Nate's Micellaneous Vehicle Thread

[LordNatedawg]

I've got a fairly busy life. Often times I can only set aside a few hours each month to work on my '66. Sometimes that time gets eaten up by other projects; my family loves using my mechanical skills to save some money. This thread will show you what I'm wrenching on when I'm not working on Papa Smurf.

The first vehicle I'm showing you is a 1998 Ford Mustang. It has the V6 engine and a manual transmission. We bought it from a family friend. He started a family and no longer had a use for it. It sat without running since at least 2016. I started working on it in early 2020.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> cJty7RQTpXB86ISjry_aPK4JKICORMZEsGjdOTJ1mEIujvjbK_ GQCP8WA2oUP3-4Iv-avhOG0qOlEyaAnnFLSLRq2ul4uD1L-aE9oRwbqQF-JxAfcmMmpJyHu3SHASitoASyJ9JfxRJSgh3hlbX70pnp3_gF5P LMdL882yJLLXxx_u4gLUZ8jhMw-Ew5XFONGqTvPpPcSRrdRKC4fwab11F3cghOUdNj5p7QT_yt9Y-Km_PIxPRmNepyTgw5Eiye-Ba2UP4l9OdP15yy1DUAinb3cfcg9QBt5Ah-WvpZj3fJ__rUN9iWzelVIFoAlIdC1wCf2IWdIqc5_hp3z_-uTy9_yXfIZ2qgbpMHD36BMBw78gpYqKbN2vs735ew_hKJwoG0b mvLKs0IpvPjkO8KNpMzhZ3g1T9U7NSfXf8jkEXaSxRCx76PA4X N6ILp9kji7gpdrbORZO_VpCqFWW1XZMYzN-USnQjjK7p2FNzE__Kd3EFTxQ3TyrmTU_NZ3iOq_v3dKY86soN3 31-NRxcNTImrIKFzGJv_lfJziZSzo6TZLVna3mj3Q5P1GD5lrj7G7 7ODQhm6YQeU5Or2o91nUrFmSb8XQW1dr46bpsuDWIkrUA80e_q 3QjyNLSSruQcF0x7c=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

The first thing I did was check all the fluids My main concern was the condition of the oil. To my surprise, it was full and looked fairly clean. Next, I pulled all of the spark plugs and gave each cylinder a shot of lubricant. IIRC, I used a lubricant that is meant to protect marine engines during long-term storage. My goal was to make sure that the cylinders weren't bone dry when I try to start it. While I had the spark plugs out, I made sure they were all in good shape. It looked liked they all had been recently replaced. I also took the time to replace the spark plug wires. I had torn a few during the removal process.

Next, I siphoned as much old gas out as I could, and then poured in a few gallons of fresh gas. 4 year old gas looks similar to cheap beer. Smells terrible. I certainly didn't want it gumming up my fuel system.

At this point, I was ready to try and start it. I disconnected the fuel pump, cranked the engine and got it started on starter fluid first. My goal was to try and "prime" the oil pump. My starter fluid also claims to lubricate cylinders. After this was done, I reconnected the fuel pump and tried to prime the fuel system. The fuel pump refused to kick on. Unfortunately, Mustangs in this year range seem to have an issue with dead fuel pumps.

