Progress Thread Komo's 1990 GT - Parts Gathering Purgatory & Home Remodel

[gkomo]

Finally! Got the coolant burped and an actual radiator cap on.

I did get some gnarly belt squeal today though, it goes away eventually… and I think I’ve pinpointed it down to the A/C pulley. I have the 89.5” belt on the way, maybe that’ll fix it.

So with all that done, I moved onto putting my speaker grill on that I couldn’t get to with the dual gauge pod in the way. As I assumed, it’s super easy with the cluster surround out of the way… not that it’s super easy to take that off, however. Of course, since I had that off I might as well clean the inside of the cluster and polish the lense front and back, so off that comes!

Here you can see how dirty it was inside:



Oh and I figured out why my fog lights don’t turn on… broken connector which doesn’t hold the orange/red-ish wire in place:



So I’ll see if I can order a new connector (thankfully doesn’t stop me from reassembly).

And here’s the cluster cleaned up with the speaker grill back on:



That’s it for tonight. I want to vacuum all up in and around this area but too loud for that right now. The rest is pretty easy to put back together.

 

[gkomo]

Got everything back together. Somehow seemed to have lost one of the screws for the column cover. So weird I literally organized them all in piles on the floor mat. No idea how it’s missing.

 

[91AOD5.0LX]

Got everything back together. Somehow seemed to have lost one of the screws for the column cover. So weird I literally organized them all in piles on the floor mat. No idea how it’s missing.

Hate when that happens… Take one of those magnetic pick up tools and fish around the floor and under the seat.

 

[General karthief]

I have a home made 'helping hands' gizmo mounted to a big speaker magnet, I just drag it around the area I think the screw, bolt, nut, washer escaped to.
Does not work on small children or dogs

 

[gkomo]

I have a home made 'helping hands' gizmo mounted to a big speaker magnet, I just drag it around the area I think the screw, bolt, nut, washer escaped to.
Does not work on small children or dogs

I have one of those magnetic bowls... my bad for not using it. Thought the 6 bolts/screws would be easy to keep track of... guess not!

 

[gkomo]

I believe i asked this previously, but got no response, but my current plugs are gapped at .050. Should i decrease the gap to like .040 or .045? I've read that supercharged cars use 'colder' plugs with small gaps, but the Paxton kit doesn't say to do any of this. Just curious if i should, or drive it and see how it runs before doing any of that. My shorter drive belt should be here early next week so i'll be working in the engine again anyways.

 

[gkomo]

Still waiting on my end links to come in. In the meantime I removed my other side end link. They aren’t even the same length bolts so who knows what the PO was doing:



Close but not quite.

 

[AeroCoupe]

Well that sucks. Just make the ends of the sway bar parallel to the LCA’s and that will do it.

 

[gkomo]

Am gonna order a new one piece Felpro oil pan gasket (P/N OS 34508 R). Is it worth buying like new ARP oil pan bolts, or just stick with the stock ones on the car?

 

[Noobz347]

Am gonna order a new one piece Felpro oil pan gasket (P/N OS 34508 R). Is it worth buying like new ARP oil pan bolts, or just stick with the stock ones on the car?

Up to you on the bolts and how good you think their conditions are.

 

[gkomo]

Up to you on the bolts and how good you think their conditions are.

Eh, with the way things seem to go... i'll order some new ones.

 

[Noobz347]

Yeah... if they are "iffy" I would like to have something on-hand that is [not] grade 5.

 

[General karthief]

How could a oil pan bolt be 'iffy', there's no real torque on them and unless the bolt head is rounded off, clean and bolt that junk together.
And I'm chee......er..thrifty

 

[Noobz347]

How could a oil pan bolt be 'iffy', there's no real torque on them and unless the bolt head is rounded off, clean and bolt that junk together.
And I'm chee......er..thrifty

Rounded heads, less than perfect threads, rust, corrosion...

 

[gkomo]

I've mentioned that everytime i dig into this car to do one thing, i find four more things wrong with it. For the $30 i don't mind having a better set on hand.

I just placed a summit order for the ARP oil pan bolts, Felpro one piece gasket, ARP oil pump driveshaft and ARP intake studs. Keep stockpiling parts for the inevitable engine rebuild/upgrade.

 

[Noobz347]

... some previous owner hardware that used to belong to a TV wall mount...

 

[gkomo]

Not that i think the PO messed with the oil pan, but two different length endlinks should be a clue to how this car was put together...

 

[gkomo]

Got my MM end links installed. Easy job and they seem to fit great.



Got my expensive upper door trim clip installed, all popped in nice and snug.

The 89.5” belt is still too tight. The 90.31” should be fine, I’m at a loss why it squeaks so much. Maybe my tensioner has kicked the bucket? These aren’t drastic changes in length.

I got the 89.5” belt on, but it’s so tight I can’t get a wrench on the tensioner and even so I feel like it won’t be able to tension enough to clear the bottom of the tensioner housing anyways. I should have just string measured the route, but the 90.31” belt works, has good ‘tension’ per the “range” on the tensioner, it just squeals for some reason.

 

[AeroCoupe]

You can order just the pulley or if you think the tensioner itself is bad that can be replaced as a whole unit. I would suggest that if you replace just the pulley that you find a metal one and not a phenolic plastic unit.

 

[gkomo]

You can order just the pulley or if you think the tensioner itself is bad that can be replaced as a whole unit. I would suggest that if you replace just the pulley that you find a metal one and not a phenolic plastic unit.

IF I do replace the entire tensioner assembly, any suggestions on good brands? I’d rather not and just get the damn belt I have to work…