Impala SS

Update your progress on your various car projects.

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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

So I settled on the Advanti wheels and had Bridgestone Potenza RE11 tires put on them. I also ordered extra TPMS sensors so I was able to calibrate the onboard system to read them.

Image

The first trip around the block uncovered a problem though. The rear wheels hit the fender well on about any bump of significance. Oops should have heeded the warning that these may not work if the car was lowered. So I soon rationalized that the car is 6 years old and I really don't want to send these rims back. As such I tried my hand at rolling the fender lip up. I found a nice size pipe and put it between the wheel and the fender and used it to move the lip from parallel to the ground to a decent angle up. I used gorilla tape to protect the paint from the pipe. I also used a block of wood and a hammer during the process also. There were at least a couple iterations to get where it is now - which is much better but still rubbing under hard cornering - on the back half of the metal part of the wheel well - maybe 2 oclock on the LR.

Also the check engine light has been coming on due to the electronic controls in the gas pedal. A new one was well over $100. While at pull-a-part over the winter I scored a pedal from a wrecked car for like $3. The part numbers were different but the connector and shape were identical. I tried it today and it worked.

Today I also addressed the issue with the trans breather. Under hard cornering at Nelson Ledges it would leak fluid out the breather at the top of the trans, so I opened the top and attached a hose and put it to a catch can.

I am planning to take the car to track day on May 2 weather permitting.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

After the improvements were applied I did take the car out on May 2. I was able to improve my time at Nelson Ledges to 1:22. The tires were good and the trans overflow worked like a charm. At first times were slow but as I relearned the track and my car I was able to dial it down. Many cars had to point the white whale on by. My friend Tom with his BMW 335i twin turbo ran a lower 1:22 than I did. I wanted to answer but the 2-3 shift was getting really long. That could have been related to the message I was getting on the dash "transmission hot idle in park". I also notice the power steering is really hard when the fluid is up to temperature and the engine is idling.

So before the next time out both trans and power steering will get coolers and fresh fluid.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

A couple weeks back my car had a close encounter with this:
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The driver did not see me and made a lane change into the right side of my car on I-76. Other driver was sited.
It cut the tire and dragged down the side of my car as I was slowing to avoid getting pinched on the concrete barrier to my left. It did not jar me much at all since we were going almost the same speed at the time of contact.
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I was able to drive it the next day with another tire/wheel from a set I had. After estimates I pasted that mirror back together with duct tape.
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Body shop puts damage at just over $4k. Progressive put damage at just under $3500. Body shop booked solid so I am on the calendar to start repairs on 2/20.

In the meantime I replaced the tire and wheel so I can drive it once we get past the current salty road conditions.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

The car is fixed. There was an Impala at pullapart that had the mirror and fender I needed. I had Progressive cut me a check, and I paid the shop the balance due minus the tire, wheel and parts I provided. As discussed the shop had to go back to Progressive to get the money not in the original estimate.
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The finished product come out good. It took about two weeks for the paint smell to work its way out of the interior. The alignment on the top of the fender with the A-pillar is less than optimal but it is not worth my time to try and get it fixed.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

Yesterday the SS transmission decided it could no longer move the car in a normal fashion. On a run to grab dinner in town I lost all the gears less than a mile from home. There was plenty of fluid. I was able to shut off/restart the car and get some intermittent transmission function so I was able to make it home.

So I did some research and after consulting with Fred32v, BP and Dr. Google I decided to flush out all the fluid and change the filter. To flush the fluid I disconnected the trans line to the cooler and pumped out over 4 quarts. I started and shut off the car about three times. The pan had a real nice rubber gasket backed with metal - probably could have reused it. The best part was no scraping off old gaskets! I was hoping that pumping out the pan would make it easier to avoid spilling oil but there was still a lot in the pan when I removed it. Quite a few rags bit the dust as I could only do so much to keep it in the drain pan. The oil filter cracked on the way out. When all was said and done I have about 7 quarts drained out and who knows how much went to the floor. Manuals said the system holds 7.4 quarts so I was pretty satisfied that old crap was mostly out.

