Hi, I am new to this forum. I thought I would give it a shot. Well, long story short, we have a 69/70 Chevy Nova. It was running before we parked in the back yard. I was starting it for a while there but stopped. It hasnt been started for about 8-10 years I would say. I am interested in getting it running again, and using it. I love old cars. Im by no means a mechanic, but I am some what of a 'do-it-yourselfer' heh. So, my first idea was to change all the fluids, spark plugs, and cross my fingers that it would kick over. I didnt change all the fluids like I had planned. All I did was give it an oil change, and replace the spark plugs. Oh and put about a gallon of gas in the tank. And got a new battery. The spark plug wires seemed ok to me. I checked belts and hoses, and they are intact. So I tried to start it. (With this one, someone installed a push button to start it) So i put the ingition forward, gave it some gas, pushed the button. The engine turns, but wont start. I also found that it doesnt seem to be getting a spark. I read on how you can test for spark in the manual. The spark plugs didnt seem to spark at all. But when I tried this wire that feeds the distributor, it got a spark sometimes, but seemed weak. I tried putting some gas in the carburetor. I think it came close a couple times. But now its strange. All of a sudden the 2 red lights that come on on the dash when I put the ignition forward, arent coming on now. And neither are any of the lights. Which were working before. I checked all the fuses and they look ok. So, now I look under the hood, and it seems some of the wires arent in great shape. A couple were frayed and actually broke on me. So, Im sort of lost now. I have no clue what to do. Some of the wires I am not even sure where they go. I met a mechanic outside of this Autozone parts store. He says he makes house calls. Maybe this repair is out of my league? I know it would be a lot cheaper to do the work myself though. So, sorry for this longwinded question. But if anyone could help at all, it would be appreciated. Thanks. Oh I was also told my my step-dad, who used to drive the car that the carburetor is bad.

-Robert

well, is it a 69 or a 70 :D. anyways back to your delima.

In your post, your dad stated it had a bad carbuerator on it. See if you have any friends that lend you a decent running carb.

I would imagine that the tank needs to be emptied and cleaned out. Sitting for that length of time, it is probably all varnished and there is still some fuel left in it, and maybe some water from condensation. Adding new gas to it, wont make old gas and water any better. I recommend you have your fuel tank cleaned out. Since you stated you almost got it fired or it wanted to when you put fuel in the carb, that help verify the tank issue.

I would imagine you have a points type distributor? Is this correct, or has it been swapped out to a HEI?

Doesnt seem to begetting spark. Have you been able to verify this?

Since your lights are coming on anymore, are you still able to crank the engine over?

It seems you may have a few gremlins runing around, but they are very fixable. we just gonna need some more info from you. So lets adress the cranking or lack of if this is the case first.

Cool thanks for replying first of all! :) And no, the lights are not working, but the engine still cranks. Im honestly not sure what type of carb it has. I think its a point one.

ok, since the engine cranks, lets not worry about the lights right now, and concetrate on getting the engine to run.

If, you can crank the engine, and if you have someone that can crank the engine over for you, you can pull the no.1 spark plug and stick it next to a grounded section of the car (ie frame) and see if thier is any spark what so ever. If not, it could be your coil has failed and you may want to check your points to ensure they are not excessively worn. If so, you may want to go ahead and replace the pints cap and rotor. You may want to go ahead and replace the spark plug wires as well.

If you really want this car to run, we need to git through all of theses things and it will take a lil effort and a lil money. To me, Novas are worth it :thumbsup:

Well, I pulled the spark plug closest to the front of the car and held it close to the frame, (Not sure if that is no.1) had my bro crank it, but it didnt spark at all. I also tried holding it close to the top if the engine block, but still no spark. :(
So, does that mean the ignition coil is bad? The points on the distributor look ok. I believe anyways.

