced before I got the car. Im going to be in the garage this weekend doing some things to my Tacoma, Ill have to take a look at that. It was bugging me.
 
The problem children get a new front cover

I think I pi$$ed it off by crimping off that hose the other night because it left another huge puddle over night. I think I am going to take it apart over the weekend and inspect everything again. Give it one more try and if it still leaks then I will get another front cover. If I do that, I may as well put a CAM in it;)
 
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Check the flatness of the timing chain cover as well as the lower intake thermostat housing. My guess is one of them is either warped or cracked based on you having checked the hoses and other accessories.
 
That looks like the typical thermostat housing leak. I found that almost none if the replacement gaskets actually fit. They all end up with a very small amount if contact by the bottom bolt or the heater hose hole. That bolt hole also bottoms out so I've seen a bunch if times where the bolt was just a little too long causing it not to squeeze the gasket. I use the regular ( tan ) roll of gasket material they sell at all the local stores. Just trace the thermostat onto it and cut it out. Once you get the outside cut place it over the thermostat housing and press it around the area for the small, large, and bolt holes. If you have a ball peen hammer you can tap it in those areas and make a pretty clean cut in the gasket.

The easiest way to check is to wrap paper towel or toilet paper on a wire. Touch the bottom of the housing with it. If it gets wet then that is your issue.
 
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What I see in the problem children is pitting in the front cover coolant passages that feed the water pump
Mainly the high milers
You almost cannot see the pinholes until the cover is off
Then when you inspect the coolant passages inside the cover, you find they are both pitted real bad
I make damn sure because it's such a big job
Yes, tapping out a gasket with a ball peen hammer is a proven good method, and you can pick your gasket material
You do all that twice, and clean it all off three times more, and go easy with the pressure tester