'89 Stepside "Way Cool Jr."

[Erik the Awful]

Thanks! Sometimes I need the encouragement. I have some work to do to my Mustang, but I'm hoping to get back to work on the doors and center console soon and post some updates.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Well, it's only been a month. I tore into the passenger side door last week. I yanked the window and scraped all the window tint off, replaced the outer window scraper seal, reattached the door handle rod, and reassembled it with the crapstorm of mismatched screws that were holding it together because I was running short on time.

The next day I drove the truck and the passenger door rattled like nobody's business, and the handle worked once before crapping out again.

I pulled it back apart and found the clip that holds the handle was worn just enough to let it pop loose. Fortunately I bought about a dozen of those dinky clips. I was planning on nutserting the door panel for 10-24 screws, but then I discovered the screws that were holding my door panel in place were just jammed into 8-32 sheetmetal nuts. I went to O'Reillys and bought a 50 pack of 10-24 sheetmetal nuts (they didn't list the 8-32 nuts in the catalog) and bought a couple dozen 10-24 screws from the hardware store.

This afternoon I glued some sound deadening on the inside of the door. I wasn't planning on coating the entire inside of the door, I just wanted enough sound deadening to take some of the tinniness out of the door.

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Then I slid a bunch of the nutplates in place and screwed the door panel on with matching 10-24 screws. Notice that one of these screws in the picture has to come back out because I put a nutplate and screw in one of the holes for the plastic door panel clips.

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I also took the opportunity to clean the lock & latch assembly, but it took me way too long to get the rods all reconnected. This door latch assembly is the $#!+tiest system ever invented for a door. It's all together now, and I'm far happier with the passenger door situation than I've been in a long time. I'm just disappointed that I replaced the power window connector and forgot to heat shrink the crimp terminals before I tightened it all back up. I guess I have a task for tomorrow.

 

[jgreen16]

I would be scared to take my doors apart without having replacement fasteners, etc. on hand.

 

[Erik the Awful]

I drove to several hardware stores last weekend, trying to find cast-iron texture black paint for a set of table legs I welded for my side gig. I drove Way Cool Jr, and it started acting up. It was idling around 1500 rpm, which is above the catalytic converter's stall speed. At every intersection it was pulling against the brakes. Ugh.

I think it's a vacuum leak. The Sniper is targeting 750 rpm for the idle speed, but the idle air control is at 0% and it's reading dead lean. Sooo handy to have datastream running all the time on a visible display!

The engine was my first small-block Chevy build, and I used the factory-style plastic gaskets. I think I'm going to order the Sniper distributor and coil, pull the intake off, replace the gaskets, reinstall, and upgrade the ignition system.

Here's the table legs, unpainted. The table top is 8' x 3', so my buddy needed some bracing to tie the legs together in case the buyer sets a couple hundred pounds in the middle of the table.

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[PlayingWithTBI]

It was idling around 1500 rpm, which is above the catalytic converter's stall speed.

Maybe Torque Converter?

 

[Erik the Awful]

Why would the torque converter cause it to idle high? The 0% IAC and 0% TPS tells me it's bypassing air somewhere.

 

[Dubs]

Did you ever get your IAC set properly?

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Why would the torque converter cause it to idle high? The 0% IAC and 0% TPS tells me it's bypassing air somewhere.

You wrote catalytic converter instead of torque converter in your post.

Yes it sounds like you have a vacuum leak somewhere.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Doh! I'm such a dork. I completely missed that, even when you responded.

Yes, the IAC was set according to the instructions and works like a champ. The signs point to a vacuum leak.

 

[Erik the Awful]

If I gotta take the intake off to reseal it, I gotta take the distributor out as well. I guess now's the time to jump.

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I got some expected cash for welding a set of table legs, and some unexpected cash for brokering a truck sale, so I went ahead and bought the Sniper ignition setup. Now the EFI will be able to control the timing as well. Once the vacuum leak is fixed and the distributor is running good, I'm going to see if I can get a local tuner to optimize it.

Unfortunately I just parked the Caddy in the shop and have body parts scattered everywhere, so my work will be done outside. Good thing it's a nice time of the year!