I was looking at the wires. Here's how I saw it. There are two wires going to the positive end of the coil. One is black and one is yellow. The black one looks like its going with other wires to the dashboard. And the yellow one going down near the starter, but is not connected anywhere. Just hanging near the starter. On the negative side of the coil, its got a black wire going right to the distrubutor it looks like. The yellow wire just looks strange to me and thought I would bring it up. I hope that made sense hehe.

the yellow wire is correct and from the coil it should be going to the starter selenoid.

it could be a bad coil. When you attempted to put the spark pluf to the block or frame, it needs fairly clean metal.

If the spark plug you pulled was on the drivers side of the car all the way forward, that would be no.1.

on the positive side of the coil the the other wire may be pink and black and it should go to the fuse block on the fire wall. on the other side of the coil i beleive that wire is gonna be brown and it should also be going to the fuse block.

Whats weird about the yellow one, is that it goes close to the starter, but its not connected. Its just dangling there. Very strange. Think I should hook it up to the starter? Right now its only connected on one end. Its only connected to the positive side of the ignition coil.

Ill try to clean the metal better next time I try. It was a little dirty actually.

This car actually has a v6. Ive been told that the engine is too small for the car. All the spark plugs are facing the passenger side. So i went for the one closest to the front of the car. Not sure if that is no. 1. Sorry for all the trouble.

Its a inline 6, 250 CUI. yes theres where it goes. I actually have one as well and i dont have it hooked up. i dont have point either, so there is no need for it for me. this is no trouble and this is how we learn. :thumbsup:

still adress the carb issue since your dad says it is bad, and the fuel tank.

Ok cool. How would I go about cleaning the fuel tank? Would I have to remove it from the car?

And one more question, whats a good place to get a carb? Ive seen some places on the internet I can buy carbs from. Or is there a better way to go? My step dad said that it was hard for him to find the right carb for that car. I dont know where he was looking though. Thanks again for all your help Brian.

http://shop.oreillyauto.com/product_images/img/ho2/rep-rochester1bbl.jpg (javascript:popImage('http://shop.oreillyauto.com/product_images/img/ho2/rep-rochester1bbl.jpg', 'Holley+II 647796');)

your carb probably looks simalar to this Holley II Remanufactured Carburetor; R-1 part # 647796 from Advanced Auto, O'Reilly's or Kragen. Problem is, it's $200. You can also take it to a carb shop to have it rebuilt, or if you can find a rebuild kit, and with the help of someone who knows how to rebuild a carb, you ca do it yourself, and learn alot in the process. :thumbsup:

Yes you would need to remove the fuel tank. I am sure, if anyone pipes up, it probably can be done on the car with a auxiliary pump to remove the cleaner from the tank. If it were me, I would remove it, and have it cleaned. :thumbsup:

Ok, sounds like those are my first 2 steps. Gas tank cleaning and a carb.

dont forgit about spark.

Yea, thats right.. So, im going to clean a section of grounded metal, and check for spark once more.

If there is none, I should replace the coil right? And should I just replace the distributor too? Or just the points cap and rotor? Which would be easier? Heh.

yes, recheck for spark. you dont need to replace dist. just the cap, and rotor and points. when you install the points read and follow the instructions in the package :thumbsup:

Hey again. I dont see any spark. :( So, I was checking out different auto sites and I found some Cap & Rotor Kits, but I cant find much on the points. What do you think? I dont think they are included.

On some models there will be no spark or not enough to start the car with the yellow wire disconnected. The other wire on the ciol terminal with the yellow does not produce full battery voltage, it has abuilt in resistance to lower voltage to increase point life and may only be hot in the run position and not while cranking. The yellow wire is a resistor bypass. It attaches to the R terminal on the solenoid. It is the small one with no wire on it not the small one with the purple wire on it. The purpose was to aid in starting by delivering full battery voltage during cranking, but as I said earlier some systems were designed to only provide power through the yellow wire during cranking and not the resistor wire.

Pull the high voltage wire from the top of the coil and the distributor cap and check for corrision, clean if necessary. Do the other plug wires one at a time, if everything is clean and connected you should get a blue spark when checking during cranking. When you get the spark working then move onto the other items.

