How much was your sway bar kit from RPM , if you don't mind me asking?? I need to upgrade my car....
bowtieboy wrote:
Gas tank is in, as well as a new sending unit, straps and bolts. Fuel gauge works meow. Took the old one apart and it was hooped, which didnt really suprise me.
Been lookin at rear sway bars for a while, luckily RPM had um instock. It was the same price as the one I picked out from summit which was alright. Only thing I had to buy that the kit didnt come with was some plates to box the lower trailing arm. So out they came, welded um in. Put the sway bar in, and all I can say is it handles so much better, the back end just stays flat during hard corners.
Couple pics of the old tank, it was def time to retire it:
-- Edited by bowtieboy on Sunday 12th of September 2010 01:29:02 PM
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later...rog
AADD supporting member !!
I'm a collector...not a builder!!Located in sunny central Saskatchewan at the lakehead!
Update: Well finally got back on the car for a bit.Ii picked up a K&N filter top and filter last week. Just finished up putting new exhaust on it today. The old set up was 2.25 to thrush glasspacks than 2 inch tailpipes. It sounded to restricted to me, so out came the saws all. I picked up some 2.5 inch thrush welded mufflers, and 2.5 inch flowmaster tailpipes, and some 3 inch slash cut tips.
Also got 2 rims mounted up, lowered the rear about a inch. Sits much better now.
Still waiting on the 2 front rims.
Also being the car was a 6 cylinder it has 5/16 fuel lines, so I plan to change it out to 3/8". It seems if I work the motor via a stong acceleration pull or a burnout it will starve out. I am going to try the fuel line first, if still a problem I will prob upgrade to a better fuel pump and add a regualtor.
I think Im gonna make my own lines, way cheaper than a pre bent kit. And Im not sure how its going to work where it runs between the frame and body. I guess I should have done this when i had the body up off the frame. Oh well I guess.
Also, just ordered a lock rite for it. It will be nice to not have the one wheel peel......
Update- Got the front rims on, as well as the fancy big lug nuts(they have a 1 inch hex), along with the center caps. Also had to swap out the rear axle studs for longer ones to get full thread engagement.
Picked up some 3/8 tubing/fittings and clamps that should work for fuel lines.
Also got my lockrite in monday, went to install it friday and couldnt get the cross pin out. It was all bured up. Ended up torching it out to get it all apart. Currently the lock rite is in and the rear end is awaiting a new cross pin/bolt.
Checked the gear ratio while I was in there and it has 3.08's, so a future upgrade may be 3.73's.
-- Edited by bowtieboy on Sunday 17th of July 2011 07:55:09 PM
Well bit of a update, turns out the carrier is shot. It is well worn where the side gears slide into the carrier. Under high torque situations it will twist the locker and disengage it. So now Im on the hunt for a open carrier, think I found one in ND. Guy has to check it out.
Also I figure while its apart imma have it re geared. Found a local private guy who is quite reasonable.
I plan to put a set of 3.73's in it, it should wake the car up and get it out of the hole a bit better.
That is all.
Also met rabbitcs64 aka Roger I believe at the PA cruise night this past weekend
Well bit of a update, turns out the carrier is shot. It is well worn where the side gears slide into the carrier. Under high torque situations it will twist the locker and disengage it. So now Im on the hunt for a open carrier, think I found one in ND. Guy has to check it out.
Also I figure while its apart imma have it re geared. Found a local private guy who is quite reasonable.
I plan to put a set of 3.73's in it, it should wake the car up and get it out of the hole a bit better.
That is all.
Also met rabbitcs64 aka Roger I believe at the PA cruise night this past weekend
The 3.73 gears will wake up your fuel milage also. Just a thought.
Well picked up a new rear from Rabbit64cs, popped the cover today and everything appears to be in good working shape. Carrier has little to no wear as well. the axles have little to no wear on them as well. Overall this rear seems to be in just plain better shape. Will hopefully finish tearing it down after work Tues Morning.
Picked up some 3.73 motive gears/install kit for a steal as well. Only parts really need are wheel seals/bearings and a pinion seal.
Well got the soon to be new rear end hot tanked, re-geared,new axle bearings/seals, painted. Couldnt sleep after work this afternoon, so out came the old rear end. Next will be to swap the locker/brakes over and some upper control arm bushings which are in the freezer as we speak.
