My Red '97

[78F350]

Today I got the AC working. The clutch bearing on the compressor was worn out. The proper thing to do in this case is to take the car to a shop and have them install a new compressor, then evacuate and recharge the system. In my case, I've got a couple old compressors on the shelf from cars that I've scrapped and I figured there was nothing to lose by taking about 30 minutes to just swap out the clutch. Cost me nothing, no gasses were released to the atmosphere, and the AC works great now.


Next I took a look at the front suspension. It has felt a little loose. With the front jacked up and wheels off the ground, I rocked the wheels. There was obvious play at the ball joints. The rest looked pretty good except for the left strut being covered with greasy dirt. I decided to go ahead and use parts from a 2002 S on it. I thought of transplanting the whole wheel carrier with the strut, but I want to go back to the 16" wheels on this car and I don't think they fit well with the S model brakes.


Now that I have those springs and struts on the front, I probably need to swap the rear springs as well to keep it all balanced.
Future work; I want to figure out why the power steering isn't working. There's plenty of fluid and no obvious problems with the pump or leaks. I don't really mind the ride with manual steering, but I don't like having it broken unless I know why.

[Qingdao]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Future work; I want to figure out why the power steering isn't working. There's plenty of fluid and no obvious problems with the pump or leaks. I don't really mind the ride with manual steering, but I don't like having it broken unless I know why.

Pressures ok?

Low pressure:
First place to look is regulator. Then pump vanes (IE replace the pump)


High pressure:
Obstructions (like a kinked line)



I'm partial to the 17" wheels. IMPO its the perfect balance between small and large with plenty of room for good brakes.

[78F350]

Paul, I took the hearse in a trade for a Cayenne that had a blown air strut and was coming due for a bunch of maintenance. It's a 1977 Cadillac. It runs and drives well and is pretty simple to work on. For now it is mostly a mobile storage container. Future plans are to redo the interior (which is rough) and use it for weekend trips, touring around state parks. I had originally though it could be a decent tow vehicle, but it's really not built for that.

Quingdao, I haven't started troubleshooting the steering beyond looking for leaks, topping off the fluid, and listening to the pump. I'll have to get a look at how to test the pressure – that sounds like the best next step.

For the wheels, I already have 20”, 18”, and 17” on cars and I agree that the 17s are the best all around size. The 16s are great for a daily driver and a good ride, but not what I would want for a track day.

One more little annoyance I want to fix is the SAI pump. It works fine, but it is noisy and runs the cycle twice. My other cars aren't as loud and the pumps don't seem to run as much. My guess is that the internal filter on the air pump is clogged with dust. I'll replace it, then pull it apart and get a look.