In reply to Professor_Brap :
It does. Don't look easy, but no fwd trans is. Have a few more tests to do before condemning the trans though.
In reply to Professor_Brap :
It does. Don't look easy, but no fwd trans is. Have a few more tests to do before condemning the trans though.
Its pretty easy tbh, organization is key.
In reply to Professor_Brap :
Organization?
Im boned.
I found it most helpful to have a friend standing over me with strict instructions to hit me with a 2x4 in the event that I started to rush things and be stupid. In the end, I was able to swap out my diff for an OBX (Quaife clone) without too much drama. I did manage to screw up sealing the case, though, and have a persistent Syncromesh leak, so be careful with that part.
If memory serves, you can take the VSS out and stick something down in there to see if the plastic ring gear is eaten up and/or loose. I have a few spare diffs and at least one or two of them have a good ring gear on them. Just in case your spares stash is lacking that part.
I tried resoldering the instrument cluster today. No dice.
Ill swap the one from the acr next. That one was known good in 2015 when it blew up.
However, with every step im becoming more and more convinced that the ring gear is shot and the tranny needs to come out.
Previous total: 2401.61
70 and some change at oriellys for plugs and fluids
2.20 for am exhaust donut gasket
2 cans white rustoleum from lowes 9.40
pull-a-part run for dash parts: 18.31 (not pictured or installed)
battery cables and parts: had
starter: pile of crap
aluminum radiator: pile of crap
misc hoses and clamps: had
fan relay: stolen from ACR
stereo: stolen from ACR
drivers seat: borrowed from ACR
gauge pod (not pictured or installed) 8.86
depot projectors (NOS score on ebay, still waiting on delivery) 89.95
passengers side dash speaker: free, as the junkyard didnt charge me
new total: 2600.33
Rt itself cost as of today: roughly 1400. ill call it 1400 and feel like im overcharging it in the budget....
anyway, when I last did a good update, I had a cleaned and painted engine on the stand, an engine-less scruffy RT, a running truck and company car, and clean shop. Every single thing I just mentioned has changed. Been a hell of a ride!
So, well start with the engine bay. This car, at some point in history, took a hit to the right front corner. Hood, fender, and bumper don't line up. So, I started to push it back into place. Thought I had, as the body parts all more or less line up now, but I still need to push the core support forward by the power steering pump, and the pulley rubs it on deceleration.
Anyway, the right way to do this is with a port-a-power or a frame machine. I have neither. However, I have a scissors jack, a couple of 2x4s, and no fear of failure!
20190225_113823 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
pushed the corner out about 2 inches until stuff lined up again. Then pulled everything left in the bay loose, and sprayed with superclean. The paint in here fell off like dandruff. To do it right, I should have blasted the bay. That aint gonna happen on this car.
20190224_152130 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
after this, I scrubbed the bay with a brown scotchbrite pad and dawn dish soap. Should have wiped with lacquer thinner after masking, but I didn't. I paid for it with fisheyes. Then, using painters tape and a bed sheet, I fogged it with rustoleum. Not a concourse job, but ood enough for the job its to do. Except for the fisheyes.
20190225_145130 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20190225_145139 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20190225_145231 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20190225_171549 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20190225_171600 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
while the paint was curing, I assembled the timing belt, etc. finished off the engine for install. Put all the known good sensors from the 96 parts car in, etc. (if you also didn't know, every freaking sensor is different between the 96 harness and 98 harness. So, that part failed me)
20190225_183221 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
I also welded up the cracks in the mopar performace header before bolting it in. however, like the chump I am, I didnt take a picture of ugly booger welds made with a harbor freight flux core by a guy with not enogh cofee.
Slipped the longblock into place, and tehn went to put in the trans. Now that ive done this, the next time will take far less time and effort.
20190226_184302 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
before trans install, I wanted to change out the axle seals. I can claim that it was late, and I was tired, but that's not a good enough excuse. Instead of using my seal puller, I decided to use a self drilling/self tapping sheetmetal screw to pull the seals.
