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1995 Caprice 9C1

7K views 23 replies 6 participants last post by  KW Baraka 
#1 ·
Been slowly working on the car, as time permits.

(You can skip this paragraph if yawl want, just listing what's to be done): Replacing head gaskets, intake gasket, exhaust manifold, Opti & vent harness, trans cooler lines, oil cooler lines, O2 sensors, plugs/wires, oil & filter, fuel pump, maybe the tank straps, maybe exhaust, belt tensioner, prolly all the vacuum hoses, brake lines if need be.

Only broke 2 bolts up until now.

While pulling the harmonic balancer, the bolts to the Advanced Auto puller snapped off in the balancer. They weren't the right size, instead of buying the bolts online for the puller I used the ones that just fit, had to force it a little, figured it would hold. NOPE!

I can get two out, but one is snapped off taking the entire cavity for the threads. I have a set to remove it, that's gonna be a pita.

I had an idea to use a pry bar, mallet and PB blaster to get it off. Couldn't go full retard with the hammer because it's 2am and there are folks sleeping in the house. For now it's soaking in PB blaster. Maybe will try and beat and pry on it in the morning.

Yawl have any suggestions?



Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
P

"Wrong bolts...had to force it in".

Don't think any amount of PB Blaster is going to help at this point....that's not what that stuff is designed for. You wedged in the wrong size thread bolt and got it seized in so well it snapped the bolt off. I really think your best option is to drill it out and retread it 1 size up.

Should not really hurt the part as these holes are only for pulling off the balancer....unless you have HD cooling setup. If you can't do that, just try and drill out what you can and maybe you can just put a bolt through and get a nut on the backside of the balancer to pull it off. Worst case....just get a 3 jaw puller and consider the balancer toast and get a new one. Edit - also try to clean up the rust on the crank snout so the balancer slides off more easily.

Another option, remove the Hub with the balancer still attached so you can do what you need to on the bench to separate the 2. May be easier than doing all that on the car. If you really want to save the part and that does not work, take the assembly to a machine shop and have them do it. May cost you a few $ but save you a lot of aggravation.


MORAL TO THIS STORY.....use the correct bolts next time. >:)
 
#4 ·
I really think your best option is to drill it out and retread it 1 size up.

also try to clean up the rust on the crank snout so the balancer slides off more easily.

MORAL TO THIS STORY.....use the correct bolts next time. >:)
I'll drill it out, I have some nuts that I'll use.

I'll think that rust needs to be cleaned off the snout regardless so it can be reinstalled afterwards, so I'll take your advise on that one too thanx!

There is a member on here who has a phrase I like, and based on what things I've done wrong I'll be using it too when talking about stuff- catch phase "(ask me how I know)"..Master something...

I wouldn't go too aggressively with a hammer, and I be really careful with the pry bar that you don't damage crank or bearings.:)
It was late at night, luckily, so I wasn't going retard strength with the prybar and mallet, I already started to crack the Opit housing while getting angles to pry on, so I stopped there. I was worried about damaging other stuff too.

Updates to come
 
#3 ·
You might put some heat to it, then tap around the edges and see if that helps. You'll probably want to get the PB Blaster off first so you don't set your engine on fire.

As you said already, you'll likely need to get the broken bolt removed, and possibly chase the threads or even retap them to a size that will work with your puller. You'll want to do this first, and have your puller ready to go.

Then put some heat to it, tap around the edges. Then put the puller on and have another try.

I wouldn't go too aggressively with a hammer, and I be really careful with the pry bar that you don't damage crank or bearings.

Just my thoughts, you might want to let a few of the more experienced members reply before you try my ideas. :)
 
#5 ·
Today I tried removing the balancer again. I tried to use a bolt extractor but the bit kinda went at an angle. I ended up drilling out the bolt with a bigger drill bit.

Used some bolts, washers and nuts I picked up at Home Depot. Started at it again. One of the bolts wasn't in the balancer the same amount as the others, the remover kinda tilted as I cranked down on it and the bolt snapped at the head. Back to square zero with that - gonna order the remover tool.

Can anyone give some advise on removing the damn egr pipe from the passenger side manifold- that is some crap design right there.


Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#7 ·
Can anyone give some advise on removing the damn egr pipe from the passenger side manifold- that is some crap design right there.


Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
Yeah, patience.....lots and lots of patience. :frown2: That little bolt right there is a major PITA.

If I remember right, it was a 13mm head (maybe it was 10mm) on the stock setup and think I got it from under the car. Not a lot of room to work and think I took the starter off for a little less frustration but still pain in the butt and some skinned knuckles.

With the hooker headers setup, I had to use a bolt AND a nut for even more fun getting connected. >:)
 
#9 ·
If you look at the 3 smaller holes in the photo you'll see one is filled with a snapped bolt. I drilled that bolt out and retried with Home Depot ones.

It seems the GM remover comes with the correct size bolts.