Ok I will try, thanks.

Well, I hooked up that yellow wire. It seems that now I do see a spark. I dont know if that is due to the wire, or that its just easier to see at night. Heh. I didnt try cleaning the high voltage wires yet. Tomorrow Im going to check them for corrossion. It seemed like a blue spark to me. And im not sure, but I think i saw some sort of spark from the other spark plugs that are plugged in, or the wires somewhere, Im not sure. So Im going to change the wires for sure now just to be safe. After that, im not sure what step to take, hehe. Thanks for the info guys. Much appreciated. :yes:

If you got a blue spark, that is good :thumbsup:. heres the thing though. You need to replace your spark plug wires. as you are rotating the engine over and you can see spark from the plug wires near the boot, tells you the plug wires are probably bad. Change your spark plug wires. Your making progress :yes:.

You can get a set of points for your car and the cap and rotor at a local auto parts store. But for now since it appears you are getting good spark, lets hold off on that for right now.

Fuel is the next thing. Now you need to git good fuel to the carbuerator. You can pour just a lil bit of fuel, or even spray some engine start into the carb and see if it will start. if it does, it may only run for a few seconds. Your concern should be not to introduce any bad fuel from the tank into the carb thoguh.

Remember your dad said the carb was bad, so you dont want to get a new carb and put it on the engine until you get for fuel tank cleaned out :thumbsup:

Hiya, well today I changed the spark plug wires. The spark I am getting seems mostly orange, but I see a little blue too i think. I was holding the spark plug in a rag, but i guess I got too close once and got a good little shock, heh. That didnt feel too good.

I tried to spray a little engine starter fluid into the carb's fuel inlet, and had someone try to start it, it didnt go though. So, i dont know.

If the spark is not completely blue, think I should get a new cap, rotor and points?

Sorry if my questions seem silly. I just dont know a whole lot about working on cars, heh. Ive only done some basic things on them. But I do like learning. :)

Have you changed the spark plugs yet? If So did you set the air gap to .035"? Also be aware that new plugs can be destroyed easily if the engine won't start but fuel is going into the cylinders. The raw fuel tends to soak into the porcelain. When that happens the porcelain loses its ability to insulate and will allow the spark energy to fire through the insulator up inside the plug.

Look inside the coil tower where the high voltage wire plugs in. If any corrosion is seen clean the terminal. Any corrosion will weaken the spark.

I replaced the plugs about a week or so ago, but replaced the wires only today. I also removed the coils plugs, and cleaned them with scotch brite. It was the only thing i could find around. They look pretty good now. I believe the plugs were pre-gapped. I hope so anyways.. Maybe I need to double check that.

Well, it turns out they were closer to .045. So i made the adjustment. They are now at .035. I wish I would have checked that when I first installed them. Im going to test the spark soon..

Its weird, the spark is hard to explain. I see some white, orange and blue i believe. I know that must sound strange..

I don't see anywere that you connected that yellow wire back up. did you?

NEVERMIND!!!! didn't see the second page:clonk:

Ok, sorry to keep rambling on about sparks here. I just tried again. It seems that between the spark plug gap, it looks nice and blue/white. But the arc that goes to the grounded motor block looks a bit orange/white/blue. Is this normal guys? Or am I nuts? :p

Thats exactly what you want. Now we need to git the motor started.

Ok cool. So next would be the gas tank being cleaned correct? Ive been reading up on how to do it. I think this weekend im going to try to tackle that. :)

yeah, your gonna need to git the tarnish and crud out of the fuel tank thats just been sitting for 10 plus years. If you have compressed air (air hose) once your tank is out, disconnect the fuel line from the pump and blow it out to remove any loose particle that may be floating around in there. Once thats all done reinstall the tank and only put a couple of gallons in the tank.

I reccomend that you buy a chiltons repair manual too for your car. or you can check one out from the local library from time to time when you need some info as well.

also like i said before, look to see if you can have your carb rebuilt for a decent price before buying a new one.