You guessed correctly what happened next.
I dropped the socket and screw down into the diff. On the 3.94/,72 trans I really wanted to use. berkeleynuggets on a nun. (I used much worse language in real life. Very, very, VERY pissed at myself). The socket came out through the drain hole. However, the screw is still in there somewhere. Im going to have to pull the trans apart.
So, I went ahead and used the 3.94/.81 RT trans that came installed behind the blown up 2.0. nate said the speedo didn't work, and it occasionally grinds going into 3rd. But great otherwise.
4 hours of trans install later, I had permanently installed 3 mounts, and added a splash of red to the engine bay from a pretty good cut on my arm. The blood is still there.
20190226_204850 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
got everything else reinstalled. Used one of the all aluminum 2 core radiators, as I had them. Filled the cooling system with water and vinegar to clean all the crap from all the used components, etc. just reassembly and paying attention to the details. This car still had a flawless factory battery cable and terminal setup, so I saved that for the ACR. Recreated it with some 4 gauge amp cable I had in a box, and some ring terminals. I reused a chunk of the positive cable to the starter from the parts car for the nice factory end.
That bit me in the ass later....
the below picture is from the first test drive. 1 mile. In the rain. And dark. With no plate, insurance, phone, or tools.
20190301_185548 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
the reason for the charger is I started doing diagnostics. The car would NOT restart after the test drive. I ran through the entire diagnostics, and came to the conclusion it was a bad starter. Changed the starter, and still no start. Wound up being the splice from amp cable to factory battery cable had failed. It was repaired with a 100 amp fuse and holder, also intended for car audio. Again, had it in a box. After that, car has started EVERY TIME. No issues whatsoever with the electrics.
Except the fans. While doing diagnostics, they started staying on anytime the batter was hooked up. Regardless of key position, ECU being connected, etc. we decided to try a different solid state relay. Pulled the one from the ACR and the problem was fixed. Ill buy a new one for the ACR when I get there. With that fixed, I let the car warm up to see just how the syked 2.4 swap ECU was configured. At 210 degrees, the fans kicked on. So, its a 97-99 ecu, not a 96. win!another test drive confirmed that everything was good now. Except for no speedometer, and the trans not liking to shift without grinding or balky synchros. But, this was Monday night. The day that my company car spit the power steering pump and water pump out, and my truck became very unstable in regards to the steering (like ½ turn of play, darting, etc). I drive for work. A lot. Like generally about 250 miles a day minimum. I had a LONG week in the saddle this week, and could NOT be out of work due to having nothing to drive. So the neon was it. The below picture was taken about midnight Monday night. Still no insurance, plate, inspection, etc. 5 miles on the car.
20190304_195113 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
next day, I did about 140 miles in the neon. I put insurance on it at 7AM. Got state inspection at 8AM. Registered at 4:59 PM. Picture from sometime in the day.
20190305_090156 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
No speedometer, unknown condition of really anything, and no radio. And a really sacked driver seat. The koni and extra high rates, along with the sacked seat, really hurt. There was a bar that kept jamming me through the remaining foam under my right shoulder blade. It was swollen by the time i got home.
So I yanked the loose drivers seat out of the ACR, as well as the VSS from it to try to fix the speedo. The seat works well, the VSS didn't change anything. And one of the two remaining functional speakers quit, as the DUAL head unit was letting some magic smoke out. But, only so much daylight.
Next day was 250ish. Much more pleasant day. I also downloaded Waze do I had GPS and a speedometer at the same time. Works pretty well, but I still have to get used to it. I also flushed the vinigar and water out of the system, along with some NASTY gunk. Replaced with antifreeze due to the pending cold snap. I also changed the speedo drive gear that attaches t the VSS, as the one in the trans seemed slightly mangled as it wouldn't come out with the VSS. After much struggle, it came out. Very gnawed up. Used a spare. No speedometer again.
