77TA Resto Reboot - a long journey to an LS swap

[N PRGRES]

Some other good news.  Now that my mom has passed I have responsibility for my dad with dementia.  He was in a memory care facility up in Foster City which can be a nightmare to get to depending on the time of day from San Jose. We moved him to a place 10 minutes from my house and it has a secure parking garage.  So now I have one more place I can feel safe driving the Trans Am to, and I can take my dad for a ride in the car more often. 

Luckily my dad still has his long term memory and recognizes us still.  He’s like a big kid - he loves model cars, planes and trains.  He is also very into cars like my mom and his last car before he stopped driving was a 2002 Corvette Convertible.  He loves Corvettes and worked at a Corvette parts store after he retired from his main gig.

That's so cool your dad is close.  My mom had dementia and was a few hours away so I didn't get to see her often, glad his long term memory is still there.

[stros]

Not a whole lot going on as I’m still dealing heavily with some family affairs but I did swap out the PTFB rear sway bar bushings. Not a lot of miles but one had cracked.  Went with the Energy Suspension bushings with a grease fitting built in this time.   

No chance to drive it yet as I’m also working on a leak with the aftermarket TurnOne Steering pump.  Need to call them tomorrow to see if they can send me a replacement or perhaps at least a replacement reservoir.  It seems to be seeping a tiny amount - fluid is showing at the bottom of the reservoir.  Hoses don’t seem to be leaking at all. 

Every time I tell someone this car is done I jinx myself and a leak shows up

[scarebird]

Unless I am seeing things your rear sway bar link is at a really steep angle!  Is the lever-arm longer than stock on the aftermarket bar?

This is a stock bar for comparison.

[N PRGRES]

Every time I tell someone this car is done I jinx myself and a leak shows up

I feel ya, I seem to have developed a small oil leak 

[stros]

Scarebird I think I do recall the bar being up closer to the diff.  Double checking.

[stros]

Successfully passed my bi-annual smog check again.  This is becoming a very non-eventful exercise with the LS3 and going to the same place that knows how to smog it properly (it gets measured as a 2013 Camaro SS as that’s how Chevy certified the E-Rod engines). 

This smog check tends to be my longest freeway drive of the year in the Trans Am and it went well.   A/C worked fine and it is a little louder with the 3.73 gears.  I don’t think my Auto City Classic windows seal particularly well either. 

[N PRGRES]

I don’t think my Auto City Classic windows seal particularly well either.

Glad the emissions went well, the windows would be an adjustment issue wouldn't it?  However I am not certain these windows ever sealed really well.

[ryeguy2006a]

Congrats on passing smog! Love the car.

[stros]

Thanks guys - probably not worth sharing the smog news but not too much else going on with the car right now.  Not too concerned about the window sealing - I’ve struggled mightily getting these windows seated so the door closes when they’re up all the way.  I’m not going to mess with them again.  Will just turn up the stereo   

[stros]

Last night I replaced my front seat belts for the 3rd time.  I had replaced my originals with Morris belts, but the retractor gave out on me for the 2nd time.  So I decided to try another company this time around.  I went with Seatbelt Planet, though they resell their 1974-81 Camaro/Firebird belts from Seatbelt Solutions in Florida. 

The parts sure look pretty similar to the Morris ones outside of the boot for the GM buckle.  However the retractor does seem to be retracting properly and operating more smoothly.  So hopefully this one is manufactured better.  Or it could just fail again after a few years - hopefully Seat Belt Planet is more accommodating than Morris was to providing a free replacement retractor.  Morris would only sell me a replacement at full price. 

I know there's been some info stating that the GM logo buckles are no longer available from 3rd party vendors.  However from talking to Seat Belt Planet they said they just can't show images on their website with the GM logos shown. 

My Morris buckles and Seatbelt Solutions buckles appear to fit with the Seatbelt Solutions belt tongues exactly the same.  Debating if I should go thru the hassle to swap the Morris buckles out and just sell the Seatbelt Solutions GM buckles.  My bolt for the buckle boot is not coming out easily and it looks like I'll have to remove my seats to get at it.  I know it's not recommended to mix these safety parts up but they sure look to fit exactly the same (to the point where I'm wondering if they're actually the same exact buckle...). 

The folks at Seat Belt Planet were very nice to work with and answered all of my questions.  They seem to have a good reputation and are a veteran owned small company.  Not 100% sure about Seatbelt Solutions but they were the only ones that offered the GM buckle.  I probably should've bought the regular buckle given that they fit my original buckle the same and saved a few bucks (assuming I stick with this setup). 

[MNBob]

That is a lot of messing around with seat belts, I hope mine last.  I pull the seats out anytime I work under the dash, so much easier.  I use my Milwaukee power impact ratchet and that speeds it up.

[scarebird]

Do not forget that seat belts degrade over time, most of our cars are 50+ years old...

[stros]

The seat belts sure seem a lot better than the prior Morris ones so far.

