KStretch55

I'd say no, they should last much longer. I'd say in the 60,000km range at least.

Tranny fluid can get sucked into the engine through the vacuum line from the modulator, if the modulator diaphram is ruptured.

STP works well, too.

Well, I took the connector on the ignition switch pigtail apart again to clean it up. I noticed that the blade (male) terminal that was opposite the socket that I repaired with the JBweld was pushed out of it's socket and would not stay in. So, probably when I did the repair and tightened up the female side and anchored it with JBweld, then pushed the plug back together it didn't mate and pushed the male side out. So, that was probably why it became intermittent on me this last time. (fingers crossed) I cleaned up the terminals, applied some terminal protector spray and plugged the connector back together, ensuring that all of the male/female terminals were mated. Hasn't skipped a beat since. If it starts again, I'm going with Cougars suggestion and replacing the ignition switch. (I've got a '91 and a '92, so I'll probably just swap and see if the problem moves too. Just for troubleshooting experience.)

Sounds like one of the vacuum hoses.

The fact that it overheated quicker with your heater core bypassed tells me two things. 1- you do have at least some flow through the heater core, because it was enough to aid in transfering some heat out of your coolant. 2 - your coolant pump is working, at least to some degree, because there was sufficient flow through the heater core to aid cooling. Sorry, but you are just putting off the inevitable, it's the radiator.

Depends on your soldering skills. Shucks lists the regulator for about $35, so I'm sure if I go to my favorite automotive electrical parts/rebuilder I could probably get it for about $20. But, you need to be pretty good at soldering.

I have a 91 MT and a 92 AT, both EA82 non-turbo and they don't have knock sensors. Did only the turbo EA82s have them? I know a Legacy I used to have did too.

I had to make a flight up to Missoula, MT last month for part of the Lewis & Clark bicenntennial. While we were waiting for a helicopter that was to take us up to Lolo pass one of these autogyros landed. Looked like the same make as the one in your link. Nice looking little unit.

Coolant coming out of that hole indicates that your pump shaft seals have failed.

I'll have to try the dollar bill thing. Never thought of that. Haven't had time to do a compression test on it yet. I'm sure that will tell me too. Thought I'd do a compression check and see which cylinder is low or leaks down. Then apply air pressure to that cylinder and see if the air comes out the exhaust, intake or crankcase. That should tell me whether it's the intake valve, exhaust valve or rings.

Soob flyer, what kind of car do you have? EA82s have the thermostat in the top of the block, with the thermostat housing connected to the top hose of the radiator. If I'm not mistaken, Camelwagon is driving an EA82 Loyale. Not a Legacy, which it sounds like you are refering to.

My 91 Loyale does the same, also burns a bit of oil. I've always figured I had a leaking or burned valve and some oil leaking past the guides that caused the "fup". Any thoughts from the experts?

I have to disagree, in part. The "pill" on the thermostat sits in the block side of the housing because it's intent is to sense when the coolant in the block has heated to normal operating temp and then it opens to allow flow through the radiator, all the while opening or closing as needed to regulate the coolant in a given temperature range. You are correct in that the heater return hose does pipe warm water to the thermostat housing, but as I recall that is because the heater core and associated piping is the primary, if not only, bypass system on these engines. The bypass system allows for a reduced coolant flow during engine warm up. Otherwise, the engine would produce hot and cold spots in the block and because heat rises, even in liquid, the thermostat would open too early before the lower part of the block was warmed up. Once the engine begins to reach operating temp the thermostat begins to open and allows hot coolant to pass through to the top radiator hose, the coolant then flows through the radiator and is picked up by the lower radiator hose and taken to the pump, then pumped back into the block. On a properly operating system you can prove this by feeling the upper hose while the engine warms up. The hose will be flexible (not pressurized) and not be hot until the theromstat opens, then it will be tight and hot, while the lower hose will be noticeably cooler to the touch. I still say camelwagon has a very plugged up cooling system. If he's getting some heat from the heater I'm betting that's the only heat transfer that he's got going on, cuz' sounds like the radiator is almost, if not completely blocked.

