A little TLC

The brake job went well. Eventually.

Actually, after we put both sides on and I test drove it, it immediately started making a grinding sound and the pedal still felt like nothing was happening to the drums. Come to find out later that the entire self-adjuster had 'sproinged off the hold-down and was just rolling around in the drum, making that noise.

An hour or so later, I'd reattached it, then started adjusting the self-adjusters. Insane, right? But apparently that's how these complicated machines work. Another couple hours of finding the star wheel with a screwdriver and tweaking the shoes until they were in the right position, the brakes work just fine now. I could probably tweak them just a little tighter, but for short trips I think it's acceptable for now.

Once that brake job was done, I knew I wanted to get some other regular maintenance things done that might not have ever been taken care of in this car's lifetime. This included a breather element, PCV valve (positive crankcase ventilation, fascinating tech), and a real air cleaner gasket. I also changed the oil, just to get everything on a fresh start, square one. It really liked that oil change, though. Very black, and very nasty stuff came out. I used Valvoline hi-mile 5w30, because it was on sale cheaper than the regular stuff. I'll also take any help I can get. I also went the distance for a new oil drain plug gasket because the copper crush one was flat as a pancake.

After all that work to change the fluids, I wanted to clean up the bottom of the engine with the mind on finding where any leaks might be coming from. I suspected the oil pan gasket or the valve covers, but the PCV was really dirty, along with the breather, so there might have been a pressure issue causing the leaks. I used the technique of spraying down everything under the engine with a 50/50 solution of water and Purple Power, several times, and flushing with a spray garden hose after. It cleaned up okay without having to scrub anything.

The next day, with everything now dry, I sprayed foot powder liberally over the oil pan gasket, the drain plug, and generally under the engine. Supposedly, this would help me spot fresh leaks quickly and trace the source.

Next, I wanted to change out the fuel filter, which is inside a steel line coming from the back of the carburetor. Try as I might, none of the wrenches I had seemed to be the right size, though a couple were close. I started rounding the nut of the fuel line, and the larger filter nut wouldn't fit any of my wrenches at all. When I noticed that I was twisting the fuel line, I decided to call it quits on that particular item until I could get the right tools and had time to spray it down with some PB Blaster to loosen the fitting...

After all these new replacement disposable parts were installed, it genuinely felt like the wagon ran stronger. Sort of. At least it felt more responsive and less sluggish. We took it to the car wash and paid extra for the full service treatment; undercarriage flush, wheel shine, and Rain-X(tm). It looked fantastic coming out of there, but it slightly bent my antenna. Wasn't happy about that. If I'd known, I would have gone to the hand-wash and sprayed it down myself. Also, remember that foot powder I put on? Yeah, probably gone.

Good news is that I haven't spotted any leaks since I replaced all those parts. I'm hoping it was mostly the PCV and the drain plug gasket causing the worst. It turns out that the oil pan gasket itself is nearly impossible to reach without removing the whole engine. Not exactly a project I'm willing to take on at this point. Still, there are a few things on my to-do list.

The transmission gasket and filter should be changed, as well as the fluid. The rear coil springs are weak and the suspension sags in the back, so shocks are in order, too. Probably from toting around all those... y'know... funeral home-related things. I also burst one of the upper ball joints when I was greasing all 11 fucking points under the car... So I might as well replace the upper and lower joints on both sides. The upper joints present a unique challenge because they're riveted in from the factory, which are a PITA to remove, according to everyone on the internet. I've purchased several drill bits and a chisel to help me when I tackle that. I'll also probably need a ball joint press for the lowers, but I can rent that tool, I think. Eventually I will get that fuel filter replaced.

I've noticed that the steering wheel is turned just a little to the left to keep the vehicle straight on the road, and it pulls right if left alone. It may be because of needing an alignment, or also because of the rear suspension being worn out, or something entirely different. Maybe an idler arm or center link. I know many of the bushings under the car are dry rotted and cracked...

I also just put gas in the car. Total money spent so far (not counting gas from driving it across half the country): ~$500.

The real story starts now

Not mine exactly, but another B-Body station wagon (Caprice)

A few days ago I started working on a 1989 Buick LeSabre. A station wagon, to be exact. I adore these GM cars, but not for mechanical or performance reasons. Probably from the days of riding in one all the way Up North to Sleeping Bear or decorating one for the 4th of July parade, or first learning to drive on one. Who can say?

Anyway. I have one. And it's mine. It will be beautiful. It will be glorious. It will not have vacuum leaks, bad brakes, an oil leak, sagging suspension, and a host of other maladies to sap my liquid assets (spoilers: it will). 

Luckily, it doesn't have many power features or body damage, and the rust is minimal. A new paint job ($$$) and it'll look like new. I actually like that it doesn't have a roof rack or "luxury" features like power windows or anti-lock brakes (What happened to pumping the brakes and driving slowly in the snow? It worked for our great-grandfathers!). I think the most modern feature is the cruise control, which I haven't had the heart to function test yet.