When I get the tank off, how should I clean it? I mean with a liquid cleaner like I have seen online? Or another site menioned using acetone. Whats a good way? I have a chiltons repair manual, but it doesnt say much about the fuel tank.

I also have compressed air.

I would take it to a place in your local area that will clean it out for you. This will also tell you if you have any leaks in the tank. you dont want to fill up the tank and find out you have a leak half way up it and have to remove it again.
Acetone is a very good chemical and can be used for alot of things. Is this the right cleaner, I dont know that answer. Like I stated above, find a shop in your area that does repairs to fuel tanks, and they should be able to clean it for you.

No a chiltons manual wont tell you how to clean a fuel tank, but it has alot of good info in there to help you maintain your new ride.

compressed air is good to have.

Speaking of new rides, you should post some pictures of it, so we may all enjoy in your new car :yes:.

Hehe, well you may not want to see it just yet. Its not the best looking. But I hope to get it looking good after its up and running. :yes:

Ill try to find a place to clean it. Thanks. Ill let ya know how it goes.

Just keep at it, it will be frustrating from time to time, but we will still be here to help ya out where we can. :yes:

Hi, well, I stopped at this little auto place. I saw a sign about carburetors so decided to stop in. I told the guy about my car. He can hook up a carb for a pretty good price. And he thinks it might be better to just get a brand new fuel tank. He gave me the number of a local place that seems to carry almost every part for restoring classic cars. Especially GM's. So im going to pick up a catalog from them tomorrow. If a new fuel tank isnt too expensive, ill just buy a new one I think. And get the carb from this guy. Im assuming rebuilt. So, Im going to start with this catalog and check this place's prices. Just thought id give you this info.

Another thing I wanted to throw out there. Talked to my step dad yesterday, and he thinks getting this engine to run is a waste of time. It doesnt have much power. He says I should spend a little more and get a bigger engine in there. He claims its pretty easy to install a new engine. What do you guys think? For convenience, and price, I would rather get this one running, hehe.

Get it running and as you drive it you will find other work that needs done. Take care of any of those so when you upgrade the engine the little stuff won't be driving you crazy. The 250 inline 6 is really a good engine and has plenty of power for running around town.

Cool thanks thats good advice. I was looking at new fuel tanks, there is one small problem though. There are two kinds for my car. One with EEC, and one without. Im not sure which to get, heh. I would hate to buy the wrong one.

My dad is (or was) a mechanic for more than twenty years. Either this weekend or next, im going to take the carburetor out to him. He says it would be better to just rebuild this one. He's done a lot over the years he says. So, ill get the tank done soon, and the carb taken care of soon as well. After that im sure there will be much more to do! :)

I sorry i missed you other post, just didnt see it. But Phillip is always around and a pretty smart guy with good advice :yes:.

Yes, it is actually fairly simple to put lets say a small block v-8 in the car. Heres the thing, it isnt free, even if you get a free v-8. still cost associated with puting in the v-8. the thing is you have options. for now, if you just want to driv the car and fix it up here and there, lets git the 6cyl going, and you can make a decsion on the v-8 later if you want. either way, fuel tank is still and issue inline 6 or v-8. :thumbsup:.

If you go to a auto parts store and git a new carb it basically a rebuilt one. So it still may be cheaper to rebuilt yours.

EEC is a canister in your trunk should be on the right side forward of your trunk and lines would pass through it through your trunk. If you have it EEC if not, no EEc take about 20 seconds to verify :thumbsup:

Well, I couldnt find anything in the trunk, but under the hood, towards the front of the car on the drivers side, there is a canister there. From what I could look up online, i think its a fuel vapor charcoal canister. Is that what im looking for?

