project drivabeater

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

ok, i got to missing a truck in my stable, so i had to get one. the last one i had was a 98 dakota extended cab with a warmed over 5.2, 5 speed, 3.91 posi, and full hotchkis suspension and poly bushings. great truck, until it was hit head on by a truckload of illegals.

so after a year of not having one, i decided it was time especially now that i bought a house.
i did some swapping, doing a rehash on a 92 pontiac grand am. my labor in exchange for a 95 chrysler cirrus with a supposedly bad tranny. fixed a leak, and daily drove it for a few weeks. then, i found a guy that was willing to trade the chrysler for a GMC S15.

so far total investment is 20 hours labor, and 15 bucks. not bad for a running driving truck with a clean title. oh, and the pictures are AFTER i cleaned it up. a lot.

when i got it, the guy said it wouldnt crank for him, so he parked it. started right up for me after i reconnected the coil wire. he also said the tranny might be going south. after readjusting the TV cable, i found no problem with the tranny. in the process of this, i found that they had pulled the terminals from the ends of a couple of plug wires when they put brand new plugs in it. but they left the wire dangling in there hoping it hit a plug. so add a new set of plug wires, cap, rotor, PCV, Fuel filter, and can of seafoam. total parts now invested: 68 dollars.
i also put on some wiper blades to get it to pass inspection: 20 bucks.

lastly, i found why it quit running on me last weekend. the ignition module went bad. so add another 26 bucks in there.

grand total to this point: 114.

i am now in the process of finishing the interior swap, blacking out the trim, and getting the suspension not so scary.

as far as the interior,
replace the trashed door panels.
put in carpet.
install stereo.
Install buckets.
Overhead and between seats consoles.

the goals of this tuck are to have a decent looking beater that i can dive anywhere, through anything, and park anywhere. it also has to handle and stop exceptionally well, and be cheap to build and operate as well as cofortable to drive.
to that end, the overall plans are to rebuild the front suspension, using 2 inch drop springs, tall upper and lower ball joints, poly bushings, bilstein shocks, and a 33 MM sway bar. the rear is still up in the air. id love to 3 link it, but dont want to cut the bed and still need to be able to carry loads. Truck arms are out due to wanting to retain the stock gas tank. so i dunno. Brakes will eventually be C5 corvette pieces at all 4 corners under 17X9 black wheels wrapped in 275/40/17 or 315/35/17. depends wht will clear.
body will recieve a 300 dollar paint job, cowl hood, fender flares, 92 grille, 92 tail lights, sport mirrors, roll pan, and filled tailgate. maybe a tanneau cover if the budget allows.

anyway, im keeping this thread to show others what can be done on an extremely small budget, as well as a running tally of expenses.

i'll post updates next week when i take some more pictures of the current progress on the interior and body.

Michael

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

so i promised an update, and here it is.

the interior is mostly done, and ive started on the body and suspension.
I went down to pull-a-part one saturday and raided a few first gen S-series vehicles. unfortunately, i didnt check the interchanges, so i bought some stuff i couldnt use.
while there i purchsed:
seatbelts from a 4 door blazer
front bucket seats from a blazer
door panels
inside door handles
a-pillar trim
tail lights
fender flares from a blazer
this all set me back 112.00

i also purchased a headliner backer board and carpet from a 92 S10 4WD from city salvage here in albemarle. 25 bucks.

also purchased weatherstripping from city salvage. 15 bucks.

lastly on the interior, i purchased a sub box from an audio outlet store in charlotte for 37 dollars, a box of door panel clips from autozone for 2.99 and the other part of my console from parker automotive for 20.

grand total to this point: $326

not too bad. the seatbelt retractors dont even come close to fitting, though i was still able to use the latch part for the buckets. only other glitch was the taillights use a different mounting system, so i have to make some reinforcement brackets. the fender flares i was only able to use the front ones. the rears are completely different, so they will have to wait till i find some cheap rear flares.