I immediately got to work on replacing the pump. I left the 4-5 gallons of gas in the tank when I dropped it. I replaced the fuel pump and the filler neck grommet while I had the gas tank down. After that was done, I reassembled everything, verified that I now had fuel pressure at the Schrader valve, and the cranked the engine. It roared to life and soon I was smelling a mixture of old gas, burning cobwebs, and burning leaves.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> GMxNSQzrhyS0TAKiKXS21DFSteo3TsZwegvuAbiJwj1gOcZE5U UFFuGxp4KvslLWuP1MtWtL4dgQU0ejaoBTdajDAlbytPeGqRNb Suwe3wXhdDICQRGVToixnq_1WxFS53uQH1MtP0qpD0biBGbqse bWphpfHPH9x8iwMqV0gV48y_quktILcDm5bP5qQwEoJrLhpNAn G3t3eyJzAkcX4XnzPDAxBDWMVnLapfvOXD5T5yZAn494pRkdvP BZg3UT66jDFdTCzNUhX0abqqf2QmlVnfg9rYCoOUAllCAVMRiG 3llG1DYS1fKiQZrWhfVJiN8BgsxHfX7omSLKjmNvPrSZaORNBY Z6Vrq4mTc8y9ysNwdqo3eTi-RlMSRGeRdlVp7dz_sTaglHsO0yLXJAj1fW8gzwyfOVeEFCw1x5 UmLym1il_93Qw_yj8JWSyDxQulYGEbx0IZ77jiQltisMtRZ7d8 2yeDsjUSLYKT_0H2694C8nXn84o4vLwffFyJJ6ul83FulZlYV3 KZFPgq43T4mHKcipo5ZCtsxXTChHDnMTBNdpVlYzkTRD57cYwm _TBesK8HXdEdA5cluKGkkU2jrDQ_iyjzEQKD0l2bGrcQvoo83r j7AAvz6UmzfflU6m9PzlP0ggJz=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> q6Pdbfj_SthvpGwqVDQPHKq7U2MhkbIYsSi8PRhvWBsInHwvOx icuWM3la6Vafj6RMHzbKEEXBHVlXsoyLOJJc_OUBlhsr3lbkTG snrJjqpuGXlVPPY39DjnTQ_5bnYgEw-8VCC9n7PUS2qWuMTeQyU97HT2QZKMOpF6dWxf4yhlIelpx5Bdc Yyd-Q2zz-npYrfOVKulFcC2XPwpwTt9YMosNFdaa8BuW9OOL-ALtv28w_3wHGUBRdg5YStk0vtR4aGBfs5OOcIzAMzX5PDDbsIz 3305trwK-4ZVS1dSKJFNIkAGxU4SZB_IOwFrcQ_Q4UlRVDu9emKUVZKH0j5 xr57TgJHTQjRcOOXkwt5St0j_T1QYjGNRUj5xOiTkeGqbLc65a QxlgfqWBdTPad91W5yyx5kIXPoU_4kwKHv0YkQiM-KEd_185nb4H8bC4wTP7AInqAjaKlc93g7di8PSW3OqjV5SqAdi q-bUCVV21Jac-_VGhRH-pJHCvS92tbDPwdBafLtd-LgEBg0N3OoEmsPvIrNvFzCJrSOmLPVlFpwF1_ZIAG92ZwDnF-KI-r_vWvA=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

Now that it was running I could focus on other parts of the car. The oil was changed, and the coolant, brakes, and power steering were flushed. The differential and transmission fluid were left alone because they looked brand new. As you can tell by the photo below, the coolant was....a little dirty.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> kpXKdX4bKzPFmlWEgBfwqM985MvgqMILXxjXIp8ZtcI0S_Ibyo GL569BYCvm9ITyyDs1K1V9fbJdRw2VJv5BAerZZ8Q4ebotlHuf DfqtkKW1BztrFYp3vLeYruvq2x68xRcXdFr_sJSzOQe4J57L-zgL75GPlRYlpgwss0TFagcug-0Mco_PuGlOCZaMYlTiDKyV8Jf7Md1KwV1nvSOwTtVDWu9GI5pL DIuHExrZXcgnmmv15q03108uIXBbaYfK9GTy_AKnTb20YFoEGl VMlVM_HbBclwmgGGLWfe9iXRmjO4apl1zbQ7kzWK-5DUCXnux5AzvT9ApD4ScFt6f1xVW32wP0axlty2GUCREATXlmR D9VorUz4nOZvZRnDPHUkRmIurq_a3ElbjS9dLgSL8-TY36L6g1QlcW7pqlRn5QW9j_q8Tob5YnWhXOhOzSNKbvJVhPHO JX_Udnbv5lq_lIWoa-M1T2ZB1A9tHSMQhUckWzlN147iBk4we_uv7YkwD5hC62fSuBzX KuMhQgpe0fleRJ4PtWx_OkMz6svswvPqDz-Aj0LH1lrpVk0MDC0lyGcSuEzIVhfobqllJBRlcrN3YLSYlg9do iE9LAJf17IdsoqJD44=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

That's where I'm at with this project. It needs new tires, it sprung a leak at the power steering pump, and rust has deformed the disc brakes pretty bad. It also might have a bad throwout or pilot bearing. Releasing the clutch while the vehicle is in neutral causes a short but loud squeal emanating from the transmission. This vehicle will sit for a while because the soon-to-be driver doesn't have his license yet.

