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Cherie's '84 Coupe DeVille Project

47K views 369 replies 37 participants last post by  talismandave 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi there! :) My name is Cherie. You may have noticed me around the forums this week. I signed up a year ago but haven't really gotten involved on this site until now. I've been working on an '84 Coupe DeVille project since early 2012. It was my first car, and for all intents and purposes it's pretty much like a child to me -- me and my Caddy are inseparable. I've dragged it from Arizona to Utah and now to California. I couldn't work on it while I was in AZ and UT because I was in college (for engineering if that explains my lack of spare time). Now that I'm out of college, I'm finally working on it! I am more proud of this project than you will ever know.

I recently replaced the timing components and water pump among a semi-long list of other things. I HAVE to have this car running by the end of July, after which is must depart my friend's driveway, and since I don't yet have a driveway of my own, I have to have it running and registered so that I can park it at my apartment complex (registration is another hurdle I'm going to face.. more details on that dilemma later). I need all the positive energy and ambition as possible TO. GET. THIS. DONE!! :D

In order to get it running, I have to finish putting the rest of the components back onto the front of the engine (pulleys, compressor, radiator, etc), and then I have to reconnect the distributor and spark plug wires (both new), re-time everything, put new gasoline, change the oil, change the transmission fluid, and probably a handful of other things I'm forgetting right now. Since I'm waiting for my parts to come in from McMaster (I'm devising my own harmonic balancer installer), I thought that today I can go over and wash my Caddy, clean up some of the rust (Scotts Valley, CA is humid!!) and possibly sand and prime the areas that the naval jelly can't really get.

I've been occasionally updating a project website: http://1984coupedeville.wordpress.com/

But soon the project website will be moved to my own domain and server by August 2013 (so don't pay attention to this site 'til then): http://nebulosity.cc/

I'll try to post more updates on this thread as my project progresses. :)

I hope to get to know you guys, and all of your projects and posts and replies seriously keep me moving forward with energy on my own project!

Wish me luck!!! Time to work a miracle!
 

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#269 ·
DunDunDuuunnnnnnnnnnnnn This is happening in 8-12 weeks. :D
View attachment 140866
nice...
how about CCDV
Cadillac Coupe DeVille
I was going to get personalized plates too but they are pricey. So I went year of make plates. So I found an old pair of 80s Texas plates and used those. This was when they issued you registration stickers and you placed them on the upper right corner of your rear license plates..
 
#274 ·
Congrats on the milestone! I hope you and your DeVille have many happy years and miles together (that sounds like an anniversary card written by Barry Meguair).
Thanks!

Now about those blackwall tires....8)
Trust me.. I died a little when the guys at the tire shop told me they didn't have any white wall tires to replace my old ones..... :( I'll have to hunt around and get white walls again as soon as I can afford new tires for the caddy. :)
 
#280 ·
Runway Enduro's, Champario's (as previously mentioned, and I believe the same tire under a different name) are a wonderful looking white wall at a reasonable price ($80 or so each). I have them on 2 of my cars (96 Roadmaster wagon and 93 Fleetwood) and love them. I found mine online at tireseasy.com, but they are available other places as well. White walls make a HUGE difference in how an old Caddy looks!!
 
#283 ·
It's that time again... I'm preparing the caddy so that it will be ready to pass smog by the end of July. One of the troubling things that has kept me from driving it is the oil pressure indicator light. Today I took it to have someone confirm whether it's the oil pump or something else. Oil pressure at idle was measured to be a low 5 psi. :/ At 2000 rpms, it measured 15-20psi. Mechanic guy says that it looks like a weak oil pump. Here are some things I'm going to be researching:

+ What causes oil pumps to die at 89k miles
+ Do oil pumps come back to life after a little driving :worship: :suspense:
+ What's the chance that their diagnostics were not thorough enough, and whether it would be worth my time to go through the diagnostics myself to be sure before spending a lot of money. LOL

Anyways, "hi!" I'm not dead, I swear. :) There's an update for you. :yup:
 
#284 ·
It's that time again... I'm preparing the caddy so that it will be ready to pass smog by the end of July. One of the troubling things that has kept me from driving it is the oil pressure indicator light. Today I took it to have someone confirm whether it's the oil pump or something else. Oil pressure at idle was measured to be a low 5 psi. :/ At 2000 rpms, it measured 15-20psi. Mechanic guy says that it looks like a weak oil pump. Here are some things I'm going to be researching:

+ What causes oil pumps to die at 89k miles
+ Do oil pumps come back to life after a little driving :worship: :suspense:
+ What's the chance that their diagnostics were not thorough enough, and whether it would be worth my time to go through the diagnostics myself to be sure before spending a lot of money. LOL

Anyways, "hi!" I'm not dead, I swear. :) There's an update for you. :yup:
Welcome back again!!!