i cheated a little bit too. i had some leftover dakota parts that i am reusing, namely the center console, overhead console, autodim mirror, 12 inch JL audio sub, amp wiring, and 800 watt Sony amp. i have no idea what i paid for this stuff over the years, so i am not adding it in. should be able to find the consoles for 60 for the pair, and the amp and sub are so outdated they would be found in an antique store.

so heres how she looks now on the insoide. i still have to recover the headliner and install it, wire the console (and paint it), install the autodim, revise mu seat mounting points and bolts, and fasten the center console down after i make it fit a bit better. also need to scrub it down a lot.

im still playing with the idea of dying the interior black, grabbing some e-bay buckets like marty mocked up in his truck, and caging it. maybe later on most of it, but what about the black? or just leave it alone?

on the body, i already mentioned the taillights and fender flare fiasco, but i scored some sport mirrors. i have no idea who makes them, but theres no GM part number. i was at the parts store, and got to talking with a guy about them as he had them on his truck. he hated them. we traded right there in the parking lot. so they were free.

and now on to the suspension. i mocked up a 275/40/17 kumho slick on a C4 corvette gran sport wheel. it looked fantastic, and was no taller than the factory 14's. so i now have a size, and if i can find a set of wheels cheap, ill grab them. i also started on tweaking it. i installed a 33MM front sway bar ( i have no idea what thay is in inches) from a late 90's 2 door blazer. got it for 10 dollars at parkers automotive. had to buy end links, they set me back another 12. so how many guys can say they only have 22 bucks in their front sway bar?

grand total to this point: $348.

up next, i just purchsed a set of 1.5 front belltech coil springs and 3 inch drop rear leaves for 75 plus shipping. when i get a total, ill add it in there. i have decided on energy suspension for one of their full poly kits including body mounts unless someone talks me out of it. i am also looking at AFCO tall ball joints, and trying to find an alternative for the SC&C upper control arms. after that, its just stock replacement steering linkage unless someone has some better options. also found a set of low milage bilsteins at parkers for around 20 bucks for the set. and ill need to fab a panhard bar and find a rear sway bar too. but thats all in the next phase or 2.

thanks for letting me keep myself entertained.

Michael

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

well, i figure its time for an update.
not too much has been going on lately, as i have been busy with the house, the lawn, and building a shed. im also putting in a lot of hours at work.

ok, enough with the excuses.
got the AC fixed. it cost me 35 for the conversion to 134A kit. doesnt blow that cold, but its better than nothing.
Got the overhead console wired in, as well as the autodim mirror. they work great.

And the big thing: thursday, on my way to work, the truck died on me. just cut out in the middle of the street. i figured the fuel pump went out, as it has been surging and starting hard for the last few weeks. so my buddy and i towed it home with his four wheeler (wasnt too far from the house) and pulled it in. After looking at it, we figured it would be easier to do if we pulled the bed. so we did. we wound up replacing the fuel pump, a lot of the wiring to the fuel pump, readjusting the rear drums, fixing the taillight harness, installing the drop leaves, and doing some cleaning and painting. i also put the liscence plate on the bumper finally. grand total for parts: 69 for the fuel pump and sock filter, 6 in spray paint, 100 in the lowering kit.

i have also taken HILRODs suggestion and tried the fender flares. they dolt line up perfect, but theyll work until i can scrounde some truck ones. and a heat gun made that much easier.

Before

[IMG]

after
http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g108/dusterbd13/Picture208.jpg[/IMG]

total to this point: $585

sorry for doing the tread this way, but it was the easiest way to bring you guys up to speed on the project.

Michael

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:59 pm

wow. thats one helluva writeup.
nice!!!

Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 135 Location: New Jersey

Looking great man, good luck with the project. Why are you using a panhard bar?

Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 1:22 pm

Looks like you have a solid platform to start with. X2 on the write up, look forward to more updates.

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

man, those are some awesome deals you got.

nice project...be careful with that 2.8...I've had a bad experience with one...