[LordNatedawg]

Another vehicle I worked on was a 2003 Saturn Ion. It belonged to one of my older siblings. They sold it to a newly licensed younger sibling, but it had a few problems. Of course, those problems quickly became mine to solve. It needed a new alternator. The master cylinder was leaking brake fluid, and the brake fluid was filling up the brake booster. The leak was very slow so the vehicle could still be driven, but obviously it was not an ideal, or safe, situation.
<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> uffRGuhAQ8NlJSyLsIzC-nl06OsisDOhUAdUelEYZUV8xAPpq3QrpfckEzU-780eXwcbfN4Dcch2yOxZy4nbA7mtHb0eC3OPQE3B-mBcia0AFcj4Iv__MyqDbWQcQESV9C88T6_1nqpCoobdke0bDb6 81UajSblbIIvHtPBXCcZuIHPxBLEgV1QL1_4gdp-ZA5ekj5_4AywOlGb8lM9ylaX8uXmRE6TvJzsbvk7Jg-Ftv_bGcrUYxkUSER_wX_Tj8X1RDCeJK1CfCtb1ePcR3JosHzNj JmjpczO0mo8lu4Cvx6HqgVeTkPFPny1aNfK6wlRq3hzPbeQey4 7Sb0h8k222q6fLSDbzBOgU0yZlXH0k-MsJZrVx7niko2GO_LhHSBIo_ueWgV1HHE75k1h3G7-9bpstnULKIzHJEtn09kj-DWNxXPt8i8R8gjTfARchlmPyDE9u0vykodITNN2mMdV4wr2360 8-09_PQ=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

The alternator was easy. I got one from the junkyard for cheap, threw it in and called it a day. It still works, over half a year later. The master cylinder/brake booster was not easy. As you can see by the below photo the brake booster bolts are hard to access. 3 of them can be reached with a u-joint and some extensions. The 4th bolt required a crow foot and a lot of patience.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> LNTz-Reblcy181sJ5jfEMZo5UlrD0cpqvW1Hm05tc5SmnX2YVLb5k74 Tnh6bwiMDv1g42E6bEQkGtdHfeZaESvsQgfoLVUKi-X_EV4u3X07FpnmiFLtrB3pALx3gSIK-S3VGESg5kaFL3iYkug_vokeap-6JJmhZczPSJyDHYXLl-lenNO28GLYR0k45qERiYIgoumIzzi0YNK9xDp-oaHEs1jUNeWMmudXbyKMFdXoe32YQ1JRcQYhD7MKK5IUJVWCI0 PqtQQTFxHj5yJrrJslsh96uPKkjjrXvyRTscwbh8WjqyoUlTl1 T2p-YCOOHqoB_EH9FENpbpeorrmW8hOobcL08eikee0gZ7K73-6QNDFyqTbhI9BVUBHYF4klHsut-A5x-tJEPcFGP_SSlzb8pFlP9mDkRAYxWjeewiFAjFzmCex2v3X6SPa KueFCyO-c6XE2CQAY6ySiJpzRJMVpvITrRtGd5mqhkd2df74gw6DWrOem2 6M8KlK1XJHKiGcx6QBBvh0QatAOrYuEbUtLU5DB-TktppeLmZD8A9JpHN5M_rj_x8Q3DMXr5ZGuFfPKk4Vs9AzT3v-oVeCBpR9POt-PnxqKcgQnCNhhChvqMSE-m5RDL1Ym8yk1k0Bxzrp95hjkBSQ=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

Once those are loose, it's time to go into the engine bay and pull it all out as one assembly. But first, you have to remove the ECM and the fuse box. I also pulled out the coolant reservoir because I wanted to clean out some of the dirt.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> jfp2g-fGCHK6unaSIyj0er_12dfiZE7jvdhvp996Nw2fNKIE4wrFJ-keX59qbf92MpuFdYuC2O_hex955L__qmEs4bAdF-89EU1DYoZjIPipGeUbZOhmu-hH_8-tF38jR8wgxne4-Uj8helyKLwPvBXAl1l0twFuj4UZ5HLduwPALlJJGc2lJdqRPiR UAH81EiIOO4Kyeg6UMD_23sXS6cwR6OIaH1iXuZFsfMZ01xvJa Y84VNy6BJtQ0CEZFwdXUh24s5y9bPeBYVCKTnDxtam1HMjgo8r G4IehAgEVJzo1q8pyXu-J5y5VFXxCzBcyygBjH-dde1IynfPfvSaxmSjftiYVYJqT0Nt00SGX9YPD829c8_SDRf_A lPC-qFxtCuK3wZPxwxHTKYTgTiPfpI_30FsDvzfP7CZBoDIvrMRImM QA05xancEuGotR_-81sL3QtjN5WGADWbzUHinUHs0FJ2rDeGr7SOgSW8sbJIYzotGZ CMEBWCjLixlqXavcVil5qS7oWgXURtxf7hAt4B6SHyOhdCEzmF _8T-Bh2WyH7REcoeTQ1aNaV0MDzZ7vieI-PE6h-hpGYH8ykEqOULr94EBGTiq5s7r_aVf7LH8eyD7mgGO8RLPoaOA cPgEySV9YnTsRae=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