That round thing is a charcol canister, and is part of the EEC. Now you know which fuel tank to get, since the filler necks are different with a eec car and a non eec car.:thumbsup:

If your tank has been sitting that long you probably need a new tank. Just last week on TWO GUYS GARAGE Sam & Brian took a gas tank out of a CAMARO that had been sitting for a number of years. That tank was full of trash. Brian even cut that tank open to show what the mess looked like. Might check out their website for a visual. While you have your tank out you might pull the outlet pipe and see what the inside looks like. As a temporary fueling setup you could get some FUEL hose to hook up to the fuel pump while running the other end to a gas can. Stash the gas can away from the engine bay for safety. Doing this allows you to bypass the old tank & fuel lines. You should not move the car for safely reasons but you can see if it runs or not make adjustments etc.

ONE STEP AT A TIME WILL EVENTUALLY GET YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.:cool:

Brian even cut that tank open to show what the mess looked like.


just a cautionary note:

if you decide to cut open a gas tank even if it's empty there are fumes inside that are highly flammable.

DO NOT cut open a tank that's not been properly rinsed or had ALL the fumes evacuated unless you want to die. it will blow up more than likely. even rinsing it out there could still be fumes.

BE CAREFUL !!!

There are two things that can be done, you can inert the tank (cost prohibtive just to take a peek) or rinse, drain then fill completly with water. To me, its a waste of time. Your gonna replace the fuel tank anyways, who cares what it looks like iside the thing. Plus if you remove the sending unit, you can see inside the tank for the most part.

UH If I remember correctly the sending unit & outlet pipe are in the same unit. I was not suggesting that he cut it open. Just telling him where a webite for "TWO GUYS GARAGE" was where they had taken one apart. BRIAN FULLER did mentioned the safety issues involved. The Camaro they used as an example had been in storage for 20? years. Sad story about a father & son restoration project that was completed. :(Then the son was killed in an accident. The father just let the car sit after that. Good story on how to bring a car back after sitting for a while.

THOUGHT Y'ALL MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW

Oh, i know... i wanted to post the caution just in case someone who doesn't have any experience should find the info while doing a search and try it at home... that'd be a bad situation for sure ;)

Yeah, i dont reccomend cutting into a fuel tank, just not worth the risks for the knowledge you may gain.:noway:

Risk VS Gain ;)

Have you changed the spark plugs yet? If So did you set the air gap to .035"? Also be aware that new plugs can be destroyed easily if the engine won't start but fuel is going into the cylinders. The raw fuel tends to soak into the porcelain. When that happens the porcelain loses its ability to insulate and will allow the spark energy to fire through the insulator up inside the plug.


Hmmmm. I didn't know dat! Interesting tid bit. Learning all the time. ::D:

Well, I couldnt find anything in the trunk, but under the hood, towards the front of the car on the drivers side, there is a canister there. From what I could look up online, i think its a fuel vapor charcoal canister. Is that what im looking for?

It would be more like on the back of the back seat in the trunk area. If you're looking around the trunk floor you won't see it. It looks like a flat rectangular computer brain box with fuel lines coming in and out of it. 4 I believe total.

I also agree with Phillip and Brian that you're best advice is to just get the 6 cylinder running for now, because you probably need to address other safety issues first such as your headlights?, possible wiring issues, starting and charging systems, BRAKES and BRAKE LINES. You probably need to purge/flush the entire brake system with fresh Brake Fluid since it has been sitting so long and chances are that your wheel cylinders may have developed some leaks by now. All of these safety issues need to be considered FIRST and FOREMOST and once you have the car safely driveable and where it will start and be reliable for you every time. Did I MENTION BRAKES????? Well don't forget the BRAKES! :D

Once you have all that squared away then you can worry about a performance engine or even just a stock V8. Is this a 2 Door or a 4 Door we are working on here????

If it's a 4 door I would just keep the 6 cylinder in it and use it for the family truckster. If it's a 2 Door now you have potential to create a mean Street Machine! Does it have Power Steering and/or Disc Brakes on Front or is it Drums all the way around????? Oh yeah and is it Manual transmission or Automatic?