Mad

i hate those old style door clips too, i don't think i've ever had one not break when popping the panel off.

awesome write though, thanks for posting it all up.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

yeah, the door clips suck.

and thanks on the compliments on the writeup. i try to do it in such a way that I would be interested in reading it, not just looking at the pictures.

as far as the panhard rod, i havent a clue which one im going to use yet. probably the cheapest one i can get from bradley auto parts or summit.
reason im using it is that the truck has a LOT of lateral movement in the rear, even with the new bushings and springs. and its not all in the tires. so im going to locate it better.

as far as the 2.8, it runs good so far. ill switch it out to a 305/350 TBI/TPI motor when it finally hangs a rod out the side of the block. until then, ill keep driving it.

couple of questions:
1. what gauge cluster did a first gen Sonoma GT use? i saw pictues of one, and loved the, i know GM is cheap enough to use the cluster from something more pedestrian for their specials like that, but what?
2. will the truck fit a 275/40/17 on all 4 corners? im looking at the cragar soft 8's, with unknown backspacing.
3. anyone know where i can find the blueprints for the headlight relocators to put a 92 grille in it? the ready made ones i have heard are junk, and i dont want to pay for them anyway.

the other questions ill post over in suspension, as it fits better there.

thanks for the encouragement, guys.

Michael

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:41 am

depending on how low you want, and if you want to retain the full steering angle, i dont see 275s up front working too well
i think soft 8s only come in one offset per size/pattern...

Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:37 pm

The Sonoma GT, sy an Ty all used the Skyhawk turbo gauges. It's not a direct swap though. The bezel is larger on the GT's and it's a very rare part.

Figure out the width of the panhard. I have an aluminum one from Colmen racing with rod ends. I'll measure it Thurs. or if you have a 3/4 - 16 tap I'll grab it and ship it. Send me a PM. I'll hook you up. Ryo (greencactus) will tell you I have no problem helping people when I can.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

the sonoma i saw didnt have a boost gauge in it like the sy/ty's did. could it have been another one that they used as well?

also, how much bigger/different are we talking? something i can make, or just a pipe dream for this kind of budget?

Michael

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

Syclone gauges:

Sonoma GT gauges:

pontiac sunbird gauges:

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

wow. a sunbird.
thanks, man. im going to start looking next weekend at pull-a-part.

Michael

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

time for an update.

after lowering the back and painting the rear wheels, i decided to tackle the front end. sort of. i replaced the steering linkage that was kind of scary (83.20), put in the lowering springs, and replaced all 4 shocks with bilsteins off a 2 door 98 blazer. the shocks were 40 for the set. and turned out to be the same compressed and extended heights as the stockers. while doing all this, i also replaced the rag joint with a shaft from a cherokee to get the universals. the shaft was purchased with a blazer rear bumper, brevada grille, trailer hitch, and sunvisors at pull a part for a grand total of 78.00. i dont feel like breaking it down right now, so well add that whole total in it.

heres that work, as well as the brevada grille installed.

i also had the fan clutch crap out on me, locking the fan into a fixed position. so i used an electric fan i had left over from another project. after i cut the shroud on it down a little bit, it fit right into the factory shrooud. i also got a 20.00 thermostatic switch for it from advance.

lastly, i started to finish the interior. i repositioned and reglued the windlace in, cut the headliner backer board and installed it, installed the sunvisors and under dash insulation.

grand total to this point: 806.20

up next is to decide wether or not the brevada grille is staying, and if it is i need to relocate the headlights and create a better fastening system for it. also need to install the trailer hitch and blazer bumper on the back, put the weatherstripping in the doors, and install the ZQ8 rear sway bar.

all this may take a little while, though, as i just found out yesterday that im going to be a father!

michael

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

congrats on being a dad!

idk about the grill...i'm kinda...undecided on if i like it or not.

blazer bumper will clean up the look nicely.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

ive been thinking, and that may be a bad thing. with the bravada grille in the truck, and the blazer bumper going on the back, it vaugely reminds me of a 70 olds 442. so i want to put the 442 W30 style to it with the scooped hood, etc. i was wondering if you could chop some w30 scoops on the hood, shave the beltline molding, and chop on some cragar soft 8's (17 inchers). also feel free to make other tweaks that you feel would work, but remember that they cant be too exotic as im doing it all on my own, and im not a professional body guy. also, if we could just do one with my ideas only, that would be cool. then get a little nuts.

