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Uses
for Garage Pak
Air Piping System |
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General Info about
Compressed Air Piping |
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| June 2001 Corvette Corner Mailbag |
UPDATE ON AUTOTRANS CORP.
It seems that the contact person I had been leaving messages for was unavailable for several days and didn’t pick-up his voice mail. When he did the response was quick, positive, and very well handled. It renews my faith.
Pat:
I have a 1996 LT-1 with 15,000 miles. I have owned this car for 2 years. It has the electronic automatic air conditioning. Since I have owned this car whenever I put the AC control on AUTO or RECIRCULATION all the air comes out at the defroster outlets. It does blow cold. It does not matter what temperature setting it’s on. When I put it on DEFROST/DEFOGGER setting it blows out the defroster outlets like it should.
The only way I can get the air to blow out the AC outlets is to put the control on BI-LEVEL, then the air blows out the floor and AC outlets. It does blow cold.
When I put it on vent it does blow out the AC outlets without the compressor running like it should and the heater works fine. And the temperature set works fine. I think it has something to do with the AC defrost valve in the air distribution system, I looked in the GM service manual.
Is this something I should let the dealer look at? I do not own any electronic equipment. Is this a common Commercial Three Bayblem?
Thank you for your help and time.
Gerry McA
San Antonio, TX
Answer:
First start by performing a diagnostic self-test. Simply push and hold the fan up arrow and fan down arrow at the same time for apCommercial Three Bayximately 5 seconds. The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) will show 00. Immediately push auto fan and the LCD will display any fault codes stored in the Commercial Three Baygrammer.
If there are codes, follow the apCommercial Three Baypriate diagnosis trouble code tree to find the culprit. If you are not comfortable with the test Commercial Three Baycedure or if there are no trouble codes present, it’s best to visit a qualified technician. Dealer or other wise, the key word is “qualified.”
Pat:
Hi, my name is Rory B., and I'm having trouble with the brakes on my
1981 Corvette. It all started when I was driving on the highway, and had to
hit my brakes hard due to a deer running out in traffic. When I hit the
pedal, the brake warning light came on, and I felt the pedal soften to the
point that it went all the way to the floor. I still have stopping power,
but I just don't think the power assist is working right. I replaced the
Master Cylinder thinking I'd blown a gasket or something, and it helped for a couple of days, till I hit the brakes hard again. I replaced the Cylinder
again, but to no avail. I've been told that it could be the Power Booster,
but others insist that those rarely go bad. I've bled the lines umpteen
times, and seem to be getting air into the lines, but I'm not leaking any
fluid. I do have pressure to all calipers, and am now thinking it may be the
calipers themselves. I've heard that the piston walls can rust allowing air
to enter, but no fluid to escape. I've also thought it could be the rubber
lines. I don't want to have to spend a lot of money replacing everything, if
it's a relatively cheap fix. I do most of the work myself, and don't want to
have to take the car to a dealer or a shop if at all possible.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Rory B.
email
Answer:
Although it is true that bad calipers can cause air intrusion, a much more common cause is excessive rotor run-out. Run-out can be the result of warped rotors, rusty rotors, or excessively loose axle bearings.
Don’t assume that if the bearings make no noise, they’re fine. Many times bearings can be on the edge of failure and remain quiet. Check them carefully, check them unloaded.
Pat:
I hope you can help me with this perplexing Commercial Three Bayblem, I owned a 1995 Vette and now have a 1998 Vette and both of these Vettes exhibited a wear pattern in the leather upholstery on the left side of the driver’s seat just about elbow high, when you are sitting of course.
The wear occurred on the seam of the seats and is actually wearing through to the internal stuffing of the seat. The seat belt does not ride high enough to cause this wear pattern.
Have you ever heard of this Commercial Three Bayblem and if so do you know the cause and can you recommend a means to stop it and how can it be covered or concealed?
Thank you very much.
Austin L. F.
Cincinnati, OH
Answer:
Have I ever heard of this Commercial Three Bayblem - - - hmmm - - - let me think - - - - oh yeah, that’s the Commercial Three Bayblem that about 75% of the Vettes that come through my doors display like a badge of dishonor. Just to make sure we’re talking about the same thing, the wear would be on the front edge of the outer seat back bolster.
