ShadeTree Mechanics

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HotRodPC

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HotRod
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85 K20 LWB
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454 - Turbo 400 - 3.73
When I first move to Texas near Amarillo in 99, I had a 1987 Buick GN.

Out there, to aid in rain run off, there are these huge dips at the intersections and I hit one at about 45 and ripped the oil filter mounting clean off. Didn't know it until I heard the engine change pitch and I saw the oil pressure gauge said "0". Shut the engine off and coasted to the side of the road. It had run for at least a minute with no oil.

Got it towed home, found what happened, got the part at a junkyard and got it installed.

Amazingly, it started right up with no knocks, good pressure and I continued to drive that rusted out pile another year. Shows the durability of a 3.8 Buick, turbo or not.
NO doubt those 3.8 derived from the old Buick 231 are durable motors. If I have to have a FWD aka Wrong Wheel Drive car, I prefer the 3.8 for sure. My family knows this, so they all have 3.8 FWD GM cars and have done well with all of them. My sold hers and got a Kia for mpg and her 3.8 LeSabre did almost as well and she wished she didn't do that now. My dads Regal has 160,000 and they have replaced the blower motor and the steering rack on it. The GP's have all done fine.
 

Old77

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I've had a coupe 3.8's and have been really pleases with them. They do well on mpg and have pretty decent pep to them too
 

bucket

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My brother in law is a little like that. He will have a problem with one of his cars, I tell him to check something out or replace something... then a month later he is asking me again what I think. I ask him "did you check this or replace that", then he'll reply "no, I didn't do that". Usually takes a few of those cycles before he actually listens and gets it done.
 

HotRodPC

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My brother in law is a little like that. He will have a problem with one of his cars, I tell him to check something out or replace something... then a month later he is asking me again what I think. I ask him "did you check this or replace that", then he'll reply "no, I didn't do that". Usually takes a few of those cycles before he actually listens and gets it done.

I don't like people who do that. You know my bro had the attitude, I am stupid and I should know what is wrong with his car. I was right everytime I told him something. If I didn't know, I went to someone who did know and got the correct info. Its frustrating for one you don't want to see a family member go thru the hell and termoil, but damn, when you bring it on yourself, its hard to feel sorry for them. Then when they get to making you feel stupid, its even worse and that point I am done with it. Some peole just to damn hard headed. Like why would we tell them something that is not a valid suggestion just to see them waste money or struggle. Its as bad as raising kids and these are adults we are talking about. :crazy::crazy::crazy:
 

