woodysr Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 I didn't buy it, I received it from my son as a debt repayment (Sure, son!) The car overheats, but is otherwise fairly nice. I drove high performance Corvairs for twenty years, engines built by myself! Can I do the stud kit in my garage? Can I tow the car out after removing the engine? Engine out the top or from the bottom? Tranny and engine from the bottom? I'll get an enginestand, any suggestions are appreciated. By the way, I'm 72 but in good health and this Northstar coupe seems really fun! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 A few Caddyinfo members have done Time Serts. It's labor intensive, particularly if you want to drop the motor. Here is a repair guide for Time Serting. Also, this subject has been discuss a number of times in this forum, so you should be able to find threads on this topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted July 4, 2010 Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 First, check to make sure the purge line is flowing coolant. Remove the 1/2" diameter coolant line that attaches to the surge tank near the cap. Start the engine - coolant should flow out of the hose. If not, that is the source of the overheating. Trace the line back to the water pump area and unclog the hollow bolt where the line attaches to the water pump area. You can also buy a block test kit at Napa and test the coolant for combustion gasses. If the test is positive, then the headgaskets are shot. I would recommend lifting the front of the body off the powertrain - there are a lot of fasteners at awkward angles that are a pain to install/remove. Those fasteners won't be a problem with the engine and trans out of the car. Purchasing a factory shop manual should be the first step. When removing parts, put them into ziplock bags and label the bags so you won't lose any parts. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodysr Posted July 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 Your test shows NO coolant outflow! Cooling system is under pressure even when cold? Son did replace the water pump belt and parts which he says always break in this engine. (I never had such a problem with my Corsa Corvairs!) I will furthwer investigate tomorrow. Last question; If I drop the powertrain, can the vehicle still be towed to a storage area? My garage is quite small. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 The cooling system is not under pressure when cold but there is instant flow once the engine is started. Water pump belts shouldn't "always break" on this engine unless there is a problem with the water pump or the tensioner assembly... A '94 Eldorado is NOTHING like a Corvair... very little knowledge from a Corvair can be translated to the Northstar powertrain. If there is no coolant flow to the surge tank, you need to trace the line (that you disconnected) back to the water pump area on the driver's side of the engine. The nipple that the hose connects to is a hollow bolt. It is probably clogged. Unclog it and you should resolve the overheating issue. The line goes from the surge tank to the throttle body area and then to the water pump cover. Sounds like you have found the problem and can fix the car for just a little labor. I doubt you're going to have to pull the engine - once you restore the coolant flow to the surge tank, the car should be fixed. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 Your test shows NO coolant outflow! Cooling system is under pressure even when cold? Son did replace the water pump belt and parts which he says always break in this engine. (I never had such a problem with my Corsa Corvairs!) I will furthwer investigate tomorrow. Last question; If I drop the powertrain, can the vehicle still be towed to a storage area? My garage is quite small. Thanks No, the axles, wheels & strut assemblies come with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodysr Posted July 5, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 The cooling system is not under pressure when cold but there is instant flow once the engine is started. Water pump belts shouldn't "always break" on this engine unless there is a problem with the water pump or the tensioner assembly... A '94 Eldorado is NOTHING like a Corvair... very little knowledge from a Corvair can be translated to the Northstar powertrain. If there is no coolant flow to the surge tank, you need to trace the line (that you disconnected) back to the water pump area on the driver's side of the engine. The nipple that the hose connects to is a hollow bolt. It is probably clogged. Unclog it and you should resolve the overheating issue. The line goes from the surge tank to the throttle body area and then to the water pump cover. Sounds like you have found the problem and can fix the car for just a little labor. I doubt you're going to have to pull the engine - once you restore the coolant flow to the surge tank, the car should be fixed. Thanks much for the info. I was only trying to inject some humor as regards my aircooled Corvairs. I did however drive those for more than twenty years and was never left standing or on the hook. I just like coupes, that is why I have decided to put this one back on the road as a daily driver. Anyway, being retired, I have lots of time to resolve this problem. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted July 5, 2010 Report Share Posted July 5, 2010 The cooling system is not under pressure when cold but there is instant flow once the engine is started. Water pump belts shouldn't "always break" on this engine unless there is a problem with the water pump or the tensioner assembly... A '94 Eldorado is NOTHING like a Corvair... very little knowledge from a Corvair can be translated to the Northstar powertrain. If there is no coolant flow to the surge tank, you need to trace the line (that you disconnected) back to the water pump area on the driver's side of the engine. The nipple that the hose connects to is a hollow bolt. It is probably clogged. Unclog it and you should resolve the overheating issue. The line goes from the surge tank to the throttle body area and then to the water pump cover. Sounds like you have found the problem and can fix the car for just a little labor. I doubt you're going to have to pull the engine - once you restore the coolant flow to the surge tank, the car should be fixed. Thanks much for the info. I was only trying to inject some humor as regards my aircooled Corvairs. I did however drive those for more than twenty years and was never left standing or on the hook. I just like coupes, that is why I have decided to put this one back on the road as a daily driver. Anyway, being retired, I have lots of time to resolve this problem. Thanks again. Glad to help out - unclog the purge line as I described and that should restore coolant flow in the purge line to the surge tank and I'll bet the overheating issue is fixed. Keep posting your progress, there are lots of knowlegeable people on this board. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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