Kinda Makes Me Want To Move Up North, Sort Of

[TTA984]

Well, I decided to get another opinion on my engine trouble, I will have to wait till next tuesday or so, the guy that is supposed to look at it is in EUROPE.

Gee I wish there were more turbobuick shops in my area like there are up north.

If I was up north this TTA would already have been worked on.

Nice weather down here but you have to sacrifice in the TTA or turbobuick catagory.:mad2:

 

[8289ta]

Dude - I am in NYC and there aren't too many shops here I would trust with any of my cars, let alone the TTA. I was looking to move South when I retire. I guess the grass is always greener...

 

[TTA984]

Dude - I am in NYC and there aren't too many shops here I would trust with any of my cars, let alone the TTA. I was looking to move South when I retire. I guess the grass is always greener...

Thats just the problem, WHO CAN WE TRUST WITH OUR CARS. When the cars mean so much to us, it has to be in very good hands.

 

[WS6]

WHO CAN WE TRUST WITH OUR CARS.

Yourself...

Seriously....if you really want to do it right, teach yourself. There's plenty of people who will help you out and they don't have to be fluent in turbo buicks.

If you own a collectector you've clearly demeonstrated that you have some mechanical ability, so buy the tools, make some friends and get yourself educated.

It isn't rocket science and plan on making plenty of mistakes, but you'll be richer for experience and education you aquire.

 

[TTA984]

Yourself...

Seriously....if you really want to do it right, teach yourself. There's plenty of people who will help you out and they don't have to be fluent in turbo buicks.

If you own a collectector you've clearly demeonstrated that you have some mechanical ability, so buy the tools, make some friends and get yourself educated.

It isn't rocket science and plan on making plenty of mistakes, but you'll be richer for experience and education you aquire.

Rich, Clearly spoken, It looks like more of that in the future, meaning we can have the knowledge to lead our own destiny with our cars. Learning everything we can, so me can do our own work and not be dependant on others.

 

[8289ta]

Rich - I agree 100% with that. There is not too much I won't try at this point. I figure if I f*ck it up, I still learned something. I don't like anyone touching my cars. I wish I knew paint and body work because that is one of the only things I will take my car to a shop for.

 

[WS6]

Probably the smartest thing I did for myself was to push away from this keyboard and get some face time in with people in the "business". I found a reputable machine shop where the owner is winding down his career and not interested in building/warranting my motor for me, but rather doing the machine work and answering every question I have as stupid as they may seem. He has held my hand from file fitting piston rings to setting up end clearances in the oil pump and everything in between. And along the way he has imparted allot of old school racer knowledge and the engineering behind it.
When I bought this car I was convinced that I was the only turbo buick owner within 100 miles and since then I have found a dozen within 20 miles. Some have become friends and we help each other with labor and general problem solving. They are having the same problems as I do and some they solve for me and some I solve for them. You'd be surprised how small the world really is.

But don't discount the internet either, but DON'T rely on it either. There is allot of good info here and there but there is 100 times more useless information too.You just have to identify who is in the trenches fighting the fight and who is simply puking out info from the keyboard institute of auto mechanics.

Five years ago I couldn't even imagine changing a rear main seal,today I can't imagine letting anyone else check my thrust bearing or crankshaft end play.

 

[jarredsoon]

Hey Rich how often do you check your crankshaft end play?

 

[PhillyTurboSix]

They are all around Philly! I can go under one hour drive any direction to 4 turbo Buick experts and have anything done! I would really be salty any other way. The TTA is the only car no one has touched but my GN's where worked on by the best. I even have 5 engine re-builders within an hour of me. Come on up! At least you have the forum anywhere you live for help!

 

[TTA984]

They are all around Philly! I can go under one hour drive any direction to 4 turbo Buick experts and have anything done! I would really be salty any other way. The TTA is the only car no one has touched but my GN's where worked on by the best. I even have 5 engine re-builders within an hour of me. Come on up! At least you have the forum anywhere you live for help!

Yep, and my car is from that area also, close by in Trenton NJ. I bet if it could talk it would say it was a little confused.