Yeah, patience.....lots and lots of patience. :frown2: That little bolt right there is a major PITA.

If I remember right, it was a 13mm head (maybe it was 10mm) on the stock setup and think I got it from under the car. Not a lot of room to work and think I took the starter off for a little less frustration but still pain in the butt and some skinned knuckles.

With the hooker headers setup, I had to use a bolt AND a nut for even more fun getting connected. >:)

I guess I'm on the right track then. I removed the starter and could barely reach it. Removing the manifold gives me wiggle room to get a wrench on it but can't really crank down with the manifold not attached to anything.




Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#8 ·
From the looks of that damper (rubber) it needs to be replaced. If you can't separate it from the hub (the broken bolt isn't helping there to use a pull tool) than pull the damper and hub off as a unit

Hammers and pry bars have no place when removing a damper...so if the Opti cap got cracked you now need to replace that

Kent Moore makes the LT1/4 specific removal/install tool. Not cheap if you find one on ebay.

or...a regular 3 star puller you get from auto part stores (using correct bolts) will work. You need to back the bolt on crank snout about 1/2 way (or remove it and put a longer one in) and use the puller pushing against the bolt head. You may need to back that bolt out some again once the hub hits the bolt head and repeat pulling procedure to get it off the rest of the way. There are youtube vids of how to on this

Install you can find a install tool at auto part store with the right thread size/pitch of the crank......or just buy a piece of all thread rod, thrust bearing, large washers, nuts and do the "home made" version to install the new damper/hub assembly. You DO NOT want to try pulling on the new hub with the crank bolt

I am dealing with a hub/damper removal on my ford truck to replace the front crank seal. I can make the rented puller work using the method I described but instead of backing out the crank bolt some I just bought a longer one so I would have a good 1 1/2" of threaded bolt in crank so striping crank threads won't happen.

But I hit the wall on the rented install tool working with the Ford damper/hub so I bought some all thread rod from Fastenal for $14 and will use various parts (thrust bearing, large washers) from my Kent Moore LT1 puller/installer (rented installer parts would also work) to put it on. Just don't want to chance striping the crank threads by pulling new hub on with crank bolt....and hammer is not a option to beat it on IMHO
 
#10 ·
broke lines

I know everyone here has seen this movie before- Today I had a little spare time to yank the intake. Every vacuum line was broken or cracked, and the cracked ones got broke when I removed them. As this happened I remembered reading the same sentence posted by many members- "the line came apart/disintegrated in my hands"

What seemed like adding insult to injury was the last line I pulled, I was ginger as possible and as it came loose it snapped. When it snapped I knew it was a good line because it let out a little fart and I don't know how the hell I'm gonna even take care of it. It was a rigid line that went from the manifold into the wire harness on the passenger side, I suspect it to be an hvac line of some sort.

By the time I finish this thing its gonna be summer. Seems like everything is breaking or has broke and the crap the aint broke gets broke when I touch it.

I think the best thing is to save samples of what I need and see what the auto parts stores/internetzz can do for me.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I feel your pain but look at it this way....a line could have broke while on the road and possibly leaving you stranded. Now you KNOW that you need to replace these and can do them all now. Keep in mind that these Rubber Hoses and Plastic Lines are 20+ years old and have been subjected to Ozone, mileage and numerous Heat Cycles.

The rubber hose(s) unless you are looking for "Specific OEM" hoses (could be a hard find anyway), can just be replaced with Vacuum Hose you can pickup at most parts stores. The hard plastic line is also available in spools and "possibly" some pre-bent stuff too. Some hard lines like the 1 coming from the Charcoal Canister to manifold for example which has a couple of 90* bends could be hard to replicate using a spool of this stuff. So you may have to create new routing of this stuff and secure it well when replacing. Speaking of the Charcoal Canister....may as well replace all those hoses too. There are some threads on doing those and I posted up some info on them and what to do there. That canister is hidden away within the Front Fender Filler Panel and mounted to the passenger side frame horn and is an often forgotten piece.

So really, this stuff is not too hard to do or find other options. The main and I think important thing to do is just replace all the stuff, take your time and take note to how things are routed and connected. In the end, you'll be glad you did. There is even some info on "specific" hoses that get replaced and what other items can be used to replace them....for example, the hose from the Purge Solenoid to the Throttle Body. A lot of stuff like that is documented while other hoses you may be on your own and have to figure it out with replacement Hose, Plastic Line and Fittings.

BTW - That little plastic line back at the passenger side of the rear manifold IS for the HVAC system in the car. Ever notice how you get a hissing sound when turning the knob on the Panel? That is the vacuum from the intake manifold that allows the Doors in the Heater/AC box to move for different functions. That Plastic hose from the intake, is wrapped within the Wiring harness and goes through the firewall where the harness plugs in and then connects to the HVAC Controls. Hopefully there is enough sticking out of the harness that you can just use a new section of rubber hose. If not, you may have to run new Plastic line in the harness and thru the FW.
 