89Suburban

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So again he rebuilds the motor, this time with a new standard Scat crank, hot tanked and magged the block all is good to go. Puts the same heads on, but had the mahinist look them over and make sure there was no shavings in them, which the machiist did for FREE, great guy I have for a machinist. Get it all put back together but it won't start. Checks and rechecks all the wiring harness and sensors. Reading books and crap, and buying $50 EACH coils, and $80 sensorts for 2 weeks. I told him, QUIT THROWING MONEY AT IT. Find out WTF it is and quit spending money. He even paid $350 to have the injectors rebuilt and the test results showed the injectors were perfect but now they have new O rings for $350. I told him 100x, I am not familiar with these 4.6 Mustangs. Jump on a forum and ask some guys that know. He refused. Finally after a month, I did it. I got on a forum and asked. I was told, disconnect the serpentine belt. IF it starts, then that means you have a bad alternator. Told bro, he didn't listen. Another 2 weeks goes by, bro had dropped the gas tank and replaced the fuel pump, still no start. I asked did you take the belt off? NO, thats just stupid and makes no sense. I said true it doesn't but an experienced Ford guy says try it, you try it. Every make has their quirks so do it. Nope, still didn't do it. a week later says he just spent $60 on a new MAF sensor and that wasn't it either so what else can it be? I told him again, did you take the belt off yet? Nope and thats just stupid would you quit asking me that. So I told him, you know what, go **** yourself, and quit asking me wtf is up with your car, and quit crybabying to me that you are about to set it on fire. Go ahead and burn the MFer down for all I care. I am sick of hearing about your damn car for the last 4 months over a stupid ass oil change and you trying to make me out to be stupid becuse I don't know. If I don't know something, I will tell you that, and I will help you get the info you need, and I have done all that, so leave me the **** alone about your damn car. I guess that got to him, 2 days later he calls me up, hey you hear that?? Hear what? and he revs teh motor up in the garage. The car is running now FINALLY !!! I asked what was it. He said I took the belt off and it started. Ohhhhhhhh no kidding, maybe those guys on the Mustang forum knew wft they were talking about huh??? So you've wasted another month and over $500 throwing parts at it since I told you to take the belt off. Yeah well, but its done now and I won't have to replace those parts. So he replaced the alternator that tested good BTW at Auto Zone, and I told him F auto zone, go buy a brand new alternator at the Ford dealer. If the alternator is that critical, get a GOOD one and if you can waste $350 on injectors to be rebuilt, you can afford to over pay $80 for a new alternator. Would you beleive he did it? He listened and went to Ford for the alternator. So now the car is runing, but it has this popping thru the intake and sometimes out the exhaust and has a bad miss. He asks, whats wrong? I said its got to be timing is wrong on the chains. (Its dual overhead chains). He said NO it can't be cuz its Zero clearance motor and it would bend valves. So he parled it not to do anymore damage to it. Here we again guys, no joke. He reads his Haynes manual and it lists 3 of 4 differant things. So he replaces all that. Then calls and sas, I spent $280 replacing this and this and that like the Haynes manual said and its not it, whats wrong? Again I got pissed, dude I am telling only thing that causes backfire and popling out BOTH intake and exhaust is timing chain is off somewhere. He said the Fuggin book says....... and I said, cram the book your ass and leave me alone !!!!!!!!! The car sits another 2 months and now he gets pissed and just and buys an 07 GT Mustang and gonna fix this one too. But now he has not place to park it since he needs a place to park the 07 GT. So he asks, can I leave my 01 GT in your backyard for like 2 weeks til I get my tax return and can fix it, I am just gonna put it in the shop to get it fixed. I said OK fine, but 2 weeks and thats it. The car sat there for over a year. I said, you need to come get this fuggin car. 2 weeks was up over 50 weeks ago and I got trucks I need to move in and out and its in my way. He tells me it has to stay back there cuz the bank is looking for it. So I told him, look dude, you have totally lost interest in it, you don't want to listen to me, it was supposed to be here for 2 weeks its been over a year, why not just sell it and be done and get the bank off your ass. So he owed $3200 for the car, and found a guy that was willing to pay him $3200 for it. He sold it. GREAT, the car is gone now FINALLY Done for good. The next day, not even 24 hours later, the guy is over at my brothers friends, where he was a mutual friend of a friend, the guy is over there peeling out, doing burnouts like no other and my bro said dude, you got it fixed? Hell yeah I got it fixed, Then my bro says, that motor has no miles on it, take it easy man. The guys, really, I figured you were bullshitting me. My bro says NO, it might have 40 miles on it and with the popping I parked it. but its a new scat crank, new rings and heads have about 400 miles on them. The guys says friggin cool Ill take it easy then and get it broke in right. So my bro's friend asked, what was wrong with it?? ANY GUESSES??? The passneger side timing chain was off, and I think he said 180 degrees out. So it was running on 4 cylinders. You don't have a clue how many times I told my bro, it was timing chain problem. SORRY for the long story, I hope someone found it entertaining. MORAL is, DON"T DOUBLE GASKET YOUR OIL FILTER !!! It turned into pure hell for my idiot bro.
Holy chit. :roflbow:
 

Old77

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Hrpc is full of words tonight..... I think I'm too tired to read all that.
 

89Suburban

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Hrpc is full of words tonight..... I think I'm too tired to read all that.
He needs to break it ito paragraphs so it's easier to soak in my mellon. :baby:
 

Old77

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350/350/454
No, he needs to hand out cliff notes so we can just get a summarized version :)
 

Old77

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Engine Size
350/350/454

Irishman999

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Im going to start summarizing Hot rods super long posts for everyone.

His brother got a mustang that was financed, he changed his oil and doubled the gasket which dumped all the oil out seizing the motor. The mustang got tugged around with a tow strap which only led to the rear tires being flat spotted.

Hot rods brother rebuilt the engine without vatting the block so all the shavings from the engine damage the first time got pumped through the engine again and caused another rod knock.

Hot rods brother pulled the engine apart again to replace main bearings and the crank. After being assembled again the motor had a pop out of the throttle body and exhaust, Hot rod told him to check the timing chain but his brother ignored him again.

Hot rods brother parked the car in Hot rods back yard for over a year even though Hot rod said 2 weeks. The bank was looking for the Mustang. Hot rods brother also got a 07 GT mustang and sold the older one for 3k. The guy that bought it was doing some bad ass burnouts with the car and hot rods brother asked how he fixed it, and the guy explained the same thing Hot rod said about the timing chain.
 

Old77

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C10 longbed/R1500 Burb/R3500 Dually
Engine Size
350/350/454
So there's a lot about hr's brother and a couple F**ds....
 

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