No matter what, we're all glad to see you're trying to revive the old girl. :beers:

Oh, i know... i wanted to post the caution just in case someone who doesn't have any experience should find the info while doing a search and try it at home... that'd be a bad situation for sure ;)


Boy I'm glad you posted that when you did cuz I was headin' for the sawzall!!! ;)

get the 6 running for now! sigh those words hurt a guy like me, the lights makes sence like was mentioned my yellow wire got loose once and so my car would sometimes want to fire right up and turn over, sometimes no lights i eventually figured this one out!
Anyways best of luck, if you carb is in REALLY bad shape or you just need one that works i have one needs a rebuild but it was on my running block before i pulled it off and didn't have any problems, are your stock intake and exhaust manifold in good shape? i still have mine from when i removed them and could send them to you if your in need. Good luck!

Heya guys. Thanks for all the info, its been very informative. Im taking it slow honestly. So far, I have the new fuel tank, and its the right one woot. I just ordered a new (well rebuilt) carb, so it will arrive this week. Also, while removing the old tank, I damaged some of the rubber fuel line hoses. So i need to order those. I think I am also going to order a new fuel tank sending unit. When I took the old one out of the tank, the screen thing on it was very brittle and fell to pieces. So I am either going to order a new screen, or a whole new fuel sending unit. I found this great place in Huntington beach that supplies virtually every part needed to restore classic cars. Ther have a nova catalog, camaro, impala, about everything GM. Their website is www.classicindustries.com (http://www.classicindustries.com)
So im going to take this a step at a time, and try to make sure I do it right. Im going to get all the parts I need to get the engine running before I go and install anything. The engine is the first step I believe. Oh and its a 2 door automatic. I need to look again but I think they are all drum brakes. One bad thing, I noticed a bit of rust on one spot of the body. :(

And thanks so much for the offer Hendi! I cant say for sure about the intake and exhaust manifolds. I think they are ok, but honestly, im no mechanic, and dont know what to look for, heh.

Your doing just fine :thumbsup:.

Once you have the fuel tank installed and the hoses replaced and the new carb installed. Take your air line and blow out your metal fuel line to ensure there is no garbag in it, that would end up in your new carb, we dont wan that :noway:. The sending unit, may need to be just cleaned up and have the screen replaced, but since you already have a new fuel tank, just replace the sending unit, this way you know it will work. I know you dont want to re-drop the tank later:noway:. I think in a ealier post you stated you replaced the fuel filter. Since you were pulling fuel from the old tank through that filter, change it out again :yes:. This way you are ensuring that you are starting with no contamination from the car sitting for 10 years.

You stated you had one rusty area, well it's a Nova, you probably have more. Since it has been in a grage for the past 10 years, it may be not that bad. Since you are just about there with starting the car, I think for right now, lets concentrate on gitting your new ride fired up first :thumbsup:. Plus, I know you want to hear this thing run :yes:.

Yes, I am dying to hear the engine run!

All your rubber lines and sending unit can be purchased at your local parts store. Take a piece of the old line in and have them give you a few feet of new. What you dont use put in your tool box because I promise you will use it later somewhere else. While your at it get some vacuum line as well because when you start changing that carb you might as well replace those old vacuum lines...its easy, cheap and might save you some time chasing vacuum leaks!

Oh BTW your doing a great job, keep asking questions, take your time and do what you can...if it gets overbearing walk away for a few min and collect yourself. You are working with an old car that has been sitting a long time, so your going to have issues. Take them one at a time and bring that ole girl back to life!

[QUOTE=higleyml;65407]You are working with an old car that has been sitting a long time, so your going to have issues.QUOTE]

sounds like Johnny :D

that's down right MEAN :mad:

sounds like Johnny :D


OK....a little WARNING would be nice here!!! I almost shot coke out of my nose! :D

Johnny, remebaer that video I sent you :D. I just cant help myself sometimes :noway:

Heh, well I should have checked for a sending unit at a local store, unstead i already ordered one. So after that arrives, I just need to buy some rubber hoses, and assemble everything. Im looking forward to it. I talked to an engineer at my work. He seems very knowledgable about cars, and says hes done a lot of work over the years on them. He says I could have done a pressure test, or compression test on each cylinder. And says it might be better to replace all the metal fuel lines! That would be a big job wouldnt it? And is that neccessary?

