The Bulldog.

[Piece-it pete]

Took some patience and a bit more than I budgeted but... behold the magnificence!





I'll get better pics. 1991 S-10 'EL' package from NC, gauges (oil, temp, volt), 2.5l 5 speed, A/C, manual steering. 85K miles, cleaner underneath than my 03. Kenwood cassette player. Nice bedliner.

Tight too. And, it's got 'dual exhaust' lol, splits off the muffler.

Hood/roof, dash and top of door panels are a bit faded and the dash is cracked. The left front bumper is a little bit higher than the right. Apart from that nice. The paint might buff out. The interior I'll get to later. Engine compartment really clean, at least from this salted yanks' perspective.

A nice surprise, it came with a stack of receipts starting in 09, with a goodly chunk of work done, starter, water pump, fuel filter, EGR, module, cat, IAC, cap and wires, clutch master cylinder, blower motor, recent A/C service, fuel pump. One of the receipts is for the rims. Has all original paperwork including the original bank note :nutz:

On one receipt is says 'customer states it won't go up hills very well'. I've already learned, serious hills need second in this truck

I immediately went to change the seeping valve cover gasket, took it off, opened the replacement and - Rock sent me the wrong one. No big deal. I did want to use the good felpro anyway and the bolts were so loose I could've taken them out by hand, probably, so I just put it back in for now.

Installed the new IR plugs. The old plugs looked to have been fairly recent, a little dry looking but good. Slapped in a new O2 sensor too. The old one was obviously original and the cage was almost completely disintegrated.

I'm guessing it was mostly the plugs, but the thing runs noticableably smoother with more power. Changed the air filter & breather, the PCV was OK, coolant clean & green, brake fluid looking a-ok, cleaned the TBI & linkages. Installed new battery, the main wires look good, the charge wire is a bit comical though Like the factory Box ones.

Mechanical issues, there's a minor exhaust leak, the blend door controls have two choices: vent & floor or defrost, the AC control has been bypassed and they added a toggle switch to turn it on and off (it does blow very cold though), and most irritating the clutch makes a chirping sound, like a belt, unless I keep light pressure on the clutch petal and even then I can hear it at higher speeds. Any ideas what it might be?

Pete

[BuffaloRider]

Congratulations on the new truck man! Some of the only things I care for from chevy, their trucks and their cadi's. Hope it treats you well.

[t65neon5]

sounds like it needs a new throw out bearing.........

[grandpaslincoln]

Hydraulic clutch, yeah?

My guess would be throwout bearing as well, probably got no grease left.

[gadget73]

throwout bearing most likely. Better change that before it self-destructs and you lose the clutch entirely.

[Piece-it pete]

Thanks guys. I've already put a few hundred miles on it, I like it. I don't like the rear window being the whiplash 'preventer' though! Seat swap soon methinks, once the 03's suspension is done.

Anyway I did some research on the cricket in the tranny. Turns out that it's a fairly common problem on these - pivot ball stud! Bloody hell. One guy did suggest attempting to grease it through the slave cylinder opening with a long screwdriver but I could find nobody that actually tried it. Guess who will?

If that doesn't work then new clutch etc, and you drill the housing for a greaseable stud.

Just an irritant, not a fail part, so it's as long as I can stand it.

One nice thing, parts for this are like panthers. Like anything on an old car if I pull the slave I'm changing it, $10 Raybestos Professional. Nice.

After driving it getting in the 03 is like, ahhhhhh........

Pete

[79lincolnlover]

TC has been sold?

[Piece-it pete]

TC has been sold, watched it drive away Wednesday

So suck it up like a man and work on the new baby right? Rubbed out the paint and added a box:



New tires. The tire guy is my good friends' kid I know well. He had his younger brother take a look at the exhaust, turns out it was a bad weld, he climbs under it with a grinder and I kick him in the rear (I'm 'Uncle Pete') and chew him out for no jack stand.

He places the stands goes to the jack, starts pumping and immediately the truck fell off the jack!

Fortunately it only bent a tierod end and it turns out all the tierods are bad anyway.

Also failed emissions, high NO. Possibly a bad EGR but I'm open to suggestions.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Turns out that the EGRs on these are a known problem. Apparently GM still holds a patent on them, so the aftermarkets are too soft springed, then in their infinite wisdom GM started sourcing them from the same Chinese suppliers. Long and short is no one makes the 'correct' one anymore. Also there is a different one for a stick and an auto.

Bright side I got almost 29 mpg 1st tank (455 mi divided by 15.88 gals used) mostly city and with AC often on. And with larger that stock tires for most of those miles the speedo was running about 10% under actual mileage.

Ran HOT though so I just added a 180 alt temp tstat. Need to fix a small exhaust leak (exhaust manifold gasket & downpipe donut), apparently that can screw up the reading from the O2 sensor, then off to the JY to find an OEM egr and wiper motor.

Pete

[packman]

Looks like my old '92 S-10. Just way cleaner. I would be very tempted to stick an LSX in there; even if it was my DD.


Packman

[Piece-it pete]

Nope! Though I get it. I'm liking my little rattle box.

Got the exhaust manifold gasket and donut on. It's a strange feeling working on such a easy to access engine. Oh and clipped 80 mph Zoom?

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

The welded exhaust manifold definitely has a leak. I'll be getting a cast aftermarket one.

The wire to the new O2 sensor fell off! I changed it before the echeck, it might have been broken internally. I'm changing that and the EGR (no luck at JY, hoping a new one'll get me passed) and taking it to echeck tomorrow.

Changed the front end steering. Inner outer tie rod ends & sleeves, drag/center link, idler. The pit has no joints so not a wear item. WHAT A DIFFERENCE. The old inners were really bad, the idler had some slop and the remaining old outer was iffy at best. The drag link links were not loose, but not tight either.

Wiper motor today too, again no JY love but clean used one off ebay. Have to remove the slotted exterior cowl, when's the last time you saw one of those?

I've gotta thank youalls too. I've never been so comfortable as a low/midgrade mech and it's all because of you guys and all the help and advice yous gave me on the 85 and 03 over the last few years. It really hit home when I changed the front end steering after work without a second thought. Even if I would've had to change the box I wouldn't have hesitated. Thanks.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Alignment done, nice.

New EGR and 02 sensor in. Runs better and no check engine light. I'm taking to echeck on the way home tonight.

Wiper motor in too. Got lucky with the used one off fleabay, it's super clean.

Next onto the brakes.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Passed echeck!

But under hard acceleration she suddenly cuts out briefly. Any ideas?

Also, on the 'tech 4' or 'iron duke' there is an air flow restrictor in the tube connecting the air cleaner to the radiator support. Pulled it out, I can tell the difference.

Pete

[Piece-it pete]

Hasn't suddenly cut out again, I'm thinking short. I'll worry about it if it happens again.

Did the rear brakes/axle yesterday. Bearings/gear oil, and shoes/hdwr/cylinders/rubber frame to axle brake line. How clean is this truck? The obviously original rubber line disassembled easily. I was going to change the e-brake cables too but they were in such great shape, maybe next shoe change. How different to not be fighting rust, one could get used to it :yes:

Figuring out the retaining clips on the cylinders was a *itch! Once figured, easy Screwdriver ground to a point to remove, pickle folk between axle flange and cylinder to install.

Pete