Not my week for cars. Or, maybe it is.
The Gladiator ran OK for a couple of days. Would blast up to 70 with AC on max no probs. Friday after work I went shopping, on the way home it started slowing down until I crawled most of the way at 35-40, if I tried to accelerate at all it would stall. Stopped at my mechanics on the way. Guess what. VGer was ready, he had replaced the timing belt and found the loose wire that wouldn't let him start it. OK, so I switch the groceries over to VGer and let Steve have the Gladiator.
Driving the last mile home I note that VGer has a bad miss. Pulled the plugs when I got home, #1 plug's electrode was grounded. I just happen to have a spare plug from the Turbo, pop it in, no miss. Run up to the parts house to get a full set of the correct Champions. VGer seems really boggy. Well, maybe the new plugs will help.
Next morning popped the new plugs in. Go shopping in Hibbing. Still boggy. Seems like there is a point about 1/2 throttle that if I push the pedal past that it starts to slow down. Everything is OK if I don't press the pedal too far. Well, OK, except that I sure don't want to pull out in front of someone or try to pass someone.
Get home, load up garbage for a dump run. Pulling out (gently) onto the pavement I hear a loud "clunk". Pull over and look under the hood, don't see anything readily visible, so I continue on my errand. When I get home and look closer I discover that the front motor mount bracket has actually broken. Not the rubber piece, the actual steel bracket! Rip the bracket out of the Turbo and install it.
Head off to town to meet the inlaws for dinner. Very sluggish with 4 adults on board and unable to press past half throttle. Well, dump in some Injector cleaner, maybe that will help.
Sunday, head to Bemidji to meet J&P and inlaws for Lunch. Because I can't go past 1/2 throttle it was an exciting trip with 4 adults on board, plus heavy rain. We got an inch at home during that 3-4 hour downpour. Made it back home, but it was like driving thru molasses.
Monday, head off to work. Since my surgery the few times I drove VGer after the clutch was replaced I have driven it very gently, because if I don't it hurts, and because I don't want to shatter another clutch, at least right away. But I'm feeling better now, so I hammered it. Can't get over 1/2 throttle. When I drive it gently by myself it mostly has enough power to keep out of trouble, but I can't push it over 1/2 throttle.
Monday afternoon (today), I pulled the cover off of the belt and checked the timing marks. Everything is correct, Steve did a good job. Distributor cap/rotor and coil like like they have been to hell and back, so swapped the parts off of the Black Voyager which look like new. Went to town. No change. Since I'm on a new tank of gas I added some more (different) injector cleaner.
Just got a call from Steve, my mechanic. He drove the Gladiator and it ran like it should, blasted right up to 75 no problems. Computer showed a "rich" code, found a vacuum leak under the TBI unit. Should have it fixed tomorrow. Cross my fingers, maybe that will fix it. Kinda doubt it, but maybe. Hope so, we have to drive to Bemidji on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and I would much rather make the trip in the Gladiator, even if gas went up today back to 2.87.
Maybe tomorrow afternoon I can check it for vacuum leaks, and I think I might have a spare TPS. If that doesn't work maybe I will have to buy a new O2 sensor, not looking forward to changing that. Needs new exhaust also, wonder what I can dig out of my parts pile?
No comments:
Post a Comment