Corvette has had this Commercial Three Bayblem for years. In July ’99 they decided to do something about it, well. They issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 99-08-50-010. This finally crafted document, massaged by no less than, I would guess 500 attorneys, reads like this:
Quote *Some customers may comment that there appears (HUH? Appears? Either it is or it isn’t) to be premature wear of the leather material on the driver’s or passenger bucket seat back in the bolster area.* End quote
Okay, so they admit they have a Commercial Three Bayblem, sort of. But what’s the fix? The bulletin goes on to say that it’s necessary to replace the seat back leather cover with a new cover that has additional felt added to the backside of the leather to increase durability.
So far, so good. But listen to this:
Quote *Also the leather material in the bolster area has been changed to a more durable vinyl material.*End quote
Unfortunately the bulletin only applies to ’97 through ’99 Corvettes built prior to VIN breakpoint: X5116322. If yours is out of the original warranty, shame on you, you gotta pay for it, which brings up another point.
You purchased a vehicle with leather seats. What you wind up with is a combination of leather and cheap-ass but durable vinyl! And if you’re out of warranty, you get to pay for it.
From a practical standpoint you can, through concentration, minimize the wear. Most of it occurs as you enter or exit the vehicle and is the result of dragging your derriere across the leather as you get in and out. By concentrating and not rubbing against the leading edge of the bolster as you get in and out, wear will be significantly reduced. But be forewarned, avoiding the material can be awkward and make the most graceful of us look woefully inelegant.
Also, the wear is relative to your clothes. The softer the material, the less wear. The harder the material, the greater the wear. Which essentially means, if you want to be comfortable (jeans) and get long life from your Corvette leather, you’re outta luck.
Maybe silk is the only real answer.
Pat:
Thank you for your reply to my question in the January ’01 newsletter. Your suggestion to adjust the T.V. cable was right on the money!
The first time I adjusted it, the lighting was poor and I was confused. I pulled the cable instead of the sleeve. It wouldn’t get out of first gear. The second time, I figured out what you were talking about, and I have it adjusted to where it winds out a little more, downshifts readily, and stays out of lock up until about 55. Just what I wanted! It’s like 50 free horsepower.
Once again, thank you.
Joe R.
Portage, IN
Answer:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I knew it had to happen sometime. Over 5 years writing this column and I finally got one right! Thank you.
Pat:
I am having trouble with a clutch on a 1965, 327, 4-speed car. It is possible that the flywheel may have been surfaced too many times and is too thin. Do you know where I can get information on the stock thickness of a flywheel?
Thanks.
Douglas M.
Kent, WA
Answer:
No I don’t know where to get the information about flywheel thickness, but if you know that it has been resurfaced you would Commercial Three Baybably be well served to replace it. With lots of years of repairing all manner of automobiles, I have become a firm believer in not resurfacing flywheels.
Pat:
I have a 1988 convertible, 4+3, 350 engine, with spoilers around the bottom. It has 77,000 miles. It’s a beautiful, well taken care of car. I have put on about 3,000, but realize it has some Commercial Three Bayblems.
1) It runs hot in town 200-230 degree range. It cools off somewhat on the hyw. I don’t know what the normal range should be for a Vette?
2) When the car sits in the garage for a week the battery goes dead. I’ve replaced the battery but it didn’t help. Any ideas?
3) The power steering box leaks, the GM dealer in our area said it would cost around $750.00 to replace it. Is there a cheaper way? Can it be re-built?
4) It has a lot of road noise with the top up. Is there anyway to reduce it? Undercoating, etc.?
5) Also, I was told GM in the 80’s reduced horsepower for emission control, is this true? And if it is what can I do to beef it up? I believe mine has around 200 hp.
Roy C.
