My new beater! :) Couple Q's
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My new beater! :) Couple Q's
I just bought an 86 4kq with 195k for a thousand dollars. It's killer- working seat heat, sunroof, and 3 out of 4 power windows, good suspension, clean interior, and a strong smooth motor. Couple things need attention immediately, though, and I was hoping to get a little help...
1. Coolant smell. It's pretty grim: if I run the heat for 5 minutes with the engine warm I get a headache. Obviously some sort of core leak, but can I get away with stop leak? If not, how hard is it to swap the core? I was thinking if it's hard I'll just switch to Sierra for the winter...
2. Intermittant instrument lights. As you may know, the tailights and parking lights are slaved to this circuit. If the switch is in the exact right position all is well, but it's tough to get it to stay there. What is the best fix? The cheapest?
3. My difflocks aren't working. (I think; no lights, anyway, and no clunking around corners with the switch engaged). I know these are vacuum actuated and probably frozen; any tips on getting them going?
4. PO says it needs premium... Manual seems to imply regular is ok, and with a CR of 8.5:1 that seems reasonable... thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
1. Coolant smell. It's pretty grim: if I run the heat for 5 minutes with the engine warm I get a headache. Obviously some sort of core leak, but can I get away with stop leak? If not, how hard is it to swap the core? I was thinking if it's hard I'll just switch to Sierra for the winter...
2. Intermittant instrument lights. As you may know, the tailights and parking lights are slaved to this circuit. If the switch is in the exact right position all is well, but it's tough to get it to stay there. What is the best fix? The cheapest?
3. My difflocks aren't working. (I think; no lights, anyway, and no clunking around corners with the switch engaged). I know these are vacuum actuated and probably frozen; any tips on getting them going?
4. PO says it needs premium... Manual seems to imply regular is ok, and with a CR of 8.5:1 that seems reasonable... thoughts?
Thanks!
Robert
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Re: My new beater! :) Couple Q's
1. NO STOP LEAK. Period. It will cause all sorts of problems for you. The smell is indeed the heater core. There was a recall on these, but it might have expired by now. The cores are the weak link in the heating system. I personally haven't done one, but from what I hear other people say it's a real PIA to do. First be sure all the rubber hoses are connected properly and not leaking before replacing.
2. You can 'fix' the light switch. Take it out, slide the convex plate off and you will see how the metal contacts have bent in weird positions. Bend them back, and voila. You may have to actually take the switch body apart, similar to how a relay is put together.
3. Diff locks. Could be lots of things. Like you said, they are vacuum operated, so any leaks would prevent them from operating. Dig around and see if all your lines are tight, including under the battery. If both lockers aren't working, I would start with the line from the engine to the switch first. This is exactly why true offroaders don't like this type of system.
4. Gas. Mine runs quicker on premium. I don't get pinging on regular, but it slows down appreciably. It won't hurt it to run regular...just be sure your timing is set right.
Chris
86 4kq
2. You can 'fix' the light switch. Take it out, slide the convex plate off and you will see how the metal contacts have bent in weird positions. Bend them back, and voila. You may have to actually take the switch body apart, similar to how a relay is put together.
3. Diff locks. Could be lots of things. Like you said, they are vacuum operated, so any leaks would prevent them from operating. Dig around and see if all your lines are tight, including under the battery. If both lockers aren't working, I would start with the line from the engine to the switch first. This is exactly why true offroaders don't like this type of system.
4. Gas. Mine runs quicker on premium. I don't get pinging on regular, but it slows down appreciably. It won't hurt it to run regular...just be sure your timing is set right.
Chris
86 4kq
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Not sure...
I'd have to dig in my Bentley for the timing, but I think it's around 8 or so. Funny, but I got better results by playing around with the distributor. If it started pinging, I would back it off a bit. Don't try this at home boys and girls...
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Re: My new beater! :) Couple Q's
1. Stop leak never worked for me on heater cores, but it's worth a shot.
2. A new headlight switch should fix this.
3. The vacuum lines are probably rotted or(hopefully) disconnected. Have fun sorting that out. Some people retrofit electronic actuators, they say the procedure for this is over on the Quattro list. I'm not sure how much it costs.
4. Regular is fine for it, but premium is better. You might get a little bit of knock with regular, given the age of the engine(it's not as efficient as it was when new), so primo or octane boost is probably the way to go. Do a little trial and error.
2. A new headlight switch should fix this.
3. The vacuum lines are probably rotted or(hopefully) disconnected. Have fun sorting that out. Some people retrofit electronic actuators, they say the procedure for this is over on the Quattro list. I'm not sure how much it costs.
4. Regular is fine for it, but premium is better. You might get a little bit of knock with regular, given the age of the engine(it's not as efficient as it was when new), so primo or octane boost is probably the way to go. Do a little trial and error.
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