Well got a little done tonight. Installed the control arm bushings in the housing. Got them fully seated this time with ease compared to when I did them last year, much easier to be done out of the car. Anyways, got the housing bolted up, shocks/mounts on, put the sway bar/driveshaft on. Prepped/painted the drums as well. Popped the cover off the old diff to let the oil run out overnight too.
Hoping I can get the axles/brakes/locker swapped over tomorrow after work, but we shall see.
Well my day started out alright, 23 stitches later im good as new. Sliced my leg open at work.
Anywho, I felt good after work, so I went to work. Finished swapping everything over, hooking everything up, bleeding the brakes. Ran it on the stands for a bit, took it for a ten mile drive and everything seems to be good. Only gave it a couple quick snaps of the throttle, and it seems way more responsive. Also it sounds as if the brakes are dragging a bit now, might have to re adjust them I guess.
That is all, Jesse
-- Edited by bowtieboy on Wednesday 14th of September 2011 11:35:42 PM
Update, got a just over a hundred miles on the rear end. Seems to work okay, might eventually have some locker problems. But we shall see. Have to change the gear oil/ paint the cover. That will be prob first thing next week.
Also, re did the whole fuel system. I bent some tube, mounted the fuel pump near back of the door jam on the frame. Picked up a holley chrome fuel line, to replace the rubber set up it came with. Took it for a spin this morning, car seems to over run smoother and have a bit more kick. It could benefit from a good tune as well.
Dug the old girl out a few weeks ago, got a couple days of work done on it. I picked a Trans am sway bar up for the front, some QA1 No hops for out back.
After some trial and error I got the sway bar on, apparently it can be put on upside down.....with a hint of force . I got some Poly endlinks/bushings for it as well.
I than started putting the No hops in, only to find out that the upper control arms were to long. For what ever reason they are, I couldnt tell you. So I cut about 1.25 inches out of the center of them. I also boxed the bottom of them and fishplated the tops.
Grinding was needed on the passenger side No hop to get it to fit adequately as well.
On to the pic`s:
stock
semi-stock
bolted up
Also I snagged a MSD cap for it and some real fancy wire seperators I figured Id post up:
-- Edited by bowtieboy on Monday 26th of March 2012 06:42:48 PM
Forgot to add, went for a quick drive. Got some serious vibration that wasnt there before. Did some checking, ended up changing the U joints(front one was shot). Pretty well ended all vibration, other than a hint when you manually downshift it. But all in all with everything done, its like driving a new car. It seems to corner flat and plant real good when you launch it
-- Edited by bowtieboy on Sunday 25th of March 2012 06:14:44 PM
Well finally the lockright took a dump, so I ordered up a Eaton Posi. Put it in sunday, matched the old pattern/backlash pretty close to the old one. Seems to work pretty nice now, should have just put a eaton in from the start.
Also 1 of those screws is pulling out where the sway bar mount is. So guess Ill end up welding nuts in the frame and being done with it
Just swapped the fan belt over to a 80's serpentine style that still uses the V belt as a power steering belt. Finally Im able to rev it over 6000 RPM and keep the belts on it. Also since I put my fan shroud on, ive been having a hard time finding a fan that would clear. I got a 3 blade off the same truck I got the pulleys from, had to trim the blades down about a half inch. It just clears the shroud, and I dont have to worry about a flex fan exploding. The clutch seems weak, but the motor seems to cool just fine. Worst case ontario Ill swap it out for one of the many like new ones ive got sitting in my parts pile.
Also had one headlight adjust break, so I changed it. While having the grill out I noticed my core support is pushed back on the drivers side. Not sure if its straightenable or time for a new one at this point. So I opted to leave my mint grill out and put the cracked one back in, but I put all 4 headlight bezels one and the Pontiac Spear. Looks alot better!
Ive also had fuel problems with it, I believe the pump cannot keep up. I installed a Stewart Warner electric fuel pressure gauge(about 2/3s less $$ than an autometer) to see what was going on. It cruises out at around 4 psi, than when you lay on it will slowly drop off to nothing till it stalls out.
Got a good line on a Holley HP 125 thats internally regulated, probably will pick one up next week.
Also hoping to make the Prince Albert Casino car show on Aug 10th, we shall see!
. Also doesnt help that theres not much room to get the torch in there either.
. I got some Poly endlinks/bushings for it as well.
