Cars, Computers, Society in General
My Cadillac CTS-V sprang a really bad power steering leak the other day. Big leak. Giant puddle on the floor. Turns out it was the pinion seal on the rack and pinion assembly. Changing in the car would be a bit insane, so I had to pull the rack. Now, there’s no procedure for removing …
Owing to an uneven fender overhang that’s existed since I bought my Grand National, I’ve always been suspicious as to whether or not my car was straight or had been in an accident before I got my hands on it. Even after I replaced all the body bushings and yanked the car straight (as far …
Well, the 2016 racing season is fast approaching. Interlaced with the work on the basement I detailed in my last entry were preparations for this year’s autocross season. The Buick was re-classed into CAM-T for 2016, which moves me away from modern supercars like the Camaro SS/Z28 and the 2015+ Mustangs and toward old buckets …
Been awhile since I’ve posted, not that anybody noticed. Nevertheless, it has been a very busy winter. Car stuff, house stuff, people stuff. Lot’s going on. So I’ll start with the house stuff. When I bought my house, there was a “finished” room in the basement. It consisted of four walls, three doorways (without doors) …
Well, really not part two, because I’m not changing anything, just reporting back. I am happy to report that after this past Sunday’s KYSCCA Event at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, my PCV solution works. The car did’t puke any oil out of the breathers. Victory!
The 1984-1987 (and 1989 Turbo Trans Am) engines had something that was relatively new to GM in the 1980s: A serpentine belt with a tensioner to drive the accessories. All the other G-Body powerplants (305 V8, 231 non-turbo V6, and the 4.3L V6) used multiple V-belts, with the tension set by feel. The Grand National, …
Turbocharged Buick V6 engines are famous for many things. One of them is puking oil out of every possible spot when the engine is under boost. They blow the dipstick tubes out. They force oil past the rear main seal. They spray oil out the valve cover breathers. Mine even was forcing oil out of …
So let’s talk about seats for a bit. Seats are important. Seats keep you in front of the steering wheel while you’re driving. When you turn, seats, combined with the seat belts, keep you from shifting around inside the car. In a crash, seats and seat belts keep you from getting crushed, either by slamming …
After a year of wrenching on this Buick, I’d let the garage get away from me. It was a mess. Such a mess that it really wasn’t a good idea to do any intense work, and I have some intense work planned for this winter. Things like replacing the body bushings, measuring all the suspension …
Enjoy!