After that, install the booster, bench bleed and install the master, then play the game of "where does this ground strap go?" as I reassembled the engine bay. Once that's done, I bled the brakes at all 4 wheels and had no brake pedal. Replaced the wheel cylinders, thinking that they might be bad, and still had no pedal. Eventually I realized that my master cylinder was bad despite being new. Got it replaced and everything worked great. The last thing I did was restored the headlights. This vehicle was going to my younger sibling. I obviously want it to be safe for them. The TurtleWax headlight kits are super cheap and work amazingly.

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> FtdTCM3d08KCbnBLxdmAkji_s_mmSiH8giWw2KUv4VZt_nvc7J c8onLVOsLWBj2qWC2_CIEYPfWvAOZNB11LBMtOmeLMSyjUM8It rpQDh8d4MgEWcPI3iCLQ1R_wdBFp2VccW0t8NoQiljsjPqUONW g_M5bDcseasDoAe-EsCkzbZCtn0ETzd60oakYy3Wg8prg5lZh4aEHVYIQz0JN4klci 4aiOR-yfSe2NESZPBXpIaVqfRYljYtY1f-rsd8Ift909rFGeTcMdzk-4JcIvWyhklOysaFzdJ_G4qcVbkxal3Kih_1g3qrxRpqScyuxAB K_NMqK7l28jSuXIB1CIFiIFn1-rM13c0HmgqT1HN-EacJ3-NtQRJONaftCMJ8DBHero8bj4aOcqxKqKXm9nxSbiJOGLmjwSDO ZOIGrO3YrwVKDgKKB66PSG8k08AkOh9zWrThHcY_D7dpEKKAEa bD93dS=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1
<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> uS17cxbaJqIvKYAiOEPYjc-7WxQ0q26TZ9RyJAJaXErqAp4hNz3rRBtlRawQtZNqJvV3GVITR XoNnOa9YLpb8Ehz0cqKjvRAFi6o0j11S-dy2Q-nsWlXe123R7vw1AiHgfbnJhygpJVxJj-n5ClE1XI4P-xmHOF-pcWzcbOsl8xIuD5jhLuR3jGLyWr0b5FIhudXQiTTTxpS4fPox3 suML1MrSROIbWuwuhqXamiJlQudXqbUNTNifkP4xR74gu9x9Sr ONyIalNoUl3cIJ2a3OjdEg9BAb8HhhH7ROu3Rr4pl26gATvcCs BhFMGcE4SwFFB1IlzCFshYZT6oOGNxlh0mKoCWoW6beD7SXw-jXnrmeZ4a8pU3BDDusp2SHWUCguNrOE2H5ZToDAf1BpVGEnYI0 47ti2nzKtsKb8tNYam4xj1MSwM69o6ozMCRIbeUbEepT5cLyMT k-tXEwCbf84d1gjeG2zLOrM8G2hflNvIg01Zg6Fl2wgc8WUAB9iJ h9xK2zmER9L3U_LzjTMuBPh6k2hCdTtkafh0ofhiM7DpjB8tRw YaUbgmihex_aPxC0AMlXoX7V53swljXWyy6FFcPfH92UN89uUr uZmwOjmUPRo2MUb9ej2V2RrIXnF-Td-=w1078-h606-no?authuser=1

And that's where I finished. The Saturn has a little over 200k miles on it, but it has been a reliable vehicle for its current owner. If nothing else, it makes an amazing first car. Fuel efficient and reliable. What more can you ask for?

[FetchMeAPepsi]

No pictures are showing up for me on this one. Sounds like busy time though!

[LordNatedawg]

No pictures are showing up for me on this one. Sounds like busy time though!

Strange. The photos were showing up on my phone and PC. But now they suddenly aren't. I'll be honest I'm not very good at tech stuff so idk what happened.

Thought I'd give a little update on the Mustang and the Saturn, plus introduce a new vehicle.

The Mustang's power steering is solved. I replaced two o-rings on the pump's pressure regulator and it stopped all leakage.

The Saturn ran into a problem. Here in Nevada, construction detours will occasionally take you down dirt roads. Following said detour, the Saturn hit a rock and punctured the oil pan (see pic). Slapped a junkyard one in it and it's good to go.

