This is why I hate cars

[BigAls87Z28]

Ok. went to go work on my car. With no leaf springs yet, I figured that Id at least get the aluminum subframe bushings in. I read on Nasty its a pretty straight foward job...
So, I go out, start with the passanger side. Usually passanger side is the bitch for me...dunno why. I put it in, only had to make a little modification to the bushings, but everything goes in fine, no problems.
Driver side....first, cant get the bolts loose. They have been sitting in PBB for the whole morning...so I spray a little more in there. I go to the rear one first, YES it comes out...so go back to the front...stuck. I change position to get a bit more leverage....yes it breaks loose!!
Wait...there is this noise...and the bolt stop coming out of the hole....
I feel up by the cage nut, and sure enough...the bracing that holds the cage nut is sitting up. So, I have to figure a way to bring it down. I figured that I would see if I can get a hammer in there...no way. So Im reading on Nasty again, and its happend to a few people. They say, take the inner fender off, and you are golden. So, I dont want to remove the whole inner fender, I figured Id just losen it up. I do, and there is no way I can get a hammer in ther unless i remove the whole inner fender.
Well, I figured that I could use a c-clamp to squeeze the bracket down over the top of the cage nut. I get the clamp on the bracket...start tighting down...and it comes down. Man I feel like a genious!! Didnt need a hammer, nothing!! So i take the clamp out, put the fender back together, put the wheel back , and start loosen the bolt agian....its spinning AGAIN? What? I Look through the little peep hole, and sure enough the bracket is back up in the air!!! WTFF!!!
So I squeeze the clamp up into the hole, dont want to do the whole fender dance again. So I get it down agian...but this time i leave the clamp on this time. Bolt is not moving. Spray more PBB, walk away, come back, loosens up a little
I need more leverage, so I take off the clamp again,..and I watch the braket...and as soon as I go to loosen the bolt, IT COMES UP AGAIN!!!
I am flipping out at this point. I figured that I have to take the WHOLE EFFING FENDER out of the car. I look, some 4000 bolts holding it in to the car. So i get to bolt #4000...its striped. I cant get the fender out. At this point, its 730pm. Yes, what should ahve been done by at most 3, is now gone 6.5 hrs. So I go back and forth, trying to get it to loosen. The lower nut is square, and you cant get a correct wrench on it cause its a square nut. Nothing is fitting over it. I get a 1/2 inch wrench around the bottom, and got the air guns out now to give me some help. Still, nothing. So I figured I have to cut it out...figured 3999 bolts should hold the fender in. Go to grab the dremel and cut off wheel....all out of the mandrels for the cut off wheels. So I break out the grinder bit, its like pissing on a forest fire. So here I am, 830, sun is pretty much gone, and I am at a level of pissed off that I cant even describe right now. This s*** happens to me all the time. I got to do something pretty easy, and end up taking a detour, and another detour, and another, to where detour's become bigger projects then what you set out to do.

[WildBillyT]

Yeah, when I replaced my cage nuts I laid big effing BEADS along the seams.

Sorry to hear you are having a tough time.

[BigAls87Z28]

What wose is that one of the sides of the bracket that holds the cage nut in there, some how is now up in the air as well, and this is what is causing the nut to spin in the bracket. Im gunna have to leave the car in the driveway, on the jackstand, and drag all my tools in....im sooooo f***ing pissed right now.

[WildBillyT]

What wose is that one of the sides of the bracket that holds the cage nut in there, some how is now up in the air as well, and this is what is causing the nut to spin in the bracket. Im gunna have to leave the car in the driveway, on the jackstand, and drag all my tools in....im sooooo f***ing pissed right now.

The cage nut tabs are only held down by teeny spot welds. They are actually laughably weak. For the other mounts you might want to try taking the bolts through a few heating and cooling cycles before you try to remove them.

[BigAls87Z28]

well tomorrow im gunna get me a few cut off wheels for my dremel so I can cut out the nut holdint the last bolt in. ONCE that is done, then I can slam home the cage nut bracket...hopefuly it stays there like a good little bracket, but something tells me thats not gunna happen.
I think that I see welding in my future.

[WildBillyT]

I think that I see welding in my future.
I think that is a safe assumption.

