Plugging leaks

I fixed the axle seal leak.


This is the offending axle seal. I wasn't nice when I removed it.


This is the passenger side axle out of the car. My first GM axle removal. Surprisingly easy it was.


This is the new axle seal hammered into place. The brakes had been contaminated by gear oil, so I had to replace them as well. No photos of that, because I hate drum brakes, they hate me, and the install didn't go very smoothly.

The ultimate solution... and some more problems.

Right here is the ultimate solution for my ignition problems. A whole new distributor. Sure, it's a Procomp, which means its Chinese crap, but for $69 shipped, I couldn't argue. My epileptic ignition timing is now rock steady, and the advance is better. Driveability way up, and car can now chirp second gear.

However, I noticed today that my passenger rear axle seal is leaking, so the rear end is going to have to come back apart. Nothing like an eight hour labor job to replace a three dollar part. Hooray.

Third ones the charm...

Alternators hated me last Friday.

On the way to work, I started hearing this high pitched squeal, much like you hear from a television, but louder. I glance across the gauge panel and see the voltage gauge pegged at 18 volts. Ooops. The regulator in the alternator has failed, and the alternator is stuck on full charge. This isn't going to end well.

Then the noise stops, and the needle on the gauge sinks to 13. Battery voltage. The alternator has cooked itself.

Then the smell began. Burning rubber. The alternator seized. Then the belt jumped the pulley. thumpthumpthump.

I managed to make it to the NAPA on Bishop Lane. Popped the hood and whoah. The belt was wrapped around the fan, and the alternator was still glowing red. Ouch. I went inside and bought an alternator. After the burned one cooled enough, I pulled it off the car and took it inside. The NAPA guys swapped the pulley, I put the alternator on my car, and off I went.

Thirteen hours go by, and I'm almost back home after a soccer game. It was a depressing game. We lost 3-1. Belt squeal, dim lights, 10 volts on the gauge. Damnit. Lost another. Got it home, popped the hood, and the plastic fan on the alternator had melted. Once I got the alternator off the car, it was obvious what had happened. A spacer was missing behind the fan when the NAPA guy zipped the pulley on with his impact. The fan was pressed against the housing, and as it spun, it heated up, melted, sagged until it caught a bolt, and then stopped. The mainshaft of the alternator kept turning, and the shaft cut through that fan like a dremel through soft plastic, until it too, heated up and failed.

It's now Monday. Alternator #3 is on the car, with the proper pulley and fan. Lets all cross our fingers.

Air Conditioning!

Well, it's been a month since my last entry, and even longer since an entry pertaining to the Pontiac, but I finally have some news.

First, the car is running OK. Gas mileage is really bad (10-12mpg), and the speedometer is still way off.

However, I finally made some movement towards getting the A/C working.



Right there are my A/C lines. They leaked. New ones were ordered. Order was canceled because the part no longer exists. So, Roppels was nice enough to rebuild them for me. That done, I scheduled next Saturday for them to suck down and refill the system and set about putting everything back on tonight.



In this picture, you can see the compressor, the lines, and my new receiver/drier. It was about two hours of futzing, mostly getting the power steering pump to line up and buying a new A/C compressor belt at AutoZone. The A/C system is now back on the car. I also replaced the blower switch in the dash, as the existing one had the stem broken off. My next trip to Pull-a-part will have me nabbing a trim button for it and that'll be good as new.

Next Saturday the system gets recharged with wonderful R134a, and I'll be cruising in style and comfort... well, maybe comfort. I did wash it. At least the wheels are shiny again.