 

[Kman1971]

I am thinking about buying my second TTA. This one is a project for sure. I can get it very cheap, clean car fax, Clean interior, minor body repairs, but the engine scares me but I am looking forward to the challenge. The current owner says the car runs, but thinks the turbo is blown. It only has 56k, cloth t-top car. The engine was modified with a bigger intercooler, turbo, heads and cam. ford 9" rear, trans was just rebuilt. Looks like built for and used on the racetrack. The current owner bought it in 08 with 56K on it and has not driven it much if at all, maybe bought it in this condition. I am going to look at it this weekend. Any advise on what to look for on the engine? While driving? What questions to ask, Etc? If the engine needs to be rebuilt, any estimates the cost involved? Thanks for the help in advance, just trying to figure out how much $$ to put into the car and a fair price to pay for it in the current condition. Here is some pics of the engine now. They say pictures are worth 1000 words, I am not sure that applies to engines though.

 

[WS6]

Hey Rich how often do you check your crankshaft end play?

I check it after I've fitted all the mains and before the rods go in, then I check it after I set the thrust bearing.It may gain .002 by then or gain nothing.

After it's installed and running I only ever think about if I suspect the thrust surface has been chewed up. And I do that by pulling the serpentine belt and pry the front hub back and forth. It's hard to tell that way but if it moves more than .062 ,a 1/16" then there is a chance the thrust has been chewed up. If it moves an 1/8" (.125) than there is almost certainly an issue.

The 3 times I've had my crank in and out I've never had a thrust surface problem, but my buddies GN has taken out a thrust bearing.o it does happen and I'm not sure why. I suspect it's a convertor issue or not enough clearance between the convertor face and flexplate to begin with.

This time I'm using an SFI flexplate and it's .040 thicker than the stock so I need to be mindful of the clearance.

 

[TTA850]

8289ta if you ever need help or advise shoot me a pm, even though I have moved mostly to LS1 cars I still do turbo buicks and t/a's on the side. There are a few really good machine shops on Long Island, not self proclaimed turbo buick "experts" but experts at building engines. Though the buisiness hostile climate of the north east has sent quite a few shops down to the Carolinas and other buisiness friendly states

WS6 thrust bearing failures I've seen are usually the result of converter balooning or pressures too high in the transmission (people using cheap converters or cheap rebuilders, you get what you pay for here). The thrust bearing should last a good long time if all is right, the motor in my GTA has over 700 passes (from mid 11's to mid 10's off a t-brake) and around 40K street miles in the 7 years I ran it (from early '02 to early '09) and had never shown a problem with the main bearings. The rod bearings on these motors however do take a beating.

 

[8289ta]

TTA850 - that's good to know, and thank you for the offer. I don't have anything major planned for the TTA right now, but it seems there is a shortage of good shops in the Staten Island area. I might be building up a 383 for the 1982 TA in the near future though.

 

[89tta636]

FYI... Cotton's Performance in Massachussetts is good too. Jack and his son Brian treat you like family. Had them work on my TTA in November and then sent my buddy up with his GN. I am on Long Island and it was worth the trip to them.

 

[WS6]

I agree on the thrust failure, even on my buddies GN, I blamed the convertor but I don't want to call it by name because I know some of us swear by them. I've read about too many thrust failures having the same convertor.
Funny about the rod bearings,I completely wiped out #2 and #3 main last year. But pulling the rod bearings out there was virtually no wear and I could still see where I was checking the clearance with the bore gauge. Those were the only marks on them...it's wierd, but I only have main bearing issues.

 

[Quiky One]

I agree on the thrust failure, even on my buddies GN, I blamed the convertor but I don't want to call it by name because I know some of us swear by them. I've read about too many thrust failures having the same convertor.
Funny about the rod bearings,I completely wiped out #2 and #3 main last year. But pulling the rod bearings out there was virtually no wear and I could still see where I was checking the clearance with the bore gauge. Those were the only marks on them...it's wierd, but I only HADmain bearing issues.

Fixed for accuracy.