I digress. The first, easy thing I wanted to look at was the air intake gasket over the carburetor. Yes, CAR-bur-rey-tor. When I first changed the air filter (the old one was super-gross, btdubs), I noticed the nigh-complete disintegration of the old gasket. I later tried to cut a filter from some gasket paper nonsense, mostly free-hand with part of the old, stretched gasket as a template. It fit. Kinda. With help. Anyway, it's not perfect, but I'm hoping it does the job. I actually haven't had a chance to drive it since then because of other work I'm doing.

The brake warning light came on (future-tech!) and I wanted to check all the joints and brakes anyway. So into the garage and onto the lift it goes. More on the lift later.

Long story short, both rear wheel cylinders leaking, shoes worn almost completely, and front discs are pitted, but not terrible. The master cylinder was half empty from the leaking rears. I started by removing all the great, fun stuff that drum brakes conceal.

I was actually stoked that they came right off without a lot of grunting or heaving on my part. The car was used for a business (funeral home. Rad.) with relatively low miles for the age and garaged most of its life. I guess that says something about how much you love your vehicle. Or that the brakes were just that bad.

Once the drums were off, they didn't look terrible, but the insides were a mess. I think they'd been leaking since the drive back to Michigan, or had recently started when the warning light came on. Plenty of muck and lots of fluid contamination. To the parts store!

I came back from O-Reilly with new pads, fluid, hardware, and cleaner. I also came back with two of the WRONG wheel cylinder parts. I also found out that nobody knows how to turn brake drums anymore. Also that my drums were technically out of spec and not able to be turned, but that the guy at the store across town who could do it did me a favor anyway. Great staff at that location. A nice, old, Santa-bearded guy that owns a Skylark works there. 

Totally not my fault that I got the wrong wheel cylinders. The LeSabre V8 they have in the O-Reilly database isn't a station wagon, which I think makes the big difference. Bolts in the wrong locations and too small. I did a search for a comparable model, an '89 Pontiac Safari wagon and the right part came up. 1" bore wheel cylinder, everything lines up great! Gotta love 'dem GM B-Bodies.

Between getting these new parts and the next day, I should impart a word to the wise regarding the Ranger brand QuickJack. I know it says it right in the manual, but do NOT, repeat, NOT put the lifts at any angle other than parallel, or as close as humanly parallel possible. Bad things will happen. The laws of physics dictate the path of motion the vehicle will travel, and an object in motion will tend to travel in the same direction as the force that acted on it until it encounters another force. Basically what I'm saying is, the car will twist on the jacks if they're pointed in a V-shape. I had this experience, not realizing that they were so far off kilter that they weren't parallel anymore. I was focused on getting the lifts under the car on the frame without realizing that the points I was using weren't parallel to each other on the other side of the car. I'm not happy with my oversight. 

When I realized this, I was starting to do an oil change since I was waiting for the parts the next day. I happened to look at the jack blocks with my head under the car and said, out loud, "Fuck me, that shit doesn't look right."

Nearly an hour and a half later, with the missus helping, we tweaked, floor jacked, and traditionally jack-stood the car until I could get it back on the ground safely. 

If I'd known then what I know now, I would have put all four wheels back on the car (they were all off at the time) and lowered it easily to reposition. Instead, I dicked around and nearly broke something, including myself. My heart palpitations grew three sizes that day.

Anyway, tonight, we got the parts and I learned a few things about how not to change brake springs. Again, with the missus helping, we jammed the shoes back on, slapped the adjuster plate and screw in, then finagled the springs onto their bolts. Later this evening, I looked up how to actually use the brake spring tool I own... correctly...

Tomorrow it's on to the driver's side, armed with new knowledge. A job that has taken over 48 hours on the passenger side will probably take only 30 minutes this time. Life is a cruel teacher, giving the test before the lesson.

Where it's begin

I have no formal automotive education, but I'm a DIY enthusiast, for better or worse. I work a typical office job and have the space, time, and a skosh of money to repair our vehicles. Certainly less that it would cost to have a mechanic at Midas do the work. The main barrier to working on cars, for me, is the lack of the appropriate tools. My wallet hates me for it.

I feel that with resources available on the web to call on, basically any typical car maintenance is within the grasp of anyone with the gumption to attempt it, given time and tools at hand. There are thousands of YouTube videos about working on cars, and lots of YouTube channels dedicated to the subject. More than likely, there are videos dealing with a specific issue on your particular model. Online forums and communities exist for many popular autos as well. Other resources can give you insight into how cars operate mechanically and help troubleshoot problems. Much of the knowledge is applicable to any make or model. Cars haven't changed much in over 100 years. They're still four-wheeled conveyances powered by an engine. The engines have changed and the way they connect to the wheels might have changed, but the physics haven't.

Today, I changed the oil and oil filter, the fuel filter, and the air filter on my car. And rotated the tires. It took various wrench sizes, a floor jack, and scuffed knuckles. Also that pleasant combo of oil and gas, which somehow the smell soaks into the hands and doesn't wash out for a few days...

The biggest pain was the fuel filter. It's an in-line filter that connects on either side of the fuel line with quick-connect fittings. Trouble was, the fittings get stuck, and it's a tight fit under the car in that place anyway. Some automotive yoga poses later, it worked.

Today's vehicle was a 2006 Ford Mustang 6-cyl.

Looking forward to checking the brakes on a 1989 Buick LeSabre wagon...