More updates sure to follow.

Trunk Pull Down Motor

For anyone familiar a Camaro, you are well aware of the overcomplicated trunk latch.  While most cars require you to almost slam the trunk in order for the lock to engage, this muscle car only needs a gentle lowering of the back hatch before the trunk pull-down motor engages the lock and secures it into an airtight seal.  While a little silly, it is a necessity for a car which has such a large rear window that could be easily broken if it were slammed shut.

Unfortunately for the car, and for me, the previous owner had forgotten the delicacies of this more refined muscle car and in the process of slamming the trunk shut, not only broke the glass, but also destroyed the motor and misaligned the lock. While the window was replaced, the lock and motor were not. Instead it had been ‘repaired’ with a thick wire tie rendering the trunk completely useless.

Common knowledge in the car community is that replacement parts are cheap and easy to come by in ‘used auto parts stores’ (aka junk yards). Also common knowledge, Camaros are without fail completely stripped of usable parts. This made it slightly harder to find the pull down motor I needed, but we were able to find a compatible model on a same year Pontiac Firebird for only $35.

The job took only a few hours, but a heck of a lotta patience.

The motor was fairly easy to install, and we were able to discover the root of the problem. The tabs meant to secure the heavy motor to the car body were simply weak plastic, and were hardly able to support its own weight, let alone addition force applied to the unit.  To insure that under the same circumstances the motor wouldn’t be destroyed again, we also ordered reinforcing tracks from Top-Down Solutions

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Trunk Pull-Down Guides

These tracks are fairly inexpensive ($25, +s&h) and provide the peace of mind that the same job won’t have to be revisited again anytime soon.  In fact, the site insures its after market guides for up to 5 years with a replacement warranty.

However, the lock as I mentioned before, was totally busted.  We used an assortment of picks and small screw drivers to inch the springs back into place.   But that was only the beginning.  The force of the original incident forced the latch to be misaligned with the hatch, preventing the lock from engaging.  Additionally, after the hatch was removed to replace the glass and repositioned onto the car body, it furthered this misalignment issue.  The next part of the job required some muscle. We had to reposition it ourselves, as my father unsecured the hinges that connected the hatch to the body, I inched it closer to where we thought it should sit.  We spent a considerable amount of time on this portion of the project; if the lock and the latch didn’t line up, it would all be for naught.

The job was finally completed after an afternoon’s work, and again, the car had a functioning trunk. Well worth the time and effort.

She stalled in traffic and had to be towed to the shop. My mechanic replaced the ignition module and coil, but it still does the same thing.

It had a little smoke last year but that was fixed after valve stem seals were replaced.

Code 32 (EGR) been setting code for some time now, but had never caused any noticeable issues, and the mechanic reported the new code 42.

Symptoms:

-Stalls after about 3 miles of driving
-Must sit and cool for about an hour and then restarts
-Missing on 6 and 8, pulling these plug wires and it runs the same
-Has spark on 6, compression tested at 75; spark on 8, untested at the time of      this posting
-Plugs don’t look fouled
-code 42 and 32 set
-Fuel pressure checked and good

Actions taken:

- replaced intition coil and module, spark plugs on 6&8
- plug wiring order was verified
-Fuel pressure checked and OK’d

After talking to the previous owner and my mechanic, we determined that it was most likely not the fuel pump or filter as they were replaced just a few years ago.

Its been suggested to check the resistance on the injectors (cold, and hot), as they may need to be replaced. Injectors should be around 16 ohms, however similar symptoms to mine have been reported when the driver’s side injectors read less than 9 ohms (hot).  This is a test you can run yourself at home with a multimeter.  A second person chimed in and said, “My Formula would start fine and idle nice, but then develop a ‘miss’, which would gradually get worse until stall. Turns out two injectors were toast and a few more headed that way.”

This is reassuring on the count that it is a rather inexpensive job.  However, as much as I love my car, I’m secretly hoping that its an issue that will require major engine work to be done.  In this case, I can go ahead and invest in having the entire engine rebuilt, which is something I’d love to have done now while I have the money.

My dad’s thoughts are that it is most likely an electrical issue, but it could be an issue with one of the heads.

Any thoughts or ideas are always welcome.  You can find the discussion posted on the Third Gen forums.

To start, disassemble the interior fixtures on the door panel.  Unscrew the handle and the torx from the door lock (be aware that some of them are just molded plastic and are not functioning) remove the mirror adjuster.  Pry the interior door panel off the frame and check for damaged clips that will need to be replaced.  In my case, the black paneling along the top of the door was also loose, we purchased the smallest self starting screw we could find and screwed it to the panel for a more secure hold.  We also noticed the holes through which the white clips were attached were deteriorating; to fix this we glued them in place with a small amount of silicone. Finally, remove the plastic moisture shield, do not throw away.

