Just take the cat off and knock all the sh*t out of it with a long pry bar and put it back on.
No more rattles and it doesn't cost a dime.
No more rattles and it doesn't cost a dime.
Build Thread-85 Cutlass Brougham-New Pics Added!
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Believe me, I tried to pull the cat and do that. Sadly though, it is pinched on there pretty good and I would have to cut it to pull it off. I also do not have access to a welder right now to put it back on should I cut it. So, I guess I will just have to deal with it for now.
Replaced the plug wires today with new ones from MSD. Sadly, it doesn't run any better and I am out almost $100. I did reset the timing though as I found it was set to 30 degrees initial. I reset it to 15 initial and am hoping this will let me run 87 octane gas instead of 93. Unfortunately, the car has developed a new noise now and I think it is coming from the transmission. It sounds like a vacuum leak that gets louder with acceleration, but it is coming from under the car and not under the hood. It happens in park or when it is in gear. I also discovered that the transmission is coming loose from the block. I tightened the lower bolts, but will have to drop the trans x member to tighten the top ones. Additionally, i found that my current mortgage company erroneously reported me late last month and it is damaging my credit report. So, I will have to try and deal with them tomorrow. Everything seems to be going wrong at once and I am quickly running out of options.
I was able to tighten all of my transmission to block bolts with the motor and transmission both bolted to the mounts. just gotta get a little creative with open-ended wrenches and ratchet-wrenches.
Sorry to hear about all your troubles, but keep your head up! things will work out!
Sorry to hear about all your troubles, but keep your head up! things will work out!
Well hate to suggest this to you, but you could trade in the truck for the new car. It may not be worth much, but may be enough for the down payment. Its not really a good errand vehicle anyways if its about to fall apart, and it'll solve at least one problem.
I have sort of made up my mind regarding the truck. It is probably going in the shop on Monday or Tuesday to fix the transmission as there is no way I can afford a new car payment if I do not refinance my house first (looks like it won't happen now). Summer is coming, and in my business that means a loss of income. Without the $200+ a month (roughly dropping my payment by 1/3) cushion I would have gotten from refinancing, I can't safely buy a new car without fear of not being able to make the payment. So, I will put it off until the fall and just do the transmission and tires for now, with the other things to follow shortly after. After the truck is stabilized, I will rebuild the Cutlass' rear suspension, replace the rusty gas tank, and do a few other minor tasks that remain to make it usable on a regular basis. It's not the best solution, but it is the most logical at this time.
As for my refinancing woes, I am challenging a late payment from February as it was 29 days late and not 30 days late, but it is being charged against me as a 30. A 29 does nothing bad to my credit, but a 30 keeps me from refinancing the house until the other 30 I had last July drops after a year. It's a fine line, but I am hoping it works out. I also challenged a medical collection that was paid by insurance 4 years ago in hopes that they will drop it or that the collection agency will not respond back. It's a tricky game, but sometimes it works to fix your credit.
As for my refinancing woes, I am challenging a late payment from February as it was 29 days late and not 30 days late, but it is being charged against me as a 30. A 29 does nothing bad to my credit, but a 30 keeps me from refinancing the house until the other 30 I had last July drops after a year. It's a fine line, but I am hoping it works out. I also challenged a medical collection that was paid by insurance 4 years ago in hopes that they will drop it or that the collection agency will not respond back. It's a tricky game, but sometimes it works to fix your credit.
On a somewhat personal note, I dropped off my truck at the transmission shop Monday. This will be the third transmission they have built for me, and I tend to trust them. It's a family owned business that has been around since 1958 and is in it's 3rd generation, and they have had the same guy building all their transmissions for 30 years. True, they did the one in the Cutlass and it is not that great, but then again, I did not flush the cooler lines or hook up the converter lock up, so it may be my fault. The trans lasted 100k in the truck since the last time they did it, and most of that has been hard, abusive delivery mileage. It was still drivable when it was dropped off, and the owner thought it just needed bearings and quoted me $700-800 including installation. I probably could have done it myself, but it was not a realistic proposition in a vehicle I need for work every day.
As for the Cutlass, I gutted the cat and found that the catalyst had cut itself into a perfectly shaped 3 in plug and promptly plugged the exhaust pipe. I got it out with a weed puller and a screwdriver, then proceeded to remove the rest of the material from the now failed cat. I want to replace it with a new one eventually ( I try to be somewhat environmentally responsible, which is why it was there to begin with), but not until I figure out why it failed and fix the problem. So for now, the thing sounds a bit louder, and a bit meaner due to the reverb chamber that was once a catalytic converter. Next week's project will be finding a good set of upper control arms in the junkyard to replace the scary ones I have in the car now. I figure it is wise to finally make the Cutlass 100% operable, and the rear suspension problem is the next big thing I have to tackle. After that it will be replacing the rusted, dented gas tank and fuel gauge sending unit followed by reinstalling the A/C and converting to 134a, and 100 other small details to make it the car I knew it always could be.
My final note is that I tested the cat's material for radioactivity, and yes, it is slightly more radioactive than background. My geiger counter is not that great ( It's US civil defense surplus from the early 1960's), but it was still a fun experiment.
As for the Cutlass, I gutted the cat and found that the catalyst had cut itself into a perfectly shaped 3 in plug and promptly plugged the exhaust pipe. I got it out with a weed puller and a screwdriver, then proceeded to remove the rest of the material from the now failed cat. I want to replace it with a new one eventually ( I try to be somewhat environmentally responsible, which is why it was there to begin with), but not until I figure out why it failed and fix the problem. So for now, the thing sounds a bit louder, and a bit meaner due to the reverb chamber that was once a catalytic converter. Next week's project will be finding a good set of upper control arms in the junkyard to replace the scary ones I have in the car now. I figure it is wise to finally make the Cutlass 100% operable, and the rear suspension problem is the next big thing I have to tackle. After that it will be replacing the rusted, dented gas tank and fuel gauge sending unit followed by reinstalling the A/C and converting to 134a, and 100 other small details to make it the car I knew it always could be.
My final note is that I tested the cat's material for radioactivity, and yes, it is slightly more radioactive than background. My geiger counter is not that great ( It's US civil defense surplus from the early 1960's), but it was still a fun experiment.
Re:
85 Cutlass Brougham said:Arriving at the booth
so you painted your fenders and header panel, then masked them off and shot the rest of the car....I was thinking of doing the same, Im just goin to shoot single stage frost beige, I decided on just a repaint of the factory color....
i found this for you, if you lived in chicago...
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/1699015442.html
http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/ctd/1699015442.html
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