20190308_113527 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
next, I added the dash speakers from the 96 parts car I saved. One worked, other was DOA. I got a replacement for the dead one at the junkyard today, and still have to figure out the door speakers. I also pulled the cluster to re-solder the cold solder joints. No speedometer, but a redid the red letters that had faded to white. Red sharpie for the win!
20190308_113515 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
2 other clusters had the exact same behavior. We hooked a drill to the VSS, and have a rock steady speedo. That means that the plastic speedo drive gear in the trans has broken free, and is no longer driving the VSS gear. That, along with the lack of synchros, and high cruise RPM on the interstate make this trans junk for me. If someone nearby wants it, come get it for 40 bucks. It works and doesn't make noise, but doesn't shift up to third well, or downshift to second well. And doesn't drive the freaking speedo. Not cool. Not cool at all.
So, to leave this update on a positive note, I give you dash lights and a clean engine bay after a roughly 1000 mile shakedown week.
20190309_183334 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
20190309_180521 by Michael Crawford, on Flickr
Wow, heck of a update!
Yikes. This one is going away, right? LOL
FYI on the Appalachian Porta-Power... Wrap a tie down/chain around the wood/Jack so it can't perform a violent liberation and attack you. I had a piece of pipe tag me pretty bad when a similar setup slipped. I was fine after a couple weeks of crying after I sneezed.
In reply to Crackers :
Good call on the safety strap. I'll have to remember that for next time. Also, this isn't going away any time soon. Not until the acr is done. If not longer. Its really not a bad daily. And its a RIOT to drive.
"And it is a riot to drive" The very best reason, right there. Just think how much more fun will happen with the ACR. Driving this one should be motovational.
It is. Cant wait to get the acr back on the road. Its going to be a little while though.
On the r/t front, today we figured out how to seal the leaking sunroof shut, thereby making it completely inoperable. Which is ok by me.
We also found the noises in the engine bay. All coming from the power steering pump and belt.
I started prepping the decklid from the parts car for paint.
And the shift cable popped off for time number 5. I think either the bracket is bent, or the booger bushings have failed.
Rattle cans!
soooo much better wingless. And white.
Your rattle canned cars look better than most peoples "pro" paint jobs.
In reply to Professor_Brap :
They photograph well.
The rattle can rustoleum is just a base coat. A good surface to work from. It will get a spray gun paint this summer, and then I'll learn to wetsand and buff.
But for now, orange peel and striping aside, it looks pretty good.
They photograph well.
Where have I heard that before...
Looking good
stafford1500 said:They photograph well.
Where have I heard that before...
Looking good
I stole it from you! Fits my stuff so well....
This Friday after work, i yank the trans to swap in a different one.
The whole list:
Trans swap
Swap eibach progressives
Alignment
Door speakers
Headlights
Stock pcm
Fix coolant leak
Fix power steering pulley interference
Replace power steering pump
I think thats a long enough list for 1.5 days.
Im soooo looking forward to having synchros and a speedometer. And buying cheap gas instead of premium. Car is backed into the shop and ready for service when i get back from work.
That's an ambitious list. Considering, for me, a tune up, and motor mounts on my Volvo, will be a major undertaking, at this stage of my life.
Not to worry, you'll get it done, and be cruising in the lap of Neon luxury.
The longest item on your list is going to be the alignment.
What are you driving that takes premium?
In reply to Crackers :
The syked ecu thats in this car presently has the timing tables cranked to ALL and the knock retardation set to damn near none. It will detonate on anything less than 93 bad enough i can hear it over the exhaust and stereo. Thats why im going back with a stock pcm on this round.
Brap: probably pulling the eibach progressives off the acr out in the dirt will take longer.....
Crackers said:What are you driving that takes premium?
The Syked ECU is balls to the wall on timing. It doesnt even like 91.
Three hours from popping the hood
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