What should I do with my car? - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

bobb1589 · 01-13-2009, 06:15 PM

So, i hate the worst ******** day.

First I replaced the Temperature Switch on my car which was easy and took about 2 minutes. Then i moved on to replace the thermostat because it was acting up (or at least form what i gathered it was acting up...). So I get the one bolt off fine. Then the second bolt was a pain in the balls i spent like 3 hours trying to get it off. Just when I think it is off, the bolt breaks. Now, there is barely, if any, antifreeze in the engine because i drained the radiator and resevoir completely, and I couldn't see any coolant in the block. (I was planning on flushing the system.) So now, being that it is cold out, I have a feeling the block might crack. Even if it doesnt, to get the bolt drilled and tapped will probably be 500-1000$ just because of where it is. It would have to be towed to a shop. The intake plenum would have to come off and whatever else to get to it. I really don't want to put that kind of money into the engine JUST to replace the thermostat.

So, what should i do with the car? Try and sell it as a roller? What do you think I could get for it being a roller? its a 95 camaro. has 188k miles. Tranny is in decent shape, doesnt really grind or anything. No mods or anything have been done.

Ian · 01-13-2009, 09:32 PM

what motor is in the car? $1000 to drill and tap an intake!?!?! who quoted you that?

Dont worry about the block, a lack of coolant will not make it crack.

sweetbmxrider · 01-13-2009, 09:55 PM

can you get a pic or two? i'm sure there is something you can do. might have to buy a tool or two but anything is doable.

bobb1589 · 01-13-2009, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

what motor is in the car? $1000 to drill and tap an intake!?!?! who quoted you that?

Dont worry about the block, a lack of coolant will not make it crack.

no one quoted me, but I figured its got to be at least $500 labor. They will have to take the intake plenum out to even get to it, which in shop time is probably 1 hour each way. and then however long it takes to drill and tap. This isn't ON the intake, it is one of the thermostat housing bolts, but the intake plenum is in the way making the drilling impossible without removing the intake plenum. I know it can be done, but I don't know if it is worth putting that kind of money into a car that has 188k miles and will need more work done after i get this problem solved.

NJSPEEDER · 01-13-2009, 10:09 PM

A lack of coolant in teh passages would actually reduce the possibility of the block cracking. So don't worry about that.

As far as the bolt, if you own a drill you can take care of it yourself. Get a good bit set, start small, make a pilot hole to guide you down the dead center of the broken bolt. The go up in size by small increments until what is left of the bolt is thin enough that you can pull the shreds out with a pick or a screw driver. If you are patient, you may be able to get it out without having to retap. If not, just get a tap and go up a bolt size or so from what it was.

It really isn't a big deal, just take your time.

Mike · 01-13-2009, 10:10 PM

the thermostat is on the waterpump it has nothing to do with the block, you can remove it and have it fixed, or buy a new waterpump and thermostat

bobb1589 · 01-13-2009, 11:17 PM

thermostat is not on the water pump... this is a 3.4... my whole problem is i dont have time to do this, i go back to school on sunday and i wont be able to drive my car to school, and i dont have the money / dont want to pay someone to do it, so its kinda my dilemna.... the only way to get to the bolt is to take the intake plenum off... do you think it is worth paying someone to do on a 188k mile car?

LTb1ow · 01-13-2009, 11:42 PM

How much thread is left? Is it flat ?

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 12:00 AM

No thread, flat...

Mike · 01-14-2009, 12:22 AM

hm, the slp in your old name made me think you had a lt1 car........disregard

bubba428 · 01-14-2009, 02:55 AM

hmmmm I guess I could swing out and do it for you on saturday...I have the tools at home. I've done it many times and I can pull that upper in 30min if I had to

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 08:52 AM

Its that easy to take off? That was the main thing i was worried about not having time to do. It seems like it would be hard to get off being as its halfway under the cowl.

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbrrmike

hm, the slp in your old name made me think you had a lt1 car........disregard

yeah, there is a story behind that and that is the reason i changed my name

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 10:15 PM

so i have the intake plenum off. this includes the fuel rail and injectors. what are some of the maintenance things i can do at this point? How can i clean the intake plenum / throttle body? where can i take my injectors to get cleaned? what other maintenance can i do?

Batman · 01-14-2009, 10:36 PM

you can spray down the intake and T/B with carb cleaner, just remove the sensors first, that's as far as I'd go with that. Were you having problems with the injectors? If not I would leave them alone. If you already pulled them see if you can get new injector O-rings, if one cracks you'll have a fuel leak. I think apart from that Id leave well enough alone, getting too in depth on a 188K car is asking for trouble if it was running OK.

NJSPEEDER · 01-14-2009, 10:37 PM

While you have the intake off you can clean it out. Just get yourself some carb cleaner or something similar and get any built up crud out of it. There shouldn't be much of anything in it, but there is usually a little bit that can be cleaned up.

LTb1ow · 01-14-2009, 10:38 PM

Make sure the gaskets are good too, I know my friend had his gaskets get eaten up by the coolant.

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 10:43 PM

thanks guys, i will leave the injectors how they are, clean up the throttle body and intake a bit and throw it all back together when i get the bolt drilled out.

i do plan on getting all new gaskets that are needed, and o-rings.

SRGN · 01-14-2009, 10:47 PM

Being that it's a 60 degree V6 I'd do the lower intake gasket and the oil pump drive o-ring while it's apart.

sweetbmxrider · 01-14-2009, 10:52 PM

we have a sponsor, injector rehab, if you have the downtime. 188k or whatever it is, is a long time on your stock injectors imo

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SRGN

Being that it's a 60 degree V6 I'd do the lower intake gasket and the oil pump drive o-ring while it's apart.

what is required to do those two things?

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

we have a sponsor, injector rehab, if you have the downtime. 188k or whatever it is, is a long time on your stock injectors imo

would cleaning them do any harm? is there any possibility for harm?

sweetbmxrider · 01-14-2009, 11:06 PM

yeah if you **** them up

i would check the needle side of the injector. if you see alot of build up, either pick it out yourself or have them professionally cleaned. if you think you might **** it up, i would just leave it alone.

bobb1589 · 01-14-2009, 11:10 PM

maybe i will leave it alone... it was running fine before i tore it apart