BUILD THREAD 81 Buick/Olds Turbo Wagon 02/15/2024 More Parts!

Lue

G-Body Guru
Nov 29, 2007
868
3
18
Los Angeles, california
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Im loving the build :popcorn:
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

I got the gas tank in. I cleaned up the tank straps, covered them in heatshrink. The heatshrink makes a good gas tank isolator. I also put the rubber isolator on the top. For the time being I used male/female covered spade connector for the fuel pump and sender. I'll pick up a nice weatherpack connector later. I made up some AN line to tie into the 3/8" return line and the 1/"2 pressure line. The new lines are TFE braided lines with SS fittings.

The black spiral wrap on the lines is teflon, to keep them from chaffing on the top of the tank.
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The black spiral wrap on the lines is teflon, to keep them from chaffing on the top of the tank.

Then I had to re-arrange the tailpipes, since I put the exhaust on before I had the lift, I wasn't able to tweak it just the way I want it. And the RH tailpipe was laying on the gas tank. #-o

For the FAST START ignition, I had to clearance the crank sensor some more, and grind down the reluctor rings a bit to clear the timing cover and front oil pan bolt.
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I know I need a new belt, that serp belt is stoved!!
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Lue said:
Im loving the build :popcorn:

Thanks! I am adding more and more as we speak.
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Here is a short vid of it starting up for the first time with the fast start modification. There is another vid on youtube also. It is a little noise, but I had a bracked in the way rubbing the pulleys.

Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWjii9pUbj8
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z69om7-MT18

Here is another video. Warm engine, you can see a bit better and hear the exhaust. Even with dual 3 inch pipes, and 3 inch SS Magnaflows, it is still pretty quite.
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Here I finished up the deep transmission pan. I also had a relay bracket that the tool who owned the car before me messed up and mounted wrong. I had to weld the holes shut and repaint it.

Now the pics, since we all like pics! :eek:

Started welding the pan

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Leak checking it.
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In Etching Primer

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After some paint

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The relay bracket I was talking about
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My TIG welds are starting a little better, and no leaks the first time.
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Like I was saying, this thing leaked all kinds of oils and fluids everywhere, so, a shipment from rockauto was needed.
I'll recap. I did the rear main seal, oil pan gasket, front and rear seal on the transmission, gear selector shaft seal, 700r4 filter, deep pan, cleaned, etch primed and painted the oil pan, inspection cover, trans pan, cross member. I also had to add a mount to the Drivers side frame rail for the x-member since the last tool just left it floating. Synthetic oils in the engine and trans. Bigger oil filter. I also pressure washed all the oil and grime from the engine, trans and other things while I had it on my lift. I also put new NGK plugs in it. And last night and tonight I built a 1991 Harley EVO engine for my buddy.

Since we all like pictures... :p

Box of parts
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Pressure Washing
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More Pressure washing
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Crank
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Oil pan
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Rear Crank journal
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Rear bearing cap
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Rear bearing
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Rear cap with new seal and assembly lube
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Rear cap and seal installed
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Painted oil pain
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Oil pan back in
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Oil pan back in again
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Leaking gear selector shaft seal
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Trans coming out
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Trans all the way out
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Flexplate
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Homemade Downpipe
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Pressure washed trans
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Old busted @@$ seal
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New timkin Seal
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7004r filter
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Trans in and pan on
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Another shot
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Another showing drainplug
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flexplate inspection cover installed
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Another showing the side and the shift lever and shift cable bracket installed
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Here is where the x member is just laying in the frame rail, some people really are hacks!
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Cleaned up and painted x member.
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Here is is with the mount I fabbed.
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liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Bought a turbo shield from a turbo buick board member, decided to powdercoat silver, but it turned out to be single stage chrome powder. d'oh, someone mixed up the containers. It looks good anyway

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I'll put it on permanently after I get some SS hardware.

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Installed pic! I think it looks pretty good! :D

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Now, I have to paint all the other tin, like the radiator top plate and all, and get some red hoses and t-bar clamps, the add the red under hood braces...
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

Here I moved to the floorpans, they are nice, but they are not without their problems. The passenger side pan had pin holes by the seat brace, and right by the rocker there was a spot. The trans tunnel has a few pin holes, and the DS pan has a few pin holes. The carpet was always wet so it started to rot in specific areas. The 'bu wagon has a good DS front floor pan and a cherry tunnel, so over the next few weeks I'll cut it out and transplant it to the Buick. I have a little 30lb capacity sandblaster that I have been blasting the pans with to find what i need to replace. Here are some pictures.

Starting to sand and sandblast the front pans
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Here is the side part getting cut out
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All cut out
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My son learning something
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the floors/rocker almost finished
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My auto-dimmer crapped out before I could finish welding the patch in. I got another today so this week I'll finish welding in the patch. I have a doner PS floor pan to fix the floor brace area and pan, then I can weld the bucket seat brackets in.

The a/c evaporator assembly was leaking, as was the seam where the floor pans meet the firewall panel. I had to pick out all the hard seam sealer since it wasn't sealing anything, lol. When I finish blasting the floor, and patching the rust spots, I'll be etch priming, painting, and putting bedliner on the pans. Then I'll put new seam sealer in. The door frames need weatherstripping also, but that wasn't the source. I'll be leaving the new carpets and padding out till I get some cash for a bit of hush mat or similar, and to be SURE I have no more leaks.

I have to gut the Chevy wagon interior so i can cut the drivers side front pan out and the trans tunnel. The Buick has pin holes there that popped up while sandblasting, so I am cutting it out. I'll upload more pics soon.
 

liquidh8

Comic Book Super Hero
Re: 81 Century/GN Wagon build-up 56K beware!!

So here are a few more pics of the progress, I have to snap some more, but it is getting there. I need to make a decision on what brand of sound deadener I am going to use. :?:

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Here I am cutting the brace and a piece of the floor out, right above where the factory driveshaft loop is.
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More cutting...
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More...
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Almost welded in with a new brace piece
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More...
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More with the bucket seat brackets getting welded in.
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Here it is cleaned up and primed. the primer checked over the paint that was already there. I painted the floor and the brace before I welded the seat brackets in so there was no bare metal.
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Rea pans sandblasted and primed.
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I fixed the checked area and painted the pans black. I have to get some seam sealer and put it back on, I also have to patch the trans tunnel and the drivers side front pan.
 

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