The new vehicle. A 1995 Toyota 4Runner with the 3.slow engine. We bought it as a "mechanics special" back in 2019. It had the notorious head gasket issue. We bought a wrecked 4Runner that had a new engine and performed a swap. The car was just a "spare" vehicle at that point because it needed some major suspension work. I recently tackled that job. I threw in a new wheel bearing, new tie rods, new control arm bushings, and new shock absorbers. The car still needs a few other things, but these components turned a pile of junk into a usable vehicle. Work will continue to turn this car into a daily driver for a family member.

[LordNatedawg]

Did some more work for another family member. My brother bought a 1994 Chevy K2500. It has the big block 454 and a 4L80E transmission. He got it rather cheap. All service receipts were maintained since the truck left the dealership, so even though the truck has over 200k miles, we both know that it is in great shape. Regardless, this truck is only being used as an off-road and winter rig. It will not be a daily driver.

First thing we did was tackle the easy stuff. Valve cover gaskets, tires, spark plugs and wires, fuel system cleaning, and shock absorbers. Just general safety and tune-up. The tires were over 14 years old, so I took the truck to work and personally installed some new ones. Most recently we did a transmission flush. Later on down the road, we will be redoing the brakes, front suspension overhaul, and tackling some other oil leaks (oil pan, oil filter housing, oil cooler lines, etc). This truck runs real smooth. I believe it is worth saving.

And just as a side note: be careful when replacing spark plugs. I've replaced several sets in the past, but on this truck I hit an issue. After the plugs were replaced we had a slight misfire on 1 cylinder. This misfire was accompanied by a loud and rhythmic "cracking" sound. If you have ever been tazed, you'll recognize the cracking sound as arcing electricity. I had to replace each spark plug 1 by one with the old plugs until I found the offending cylinder. The plug on cylinder 2, brand new out of the box, was cracked. Instead of sparking on the electrode, it was arcing to the head through the porcelain. Replaced that plug with another new one and the issue was resolved. Never seen that before. But it just goes to show that "new" doesn't always mean "good".

[LordNatedawg]

More work complete, more work to do.

The 4Runner decided to blow a headgasket. So that is going to be getting yet another engine swap. Can you hear my excitement? When the new engine goes in I will be using headers instead of the stock exhaust system. On the 3.0 V6 motors there is an exhaust crosspipe that passes behind the heads. It heats up cylinder 6 and causes warpage of the heads. You can even see in the attached pic that one of the cylinders has quite literally been steam cleaned. With headers, I can delete the crosspipe and hopefully eliminate head warpage. More on that later though. I still have to source a new engine.

In more exciting news. The Mustang is registered and finally on the road. I installed a new clutch, brakes all around, and took it to work for a new set of tires. It's not a GT or a Cobra, but it is still plenty fun to drive. Most importantly, my brother now has a reliable vehicle to get him around town. It still needs some minor suspension work, and possibly some performance exhaust work in the future. But for now, I can finally take a break from this project.

Coming soon. My parents picked up a 1992 Subaru SVX with a blown motor. Somehow I have to revive this vehicle for yet another sibling who will be getting a license soon. Stay tuned.

[LordNatedawg]

Here's another project I've been slowly picking away at.

Remember my 1995 4Runner with a blown head gasket? Well...it blew another head gasket. You can see in the pictures that cylinder 6 has literally been steam cleaned. I tore the engine apart with the intent of fixing it and deleting the exhaust cross pipe that causes head warpage. Unfortunately that wasn't viable. The cams were badly grooved, the cam caps were grooved, and the cylinder walls had very deep vertical scratches. The engine was going to need a complete rebuild, but no local shop would've been able to look at it for at least a year.

So I did the next easiest thing. I bought a 3.4L out of a 3rd generation 4Runner to drop into my 2nd generation 4Runner. It has been a slow process but today I finally got the engine installed. I still need to install a wiring harness and finalize a few small things before I can start it.

Just a small summary. I had to relocate the charcoal canister and battery from the right to the left side of the vehicle. I'm reusing the original transmission. I had to drill a hole in the engine block to relocate the dipstick. The wiring harness is a complete adapter harness. I had to buy a ECM for a Toyota T-100, because they used the 3.4L engine with a A340H transmission (the same combo I now have).

I didn't take as many pictures as I thought. But this project has been going on for about 8 months now. Very slow because it isn't cheap and I don't have much spare time.