03 February, 2015

Tearing into the Saturn...

So my 2001 Saturn SL2 is a bit long in the tooth these days, but I just hate car payments, so I need to fix what ails the old eccono box...

First and foremost, she looses coolant at the rate of about a pint a tankful. I find no evidence of oil in the coolant, nor coolant in the oil. No evidence of coolant fouled spark plugs, or steam emissions out the tailpipe.

I purchased a Harbor Freight "Pittsburgh Automotive" Item #61666 Radiator Pressure Tester Kit. Long time followers of my workshop blog, and my writings on various woodworking, and Automotive forums will know, I am not a Harbor Freight hater. If what they sell works as well as the next guys, lasts just as well, and costs less. You betcha I am going to use it...

Sadly this item was a FLOP....

I waited far too long after purchasing it to actually try it out. MY FAULT... But I was gravely disappointed when I did. I first tested it on my 2004 Ford F150 5.4L which I KNOW has no cooling system leaks. The tester simply refuses to build up pressure. It seems the female end of the tester coupler leaks like a sieve, and it just sill NOT build up pressure...

I would love to exchange it for a working unit as mine has never worked once. But like I said, I kept it too danged long before testing it and am out of the far too brief 90 day warranty period...

I need to figure out how to make this connection get a good seal and hold pressure, but I digress....

So with my own personally owned test set bad, I headed off to Autozone for the loan a tool for the pressure tester set.... Brought it home, and tested the system, looks like I have some weeping around the bearing on the water pump. That actually makes a wee bit of sense...

The water pump on this thing is on the passenger side of the engine, and from the direction of rotation of the belt, coolant / water etc... would likely get slung straight down, and if the leak only happens at temp / rpm then the heat of operation should dry it up before the car comes to a full parked stop....

Also, I have had an intermittent squeal out of the front of the engine...

Considering the cars mileage, the leakage, and the horrid squeal, and considering the fact that I have eliminated the alnterator as a potential source for the squeal if indeed there is only one, as it seems to be coming from the water pump / AC clutch area, AND the power steering pump. Just so I only have to get into this once and be done, I am going to replace the following...

#1. AC Compressor clutch. Already have a brand spanking new AC/Delco clutch ready to go in.
#2. Water Pump. Again brand spanking new GM parts...
#3. Power steering pump. Same as clutch and water pump.
#4. Power steering pump pulley, idler pulley, and tensioner. All aftermarket (Goodyear).

While I am in there, I am throwing a new Goodyear belt, and hoses with new clamps at it. Throwing new rear brake slave cylinders (The drivers side is weeping), new pads, Turned drums. Drums have less than 2K miles on them, I just want to scuff any crap the leaking cylinders might have put there off of them... I will also be replacing a wheel stud the imbeciles at Discount Tire broke off for me...

With that work done, I need to source up a drivers side seatback recliner as the factory piece broke. Or better yet, a pair of fresh sport seats that are more comfortable than the OEM GM back manglers...

With everything buttoned up, fresh coolant, and brake fluid flush, battery charged up, next is to service the oil with a fresh AC/Delco filter and Mobil 1 High Mileage 5w-30, and transaxle per MFG spec (Need to look that up!)

Lastly service the K&N filter, and then head on in for a state inspection and to refresh the registration of the car....

Once the Saturn is on "level ground" as it were, and its reliable old goat self, I will dive into the truck's issues, including finishing installing that trailer harness, / backup light set...

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