The Automotive Thread

[Capt Worley PE]

I've kinda been diggin' looking at Type 3s for sale at The Samba. I always thought the fastbacks were cool and thye don't seem as pricey as the Type 1s, although I'd bet prices for parts ar sky high.

 

[Master slacker]

Love the Type 3's. Of course I enjoy the 1's and 2's as well. The 3's should share drivetrain parts with the Type 1's and Ghias so it shouldn't be all that bad. Interior may be different.

 

[MA_PE]

you guys are talking in code. What's a Type 3?

 

[Supe]

Vee Dub, yah?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Ja, Vee Dub.

Ms, beyond the long block, all else is different on the engine. Not sure about tranny differences, but I seem to recall the interior and body stuff on the 3s being much more expensive in the 80s.

Of course, a lot more Type 1s were on the road back then too, so....

 

[Master slacker]

I'd bet that at least the 3's had the same transaxle as 1's. Busses had the "beefier" and taller geared 6 and 9 ribs. Just go the route I plan on going (when I have money ) and get a Subaru drivetrain with a reversed R&P. I'm not too much of a purist, though.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I'd bet that at least the 3's had the same transaxle as 1's.

I seem to recall that wasn't the case. I'm going from memories that are 25-30 years old, though.

 

[Road Guy]

Well I didn’t plan to do this so soon but last weekend I bought a used Tahoe, 4WD, big V8..

Now I just need a small lift so I can fit some 33’s on it…

I had been driving a tahoe for some of the flood work here and really liked it, it was a used sheriff’s vehicle and I found it very roomy and handled some off road stuff pretty good (not a jeep or anything)

Only thing I hate is that I put new tires on my Durango for my drive to Colorado but it was nearing 180,000 miles and was in pretty horrible external condition, but at least I got a few grand for it (quick sale to some illegals on C-list). Probably wouldn’t have gotten as much with the bald tires that had been on it before. Tahoes wheels are bigger so the Durango tires wouldn’t fit anyway (I thought of that).

This is my first chevy vehicle…so far for a quick yesterday the extra room will be great, and the 4WD should help on some of the dirt roads we want to travel to..

Its also not brand new so if it gets a nick or bump its not the end of the world..

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Need another road racer, Supe? Looks like a good LSx swap candidate.

1984 Corvette 99k - $1500 (Hickory)

1984 Corvette needs some work. Will crank but not getting fuel. Has almost new tires all around the car. Needs new top. Inside is a little rough. $1500 OBO. NO TRADES. call or text 828-261-60 three seven

 

[Master slacker]

Personally, I would love to have a Gen 4 Corvette (preferred '92+) for cheap and swap in a 6.0 or 6.2 on the cheap. My ONLY hesitation for not doing so (besides money) is that I would find it hard to get one with the fiberglass body in good condition. "Proper" FG repairs on the Corvette are not inexpensive and, thus, most are cheap. But HFS that would be fun!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I guess I have a different interpretation of 'like new.'

http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/4084813949.html

 

[Supe]

Shot that over to my boss, Cap'n. He's the one that races a C4.

 

[engineergurl]

If the master cylinder is shot... wouldn't the back brakes be impacted too? If only the front brakes seem to be not being used any other potential suggestions for what could be wrong?

Is the master cylinder easy enough two mechanically inclined people could tackle?

This is on the grand cheerokee

 

[blybrook PE]

^ Not necessarily. Since the mid 70's all master cylinders have been a dual reservoir type on passenger automobiles to prevent catastrophic failure. If it is a single reservoir and you lose all the fluid, there won’t be any braking capacity. Now, most look like they are single reservoir since they have a single cap, but that thing has an internal wall to keep enough fluid to run half the brakes (usually). It is also typically known that the front brakes do over 60% of the vehicle braking, so when they start to go, its best to check out the whole system.

First thing to do is to pop the hood and check the fluid level to see if one side is lower than the other. If it is, refill and check for leaks with someone pumping the brakes while another is underneath. A substantial leak will be easy to spot, slow leaks are a pain in the arse to find; or you won’t find it until you get a blowout and all the fluid is on the road with you not stopping (not fun).

Since you are in salt country, you could have a rusted line that has a small leak causing the loss of braking capacity; or one of the rubber lines between the distribution block and the caliber has dry rotted and needs replacement. Best check is when the underside of the vehicle is relatively dry; look for wet spots or areas on the brake lines (brake fluid has a distinct smell, so try to smell the wet area if you can and compare to the smell in the brake reservoir). Replace any lines if found faulty and bleed the entire system.

Front brake caliper seals have been known to go bad, so it could be that and you may not immediately see the leak. To check for this, you’ll need to pull the wheels and the calipers to check for wet spots on the seal or along the rotor. It’s a good time to check the pads while yer in there and replace if necessary.

Two mechanically inclined people can easily change out a master cylinder in a couple hours as well as check the entire brake system. Just remember to bench bleed the master before installation (it will save you headaches later!).

Good luck.

 

[engineergurl]

Thanks! What the mechanic was saying didn't make sense... especially not to the tune of $1000. I had to replace some fluid back in June ( my e-brake light came on and wouldn't go off) but since then there has only been about 500 miles driven n on it since my husband went tdy for a while and the thing spent a lot of time parked at the airport. I drove it last week while the car was getting an oil change and noticed the brakes were 'spongier' then I was used to (hubby didn't notice cause they have always felt that way to him). He actually only took it in because he got pulled over for a brake light being out and figured to have everything checked.

I'll try you suggestions about the leaks this weekend since it isn't supposed to rain, but I am guessing there was a leak and a line has probably dry rotted since it hasn't been driven much this past year while I wasn't working (maybe 800 to1500 miles since Aug of 2012) and it sits for extended time frames

 

[Supe]

If you press the brake pedal down and hold it, does it start sinking to the floor, or does it stay where it is?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

^ Not necessarily. Since the mid 70's all master cylinders have been a dual reservoir type on passenger automobiles to prevent catastrophic failure.

Dual circuit master cylinders were required, along with a host of other safety changes, in 1968.

As much as I disparage Ralph Nader, this was one of the very good things resulting from him shining a light on auto safety.

 

[mudpuppy]

A substantial leak will be easy to spot, slow leaks are a pain in the arse to find; or you won’t find it until you get a blowout and all the fluid is on the road with you not stopping (not fun).

This happened to me twice on the Bronco. The first time it was the front brakes and I didn't realize one of the rear wheel cylinders was also frozen so I had one-wheel braking

 

[engineergurl]

If you press the brake pedal down and hold it, does it start sinking to the floor, or does it stay where it is?

I didn't notice it sinking further

 

[Supe]

If its not leaking down further, it may just need to be re-bled from air in the lines. If the car has ABS, sometimes the ABS unit needs to be cycled during bleeding to get all the air out. Most dealerships do this using scanner/program through the OBD port.