5kcstq stereo system and other ramblings

[Ken Keith]

Robert Myers <rmyers at oak.total-web.net> wrote:
>
> At 01:12 PM 10/9/00, you wrote:
> 
> >I've finally been driving my '88 5kcstq around lately.  It's been pretty
> >nice.  The ride is smooth, if not a little soft for my tastes.
> 
> Suspension mods can change things quite a bit.  New strut inserts will 
> likely make a big difference all by themselves unless they have been 
> replaced in the last couple of years.

Yeah, I am thinking of doing something to the suspension.  I could 
probably use an alignment at the least, and at the other end of the 
spending spectrum, new Eibachs and struts.  Maybe Boge.
 
> >I can
> >hear some kind of squeaking noise coming from the front left (it
> >sounds like), like a bearing or something (although it's not a groan,
> >like I would think a bearing would be).  Perhaps it's a shield or
> >something.
> 
> Hard to tell without actually hearing it.

I can hear it and it's hard to tell :-).  It seems related to the spinning 
of the wheel, i.e. vehicle speed.  Kind of a "chirp-chirp-chirp-chirp".
 
> >With the key on and engine off, the boost gauge reads 0.9.  When I
> >wring the cars neck out, I get mostly 1.2 bar, with 1.3 bar
> >attainable if I keep it floored for a while (time to let off or shift by the
> >time I get 1.3).  The SJM website seems to indicate that I should
> >be seeing 1.4 bar, but I don't know if this is supposed to be at 1.0
> >bar reading with the engine off.
> 
> This is to be expected.  Remember, this is a 12+ year old car.  Things 
> age.  Rubber gets either spongy or brittle.  Little induction system leaks 
> develop.  Plus the in dash gauge is not particularly accurate anyway.

So, you are saying that the boost that the gauge displays is 
normal and the correct amount (for any year or age), or that the 
boost displayed is lower than a brand new car, but it is to be 
expected because it's old?
 
> >It doesn't feel terribly fast, although I can feel the turbo coming on.
> 
> There are simple things which can be done to improve this 
> _significantly_.  IF - the car has a manual tranny.  If not, live with the 
> situation as it is.  If you want to play with the car and do some mods, 
> lemme know and I'll send you some info on some el-cheapo boost mods.

It's a stick, and I'm interested in these mods.  I would like to 
eventually get an SJM chip + spring, and like to retain factory 
safeguards where possible.  For example, I'm not in a big hurry to 
put in a schrapnelknob kind of a thing.

I'm thinking big free-flow exhaust next, and then a chip + spring 
after that.  Or, vice versa, but that doesn't seem right.  It would 
probably even be better to get exhaust, and then a bypass valve, 
and then chip+spring.
 
> >the switch to close the sunroof doesn't always work,
> 
> Welcome to the club.

Can I just pry the lid off and spray some WD40 or contact cleaner 
in there?

> >and the shifter seems to barely catch the gear a bit when I shift normally.
> 
> The shift mechanism on top of the tranny can work loose and/or wallow out 
> (technical term).  Check for a loose shift linkage.

Okay.

Thanks!

Kenq