[GP99GT]

story of my life...everything i think is going to take x amount of time, takes 3x

[JL8Jeff]

Welcome to my hell! I've been through it all over the years. Nothing gives up easy on these old cars. Just wait until you try to remove the rear leaf springs. The front spring pocket is another guaranteed PITA. Hacksaw blades, drill bits, dremel and sawzall are your best friends!

[unstable bob gable]

I feel for ya, Al. With me it seems like I'm either Chip Foose, or the village idiot. No points in between. :cry:

[BonzoHansen]

Yup, I've read that same story many times. Sucks. It's worth it, hang in there!

[79T/A]

This s*** happens to me all the time. I got to do something pretty easy, and end up taking a detour, and another detour, and another, to where detour's become bigger projects then what you set out to do.


My nightmare too. There is no such thing as a simple repair or easy mod in my garage. They all involve throwing tools and a lot of cuss words. I feel your pain.

[baddest434]

My nightmare too. There is no such thing as a simple repair or easy mod in my garage. They all involve throwing tools and a lot of cuss words. I feel your pain.

why throw your tools? why not walk away from it and come back to it after you cool off :lol:

and al i too feel your pain, good luck

[Jared1970Chevelle]

why throw your tools? why not walk away from it and come back to it after you cool off :lol:

and al i too feel your pain, good luck

hahahahha... when i usta crack my knuckles open on my turbocoupe i usta take a screwdriver and stab the fender.... anyone over says i go crazy for a few minutes hahahahahha

[Savage_Messiah]

why throw your tools? why not walk away from it and come back to it after you cool off :lol:

and al i too feel your pain, good luck

because throwing crap is so much fun.

And yeah, another who sympathizes.

[BonzoHansen]

I have been known to throw things. Blow off some steam in a direction away from the car. LOL.

Al, search NastyZ, there are ways around this. You may not need to weld them back – access hole & a wrench come to mind. It’s not like you will be doing this often. If you do decide to re-weld them, I am sure we can help you get it.

It ain’t gonna be easy Al, remember that. The car is older then you.

[BigAls87Z28]

Yeah, I know. Well, acutaly I think the bushings were replaced once before. The bolts look BRAND new, none of the hour glass shape that I saw on nasty. The bushings were shot though, they crumbled in my hands.
As for maybe not welding, I tried to bring it down with that clamp, and it keeps getting pushed up. I hope that some of the PBB soaked in and perhaps helped unfuse the bolt from the nut. I wanted to get this done, cause tomorrow Im gunna go have the front end stuff installed.

[njfastestcamaro]

see i walk away and throw the tool and get a beer

[BigAls87Z28]

I forgot about the beer part. I think that would have only added fuel to the fire. Wrenches and tools tend to go farther, faster and do more damage when alky is involved.

[bad64chevelle]

Al trust me alot of us feel your pain. I chased around an intermittent stumbling problem the car was having for 3 weeks before I went to Ocean City, my fuel pump was shot (spring broken into 4 pieces), and the carb was clogged. Put a holley blue pump on the car and switched carbs with no luck. While I was down there I decided I wanted to get rid of my Orange ignition wires because they got dirty, when I took them off (they were about 7 months old and 4 months of that was when it sat for the winter) a few of them crumbled in my hand! I even had the boots over the wires! They are all usually a pain in the arse to fix, but when its all done its worth it.

[BigAls87Z28]

I know...I cant wait to drive the car when its all said and done. Jeff's got me scared on the rear spring pockets. Well, anyway I just droped 2 large in HD on a new impact gun...mine broke yesterday, some dremel bits and some additional cutting disks along with some air tool oil.
Anyway, time to get dirty. I was whole nother shade of dark yesterday.

[Savage_Messiah]

I have been known to throw things. Blow off some steam in a direction away from the car. LOL.


That's the tricky part.... I've screwed up the direction before.....

[BigAls87Z28]

A question for the knowlegable out there.
What would happen, if lets say I hold the C-Clamp down on the bracket, fired up my new 768ftlbs impact gun in full reverse, and fired away at that bolt? Is that BAD?

[BonzoHansen]

What? I'm not sure what you are saying.

