between shopping for my own stocking stuffers and an all volvo wishlist, i'm getting pretty dang excited for xmas. i put together a wish list from IPDUSA.com and am happy to report that i'll be spending the week in a cold garage tinkering. on the list:
1) new plugs
2) new distributor cap & rotor
3) new ipd wires
4) silicone vacuum hoses
5) forever black (will stain the trim)
6) new halogen back up bulbs
am also going to get the pcv system done monday the 28th.
so am excited that's the short list of tinkering and am looking forward to the time away from work. Am not sure if i'll put that damn gasket back on the heater core, though i really should as the higher you turn up the heat the less effective it is right now w/out that little gasket.
will do pictures and maybe try to finally get some video/audio/rolling shots of the vehicle this holiday.
j
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
thanksgiving trip to maine
made the trip to Maine tuesday night - car seems to shimmy and shake over 65 - am definitely due to rotate tires, and not sure what else might be going on. also noticed that when i pull any power (like pushing the window button) all lights, headlights, dash interior, all of them dim. wondering if the driving lights i have up front had the wire scraped when dragging and am routing juice into the body of the car. will need to just remove them as they haven't worked in a while.
i cleaning the turbo out pipe today before turkey dinner and what i could reach on the turbo itself. one of the tailgate's license plate lights would always flicker out and so i bent the contacts in there and have 2 lights now shining down. also reset the service light but didn't really get into much more than that.
I did call the portland volvo here (in scarboro) to see about a timing belt and pcv system. 700 big ones for pcv system. am just wondering if i don't say a prayer and try it myself at this point. have been checking sears but am not moved by the prices for black friday on tires so am thinking this weekend may be the weekend that i put in an order on discount tire direct and get the snow shoes. have to make my final list of xmas/bday parts and distribute.
hope to putter a bit more tomorrow on the car and will post some new pics.
i cleaning the turbo out pipe today before turkey dinner and what i could reach on the turbo itself. one of the tailgate's license plate lights would always flicker out and so i bent the contacts in there and have 2 lights now shining down. also reset the service light but didn't really get into much more than that.
I did call the portland volvo here (in scarboro) to see about a timing belt and pcv system. 700 big ones for pcv system. am just wondering if i don't say a prayer and try it myself at this point. have been checking sears but am not moved by the prices for black friday on tires so am thinking this weekend may be the weekend that i put in an order on discount tire direct and get the snow shoes. have to make my final list of xmas/bday parts and distribute.
hope to putter a bit more tomorrow on the car and will post some new pics.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
cooling fan is in
i got a call from my wife at the office yesterday telling me she had finished the first of her errands but shut the car off cause it was "in the red" immediately putting me in the red. The last thing i needed was a cracked block when there was a new cooling fan sitting under my desk. She headed to chinatown and fan in hand i hopped on the train to meet her.
So last night on the corner of canal street & orchard, parked in front of a hydrant, while the police pulled some crazy person (or dead body - i dunno my head was under the hood) out of a tenement across the street i worked on sugerblack.
my son was sleeping inside the car, wife on the iphone. first disconnect the - on the battery. Then the air intake, intercooler air, control module box air, relays, fan shroud, pull back the hoses and wires & fan shroud up an out. All in the dark, w/out a streetlight and only with a pair of flashlights. 1.5 hrs. new fan on - worked like a charm. Did have a hose break, but replaced the clamp and made it work. Quite proud of myself, and happy that sugerblack is back. need to get the timing belt done & the waterpump and that will pretty much finish off a fully replaced coolant system.
We'll see what the weekend brings and if i can get some work done, air filter, clips, etc. nothing big. need to start looking into that blue hose that everybody has on their volvos since the hose that broke will crumble the next time i touch it. Only regret was that i wasn't able to clean everything while i had it apart. but, figured with the baby & wife in the car they wouldn't have appreciated me buffing the fan shroud with a toothbrush.
was a good burrito when i got home, felt pretty damn like a man.
So last night on the corner of canal street & orchard, parked in front of a hydrant, while the police pulled some crazy person (or dead body - i dunno my head was under the hood) out of a tenement across the street i worked on sugerblack.
my son was sleeping inside the car, wife on the iphone. first disconnect the - on the battery. Then the air intake, intercooler air, control module box air, relays, fan shroud, pull back the hoses and wires & fan shroud up an out. All in the dark, w/out a streetlight and only with a pair of flashlights. 1.5 hrs. new fan on - worked like a charm. Did have a hose break, but replaced the clamp and made it work. Quite proud of myself, and happy that sugerblack is back. need to get the timing belt done & the waterpump and that will pretty much finish off a fully replaced coolant system.
We'll see what the weekend brings and if i can get some work done, air filter, clips, etc. nothing big. need to start looking into that blue hose that everybody has on their volvos since the hose that broke will crumble the next time i touch it. Only regret was that i wasn't able to clean everything while i had it apart. but, figured with the baby & wife in the car they wouldn't have appreciated me buffing the fan shroud with a toothbrush.
was a good burrito when i got home, felt pretty damn like a man.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Engine Shots
some shots of the engine (finally) had to disconnect the fan wiring so my wife could drive sugerblack today - fan came from FCPgroton today, w/ k&n filter & a few grille clips. hopefully will be able to put the fan in tonight, tho i'm not quite sure how easy it is going to be to get that thing home on the subway.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Drive to Maine
just got back from a halloween weekend in maine. After going back to the stock air cleaner box & new fresh air tube from ebay (and with the filter that came with the used box) - a bottle of redline fuel system cleaner and some 98 octaine gas, i managed to average a whopping 28.2 mpg up. blew my mind. on the way back - for the first 150 miles before hitting the merritt i averaged 59 mph (was driving conservative to see how high i could get) and 30.1 mpg.
amazing.
then, pulling into brooklyn to get some beer @ 11pm - acrid smoke from the hood - pressure gauge rising. appears i burned out the cooling fan motor, which i am not sure ever worked.
new one is on the way from fcpgroton, with some grille clips & a K&N filter for the box.
left the headlight wiper motors up there for a future project. didn't do much else with the car other than a leather treatment, glass, and vacuum.
so am going to put in the fan as soon as it gets here (hopefully tmrw, but probably wednesday) then i have to put the car in for the PCV system & timing belt.
amazing.
then, pulling into brooklyn to get some beer @ 11pm - acrid smoke from the hood - pressure gauge rising. appears i burned out the cooling fan motor, which i am not sure ever worked.
new one is on the way from fcpgroton, with some grille clips & a K&N filter for the box.
left the headlight wiper motors up there for a future project. didn't do much else with the car other than a leather treatment, glass, and vacuum.
so am going to put in the fan as soon as it gets here (hopefully tmrw, but probably wednesday) then i have to put the car in for the PCV system & timing belt.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Projects
well - got my fresh air intake hose & the grill piece today, am excited to put it in. The previous owner of the t-5r took out the air cleaner box and fresh air intake and put in a k&n cone filter so the car has been sucking hot air for a while now - am very excited to see how she runs w/ cool air.
am expecting new headlight wiper motors too, that's on the project list. . . more later need to run
am expecting new headlight wiper motors too, that's on the project list. . . more later need to run
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Sugerblack
the administrator over @ volvolution.com wanted some pics - so here you go - i need to do a shoot and will take some this weekend.
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