thanks for any help. the imigas are all from my photobucket account, and are as high resolution as my camera will take.

again, thanks
Michael

Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 7:29 pm

as if we need any more soft 8 people on this forum lol.
pretty soon half of us posting will have soft 8s lol

im not a big fan of scoops., but a photoshop might help

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

im debating on the soft 8's myself. thats why i asked for the help.
im also thinking of having a set of oldsmobile ralley wheel rehooped into 17's, just to go with the 442 look.

i also realized that i never actually said in the post anything about it being a photoshop request. sorry bout that. if i had any photoshop skills at all, id do it myself. but i suck with computers, so i have to ask for help.

Michael

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

i found this hood:

http://www.sporttruckdirect.com/Good_Hood_GM_Ram_Air_Hoods.html

and this hood:

http://www.techhoods.com/Fiberglass_Steel_Hoods/TSOH-85.htm

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

i found this hood:

http://www.sporttruckdirect.com/Good_Hood_GM_Ram_Air_Hoods.html

and this hood:

http://www.techhoods.com/Fiberglass_Steel_Hoods/TSOH-85.htm

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

thats the hood style im thinking about.

thanks, though.

Michael

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

yeah i know, trying to find something ready made.

they make one for 2nd gens.

http://www.suncoastramairhoods.com/eshop/shop/index.php?productID=307

that 442 bravada guy that everyone used to make fun of on the s10forum has one.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

well, to be honest, i havent made a whole lot of progress. we've figured out that the vibrations are coming frm a pinion thats WAY off, and ive figured out that my drivers side door is junk. between bondo, stripped off regulator teeth, a window that is constantly falling out of track, and a broken latch, it needs replaced. anyone know how glossy Krylon is? and will it hold up at all decent as a paint subsitute?

as far as progress towards the goals, my goals have realigned since i started the truck. a baby on the way will do that to ya in a skinny minute. so most of my time has been spent getting the attic refloored for storage, getting the yard cleaned up, beginning to do some remodeling, etc. also been working my butt off on corvettes.
im definately proud of the bathroom remodel i just finished up today. it came out really nice. replaced 90% of the plumbing, redid the subfloor, new vanity, tile, fixtures, molding, paint, etc. first big remodeling project. and go figure, its for the babys bathroom....

before

during

after

i have also managed to get the old hot rod up and running again, but still need to tear back into the rear axle. shouldve redone it when i restored the car...

last, but not least, i managed to get my ZQ8 rear sway bar in the truck. after i orderd the brackets through my local chevy dealer ($14 for the pair), i thought i had everything i needed. let me tell you, drilling the holes SUCKED! there is no way that i could find to get any bit bigger than a 1/8 in there to drill the holes, so i wound up finishing them with a dremet tool and a carbide bit. that took forever. then, i went to install the bar, and realized that i had no endlinks or axle mounting hardware. by the way, the bar is off a 4 door blazer, and fit perfect. to mount it to the axle, i pulled some 2 1/2 muffler clamps off a C3 corvette exhaust in the scrap metal pile. on the end links, i had some heim joint end links for a C5 T1 car that had become too noisy, so were replaced. they were in my oh shit bin. unfortunately, they require a 1/2 inch bolt, and the sway bar and brackets are drilled for something a lot smaller. so out came the 1/2 drill thats older than me and my wife combined, and i opened them up. then, i reused the hardware from the old T1 car as well. grand total for the rear sway bar: 24 bucks, , 3 band aids, and 1 carbide bit. was it worth it? not yet. it induced a new level of underteer to the truck that i really dont like. but ill see where it falls after the front end rebuild, and i get somewhere in the negative camber instead of the positive.

heres pictures:

grand total: 830.20
i ordered my lower control arm bushings today, and at 53 total, thionk im getting a good deal. going to try the problem solver moogs.
and maybe while im at the autofair this weekend, ill find a deal on either soft 8's or a set of nascae wheels.

michael

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

first gen blazer rear bumper is installed. and whoever told me that it was a direct bolt on after drilling a couple of holes LIED!!

also included are pictures of the brackets i threw together. would they work in an accident? no. but then, would the flimsy rear bumper? i can twist it with my hands ever so slightly. so im not thinking the brackets will be a weak point....

i just cut and cut until it fit right, used 1/4 X 2 plate, and 4 dodge diplomat lug nuts as spacers. reused all the bolts from the step bumper that was on it.

up next: finish the brevada grille install, and possibly shave that side molding.

grand total remains the same.

