The Automotive Thread

I don't know why I always call it safety but you are right. you are starting to see more and more have a tamper proof but.

 

I've seen them on swingsets, bathroom stalls, and things you don't want people taking off. But, wtf, I can unbolt the whole damn pedal if I want. Take off the fuel injectors, remove the radio . . . Why would THAT be the item to put security Torx on? I've worked on this truck, all kinds of things, bolts, screws, etc. That's dumb for that to be like that.

 

If you have a Harbor Freight near you, they have tamper proof Torx sets for like $8.

 

Fun little story about Torx screws. I had a 1973 Gremlin my mother had bought new. In 1990 or so the outside door handle broke and I had to replace it, I tore into the door and holding the handle on? A Torx head. On a 1973 AMC. While buying the wrench I mentioned it to the parts guy and he told me "Someone has replaced the original bolt." Nope. I'd been around that car every day since it was new and that door panel had never been off.

 

If I had a garage, this thing would no longer be for sale. 1997 Firehawk, 6 speed, 9600 miles, $23,500.

I almost bought a Firehawk years ago. The salesman fucked up the whole deal though. It was 6 or 7 years old at the time, had right around 100K miles, but they were obviously highway miles. No problem there. The car had all it's records and it was in feminine hand writing, so it was probably owned by a woman who didn't beat the shit out of it. I think the price was right about $10k. No problem there.

So what killed the deal? When we went for a test drive the first words out of the salesman's mouth were "Cool! I've heard everyone talking about how fast this car is and now I get to find out! Get on it!"

So here we have a high mileage, but pampered car that the salesmen have been taking out and trashing? No thank you. I was more then happy to give the salesman the ride of his life (The car actually kicked sideways a bit when it shifted itself into second....yeah, it was an automatic. Boo.), but there was no way in hell I was actually going to buy it after finding out what had probably happened in the past 100 or so miles of it's life.

It was fun enough to drive and beat on that I brought my (Then) wife back to the dealership for a second test drive. I still had no intentions of buying it, but fuck it....if they were willing to let me loose in that thing and run the piss out of it, who was I to argue?

Like I said, if I had somewhere to put this one, I would be arranging shipping right now. I just can't see making a low mileage car like this my daily driver, though it is tempting as hell.

 

AC compressor question: I guess 93-97 LT1's used two different types of AC compressor (H6 & HD6)....does anyone have any idea how I can tell which I have without actually pulling the old compressor?

I found one with this description "HD6 Compressor Assembly Z28, VIN: P PartType:A/C Compressor and Clutch"

Since I have two P's in my VIN, I'm wondering if it refers to that?

From a VIN decoder:

Fifth Digit Model: P=Camaro Coupe or Z28
Eighth Digit Engine: P 350-285 (LT1)

Any ideas that don't involve having to actually drop the thing before I order an new one would be appreciated.

 

I'd call the dealer and have the parts dept decipher the VIN. I had a Mercedes in the shop a few months ago and there were SEVEN different bumper grill styles. With or without Sport pkg. With or Without AMG pkg, With or Without Luxury pgk and then just base model. Only way to know was call the parts dept and give them the VIN

 

I do have the build sheet, so I'm guessing that might be even more helpful then the VIN. There is an entry for cntrl A/C, which I'm guessing might identify the compressor.. I looked online for a build sheet decoder, but didn't have any luck.

 

+1 for calling a dealer. As bad as dealership sales and service are, I've always found that parts are the complete opposite. I've never called the parts department of any dealer and not have them be helpful. (ymmv)

 

You have the HD6. Alldata says 1136535 for the oem number which cross to hd6.

 

Just checking back in here to give an update. Thanks to everyone who chimed in! It's been almost a week and so far, so good. I changed the accelerator pedal position sensor, and have not gotten the "reduced engine power" error since. I have the throttle body position sensor and wiring harness in hand, but haven't changed those just yet. I was going to Harbor Freight or Lowes to get the Torx security bit, but I happened to be at Walmart and they had them. It was one of those little plastic case multi-bit packs for $6, so I just got that. Worked fine.

 

Thanks again. I just ordered the compressor and dryer, I still need to hunt down a condenser and expansion valve.

The most annoying thing about this is there's actually nothing wrong with my AC system's operation. I'm now 99% sure the annoying sound coming from my engine bay is from the compressor's clutch assembly...more specifically the stator and the pulley. Sitting around in the salt air for a year or so probably corroded it just enough to make it annoyingly loud. If the compressor wasn't on the bottom of the engine, it would probably be an hour job to pull the clutch assembly apart and clean everything up with an emery cloth. No such luck. And I sure as hell don't want to pay someone to do a stupidly simple job like that, one that I'm sure they could find a way to fuck up. I truly hate other people working on my cars, but if I'm going to pay someone to do it it's not going to be a "Good enough for the girls I go out with" repair....it's going to be done correctly and thoroughly. I'm sure mechanics hate people like me.

It also turns out the price of a clutch assembly is damn near what a compressor with the clutch costs, so it looks like I'm going to have my whole AC system rebuilt. Oh well, the shit is 23 years old now, so it wouldn't hurt to replace it all. So, I'm going to have the compressor, dryer, expansion valve and condenser replaced along with the O-rings and a system flush. Is there anything else y'all would recommend as long as I'm in there?

I'm also going to have the serpentine belt, tensioner & idler pulleys replaced at the same time because why not?

Getting old sucks. I would've thought of doing this shit as having fun and relaxing just a few years ago.

 

Check the AC hoses too before you recharge the system. They can get dry and brittle. It sounds like a gun going off when they blow up.

 

Toytoy, try Rock Auto for those parts.

 

Yeah, I was definitely leaning towards doing that too.

Fun fact: If your AC system decides to suddenly evacuate itself of it's Freon, it comes rising out of the gaps between the hood and fenders like you're on fire and kills your engine from lack of oxygen. One of my 300ZXs did it twice at a stoplight. Scared the shit out of me.

I also ordered a Hurst T-Handle for my Z. I'm not exactly sure why. I'm perfectly happy with my white shift ball, but I'd been watching a T-Handle on e-bay that was cheap enough ($23 delivered) and they were down to one left, so I bought it. The chances of it actually going on my car are pretty slim. I love the feel of a T, but given the shifter's position, I just don't see it as being a good idea, a ball works well for my driving style. Besides that, it seems kind of a poser move having a Hurst knob on a factory shifter.

 

Are they worth a shit? I've seen their ads and checked out their site but I've never really heard anything about them.

 

there prices are cheaper then I could buy them went I sold that stuff. just pay attention and you will be fine.

 

I get that. A lot of the parts I've bought for my Z are NOS, failing that I try to go OEM. But now that many ACDelco parts are made in China....meh, I don't know. I doubt they're much better then aftermarket parts made there and much more expensive because they're OEM in name only.

It's not like ACDelco parts from 1996 were super high quality to begin with, so I'd hate to have a cheaper alternative on my car. Then again, the China no name parts are probably the exact same thing packaged in a different box.

It's all a crap shoot anymore.

 

Fuck yeah they're worth a shit.
I just got the radiator for Jungle Julia's ls swap today from them.
I've been buying from them for years. They are drastically cheaper than local parts stores, and you can choose from different brands. GOOD BRANDS, like AC Delco, Motorcraft, Moog, Denso, etc.
All for less than the major parts chains.
Take another look, and run your results by us here.

One thing, though: be ABSOLUTELY sure of the part you're ordering, because if it's wrong, returns are a hassle.