I adjusted the rear swaybar bar forward about 2 inches this morning.  Drop links are more vertical now but the bar is even slightly lower.  Not sure how I had this much higher earlier but I must’ve had the links angled significantly.  This is PTFB’s older non adjustable bar.  Looks like their newer adjustable one has shorter links and sits more in alignment with the middle of the diff.

[scarebird]

Perhaps their early links were too long?  We made errors and had to sent different kit to remedy - I would ask.

[stros]

Perhaps their early links were too long?  We made errors and had to sent different kit to remedy - I would ask.

Yeah I sent Dave an email.  Do you have pics on where your rear bar is mounted behind the diff?  Is it normally supposed to be at about the midway point of the diff? 

[stros]

Talked to Dave today.  He said that his bar does sit lower and there was nothing wrong about it running at the height that I have it at.  I probably could mess with angling the clamps to get a bit more height but it doesn’t sound like it’s worth much effort.

My bar is actually an adjustable bar but Dave changed the design to be hole based from the clamp sliding method with my bar.

[scarebird]

I am travelling currently, but when I get back will scour my pix and see if I run across anything of note.

I may have met Dave at the Pontiac Nationals this month.

[stros]

I am travelling currently, but when I get back will scour my pix and see if I run across anything of note.

I may have met Dave at the Pontiac Nationals this month.

Thanks.  Not urgent.  Dave is a good dude, an expert on our cars, and really makes some good
, consistent products at decent price points. 

[stros]

Hope everyone is doing well. I hadn't had much time for Trans Am projects for a while given the family situation, but things seem to be stable now.  I've been continuing to drive the Trans Am over to visit my dad. 

Over the past couple of weeks I've worked on a few things.  I swapped out the fuel and voltage gauge light bulb with an LED bulb.  Major improvement for less than $10.  Looks like the LED bulbs have improved a bit since I swapped LEDS into the main gauge cluster many years ago. 

I had also been debating replacing my lower control arms for a while now (they were the last original suspension part on my car), and decided to bite the bullet and add the PTFB lower tubular arms.  Major bump up in caster vs the OEM lowers and the SPC uppers I installed earlier.  I had it aligned to 6.0 caster, -1 camber, and .03 degrees of toe on each side.  That was really as far forward as I could go with the front tires as I started to rub the front inner fender bolt.  Swapped that bolt out with a button head bolt which opened up all of the clearance I needed for the 6.0 caster.

For the first time in many years, this morning I also adjusted the Viking double adjustable shocks as the ride was a bit different with the new arms and alignment settings.  I'm happy with how I have it dialed in now.  It handles amazingly and the ride isn't too punishing.

I'm also happy now with the overall stance of the car.  The lower arms dropped the front of the TA a bit, so now it has more rear rake to it.  The lower arms also have steering stops and overall my turning radius is pretty good now and I'm no longer rubbing the tires on the frame.  The PTFB lower arms are one of the cheaper options out there but they have a lot of good features to them. 

If anyone needs a set of OEM lower arms please let me know.  They look to be in pretty decent shape. 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving!

[scarebird]

Looks good! 

[rkellerjr]

Car is amazing! Happy thanksgiving.

[stros]

Thanks guys!

[stros]

Hey guys - long time no post.  Was tending to my dad for really the last year after my mom passed away.  While it was a tough year, it gave me a chance to spend more time at any point with him since I went to college.  He wasn’t very mobile so no ability to get him out in the T/A but I wheeled him into the parking garage at his facility to see it a few times. 

Well, dad passed away in Feb, so I’m finally back to focusing a bit on the Trans Am again.  I had been driving it about once a week but a bit less frequently than before. 

So I started driving it a bit more recently and it busted out a power steering fluid leak.  The aftermarket pump I bought from a company named TurnOne about 6 years back developed a hairline crack in its plastic reservoir.  Just ordered an aluminum one that has an extra bung on it to split up the return lines from the hydroboost and the steering box return.  It seemed to be running hot so I also purchased a new Derale fluid cooler for it too with a built-in fan.  Hopefully the split return lines and stronger cooler help.  Planning to install the new cooler somewhere in front of the radiator but will make sure it’s got a bit of airspace between. 

As always, better off accepting the fact that these resto projects are never officially done🙂.

[N PRGRES]

Welcome back!!  Sorry to hear about your dad, but at least he and your mom are together again!

[ryeguy2006a]

Sorry to hear about your Dad passing, but glad that you were able to spend more time with him.

If you can't get the cooling under control for your power steering, you could look into a iBooster to replace the hydroboost assist.

[stros]

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. 

Ryan - thanks for the ibooster info. I hadn’t heard of that one.  But I think this should work ok - the brakes are overall pretty impressive with the hydroboost outside of this leak.  Brake feel isn’t exactly fantastic but the stopping power is. 

