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Messages - bryes
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106
« on: November 04 2013, 08:28:52 PM »
thanks for the input, It wasn't a new accumulator, I bought it off a board where it was advertised as a good used unit. I will say that swapping it in made a difference compared to my old unit for sure. Is there any way to check it to make sure? That is really the only "known good" unit that I have available. The reason that I think the MC is bad is because it seems to me that fluid seems to be transferring from the accumulator circuit (high pressure side I think) to the rear brake circuit. Which is why that chamber filled up (I originally had it probably 1/4 full) and why bubbles, similar to the PS chamber  I didn't think there was any way for this to happen unless the seal in the MC was bad. Is this bad reasoning? Also I changed brake fluid and wiped out the reservoir until it was clean. The new fluid almost immediately turned the blacker color as can be seen in the picture. I was thinking this might also indicate bad rubber in the MC.
107
« on: November 03 2013, 12:16:07 PM »
I was able to swap out my Powermaster motor with another and the good news is that I now have pump noises under the hood and power brakes!  The bad news is that even after bleeding the accumulator, I I couldn't keep the brake light from coming on.  I swapped out the accumulator ball for another and then the brake light would turn off, but the motor would still turn on every single brake application. I assume this is not normal, I've read that the motor should come on every 3rd application of the brakes. I kept on bleeding the accumulator, but as I proceeded I noticed the accumulator reservoir level was continually decreasing at the same rate the rear DS reservoir was filling. There were also bubbles, similar to the accumulator reservoir in the ds rear, So it looks to me like fluid is escaping from one side to the other (See Below).... the MC seal is leaking and badly. Time for a seal kit I suppose. I just can't catch a break with my PM, everything seems to have been bad, except for the pressure switch I guess! I can see now why everyone converts these things to Vac or HB systems. Let me know if you think my diagnosis is correct.
108
« on: October 15 2013, 10:07:54 PM »
Thanks, I just went out there and beat on it some but it still didn't do anything. I could make it click by removing and re-installing the pressure switch connection, but that was it. I have to admit that I have a tender spot in my heart for cars that require some sort of "pre-starting" ritual, and that's ok for things like the starter or the radio or whatever. Heck, I tried to convince my wife how nice it was to have a good security system for our excursion, as I showed her how to jump the relay under the hood with a big crescent wrench. But even I am not convinced that having a power brake system that requires a few firm whacks before it starts working properly is a good idea  So I think I'll switch it out when I get back like you suggested.
109
« on: October 14 2013, 08:31:57 PM »
Thanks earl, that spot could have been a mark from me prying on it too. I remember it took me awhile to figure out the "hidden" screws behind the oil filter adapter [size=78%]At any rate, if it starts leaking again or my oil pressure is not what it seems to be now, I'll have some more good information to go with the net time I remove that cover.[/size]In the mean time, I worked on my Powermaster yesterday and found the fuse was blown. I replaced it to see what would happen, but still no motor sounds or change in pedal whatsoever. The pump motor (and fuse) itself was warm to the touch after leaving the ignition on for a few minutes, so I think that is likely the problem. I have another working PM assembly (in theory), so my options are to either swap the motor out or the whole PM assembly. I'm leaning towards replacing the whole unit as I can clean it and wind up with fresh brake fluid. Any thoughts?
110
« on: October 13 2013, 05:20:17 PM »
Thanks Earl
The picture below is a better description of what I sanded, don't pay too much attention to the scale, and I'm really not sure of the size or shape of whatever it was. I just know it was in that approximate position and that you could feel it and it was close to the edge. Maybe the best description is a burr, and I chamfered the edge until I didn't feel it anymore. I stole this picture from another site so hopefully whoever owns the copyright doesn't see this!
I'm guessing labeled it 1/32" wide but it was probably smaller, it was so small that I couldn't see it protruding, just feel it. I'm sure it wasn't pushed out that far, maybe more like ten or twenty thou?? It was sharp and sanded fast. I doubt in a way it was really the issue but it was the only thing I could find.
So you think it'll eventually leak? I'm not attached to it by any means, if it would I'd sure be open to replacing it.
111
« on: October 13 2013, 02:47:40 PM »
Thanks Earl and Steve,
I did hand lap the filter adapter before, but as it turns out that wasn't where the high spot was and I believe that the outlet hole has always sealed. The high spot I was referring to was on the timing cover itself, right in the middle of where the leak was (where the arrow is in the picture a few posts back). I never touched the cover itself for fear of ruining the clearance. I found the "defect" with layout dye and it felt like maybe a 1/32" diameter raised spot, I would have thought that it was some leftover gasket, but I had blasted that cover and the color was uniformly aluminum looking. With 400 grit paper I was able to gingerly polish it down with my finger.
Either way, I'll keep an eye on the oil pressure so if I do have a further issue I'll know where to look.