As for your oil pump dying young, I'm not sure if that's a 4100 specific problem. It's not unheard of though.
Oil pumps don't "come back to life". Sorry.
As for their diagnostics not being thorough enough, it's possible. Get a mechanical oil pressure gauge and install it. See what it says.
 
#286 ·
I was hoping you hadn't given up!
HA. I'm never giving up on this Caddy even if it makes me homeless. LOL Anyone is welcome to message me ask me how it's going. Sometimes things don't change for a while because I don't really have a place to work on it, but every once in a while, there's news. :)

How long until you are exempt in that Socialist Republic anyway?
LOL Um, as far as I know, the Caddy will never be exempt from smog. I think cars are exempt by manufacturing year rather than age. If anyone knows the details, please share. :)

----------

Welcome back again!!!
Thanks!! :D

As for your oil pump dying young, I'm not sure if that's a 4100 specific problem. It's not unheard of though.
Oil pumps don't "come back to life". Sorry.
As for their diagnostics not being thorough enough, it's possible. Get a mechanical oil pressure gauge and install it. See what it says.

Yeah, I kinda had a feeling. Although the good news is that my Caddy is a D-series car, and D-series cars engines don't have to be hoisted a couple inches to replace the oil pump. WOOHOO!! This means that technically I could do the repair, or even if I have someone else do it, the labor won't be as expensive.

When I first decided to tackle the timing chain replacement, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I think I might err on the side of caution and just pay someone to replace the oil pump. @_@ lol
 
#292 ·
I just drove the Caddy for a bit and the oil pressure light did not come on when it usually does. In fact, it didnt even come on when I drove it home from the shop, and it definitely should have come on.

Is there any possibility they didnt hook something up right and its failing to trigger the oil pressure indicator?

Im now motivated to go buy an oil pressure gauge to find out whether replacing that oil filter fixed the problem and whether the gauge is failing to light up.

What I dont understand is why the guys at the shop said the oil pressure was low even after they replaced the oil and filter. Does it sometimes take some driving for an oil filter related pressure problem to show any signs of being reolved?
 
#294 ·
AElayyat said:
Question, do you know if the oil pressure switch is aftermarket or a gm part? Reason I ask is I had issues on a 4.5 liter caddy with aftermarket switches. Verify that you have good oil pressure & try changing the oil pressure switch with a gm unit. Good luck
As far as I know, the oil pressure switch is the original. Ill be getting an oil pressure gauge soon to test it.
 
#295 ·
Cheri, the oil pressure sender is an on/off switch for these cars. You an swap out the stock one for something that will send to an electrical gauge to tell you the actual pressure. You can do this temporarily and just zip tie the gauge to a wiper arm for testing. You can get GM senders that are 60psi and 80psi. No problem to get plumbing adapters at any hardware store so the sender will thread in.

I agree with others, don't run a mechanical one with oil coming into the cabin.
 
#297 ·
I FINALLY got an oil pressure gauge today at harbor freight. I went to four different stores on Sunday looking for one. Harbor freight yesterday was out, so I had to wait until lunch today to go pick one up.

I went over to the Caddy on my lunch today and checked the oil pressure switch connector to see if that was the source of my no low-oil-pressure light situation. Everything feels pretty snug despite the wires drooping. I couldn't get a clear view of the other side of the wires to see if there was anything obviously out of place. I was happy that I could crawl under the caddy from the front to access the oil pressure switch without jacking it up, which will make it more simple to measure the oil pressure. :)

The only possible electrical problem that I think could be causing the oil pressure indicator to fail to come on would be the wires. There is some electrical tape on the wires right by the switch. It looks relatively new. I have a feeling it was added by the guys from the recent visit to the shop. Hopefully they wouldn't tape bare wires together that would cause a short.... :suspect: ...Right? I'm going to un-tape it (and re-tape it) tomorrow to be sure.

I mean, if everything is hooked up properly and there is no electrical connection problem, maybe the oil pressure problem REALLY has been resolved by changing the oil filter. O__O That would just be SO amazing.

I'm still waiting for the right time to go over to the Caddy to check the oil pressure.

Auto part Pipe Tire Fuel line Suspension


Auto part Fuel line Pipe
 
#298 ·
The oil pressure sender plug is a problem area. Insulation shrinks and the wires can become bare there on some cars.

If you have the oil pressure lamp coming on with the key on and engine not running the idiot lamp part of the switch is working.

The other two terminals supply power to the fuel pump.
 
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