[5th T/A]

Hey guys - long time no post.  Was tending to my dad for really the last year after my mom passed away.  While it was a tough year, it gave me a chance to spend more time at any point with him since I went to college.  He wasn’t very mobile so no ability to get him out in the T/A but I wheeled him into the parking garage at his facility to see it a few times. 

Well, dad passed away in Feb, so I’m finally back to focusing a bit on the Trans Am again.  I had been driving it about once a week but a bit less frequently than before. 

 

As always, better off accepting the fact that these resto projects are never officially done🙂.

Sorry to hear of the passing of your father. None of us are at our best in the final days.
Good to reminisce about the good times.

[stros]

[quote author=stros link=topic=83837.msg27595#msg27595 date=

Sorry to hear of the passing of your father. None of us are at our best in the final days.
Good to reminisce about the good times.

Very true - thank you!

[stros]

Got the new Derale remote fluid cooler and the aluminum power steering reservoir from Jones Racing added. Brake pedal feel seems much better and the braking performance is much more consistent now when the car is hot and cold. 

The TurnOne aftermarket reservoir basically structurally failed.  It was leaking from the seams of it.
Kept the pump itself as that seems to be working fine. 

The fluid cooler is kind of massive - looks like a mini radiator.  My horns had to be relocated to accommodate it.  Right now it’s wired to turn on immediately when the car turns on as it appears to be the recommended approach on a hydroboost car as the fluid heats up fast.  So it’s a bit annoying with the engine off and the key on.  Otherwise not noticeable with the engine on.   

I also got my parking brake working correctly by adjusting the star adjuster on the Wilwoods.  I think the brake cables are a bit too long but it’s holding well now at least.

Overall looks like a good improvement - no leaks and better braking/parking braking 

[N PRGRES]

Nice

[stros]

A few minor updates.  Mostly to address some little things that have bugged me always with my Trans Am.

First, a few of my last fixes needed some adjustment.  Starting with the parking brake.  While the star wheel adjustment was needed on the rear Wilwood brakes, my rear parking brake cables were way too long still and routed horribly.  They were Lokar aftermarket cables recommended for my setup but they never worked right. 

Ended up buying the trim to fit rear cables from CPP (CPP-90356) and routed them back like the original setup, using the factory style frame rail brackets.  This is the first time the parking brake has ever worked properly since I bought the car.  Not a huge fan of CPP (as most folks know I had major issues with their front brake kit) but this appeared to be the best option for my setup. I like the routing of the cables much better now vs how I had them mounted to my driver side subframe connector before. 

Also bought a thermal switch for the Derale fluid cooler as it was wired initially to enable with key on.  That was a bit irritating as it’s quite loud so I got a thermal switch for it so it turns on at 180 degrees and turns back off at 160.

Along similar lines my aftermarket A/C installed many years ago was wired so if you turn it on the radiator’s 2nd fan turned on.  But it was wired wrong and turned on with the car completely off.  Also got that corrected.  That was an easier fix. 

Last item.  The parking brake light on the dash wasn’t working correctly.  I checked the wire to the switch and it still had power and the light turned on when I touched it to metal.  The little plunger itself wasn’t extending out far enough when releasing the brake.  Lubed the spring on the switch up with white lithium grease and pushed it in and out a few times.  Now it seems to finally be working consistently again.  Luckily I think I’ve saved the switch, as that part isn’t reproduced for some reason for the 2nd gen. 

Super happy with how it all turned out.  Everything now for the most part seems to be operating properly on my Trans Am (knock on wood).  Almost feels like a modern car now without these minor gremlins. 

[MNBob]

You really have been keeping up with your list. The Turn One leak is like my leaking proportioning valve, not something expected.

I know all about that switch for the parking brake light. Mine was slipping off the contact point and not working. I ground the tip flat and it has been working since.

[stros]

You really have been keeping up with your list. The Turn One leak is like my leaking proportioning valve, not something expected.

I know all about that switch for the parking brake light. Mine was slipping off the contact point and not working. I ground the tip flat and it has been working since.

Thanks Bob.  So far so good.  An entire week now where the light worked properly and my parking brake consistently works.  Amazing how going back to the stock cable setup makes everything work properly.  Guessing my transmission cable may have snapped because the parking brake wasn’t working before too.  My TA is out on our sloped driveway quite often. 

[stros]

Some good news today.  They passed Jay Leno’s law finally.  And they wrote it so the only requirement is to have classic car insurance OR drive it under 1000 miles annually.  I was worried I’d have to keep it under 1000. 

Not exactly the biggest deal as it saves me $60 every 2 years and a drive about 20 miles away to the only smog check place who understands how to do the smog on my LS swap.  It always passed with flying colors.

[scarebird]

Some good news today.  They passed Jay Leno’s law finally.  And they wrote it so the only requirement is to have classic car insurance OR drive it under 1000 miles annually.  I was worried I’d have to keep it under 1000...

That is good news to hear.

[FormTA]

I live in a no smog testing area. But I totally think that's great news for the hobby and preservation of old cars