So much to do, ive also got a saturn i got for cheap a while back, which has been having electrical trouble lately. So I now have 2 projects going on. Heh. Have to say I prefer working on the nova though! :yes:

Heya Fellas. Just thought I would mention that I got the new fuel tank, sending unit, and carb installed and the engine is working! :hurray: Had to play with the carb for a while to get it somewhat correct. I could use any tips to get it to the proper setting. Its not perfect but im getting close. To my surprise, the brake fluid is still just about full.

There are a couple more problems though. (of course!) One, the transmission fluid started leaking out like 2 weeks ago. Im not sure why. And it seems something is wrong with the front axle. When I turn the steering wheel, the drivers side tire turns fine, but the passenger side hardly turns at all. And looking under the car, it looks like something has come loose from the passenger side wheel. Possibly a tie rod or something. :confused: I need to get it jacked up and get a better look. If the axle or suspension is bad, it is fixable right? I mean you dont have to scrap a whole car because of a bad axle? Oh, another prob. I believe the emergency brake is stuck on. It wont release. Oh well, im going to check it out more. Im glad the engine is running though atleast! Thanks guys. Ill also get some pics. I keep forgetting.

Congradulations on getting the engine running :thumbsup::thumbsup:. check to make sure you have no vaccum leaks from the carb replacement. Also the engine has sat a while, it may need to run for a lil bit o git everything working properly again too.

The transmission fluid.... what part of the tranny is it leaking form. First thing you should try to do is tighten the cooling lines. I would imagine though if its leaking from the front, it may be your front seal or from the tailshaft the real seal.

As for the wheel not turning with the other wheel, probably a tie rod or the center/drag link not connected or broken. Either or it is a easy replace and fix, which would also require a front end alignment.

Rememebr, the car has been sittin for 10 years, so you gonna find a lot of little things wrong here and there that will need to be taken care of.

Good job on getting the engine running though.:yes: Now its time to adress some of the other issues, so we can git you on the road :thumbsup:

Hey guys. So, I am still having the problem with the one wheel not turning with the other. I found the problem though. There is this i believe its called an 'idler arm' thats bolted to the frame. It has a round rod coming down out of it. I found the part that this 'rod' fits into, and both wheels will turn properly, but the rod does not want to stay in the hole of the drag link or whatever it is. I hope that makes sense.. I dont see any way of it staying in the hole. I actually tried hammering it in as well, but it drops out. Any idea what I need to do? Perhaps a rubber fitting used to be in there? Or I could try and take a picture? Thanks guys.

I was researching a bit, maybe i need a Idler Arm Bushing?


-Rob

Sounds like you need a new idler arm. Can you post a photo of the part that fell out and where it fell out of?

Ok, heres the pics.
I hope it works
http://img40.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=nova70m.jpg

Not repairable, it needs a new one. I would closely inspect all of the steering linkage for wear.

Ok dang, I was worried about that. It may need whole new front end steering components wont it?

If so, I saw this on a website. Think this would be a good thing to get?
http://www.performancesuspension.com/product_info.php?cPath=1_1613_3069_3091_33826&products_id=5938

In addition to the parts in the kit you will need to buy a pitman arm. Have you done front end part replacement before? It will take some special tools most of which can be rented and a lot of time. Myself and another experienced mechanic used the parts from that supplier to replace just the ball joints and bushings in a set of control arms already removed from the car. With all the air tools and a 20 ton press it took us 7 hours to strip the old parts off, clean the control arms, paint them and install the ball joints and bushings. That again did not include removing or installing them on the car.

We are here to help so do not be shy about asking questions.

