Thread: 53 Is back from the Body Shop

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I think I'll be able to fix the condenser. To be fair, when I flushed the system the last time I had a terrible time getting the dryer bracket loose and I didn't put it back on. I was tired cranky sick of it and in a rush so I thought it would be fine, which it would have been if they didn't make things so darn thin these days. I'm sure they're all the same quality from the same plant. It's going to get a hose from the dryer to the condenser now. Other than that and not having a separate A/C switch for when you have no need for the compressor, like floor heat, it seems like its a good setup. I put in my own A/C switch hooked to the relay. I took off work a bit early today and switched the intake manifold. We put on 50 miles tonight, about thirty in town,and it ran perfect the whole time. Apparently the intake manifold was leaking somewhere that I couldn't find. I guess just because it's fuel injected and run by a computer doesn't mean you'll never be chasing a problem.

Getting the A/C back in shape. I flushed the evap tonight and replaced the compressor with a used one that looks like it just came out of the box. The one pale on the ground is the first flush and the other is the last flush. I wish I did more research on compressors before I committed myself to a pancake compressor. Didn't know they were a POS. If this happens again, a sanden will be pumping the freon.

I'll never forget how many of those my Dad replaced when I was a kid. My mom and grandfather loved the 80's Caddys. They had that same compressor and I bet Dad put 5-10 on the 2 Fleetwoods of Mpm's and her Dad's. Good luck with it. Hopefully that new one will live. I've heard they've upgraded everything in them lately and they are a lot better.

Yeah, I've had a few of those self destruct, too. They always seem to fill the system up with crap. Like 40, I hope the new ones are better.

The Camaro needs a turbo or turbos.........................................................................


Just sayin, that way you don't get beat by a 289..................................................................

Originally Posted by 40FordDeluxe

The Camaro needs a turbo or turbos.........................................................................


Just sayin, that way you don't get beat by a 289..................................................................

Or a bad 305 HO...............................

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Or a bad 305 HO...............................

Ya, I'm trying to let that whole thing go but wow, that whole thing just got worse and worse. If I get that 82 Camaro I think I'm going to yank the 305 out just so I won't be reminded of that thread every time I pop the hood

I think I'm on the 3rd or 4th R4 compressor on the wife's 84 El Camino. n they work they work good........and then they don't .


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Well the crappy compressor may turned out to be a good thing. As I mentioned before, my condenser line cracked and I was going to try to fix it but after all the garbage in it and it also being cracked, I went to our local radiator guy and auto repair shop to get a new one. I went there to pick it up today and when I was leaving I seen an aluminum 5.3 Ls motor laying outside. Stop reverse and ask him about it. Turns out it's got a knock in it , probably spun rod and I may have to give $50 bucks for it but worst case scenario I take the good heads off of it and put them on cast truck block. My first plan with it is to rebuild it though, It will be a good start to the Camaro. For now can take it home and use it to mock up the drive line.

Rear sway bar question. I took the sway bar off a gen 3 trans am and It looks like it will work good if I make some mounting brackets that extend in front of the rear axle. With all the arm brackets and coil over brackets on this thing, moving the sway bar forward a bit looks like my only option. Is that an ok thing to do?

kinda like this- ish only with the eye bolt more straight than it is in the pic.

I don't see why it wouldn't work. As long as the mounts on the housing don't bend, it should be fine I'd think.

My front sway bar on the Jeep has the transverse part of the bar mounted atop the frame rails to the front, in front of the grille and the two extension bars then point back towards the axle and connect via sway bar links that are about 6" to 8" long. My links are after market, easy to disconnect from the pin that comes off of the coil spring mounting pad, for off-road runs for more articulation. My point here is that I think it's more common for the bar to be fixed at the frame, with the "ears" connected to the axle, which acts more like a torsion bar, twisting the sway bar across it's length. If you fix the bar to the axle, the motion of your axle is going to tend to bend the ear vs twisting the bar, especially on speed bumps or dips in the highway where both wheels move together, seems to me.

I checked out what you were saying Roger and all my vehicles are set up the same way. The front sway bar it attached to the frame like you described in the front, and the rear's are all attached to the rear end axle tubes including the donor vehicle I took it from. I'm no suspension expert, I wonder why they do that. I'm slowly learning at this thing, and learned not to weld then ask questions. I have everything tacked up and I'm waiting for final approval before welding it all up this time

I'm going to have to disagree. All the old trucks I've ever worked on have the front sway bar bar, mounted to the frame and the ends affixed to a mount on the spring or control arm, and the rear is the opposite. Why? Probably due to packaging. The engine cross member, steering, and or front drive shaft make it pretty hard to mount the bar on the front. Unless you are talking about ford 4x4s. They have the front sway bar bar, mounted to the axle housing on the rear of the axle housing and the ends attach via a link to the frame. They do work and work well. I've had several ford trucks and the heavy diesels don't drive as nice without those front sway bars.

All of the leaf spring rear wheel trucks and even cars I've been around have the bar attached to the axle housing and attach the ends to the frame. The only one I can think of that has the bar attached to the frame on the rear are Corvettes. Jags are probably that way too.