Couple of problems w/86 CGT

[Jeffrey A Blanchard <jblancha@u.arizona.edu>]

I have been having a couple of problems with my 86 Coupe GT and would like
to see if anybody has any good suggestions:

1) At startup, the engine makes a grinding/growling noise for a few
seconds.  I have not checked the power steering pump yet, but it sounds
like the sound is coming from directly behind the center console vents.  I
am worried that there may be a bad cam bearing.  This is exactly the same
sound that I heard a while back (2 years) when my rad. fan wiring harness
broke and I overheated it.  (The sound that I heard while the engine was
running HOT)

The grinding occured immediately after running an engine flush through
before changing my oil.  I put the engine flush in and then idled it for 5
minutes, as per instructions.  During this time, the lifters one-by-one
started to make a ticking noise until the engine was incredibly noisy and
it seemed that they were all making noise.  I thought that this was normal
at the time, but now I am worried that I clogged the oil filter and was
running the engine dry. 

2) An annoying intermittent steering wobble.  I have had the wheels
balanced, which helped some, but it is back again.  I haven't had an
alignment but wanted to check on this first: The steering connections are
tight (no play), but where the tie rods connect to the steering rack, I
can lift the assembly up and down about 1/2" (but can't move it back and
forth).  Is this normal?  It seems to me that this may be some of the
problem.


TIA,

Jeff Blanchard
86 CGT