Personally I would suggest using the best parts you can afford. The supplier you linked to uses an OEM quality part, but there are better.
I used Moog parts and Energy Suspension (http://www.energysuspensionparts.com/products.asp?cat=652) bushings on my Nova. I dislike front end work so I will use the best parts I can to avoid having to ever do it again :D

Wow, that sounds very difficult. I have never done any front end work on a car either. I work as a machinist, and in the same company worked in machine assembly. So im no stranger to tools. But this may be a deal breaker for me. It might be more than I can handle. And if I tried to pay someone to do it, im sure it would be very pricey.
With that OEM kit, and a pitman arm, would I still need a press to install it? The kit says something about being engineered to 'bolt in.' I dont mind putting the work in, if its within my limits. Do you think its possible or am I in over my head with this one?

Robert if you work as a machinist you should be able to handle the job. If you have access to a press at work it would make installing the bushings and lower ball joints easier, but not totally needed.
This is a thread (http://www.novas.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8076&highlight=control+arms) showing some of the steps I did in rebuilding my Nova control arms.

Sweet, thanks for the vote of confidence. I really want to see this car back on the road. Im going to read your thread and do a little research before I dive in. Thanks again man, Ill probably end up asking more questions so be prepared! :p

I can do questions, just don't ask me to come and help :D I really dislike front end work and only do it because I can not afford to pay someone else to.

Haha. Asking you to come down to help was going to be my next question! lol Just kidding. :beers:

Hey, just wondering, do you think this kit would work? http://www.hotchkis.net/6874_nova_w_power_steering_premium_steering_rebuil d_kit.html

Yeah, but it is a tad pricey and I am sure all the bushings and ball joints will need changed too.
Go with the first kit you posted a link to plus a pitman arm. Hotchkis are nice parts but it costs a lot to have all that pretty stuff under your car ;)

Hey guys hows it going? Sorry I havent updated on my nova progress in a while. Been busy. I have been starting it every couple days though, trying to keep it alive. I want to get that whole front end rebuild kit. I think Its the way to go. :yes: I want the car to be good and safe. My stepdad disagrees though. He thinks I should just replace the damaged part. He wants me to just buy an idler arm and slap it in there. It may work for a while, I think that if I just replace that one part, sooner or later something else will fail on the front end steering assembly. So, I might just go for the cheap fix for now. Its technically still his car, but he wont be driving it. He is a full time truck driver and is rarely home. So I would be able to drive it, and Im sure one day I will own it. But, I feel I need to listen to what he says. We had a debate, but he is hard headed! He seems to think he knows nearly everything. Grr, hehe. I would be scared driving it though, it could be dangerous! I would hate be be driving, then have something crazy happen, and I cant steer. So I dont know what to do.. I might wait, and see if I can convince him into doing the right thing. Any suggestions on how I can change his mind? I mean I am an adult, but its still his car, even though Im doing all the work. :( So I am right arent I? Sorry for the long message! If you have any ideas please respond. You can see the pics in a previous post. This will be an awesome ride when its fixed up. Also I think I am going to go back to school soon, so I will have less time for it.
I mean it may work for a while, but there is no telling when something else will break. Sorry for rambling!

You are in kinda of a delima there. Pop still owns the car, but you want to do the work and own it as well. Have you come straight out and asked him for the car. You can always offer to buy it from him too :thumbsup:. The idler arm in a previous post needs to be done. The car has sat for 10 years, and it may need a front end rebuild. You are correct though, making it safe should be a priority. I think though that you have put money and time into the car, i would ask him about the possibility of owning the car. In my personal opinion to do all this work, effort and money and time to fix up a car you may never own isn't worth it. If your dad does not ever have plans of actually doing anything with the car, just ask him straight up for it. Let him know, that you already started working on it, you got it running, you have more plans for the car and you proven some loyalty to the car and you would like to have it :thumbsup:

one of the worst things i ever did was to get involved with Family over a car.


if i were you i'd either buy the car now or step away from it as a complete loss. not saying it'll happen but what's going to happen if you sink all your cash & hard work into the car and he won't sell you the car... or worse, he decides to sell the car to someone else after all the $ and work you invested ?

no, i've been there before, i'd either buy it now or walk away.