[V8] Living The Dream

[toml99 at todomundo.com]

Well, all this activity got me motivated to check in since I haven’t thrown in the towel quite yet.  My dedication to these cars has been on the testing block for awhile now as Lago quit running some time ago(where do the years go?) and recently my beloved 5-speed also quit running.  Let’s start with Lago.

This is the car that was given to me in 02 with 52K that started this sickness and made me give up all that was Saab and being a ski bum, liked the comfort/AWD.  Around  7-8 yrs ago I did my first timing belt job on that car with  115K or so(memory).  I was so paranoid about messing something up, know I triple checked everything before buttoning it up.  Ran great but ended up only starting it/driving it around town to keep battery happy as I’d rather drive the 5-speed.  It needed a rack so just drove it around to keep it happy.  Was off a tiny bit from Mile High Audi in Denver doing it’s first belt just prior to me getting it so idled/ran as good as it gets.  Then 5-speed dies and started driving Lago.  Got to hardware store near my house and wouldn’t start after coming out…..Assume flywheel sensors.  Put new cheap Chinese sensors in 5-speed and it’s back so let Lago sit for ?.  Finally get around to messing with Lago, and NOTHING is getting even a rumble.  Have spark/fuel but nothing.  Drove 5-speed so ended up pulling battery every month or so on Lago and charging it for a long while(years?).  Finally got around to messing with it, and found entire rt side wet with fuel/oily residue.  Pulled injectors and sure enough, 1,2,3 were leaking bad with #1 being the worst.  ASSuming it was because I let it sit, cleaned/swapped injectors.  Still no go.  Friend asked me if I’d done compression test and I hadn’t so pulled out gauge and 1,2,3 showed ZERO.  Then, even though I’d had the distributor off a few times, verified that the rt bank was off about 20 degrees/belt tight/left bank spot on.  So I’m assuming that cam gear slipped and I lost all the valves in that head….Did turn over kinda slow but no loud noises and can turn motor over by hand now.  It was spot on 12K ago.  Sooo, since I replaced absolutely everything under the timing covers and have only did 12K or so, just need a belt and a head off the 2 motors in shed/gasket…..Do I have the motivation?  Probably not as I need to do the belt on 5-speed due to age(don’t want to kill another car).  However, for some time and $200 can get it back on the road/get rid of one of the motors in my shed/and have a moderately pristine V8 with a low mileage tranny(replaced under extended warranty in ’96)……Am I crazy, F@#$ Yeah.

5-speed had no signal from ECU to Fuel pump relay…..reached around and shoved the connector on back of fuse box till I heard a click and it fired right up.  2 weeks later it died and it was one of those cheap Chinese flywheel sensors(tests good, but put in the old original OEM Lago ones and finally fired up…Took it tonight on a rip down highway…..LOVE that car. Drove girlfriends 2014 Mazda 3 to Seattle and back a week ago and while dumfounded that tiny car is 3800 lbs it wanders on highway and has 70K and the 5-speed completely is a different beast.  I LOVE my car.  It’s back and I’m doing the belt/rack/suspension(thanks Nick after all these years) and clutch this summer.  This pig is gonna run till we all pass away.  Mark my words.  A month ago I’d have given it away….Maybe.  Anyone that’s up in my neck of the woods ever can take it for a rip just to realize how much you miss it/is superior to anything Matthew Maconoway might drive.  Might even have the Lago car on the road by then…..HA.  Hope all’s well with all.  Tom