RE: Looking at an '89 V8

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

> I've always wanted to own a V8, but they were just plain too expensive for
> me. Well, this weekend I found an '89 one on the local used car lot that
> eventually falls into my price range. The car is a German import and has
> 160k km on the clock. During a brief inspection I found several problems
> with the car and I hope our V8 gurus can clarify some things to me:
> 
Congrats Aleksander!

> 1. I think it needs new bomb. The pedal gets stiff right after shutting
> the
> engine off and with the engine running if I press the brake pedal hard, I
> can feel vibration. I looked under the hood and the bomb looks exactly
> like
> the one on the 5K. Is this the same part as the 5K bomb?
> 
... sounds like a reasonable evaluation ... I know that it is very similar
to that in the 200 ... if you want to know for sure, let me know and I'll
compare the fiche ...

> 2. I counted four braided oil lines. I understand two of them are for the
> oil cooler, what are the other two for? All of them have badly corroded
> clamps and have to be replaced immediately.
> 
I would imagine that since the 5-speed has a tranny cooler, that the
automatic will as well.  If 2 of the lines go to the bottom of the radiator,
that is what the other 2 are.  As you suspect 2 lines are for an engine oil
cooler ...

> 3. The brake pads warning light stays on. I bet it also needs the rotors.
> Are the UFO rotors still insanely expensive?
> 
... don't count the rotors out too soon.  Measure them and see ... perhaps
the pads were such that they wore and left the rotors.  I've yet to take the
wheels off my car, but is certainly appears that at 75k miles my rotors are
in reasonable shape ...

> On a positive note, the car starts and idles good (I haven't driven it
> yet)
> and it doesn't seem to have any leaks. The paint looks old with many small
> 
I would say the thing to be especially careful of is oil leaks at the back
of the engine.  The belly pan can tend to mask these things, but after the
drive you may smell burning oil on the exhaust system.  It isn't guaranteed
to be the rear main crank seal ... it may be a leaky steering rack or
crankcase breather hose.  

Good luck!

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

... taking a shot at making another V8q/5speed convert today at lunch ...
:-)