Anybody have a vehicle they're unwilling/ unable to let go?

[mitunnelrat]

This obviously won't pertain to most shtf scenarios, but is one in and of itself, and would certainly apply for at least two other scenarios I can think of...

and it pertains to "special order" parts for your vehicle. You might want to identify them and get them while its "easy" to.

I brought my vehicle down to my mom's last Friday so my uncle and I could change a fuel pump. My uncle said "one day" at most. Lol. I'm a week in now after waiting for the pump, a steel fuel line, tracking down an o-ring for a nylon fuel line, figuring out how to repair a valve that is permanently attached to the tank, and now another steel line...

I could have purchased a second car for what I've got into parts now, and I officially hate the smell - and taste - of gasoline...

Oh well. It needed to be done I guess.

[Evolver]

Hey... if its paid off... do what ever it takes.

[bacpacker]

What are you working on? GM?

[mitunnelrat]

Yep - 98 Olds Bravada. I'm getting close now though. It actually ran today before we found the latest blown line. That one will be here on Monday.

[bacpacker]

That's newer than I was expecting. Your description didn't sound like any fuel pump I had worked on.

[mitunnelrat]

Is it because I lumped all the lines in with it? After reading again I may not have transitioned very well.

The pump itself was the easy part though. Only had to cut and splice 4 color matched wires for a new connector, and (overpay at the dealership) for a new lock ring that had corroded. That's when we found the cracks (yep, more than one) in the steel feed line to the filter. I got that ordered on Tuesday, it came in Wednesday afternoon, and I was able to put it in yesterday.

Only to find gas now spraying out at the connector between the steel line I replaced, and the nylon line connecting it to my pump. We yanked the guts out with the old steel line, and do you think anybody sells the individual components? Nope! Lol. $130 from the dealer for a brand new 8" line... Luckily my stepdad knows the owner of a salvage yard, got a line for free, and though it didn't fit we were able to cannibalize it for the o-rings I needed.

That connection looked great today, but the blow out in the fuel return line didn't. That's now in pieces on the garage floor, and the new line will be in on Monday, when I'm down in Detroit. It'll be Tuesday before I can do anything more.

I'm hoping I got the correct line too. They said its a 90" line, but I'm only seeing 65" on the old one, unless we left a chunk clipped in under the car. My wheel base is 108", so I gambled on that and made the order.

Meanwhile, my uncle broke a vent valve. This is the only piece I've winged it in repairing, since I read it can sealed and plugged without issue I figured I'd be ok gluing a hollow insert into the stem to reconnect it to its base, and I used the same gorilla glue, with some repair putty that hardens up like cement, to seal and hold them together.

There's no pressure on that line, and no tension when the tank is in place, so I figured that was better than buying a whole new tank - especially when it would take ebay to get a direct replacement. I could have gone steel tank as a special order locally, but would be replacing more hardware as well.

This has been a learning experience. Very little of what I've needed for this job has been available locally, so I figured I'd share and maybe get people thinking.

I want to get an F150 next. At the rate this is going I'm tempted to track down the same year truck that has body/ frame damage just so I have all the other parts! Lol

[ElevenBravo]

Owned for two years now, only driven it about 8 months of that time due to mechanical problems that cost more than I could afford.

1982 K5 Blazer with 6.2l NA Detroit diesel engine and 700R4, 3.08 gears.
Price $1,200

And repairs...
Head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, J-Code intake, new intermediate steering shaft off an XJ,
rear and front brakes including calipers and slave cyl, shoes & pads, master brake cyl.,
transfer case seals & gaskets, yada yada yada (All this I did myself)
Price: $600 (for parts, I did the labor)

Ring and Pinion bearing:
The fact that it was geared to a gutless 3.08 ratio, and the small fact that a worn pinion
bearing resulted in 3 lost teeth on the ring gear, I had the front and rear re-geared to
4.11 AND had to replace the spider gears in the rear.
Price: $1,200 (parts & mechanic labor)

Transmission rebuild, the 700R4 finally blew the ghost... tranny expert says... someone
tried to rebuild prior, but did a fantastically shitty job... holes boared in the case that
wasnt supposed to be, file marks on the sun gear housing, etc.. etc.. Final result: The
transmission that is in there.... is not the same as was taken out! "New" and fully
rebuilt trans, torque converter, flexplate and all hardware...
Price: $1,600

Total investment thus far: $4,600
Actual resell value: $900

Satisfaction for driving a mechanically "like new" BEAST: Priceless :-)

EB

[realist]

Just make sure you do not buy a jeep. They did a survey once asking jeep owners if they had a choice what would they change on a jeep from the factory. Most people said everything but the body. That said I got a great deal on an '89 YJ for about $2,500. Soooooo that was a start. We did a lift, new tires, wheels, battery, threw out the carpets and put on Herculiner. Fixed the radiator, muffler, new front bumper winch, rear bumper. It is a 4 cylinder and I want to put in a 6. Probably should put in new axles. So that great deal has cost me a fortune and it is still climbing. My wife says I should sell it. That is like her telling me to sell the boat while I am out in the ocean bailing it out as it is sinking. I guess you just kinda stick with it.......... One day it should be nice and if I sell it I should only be out $5k to$10k to $20k or $30k. I sure am glad I do not gamble...

[mitunnelrat]

I've heard that of Jeeps. Seen a lifted truck or two that would be the same way I think. They look pretty nice, but wow.

[Sniper-T]

That's brutal for a '98. figure the wreckers would be full of them!

It is almost time to start another rebuild of my 69 Camaro. It's been parked for about 6 years, with nothing but periodic running up. As long as there is lots of gas around, I would be able to bug out mighty quick!

lol