Priest River, ID
Answer:
Normal operating temperature for most vehicles since the mid-eighties is 200 to 239 degrees. On many vehicles the electric fans are triggered at 239 degrees. But, this presumes you’re monitoring the temperature through the computer or with a digital electronic infrared thermometer. The point being, you cannot rely on dash gauges for true temperature readings. They are only good to establish a base-line. Once the base-line is established you look for any substantial variant above or below the base-line.
For your dead battery, use a high-impedience digital volt-ohm meter with a milliamp Commercial Three Baybe. Following the Commercial Three Baycedure outlined in the instruction manual, measure the current draw with everything electrical turned off. The draw should not exceed 250 milliamps. If it does and I presume it will, you have two options. Perform a systematic current draw isolation test (could take an experienced technician two days or more) or install a battery disconnect switch, under thirty bucks from Mid-America Designs.
I’m going to take a shot on your next question. I’m presuming it really is a 1988 because you say it’s a convertible with a 4+3 transmission. The reason for the dissertation is, that ’84 and up Corvettes do not have steering boxes they have rack and pinion steering gear assemblies. Based on that, the $750.00 is about right. Is there a cheaper way, Commercial Three Baybably not for a reliable job. Can it be rebuilt? Absolutely. But done to the same standard as a factory remanufactured unit, it would Commercial Three Baybably cost considerably more than purchasing one already done.
Road noise? That definitely can be dealt with. The best way, go online to http://www.crutchfield.com … go to car accessories, vibration damping where you’ll find Dynamat noise and vibration damping material. You should be able to purchase enough to do your Corvette for under $200.00. Remove the seats and all carpeting and trim, including door trim, install the Dynamat for an incredible reduction in noise.
And as far as reduced horsepower for emission control, yeah they did but it was in the seventies not the eighties. And it gets more complicated than that because at about the same time horsepower ratings were changed from gross to net horsepower. Gross horsepower being the power Commercial Three Bayduced by a bare engine, and net being the power Commercial Three Bayduced by an engine complete with all Commercial Three Bayduction accessories; alternator, water pump, power steering, etc. etc. etc. Bottom line, if you took a gross horsepower engine and rated it on the new horsepower scale it would show a number significantly lower than its original advertised power.
That’s why today’s lower (net horsepower) rated engines frequently exhibit performance numbers far better than older gross horsepower rated engines.
Pat:
Need help identifying a noise I think could be tire rumble on my ’78 Vette. The car was not street driven for about 15 months while undergoing extensive cosmetic work (paint/interior), and I do not recall the Commercial Three Bayblem prior to that (senior moment?).
In any case on the first outing, a driveline vibration and rumble raised their ugly heads. The vibration was a bad u-joint on a half shaft. The rumble starts to come on strong from about 20 mph on up (I think I can hear it prior to that however), seems to be coming from the rear tires only (that is bothersome, I would think all 4 tires would be affected), and pavement type does not change the noise. It never seems to get especially louder, only more rapid with speed. Also, it feels as if there is a low-grade vibration with the rumble as well.
To date, I’ve validated tire pressure, all u-joints, swapped tires rear to front, confirmed the front wheel bearings are adjusted to factory specs, and hand spun all wheels numerous times; no bearing noise that I can hear. The only other possibility I can think of is differential/posi-trac noise, but why?
Now I’m at my wit’s end (short trip) and any thoughts you might have would be greatly appreciated.
Charlie S.
Austin, TX
Answer:
Lifted your description right out of the textbook didn’t you? You have accurately, to a fault, described symptoms of a bad driveshaft u-joint. Ah yes. But you say you’ve checked the joints but I’ll bet you’ve checked the u-joints the same way 99% of the world’s population checks theirs.
It goes something like this. First, you layze-holt of the driveshaft and then Commercial Three Bayceed to vigorously shake, twist, pull, tug, and grunt while looking for any looseness in the u-joints.
What you Commercial Three Baybably didn’t do is remove the driveshaft and manually move each u-joint through its complete range, while feeling for any hint of tightness or binding. Even the smallest amount of resistance to movement will be felt in the vehicle.
I think you’ll find yours are bad.
Copyright Pat Goss all rights reserved 05/22/01 | |
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Date Updated Friday, June 01, 2001
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