112
« on: October 13 2013, 10:48:00 AM »
Sorry Steve, I hate that it seems like I ignored your advice, but I read it as saying to not use silicone in particular... but my impression was that gasket adhesive (gaskacinch) was OK bc a small amount would have less (negligible?) impact on clearances. Judging by the side of the gasket that is visible after I was finished, there wan't anything major oozing out, which happens when I use silicone.
Earl, thanks for the advice as always. My first attempt at sealing that oil pump was done using the method you describe. I couldn't find the reason why it failed, so I tried the different approach. I just wonder if my pump cover is a little out of spec or something, because judging by the oil buildup on the intercooler bracket, I think it is likely that it was leaking from the same spot before I tore it down. Maybe that high spot that I polished down was at fault, but I was more comfortable using gasket adhesive in case it wasn't.
Am I right though that the end game is good oil pressure (and a clean driveway)? Mine's like 75 cold and I didn't see it drop much yesterday. Or am I missing whole point?
113
« on: October 12 2013, 08:59:03 PM »
Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know of anyone on the Savannah who has a GN to test it with. Also I did a real hack job to wire up the SM and gauges because the ds door doesn't open wide enough in that shed for me to do a decent job. Now that I can pull it out I hope that the problem won't be too evasive.
I hate to jinx myself but it looks like the engine is a done deal... well as done as a project like this is ever going to be. I primed the oil with a drill the other day, and ran it today for about 20 minutes and from what I can tell the oil leak is now fixed. Also, my radiator seems to be fixed as well, no leaks at my solder joint that I saw.
Tomorrow I'm going to get after the Powermaster. The brake light is on continuously and I have never heard it making any noise like I've read it should. Also, the brakes feel terrible and are the same whether the ignition is on or not even after pumping them about 20 times. I’ll have to start going through the checklist that I’ve seen on TB unless someone knows of a better troubleshootin g guide to start with.
I knew this was an issue awhile back, so I have been able to piece together all the parts for a working PM unit (in theory at least), so I’ll be able to swap out parts if not the whole thing.
114
« on: October 06 2013, 09:27:42 PM »
I looked for a crack, but couldn't see anything. I did find a small dimple high spot using layout die that I was able to polish out before I reassembled the oil pump, this time with gasket adhesive. I ran out of time before I had a chance to prime the engine, but hopefully I'll be able to verify the leak when I do.
I soldered up the inlet tube in the radiator, painted the affected area and re-installed it into the car. So at least that is done.
Hopefully I'll have the car back on the road this year, assuming that these issues are fixed, the major hurdles going forward are:
1: Fix PM or convert to vacuum (Brake light is on continuously).
2: Tires all around (I'd like to replace my crappy rims with OEMs, I need 2 more for a complete set.).
3: Rear Window
4: Repair hole in DS floor. (I'm going the easy (if there is such a thing) route with this one for now)
I've got a trip to south dakota coming up in a couple of weeks, so I might not be getting a whole lot done until November.
115
« on: October 05 2013, 08:49:17 PM »
Well I've been working on the car this weekend and a little bit last, so I have some progress to report. I've successfully fixed several gremlins and a couple of demons, mostly of my own doing, but I still have a few more.
The motor is finally running good and broken in. I found out at least one spark plug wire wasn't snapped completely into the spark plug which made it miss. It was the one I pulled off to test the ignition. Now it starts well and idles nice, seems pretty good at higher revs but I'll pass final judgement when its on the road. I've adjusted tps to 0.42 and iac was at 20.... I think, I'll double check that.
Before it was running right, the motor also started making some additional racket. I'd describe it as a metallic white noise sound at the front of the engine, with distinct regular "banging" to go with it. I thought it was my power steering pump, but found the problem when i noticed my serpentine belt was being chewed up. The water pump pulley bolts had loosened and I caught them just before they started flying off!
I had to replace the coolant temp sensor which was showing -36. As it turns out one of the blades was bent so wasn't engaging into the female end. I replaced it with a new one anyway.
The radiator has a leak at the inlet tube where the solder has broken loose. The upper hose was stuck badly, so I probably damaged it when I removed it. I sand blasted it tonight in preparation to re-solder tomorrow.
The scanmaster still fades out at elevated rpms, at least it is clear at idle. I probed for AC volts and it was < 0.5 V, additionally the system shows about 13.8 volts at idle, so seems like it might be charging ok. I think I'll try to mess with the connections, seems like it must be something easy.
The main problem now is that darn oil leak that is shown in a picture a few posts back. Oil was leaking right where I drew that arrow, I even ran it without the intercooler a bit to make sure it wasn't leaking down from another place. I have ran the motor long enough now, so I decided to change the oil and take apart the pump to fix the leak.
I thought maybe I left some bolts loose on the oil pump housing, but when I was pulling it apart they were tight and I remember using my 1/4" torque wrench. When I took the pump apart the gasket that was leaking looked good and had a nice pattern all the way around, so I could find nothing visually to explain why it leaked.