[WildBillyT]

A question for the knowlegable out there.
What would happen, if lets say I hold the C-Clamp down on the bracket, fired up my new 768ftlbs impact gun in full reverse, and fired away at that bolt? Is that BAD?

I am thinking you would blast the cage off from around the nut, and you would be stuck with a nut that is freely spinning.

[BigAls87Z28]

well, no matter what I do, be it impact gun or by hand, the nut seems to be fused to the bolt, and they spin together. I soaked it in PBB for a few hours now. I did however move foward with other things. I got my new 1 3/8's sway bar, and man that thing is massssive comapared to stock. I have pictures of that. I was thining of putting in the shocks as well, but whats the point if Im gunna end up taking them out at work to put the coil's in. I reallllly wish that my leaf springs showed up soon.

[BonzoHansen]

Leave the front parts in the boxes until you need them.


You might need to saws-all that bolt between the frame & the floor. Then replace the bolt & nut.

[BigAls87Z28]

What bolt between frame and floor?

[BonzoHansen]

We're talking about the frame mount bolts, right?

[BigAls87Z28]

GOOD NEWS!! THEY EFFERS CAME OUT!! I gave it one more shot, had it soaking in PBB...and it moved...and kept moving...and moving to where I could spin it out by hand. I got the fender back in the car, and Im ready to go!! I gotta put the wheel back on, torque the bolts to spec as well as the lugs and im good to go for tomorrow!!

[BigAls87Z28]

Question to Scott, Will, Jeff, or anyone out there...
The charcol canaster...do I have to put it back in? 2 of the 3 lines were severd and I just removed them. There is one that goes back to the fuel tank. Do I need to put the canaster in there, Or can I just let that hose dangle? Is there a going to be a problem with that? I.E fire, gas coming out of that line, etc?

[BigAls87Z28]

Car seems to have risen in hight a little...maybe stop me from rubbing the tires on the inner fender.
Here is before:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/BigAlZ/Camaro%20Pictures/DSC01112.jpg

After

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/BigAlZ/Camaro%20Pictures/DSC01126.jpg


Here is a picture of the sway bars.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/BigAlZ/Camaro%20Pictures/DSC01124.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/BigAlZ/Camaro%20Pictures/DSC01122.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/BigAlZ/Camaro%20Pictures/DSC01121.jpg

[WildBillyT]

Car seems to have risen in hight a little...maybe stop me from rubbing the tires on the inner fender.


Yep, new body mounts will do that. I'm glad it worked out for you! :nod:

[Knipps]

it's not too high, looks good 8-)

[BonzoHansen]

Looks good.

Cannister scavanges fumes from the tank and feeds them to motor. Tank needs to be vented one way or another. I am hooking mine back up.

[BigAls87Z28]

Ok, thats all I have hooked up is that fuel line that runs back to the tank, but I dont have any lines leading to another part of the car. Should I?

[BonzoHansen]

You gotta find a vaccum diagram. Sounds like you have a different setup then I do - mine has 1 in and 1 out.

[BigAls87Z28]

OK, Im at work at just installed the springs. When we first took the stockers out, we compared them to the Eibach's. There is at least a 3 inch difference in hight?!?! I checked the part number, and sure enough these are the right ones for a 70-81 Camaro with Small Block. The car is sitting MUCH lower then I thought it would!! It also was different then the stocker in that it didnt have a flat spot, only the one side did. We installed them per the directions and how it fit, and the car just sits riiiiiight there with teh tire. My tech is thinking that over time, the tires will rub on the fender. I took it for a pre-alignment test drive aroudn the parking lot, and I didnt notice any sort of rubbing. Im gunna do a much further drive around the whole mall once he's done with the alignment.

As for the drive out to work today, the solid bushings were FANTASTIC!! Wow, I thought it would give me a crappy ride, but it did the opposite, it improved ride and road feel 10x more then before! The tires didnt crash into the fender, nothing! (I got a feeling thats gunna change).
Also, taking out the tie rod sleeves, one of the jamb nuts for the sleeve was too small for the tie rod. 1 of 4 of the nuts? Ugh...fustration. I had the one installed, and will return for the other one later when I get a new nut. I also tightened up the PS pump, and that improved the steering feel.
Im trying to look for my Eibach book so I can call these guys up and ask them if this is right.