There was a fair amount of fine metal in the pan but nothing indicating this is the end, but the oil was quite brown. Factory says 100k is maintenance schedule and my car has just over 108k. Considering the three track days on it I should have shortened up the interval!
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I bought a Raybestos filter/gasket kit for about $30 and 8 quarts of trans fluid for $8.39/qt plus tax. It had the same premium gasket design that came off the car. Could not find gallons of Dexron VI in Wadsworth and what I found at Summit was only $1/qt cheaper.

Anyway I put it all back together and it seems to be performing normally again.

Fortunately it did not fail me on my trip to Columbus last week or the hour trip to Nelson Ledges yesterday. On the way back from Columbus about 10 minutes after filling up with gas the car started bucking a little which I blamed on bad gas. I was just running out the tank when this hit. The gauge was on E today so I filled up while on the test drive. So it shall remain a mystery which was the culprit but my money is on the trans.

I suspect after 50k or the next track day it will get the flush again, assuming I am really out of the woods
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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MostMint
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All is not well in transmission land

Post by MostMint »

In the cold this thing is definitely slipping. Made it to work but not sure how many days are left in it

Used trannies not cheap - quick check of car-part.com puts it in the $1200 range for a decent one. I can get it rebuilt for $1650.

Thoughts?
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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TireSmoker
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Re: Impala SS

Post by TireSmoker »

Does 1650 include R&R? If so, that's probably the better deal, because I'm sure that's no small task.

-Dave
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Basement Paul
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Re: Impala SS

Post by Basement Paul »

Gotta go rebuilt. Too many questions with a used one and the price differential isn't that much at all.

-BP
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GMJohnny
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Re: Impala SS

Post by GMJohnny »

Way back when, I bought a used front wheel drive trans from Triplett ( spelling? ) in Akron on
the advice of a local mechanic. It was a great trans, way cheaper than a rebuilt unit, and they
told me the mileage of the car it was removed from. I do believe there was some type of short
warranty on it. If you can get a trans for half the money of the rebuild, I'd consider it. If not,
go rebuilt.

GM
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

TireSmoker wrote:Does 1650 include R&R? If so, that's probably the better deal, because I'm sure that's no small task.

-Dave
Yes in fact he said they would not warranty it if customer installed. Too many people who apparently can't get the torque converter right.

The price between junk yard and rebuild is too close - it's going to the shop. Any recommendations on a transmission shop?
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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wxo
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Re: Impala SS

Post by wxo »

Just curious...which transmission is in that SS?
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

It is a four speed automatic 4T65E.

Today it is behaving better. On the way home yesterday I ran it through all the gears manually with the shifter. It felt quite normal on the way home. Will be monitoring further.
[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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GMJohnny
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Re: Impala SS

Post by GMJohnny »

We had an issue with a truck at work that had a trans cooler in it. The line to the trans cooler
got blocked with a piece of crud and would not allow the fluid to get to the trans. The shop
tech blew out the lines and the trans was fixed. I'm not saying that this is the issue, but it might
warrant blowing out the lines with air to make sure there's no obstructions.

GM
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MostMint
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Re: Impala SS

Post by MostMint »

Yesterday as I was borrowing the truck Rhonda took my car to work and got t-boned by a deer!

This is $4k of damage, and is on it's fourth trip to the body shop since I have owned it.
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After the hit the driver door would not open. I was off yesterday so I took it in for an estimate. The estimator said door would need replaced and they would have to can open it to free the latch. Well they can't take the car til 5/29 so I decided to fix it enough to drive it. I pushed the metal out so the window would open and free up the latch.
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[quote="Basement Paul"]Is that a mint rocketship on the hood?? :shock:
-BP[/quote]
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Basement Paul
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Re: Impala SS

Post by Basement Paul »

Looks more like a moose hit it. That poor car... As long as they keep fixing it, you're good!

-BP
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