#12 ·
OP

you can buy hard & soft vac line in various sizes at most auto part stores. Yeah there may be some specific hoses you need to source from dealership or find one close to the shape and size and "adapt".

There is also all the 90 degree, T and coupler plastic fittings available where the vac line is at auto part stores.

On the HVAC hard line that broke, just unwrap the wire loom it is in to a point where that line is not brittle or where it connects to a plastic elbow or T and replace or splice in a new section. re-wrap the wire loom with tape
 
#13 ·
you can buy hard & soft vac line in various sizes at most auto part stores. Yeah there may be some specific hoses you need to source from dealership or find one close to the shape and size and "adapt".

That's true. So much for trying to keep a 'factory' look under the hood.


I'll probably be 'adapting' & sourcing stuff. But thanks both of yous for words of encouragement. I hit up the internetz and found a place that may help & will update if they work out.

a line could have broke while on the road and possibly leaving you stranded.

Speaking of the Charcoal Canister....may as well replace all those hoses too.

BTW - That little plastic line back at the passenger side of the rear manifold IS for the HVAC system in the car.

Truth about a line breaking on the road. Copy about the charcoal canister.

I've had the car in the air since before thanksgiving, I guess the rest of the HVAC system is good if it held vacuum for so long with not being driven.



Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#14 ·
Harbor Freight 42 piece puller set arrived. None of the bolts fit in the balancer. 1 set made it in 3 turns and stopped, not going thru that again.

Ok. Not mad, it HF so no surprises.

Went over to the passenger side to look at the radiator, a leak developed out of no where. Saw fluid dripping from the bottom of the passenger side radiator.

Was inspecting when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye where the battery was- a hose jammed in to the frame where the headlight wires are, partially sticking out.

Seems like it's for the charcoal canister.




Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Forget what those Balancer Bolt Thread Holes are, but pretty sure they were just Standard thread. Get a Tap that matches the threads and chase the threads first. Heck at this point, it may not matter if you just tap the holes to the next size up and get bolts to match. But the Cheapo Removal tool I have had a large assortment of bolts and there was some that matched up. the bolts should thread all the way through if you use the correct thread.

The hose you found, does look like the vent hose that comes off the charcoal Canister. It's 3/8" hose and has a Tee in it and is normally found laying on top of the inner fender OR some have seen it in the battery area behind the headlight. I prefer it in the fender area where it seems to be out of the elements a little more and can't get crushed by the battery or even the battery tray if that was ever removed. Plus it's out of the vision of any Emissions Testers if you have to deal with them and questions come up as to why the hose is not connected. Some guys here have actually failed due to this hose being found not connected.

If you remove the Fender Filler panel that the Right lower Air Dam Corner mounts too, you will see the Canister and can trace the hoses. Look for threads on the Charcoal Canister hoses and be prepared cause they are Nasty Dirty Hoses. Here are 2 links that should help but there is more info if you search....

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulle...enance/345905-throttle-body-hose-routing.html

http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulle...rcoal-canister-location-hose-replacement.html
 
#16 ·
Get a Tap that matches the threads and chase the threads first.

Did that today.

Pulled the opti. It did not sound healthy when I turned it by hand.
https://vimeo.com/196526304

Nicked the area around the seal housing while tanking it out. Wondering if this nick will cause me issues later?






Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#19 ·
Probably the smart move on the Opti if you can afford it. There is a lot of good experienced info here on Opti's and what people have chose to purchase as well as what they have also done with that new part to help prevent any possible issues. Sounds like you read up quite a bit on this stuff already.

As for the seals....absolutely the best thing you can do and SHOULD DO....replace the front seals. Certainly the WP and Opti seals. I would hold off on the Crank Seal unless it's leaking OR unless you're 100% sure what's involved and just want to do it anyway. I chose to do mine in the past just because I wanted to while things were apart...even though it looked fine. To do this seal, you need to remove the hub and this takes some special tools/items and patience. There is a good write up here if you choose to do this seal too.
 
#20 ·
Received my parts from rock auto, including the opti. AC Delco.

That is all.


Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#21 ·
Popped off the driver valve cover & head. Found out the hard way the closest bolt to the firewall is a block plug.



Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#22 ·
Took a wire-wheel brush & air die grinder to the head & block.

Tried rubbing a cloth with brake clean on it, this seems to be good as it gets.


Don't know why the gasket left an imprint in the block like that



Sent from my Commodore64, excuse typos & brevity.
 
#23 ·
I had my pops fall ill in February. Drop what I was doing to take care of him. I got him situated and I'm fixin' to get busy turning wrenches again. This project stopped with the removal of the driver head.
 
#24 ·
Hope your dad continues to improve.

If you are in need of an opti or two (or three), let me know. I have three low-mile units that I will never use.

KW
 
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