Once that is done, we raised/lowered the window to the half-way position so that we could access the motor without the risk of damaging the glass.  It is important to be aware of the semi-circle gear that actually facilitates the raising and lowering of the window, it is under intense pressure from a strong spring, and if released improperly will act as a circular saw and can possibly cut open a hand or bust a window.

Next, we padded the bottom of the door with towels, and actually stuffed a men’s shoe into the door so as to support the window after we disconnected the motor.  We also used rubber coated clamps to hold the window up from the topside and slid a screwdriver in an already present hole just below the rear-view mirror to support the window.  Make Sure Your Window is Secure!

Then we drilled out the seven rivets holding entire system in place.  Unfortunately, we didn’t see a convenient way to remove the system, so we worked through the door.  We slid the three wheels out from the grooves and rested the contraption in the bottom of the door.  It was at this point we secured a strong metal clamp on the inside of the door so that when we removed the motor itself, the aforementioned gear would not create further issues.  If you attempt this job yourself, be VERY careful here, you do not want to make a mistake!

After the clamp was secure we cautiously removed the motor and installed the new one.  When installing the new motor, the gear in the motor has to line up with the semi-circular gear.  Rivet the motor into place with the window system.   Then, only after the motor was securely attached, we removed the clamp restraining the gear.

To secure the entire device back to its original position, we used the closets sized rivets we could find, but also used washers to make sure they were secure.  There are two holes in the motor where the rivets go through to mount it to the door, here, we glued a washer on the inside of each hole before attempting to reinstall it as it is impossible to do after it is in position.

First we slid the three wheels back into their grooves, and then lined up the holes where the rivets would be used to hold up the motor itself.  After these two rivets were put in, we manually raised/lowered the window itself to help line-up the other holes.  Make sure they all line up before inserting a rivet.  Next, we added another set of rivets and washers to the two holes in the middle, and finally a set of bolts, washers, and nuts to the final holes to the far left.

Before putting the interior door panel back in place, make sure all of your tools, leftover materials, and any residue from drilling out the original rivets are removed.  Also make sure to lube up the gears with an oil based grease and grooves that the wheels fit in with white lithium grease. Finally make sure the plastic moisture shield is glued back in place so as to protect all your hard work.  Fit the door lock mechanism and mirror adjuster back in place and reattach the door handle and hardware.

Congrats, you just finished! And as an added, bonus, if you are mildly intelligent and paid attention to the saw-like gear, you still have all your digits and a solid piece of window!

Liv.

Power Steering Pressure Hose

One of the first problems I noticed when I bought my 91 was a squeal every time I took a sharp turn.  We correctly diagnosed it as a leaking power steering hose, but had a difficult time finding the right piece. 

For anyone else with a similar problem, here is the part to get: Power Steering Pressure Hose (Part Number: 71422).  This part works for either the 5.0 or the 5.7L Z28 engine.  It was a cheap fix, only costing $22.  When installing it, make sure to keep both opening clean and free of debris and of course make sure it is properly seated before you screw it in.

I’ve included a picture for reference and if you want to order it online, here it is! Hope this saves you some time!

Liv.

After removing the headboard from the car, we gently peeled the old headliner off and took a coarse sponge to remove the remaining foam still on the headboard.  After all the material and foam was brushed off the headboard, we placed it on a flat surface to start the job.  If you notice any places where the headboard is peeling apart, don’t worry, it won’t be a problem after the new headliner is installed.

We applied one coat of glue to the headboard in a left/right direction, and another coat after 5 minutes in an up/down direction.  After another 5 minuet wait, the headboard had an even coat of adhesive and had a tacky consistency.  Next we began to apply the headliner.  We gradually applied a third coat of glue to the headliner as we rolled it on to the headboard and molded it into place.  Once it was in place we trimmed the excess fabric off, BUT left about 3/4” to fold over the sides. Then with the extra we cut several strips of fabric off and glued it on the headboard as sort of fabric tape to further secure the headliner material to the headboard itself.  Finally, with the fabric that we cut off to make room for the t tops, we covered the side panels in the back over the speakers.

**When trimming the fabric from the sharp right angles around where the t tops go, leave about 3/4” from the middle of the angle and cut a short slit.  When ready, pull the fabric tight and fold against the headboard and secure with a clothespin for no less than 15 minutes before applying “fabric tape”.

**Although we rolled our headliner on, we agreed that it would have been easier if we had pulled the fabric taunt (but not stretched) and draped it over the headboard.

I hope this helps ya’ll and saves some money for ya!

Liv.