Michael

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:09 pm

haha well just think of the whole bed as a BIG long bumper

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

looks good man, i like it.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

so its been a while since i updated. again.
my time has slackud up a little, so i had a chance to work on the truck some.
i tried converting it to round headlights. that was a waste of a saturday. if anyone cares, headlight buckets and trim rings form a 1970-1976 duster/demon/dart sport fit right on the old adjusters and center the round headlights. it just looks like crap. it actually looked so bad i didnt even take a picture. i didnt want actual proof that i tried it.

so in the process of making the square headlight relocators, i broke a couple of the origonal adjusters. like 3 out of 4. so when i went to the parts store and they had to order the right parts, i changed my design. they sold some "universals" that were supposed to fot in a 3/8 square hole. i will tell you that they'll fit a round one too. so that, and some 1/4 X 1inch aluminup scrap, 8 sheet metal screws, and my adjusters/relocators were done. are they perfect? nope. am i worried too much? nope. i also finished installing, painting and securing the brevada grille. total for paint, tape, and adjusters was 10 bucks. Krylon has gone up lately.

i then installed the 6 degree pinion shims. 45 from bradley auto parts. i was able to reuse the factory u-bolts, but the locating pin on the leaf spring is too short. i didnt bother to extend it, and the axle hasnt moved or loosed in 400 miles, so i feel pretty safe. lined it up square with a tape measure and a 2X4.

after that, i had decided that it would be cool to mount the old set of recaros that i have sitting in the shed. that didnt work too well. it would have been functional, but by the time i was done cutting and drilling to mount them to the old seat tracks, i wasnt feeiling cofortable of their structural integrity. so for future reference, the 88 BMW 3 series recaro sport seats will mount to the factory tracks with some modification. just get more creative than me, and reinforce them somehow. for now, im sticking with the blazer buckets. while i was at it, i yanked out the sub and amp. it was taking up too much room, and i figured the 50 LB wight savings was worth it. so we can subtract the 37 from the total.

lastly, i scored a craigslist deal while i was in richmond, va this weekend. full set of 80's IROC wheels, 170 total, with lugs, and decent tires. they need refinished, but ive got to figure out how first. im debating all black, or doing cast iron colo where the black is currently and brushed spokes.

so the current total is.......

1028.20 as it sits.

heres pictures. yu guys let me know what you think on the wheel options, or suggest others. and i stil have 1000 to play with for the challenge limit. should be able to paint it, redo the front suspension, and small block it for that.

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

6 deg of sims seems like a lot to me.

hell, i'm running my reg cab with 3" blocks + 3/8" set back plates with no shims.

i spaced the trans mount up 1/2"- 3/4" and it was pretty close with an angle finder.

i almost got me a set of those Irocs before i found these ZQ8's.

they look really good on 1st gens, idk about 2nd gens.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

yeah, 6 degrees is a lot. but its what greencactus had figured out would work. at least i think it was him...

and the IROCs were on a second gen. now the second gen is on blocks. at least until the guy puts on whatever wheels he's replacing them with. i agree with youre statement, though. they look a heck of a lot better on a first gen. i really wanted a set of the ZQ8's like you have, but couldnet pass up this deal when i found it.

