My new 1988 T/A

[DynoDave]

Yes, it needed doing. So it's nice to have it done. Putting the last coat of paint on the fasteners (which will probably flake off as I install them, but I don't have a way to plate them, so it's the best I can do). I did get the clip on the wheel cylinder. It took quite a few tries, sockets, hammers, punches, wooden wedges, clamps....but they are finally seated. I'll try to get out there tomorrow and get that drum back together.

[MP81]

Baby steps are still steps! I sure hope you didn't have work to contend with today...

[DynoDave]

I did not work this weekend that I can recall. This week is quickly turning miserable though.

I did get the wheels back from refinishing. So that's good. Tires mounted and balanced, ready to go. I also made an appointment at a heavy truck repair shop to get some work (Ford chassis) done on the motorhome. So check that off the list. Next I need to call my repair guy to come look at the roof air conditioner. And I need to de-winterize it at some point, maybe later in the month, and service the generator.

One of these evenings I'll get back out there and put that drum back together.

[MP81]

Happy with the wheels this time around?

[DynoDave]

Yes, he did a very nice job on them. I think they will work out well.

[DynoDave]

Got the drum back together last weekend. Also have the fuel filter bracket installed, and cleaned up fuel tank vent installed.

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Took a few moments this evening and got one of the new rotors all cleaned up, inside and out. It needed it.

Also gave the new bearings a once over, although they were nearly spotlessly clean already.

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[MP81]

Well that's some solid progress!

[DynoDave]

Feeling more and more like the trip in mid-May is off due to work, and some other reasons, but we'll see. Not ready to throw in the towel just yet. But need to cancel the hotel in time.

Front brakes are gravity bleed, so the last of the brown brake fluid is gone. Driver front brake rebuilt and back together. Still need to do the strut on that side.

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Passenger front is still apart, awaiting a strut cover. We have a new plan of action on that one, so stay tuned. Don't really want to mess with the rotor and pads on that side with the knuckle attached only at the lower ball joint, so brake work stops here for now.

FYI...the Hawk pads don't come with break-in info (pretty normal), so I called for their recommendations. Here's what they suggest.

6 to 10 stops from 30-35mph down to 5mph. Do NOT come to a complete stop.
2 to 3 stops from 45mph down to 5mph. Do NOT come to a complete stop.
Avoid STOP lights and signs.
Park the vehicle, and allow the brakes to cool at least 15 minutes. Overnight is OK.
Pads are now ready to use.

Got the rear compartment trim all reinstalled. Had left it out thinking it might aid access to the rear shocks, but that is not the case. As a matter of fact, all that loose trim in the cargo area was impeding my ability to roll the carpet back to get to the rear shock upper.

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[MP81]

I'm pretty sure you should just go on your vacation, unless work plans to pay you for all of that vacation it isn't letting you use, which you have a legal right to, as it is part of your employment.

Yes, that procedure sounds right for the HPS pads we did on the Mustang and wayyyy back when on the Cobalt. They'll be smoking, it is awesome. It usually works out pretty well for me now for brakes, because I'll just drive about a mile North, which usually isn't too busy, so we can get stops in there (brake, floor it, brake floor it) and then after that mile is the high school, so we can do all those stops in their parking lot and then we have a place to sit and wait that 15 min.

[DynoDave]

Yes, I'll probably due that break-in when there isn't much traffic out, like this time of night. Then I can let them cool at the local school, or at home if I can coast in.

Haven't brought the vacation thing up with the boss yet. He's knows I have the time off on the calendar. This is actually trying to use up the time I carried over from Christmas, when I had to cancel my time off to get an urgent project done.

[MP81]

Yeah, that sounds like a bit of an issue...just remember: you don't owe Tavares anything, though he seems to think everyone owes him everything. Take your vacation, you really will need the break with how much it sounds like you've been working...

[DynoDave]

I could use the time off, no doubt.

I finally mentioned the upcoming time off while going over deliverables for the next few weeks. There's just so much to do, I don't see how I can take the time right now. He had the right answer...."take your time off"....but he knows as well as I do that I can't do that.

Firebird is still apart, still waiting on those boots. I've got a contact for getting the alignment done, so I'm going to call and see what their schedule looks like. If I have to, I'll put the struts on without the boots, and install them next winter.

Motorhome, our tow vehicle for this trip, went in on the 30th. Was supposed to be inspected on the 1st, parts ordered and repairs done this week. I have not heard a word from them. So my guess is they haven't touched it yet.

As the window of opportunity to go gets smaller and smaller, IF I can get ahead at work, and the motorhome isn't done, we could just drive the car there. Don't want to, but could. Towing to out of state shows is THE reason we moved from a trailer to a motorhome. If we don't make this trip, we will be 0-2 in trying to use it for that.

[DynoDave]

As it turned out, the car was not ready anyway. Could have rushed, but decided what I did NOT need was more stress. $100 event registration goes to charity, and that's all I lost cancelling late. Maybe some other year.

I did get out in the garage last night for the first time in 16 days. Needed some metric crows feet to torque the upper shock mount, which I ordered and they arrived this week. Both rear shocks are now on, and the interior back together.

Sometimes you just need an odd tool.

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Out with the old.

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Seems a shame not to reuse the factory bushings, since they were so carefully installed at the factory.

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Torqued.

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Installed. Boot shifted a touch off-center on both sides. Oh well.

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The Bilstein shocks come with a steel spacer for the stud on the bottom of the shock. They have a larger tube diameter, so I assumed this was to maintain the factory spacing to the axle. The before and after "thumb" test shows that its does just that very thing.

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Now I just need those front boots.

[MP81]

Yeah, those bushings look about like my body ones - they didn't care, at all.

And then my front shocks...those weren't even fully installed. Fully-assembled? Yes. Installed into the subframe? Not at all.

Van Nuys car?

[DynoDave]

Yes, it was built in Van Nuys.

I guess it was good enough. They lasted 35 years like that. I'm just disappointed because I'd have reused them if they were in decent shape. The bottom (outside of the car) bushing has a tall center section, like 1/2 - 3/4 inch tall that covers the shock absorber shaft. The upper (inside the car) has an extra large center hole to layer over it, so there is zero change of the shock absorber shaft contacting the body. Pretty smart IMO. But they are a little too mangled for me to reuse.