I wonder if the front cover doesn't have a defect that is causing this leak. There was probably a 1/2" of old nasty greasy oil coating the intercooler bracket, which is right where this leak winds up. I thought it was just from oil filter changes, but when I pulled the filter off today the oil missed that bracket. What do you guys think? Do most buicks have oil buildup on that bracket?
I'm not sure what the best approach to use when I put the pump back together, but I hate the thought of throwing silicone at it, because it will squeeze right into the pump gear. I'm thinking about maybe using gasket sealant, and make darn sure to use as little as possible.
Hopefully a local store has that gasket too, anyone have the pt #?
As always thanks in advance for your responses.
Bryes
116
« on: August 27 2013, 12:23:32 PM »
I assume you meant to probe for AC volts when the car is running? If so it will be awhile before I get a chance.
For possible future reference, the battery itself is disconnected and brand new, and shows about 12.5 v DC when probed.
117
« on: August 26 2013, 07:43:37 PM »
I bought mine new 1 year ago. Unlike yours It doesn't heat up and fade away, instead it fades away the moment the engine fires.
I just wonder if I don't have a bad diode in the alternator. I tested it when I had it apart and something didn't seem right. I was using a method from a little bit different model though so I attributed it to this and user error. I'm pretty sure it isn't charging, so that will be the first thing I try now. I'll do that and run the wire right from the battery. Hopefully between the two I'll be able to read the data the next time I fire it up. It's going to be awhile because I'm going to Ohio for a week over labor day.
118
« on: August 25 2013, 09:28:06 PM »
Yeah, I'm more concerned about the cam which is new, than the rings. I was reading on some cam manufacturers site recently (crane, comp?? don' remember) that if you have to shut down during the break-in, then you should finish it the next time you start. They basically said to bring the RPM up fast, just like the initial break-in and continue on. I don't know, I had to make a decision whether to continue not knowing RPM or temperatures with an oil leak, or shut it down, so I chose to shut it down. It seems like there are a lot of theories on the proper method to breaking in a cam (and rings for that matter), so I tend to think that it might not be as critical as people make it out to be. Then again, I've yet to hear a break-in method that involves shutting down and restarting bunch, so maybe I should be more concerned than I am  Either way it is what it is. Should the lifters fail then we'll know why! Ok, so good to know that my scanmaster's leds fading is atypical. I used a spade connector in an empty ign. circuit at the fuse box. So maybe I'll try to run power straight from the battery to scanmaster for my next attempt. I remember when I was putting the oil filter adapter together that I wasn't happy with the o-ring you are describing. So when I looked at it as the engine was running, I was expecting that to be the problem, but it looked more to me like it was seeping from the gasket right there where the arrow is, right in the middle of the bolts. I'm pretty sure those are tight, but I do have a history of leaving bolts loose.
119
« on: August 25 2013, 08:02:44 PM »
It's definitely a good feeling, it will feel even better when I can get all the bugs out though!
Even though I was able to start the motor, I wasn't able to let it run long enough to break in the cam because of acouple of issues.
The first issue is that the moment it fired the scan master would fade off, so I couldn't tell what RPM it was running at or temps etc. I only have fuel, oil and boost pressure gauges, so I was relying on the scanmaster for everything else. On a related note, I am pretty sure that the alternator wasn't charging (don't think it was before either), but I never had the chance to put a multi-meter on it. Could this be the issue with the scanmaster?
The second issue is that I have a small oil leak at the front cover as shown below. I was getting 75psi at the gauge so I don't think any harm was done. I'll have to look into this problem more, but here is a photo below.
All in all the motor ran a little ratty at first, but at speed it seemed to smooth out. I probably ran it for about 5 minutes at elevated RPM (Estimated 2500 bc of scanmaster not showing) while I was working on things. It smoked like crazy when hot, even when it shut down, bc new paint and never seize on the exhaust.
I'd like to have these issues worked out before attempting to finish break-in, so if anyone has any ideas let me know.
120
« on: August 25 2013, 07:31:10 PM »
Well without too much difficulty I was able to get the car running today. I have to give much credit to the no start tree on Steve's sight, http://ihadav8.com/forum/VortexBuicks/troubshootgeneral.htm.The first problem of no spark / no injector pulse turned out to be a loose connection at the ignition module. I must have engaged the connector then forgotten to tighten the bolt, and I guess I never pulled on it to make sure it was tight  . Once I found that problem the car still wouldn't start. The injectors were firing, I could smell gas, I could hear the engine firing occasionally, and it would even run a little after the starter was disengaged. But something was off... it sounded like the firing order was wrong. Occasionally it would pop, and buck the starter. I double checked the wires and they were OK. I started going to the no-start tree again... I was thinking about the problem last night and remembered (look back to the beginning of the post) that when I took apart the engine the plug wires weren't in the proper order. I remembered the ignition module wire section and wondered if maybe the wires were hooked up wrong. I had never inspected this before. I removed the coil packs and sure enough the light blue wire was switched with the green. After I switched them back, the car fired immediately. Below is a picture of the beast, this is the first time she's seen sunlight since January 2012.
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