Michael

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

so when we last had an update, the grand total was 1028.20. a lot has changed in the last month. damn old trucks....

first, i had a slight engine fire right after the last update. apparently when teh valve cover leaks onto an exhaust manifold, it'll burn your plug wires, heater hoses, smog pump, etc. so i had to fix it. let me tell you, that was not fun. but it gave me the opportunity to clean up the engine bay a bit, reduce the weight, etc. while i was in there, i reset the timing, ran the valves, fixed the vacuum leaks, changed the intake and valve cover gaskets, removed the bad EGR and smog pump, replaced the serpentine belt, and put new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor in. i also cleaned all the electrical connections and grounds, as well as fixed some hacked up wiring i found underhood. the parts for this were quite reasonable, and purchased from my local Autozone. 16.99 for the manifold gasket, 9.99 for the valve cover gaskets, and 15.99 for the belt. the plug wires, etc, were covered by lifetime warrenty. the rest was just aggrevating and time consuming, but the truck has never run better. i also wound up disconnecting the EGR as it was bad. just havent put one on it yet.

i was told while doing all this that you couldnt remove the smog pump without reworking all the belts and brackets. that is not true at all. just use an 860K6 serpentine belt, and route like normal. after around 1000 miles, i havent had a problem.

so heres what it looks like now. i figured i shaved around 20 lbs off the nose between all the grease, dirt, smog equipment, and spare brackets.

while i was underhood, i installed my ZQ8 steering box. found a totalled s10 Extreme with 50K on it at pull a part of all places. so my box only set me back 32 dollars. bolted right on with my old hoses, belts, etc. i used the pitman that came for the extreme. and i must say, i LOVE that box. best steering i have had in a factory box. only better box equipped car ive ever driven is the FFI stage 3 in the duster.

after all this got done, i was daily driving it, and the rusty exhaust finally went away. fell off coming down 24/27 with a load of roofing tin. so back to Autozone i go. after spending a grand total of 71.96, its off to the shop i go. while removing my old exhaust, i found little pellets coming from my cat. so i gutted it, and proceeded to hang the new exhaust. let me say, that was by far the easiest to install exhaust ive ever done. just fell into place, and doesnt sound bad either. while i was under the truck, i also completed my battery relocation. i have 32 in battery terminals and cable form Advance, and 10 in steel from AL lowders. its made from 3X3X1/4 angle iron, with some 1/4 channel steel holing it in place. and youll have to excuse my welds, they suck. i routed the cable down the passengers side framerail, through the boxed in section in the front, and was done with it. heres some pictures from out in my driveway. couldnt get the truck back on the lift, as theres currently a totalled corvette on it.

lastly, i finally started to glue my weatherstripping in the truck, and work on the interior. got my verhead console plugged back in, and the weatherstripping glued on.

after all this, the truck is a blast to drive. the rear mounted batter and 30 some odd pound monster of a tray helped balance the truck a bit, and made it ride better. unfoutunately, the front is no longer level with the rear. i guess ill just have to solve that with my tall lower ball joints here soon.

total as i drove it to work today: 1217.16

michael

Joined: 01 Feb 2008 Posts: 564 Location: Warner Robins, Ga

nice man, yeah i noticed that taking all that junk and tuning up my oid 2.8 helped it a good bit.

Joined: 13 Feb 2008 Posts: 186 Location: Statesboro, Ga

... for a couple miles.

Joined: 11 Jun 2008 Posts: 145 Location: albemarle, nc

for a couple miles??? huh?

imhoping the 2.8 holds out til next winter at least. then ill probably have the 3.4 ybrid motor built and ready to go. i heard something about the EGR bing disconnected causing the motor to prematurly go to hell. dunno if its true or not, but th check engine light's annoying me so ill at least get that ixed here soon. dunno if the diaphram is ad, or ifits a accum leak at the gasket. maybe when i get home ill check.

as ar as the ondition of the motor, its pretty lean on the inside, and uses arely any oil. so im thinkig I'll get another 50,000 out of it.

Michael

Joined: 05 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

I miss my 1st gen! Looks like it's coming along nicely.

If the EGR is removed properly and everything is sealed right it can only help. There's absolutely no way that reusing dirty, hot, oxygen deprived exhaust gas can be good for a motor!

Joined: 13 Feb 2008 Posts: 186 Location: Statesboro, Ga

dusterbd13 wrote:

for a couple miles??? huh?

His 2.8 threw a rod shortly after he got it back in and running. I don't know what caused it. He may have a better explanation.