That's good news. Sounds like I need to take a look at mine and maybe I can get it to work all the way up the hill. Wooo hooo!!

Any updates on the performance test?

Was the weather in your area hot that day?

If you only used a little bit I wouldn't sweat it. The specs for it say it's a non-foaming ATF. The biggest difference between Dexron and Type F ATF fluids is that Dexron is a non-foaming fluid. The specs also give a GM part number that it's compatible with, you might check that number and see if its the same as Dexron.

ATF from the power steering was my guess too.

Because, at higher RPM/wide open throttle the engine produces very little vacuum. So, once the vacuum in the little plastic vacuum reservoir is depleted all of your vacuum operated solenoids and doors return to their neutral or springloaded positions. Once the throttle begins to close and starts producing vacuum again the solenoids and doors return to the positions indicated by the control knobs. If it happens almost immediately you probably have a vacuum leak somewhere in the system. If it takes a few minutes it's probably normal operation. I have a long hill on my daily drive and mine do it about 2/3s of the way up the hill every day. It's kind of annoying, but I haven't had time to look and see if I might have a small leak somewhere, besides I suspect it's just the way the system works.

Disconnect the line coming from the tank to the pump and collect it there.

One problem, with a full load of ammo, the gun and ammo drum are bigger than the average Suby, and considerably heavier. Would make for an incredible defense and escape system though. Cuz' mounted to your Suby the recoil of a short burst (about 65 bullets per 1 second burst, each weighing about a pound) will send you backward with thrust equal to about 6 times the weight of your car. So, by the time the bad guy you were defending against, or his surviving friends, get up to look for you. You'll be long gone, at a very high rate of speed in reverse!! Kind of like a crawdad in escape mode, just more noisy and deadly!! LOL

A-10 doesn't use a puny li'l ol' Vulcan! It's a GAU-8 30mm. Makes a 20mm Vulcan look like a popgun! LOL

We use basically the same stuff as Rain-X on the center windscreen on A-10s. It has to be reapplied/renewed every 50 flying hours, which probably averages about once a month or so. That should give you an idea how durable it is and how often you'll have to reapply it. He he, but don't expect your windshield to become bulletproof, too.

Pull the radiator out. Seems like there is a strap across the center vertically that has to come off in order to remove the top and bottom plates. Then you carefully uncrimp the clamps that hold the left and right tanks in place. The clamps kind of resemble a zipper. Once you do that, carefully remove the end tanks. They have a rubber gasket/o-ring recessed in a groove on them, don't damage the gasket. Now you've got the ends of the tubes exposed and you'll probably find a lot of gunk blocking most of them, especially toward the bottom. Use a soft bristle brush to remove as much as possible with some soap and water. Do the same to the inside of the end tanks. Make sure you get the gasket groove and seating surface as clean as possible. Then take a stiff wire or .040" mechanics/safety wire or (someone told me about this after I'd done mine) a piece of sheet metal 36"L x 3/16"W x .040"T and work it through the passages. If you use the wire, be patient, you have to hold it with a pair of pliers and work it through a little bit at a time. Sometimes you have to use a light tapping motion to break through some of the deposits. I think the piece of sheet metal would be much easier and work better. Use a garden hose held against one end to see which passages are restricted or blocked. Keep working until they all flow freely. Then, dry everything off good and apply a thin coating of RTV to the tank gaskets. I do this by putting a dab of RTV on my thumb and index finger then sliding the gasket between them. You don't want it globbed on, just evenly coated. Put the gasket in the groove and carefully reassemble and recrimp the clamp carefully. Try to use even pressure all the way around. Reassemble the other tank the same way. Let cure for 24 hours. After 24 hours (if you can't wait that long, I'd go at least 12 hours), refill the system with coolant and leak check (unless you have a coolant system pressure checker, then of course check it before you fill it). If you don't see any leaks, let it get up to operating temp then let it cool and check your fill level, add as needed. Burp the system to get any air out. I usually put my front wheels up on ramps to aid the burping. If you don't have any leaks, you're in business and it just cost you some time. Good luck!