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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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#300 · (Edited)
Regarding rear shocks, If you replace the level ride air shocks with non air shocks, the car WILL sag! Level ride cars had softer rear springs because the residual air in the shocks leveled the static height of the car. The system was designed to always hold 20 LB residual air. Conventional aftermarket air shocks can be used, it just needs to have a "TEE" installed on the supply hose to run over to the passenger rear shock. That's assuming the level ride hardware all works. On one of my Eldo's I ran two lines (one from each shock) to a TEE mounted behind the license plate and filled them up to 20 LB. On the oil pressure, most oil senders wont trigger a dash warning light unless pressure falls below 5 LB. If it were my car and you have no other symptoms, I would get a GM Delco sender. Also, this engine was famous for wearing out the oil pump drive gear at the base of the distributor. You must remove the distributor and inspect the gear. Worn out, they will have a knife edge sharpness to each gear tooth. A worn gear will affect the speed of the spinning oil pump.
 
#301 ·
Level ride cars had softer rear springs because the residual air in the shocks leveled the static height of the car. The system was designed to always hold 20 LB residual air. Conventional aftermarket air shocks can be used, it just needs to have a "TEE" installed on the supply hose to run over to the passenger rear shock. That's assuming the level ride hardware all works.
This setup gives the best ride. Some air and wimpy rear springs. I've tried a lot of stuff and the factory level ride is really good.

I wouldn't go crazy if the rest of the level ride system is broken unless you do a lot of juggling of the live load in the car. Manual fill air shocks work just fine and have the added advantage of increasing the payload in the trunk an additional several hundred pounds.

Nothing worse than having the back of the car sagging when you land up with a few extra bodies in the trunk. Hey, I live in New Jersey. We have to consider these things.
 
#304 ·
We fixed the issue with the shocks last fall by simply replacing the springs and shocks; no more sagging, yay! Currently the Caddy is in the shop for the oil pressure problem. I"m crossing my fingers that it really is just the oil pump or a clog in the screen. It would be sucky if it ended up being main bearings or impossibly plugged galleries... o_O
 
#305 · (Edited)
I've been going through and compiling all the repairs (and other documentation) that have been done on the Caddy since 2000 into a spreadsheet.

Just created this for fun.. a graph of miles vs year to see how much the Caddy has been driven over the years. :) I found out that my mom purchased the caddy with 14.5k miles on it when it was 9 years old. Then when it was passed off to me, it had 72k miles on it. By the time I stopped driving it in 2005, it had 89k miles on it.

Text Line Plot Slope Pattern
 

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#308 ·
That would be a great car to put on ice for a long while.
No way! :) Cars are meant to be driven, and my caddy wants love and attention! :D

When you and yer old man strike it rich someday it can be fully reconditioned. OK maybe not rich but the house all paid for and the kids out of college.
We're going to start fully reconditioning as much as we can right now. We're not rich by any means (especially with him out of a job for the last three years) but I do all sorts of jobs on the side to make extra money (e.g. babysitting, photography, web design, graphic design, wedding photographer assisting etc etc) and it adds up. So far it's been bringing in an extra $600/month! That's a lot of money for the Caddy. :D

PS Our cars and cats are our kids. We're never having biological children. They would deprive me of hobby time and money! LOL
 
#311 ·
I think so, at least. I can't tell you how many mechanics and friends have been like, "YOU ARE CRAZY, THIS CAR IS A PEICE OF JUNK. BUY SOMETHING NEW AND MOVE ON." And I'm sorry, I can't do that. :) I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I gave up on this car.

Think of it this way. If a mom had adopted a child and found out a few years later that it had a major health problem, would you just give it up and adopt a "better" child? HELL NO. I'm not giving up on this caddy simply because it's gonna cost money to fix, and I'm not giving up on this caddy for a "better" car. The whole enjoyment of this car is because it's a PROJECT CAR. I knew from day one I'd be dumping thousands of dollars into it, and 10 years later, I feel no different about it.

Speaking of, the Caddy is in the shop and the mechanic I took it to will figure out what it needs by tomorrow.

I LOVE THIS CADDY. <3 <3 <3
 
#316 ·
Got a call from the mechanic. He's going to go ahead with the oil pump replacement today and will call me by the end of the day to let me know how it goes. For some reason, he sounded really positive, or as though he was really in a good mood. I have no idea why, especially if he had just been working on the Caddy. LOL Makes me wonder if he's feeling optimistic that this will fix the problem. Either way, I'm just so excited that we're making some kind of progress. We'll see what happens.

Cross your fingers with me!!!!!
 
#317 ·
UPDATE:

AHHHHH The Caddy's oil pressure is looking good now!!!!

:nanaparty:

My boss is gonna drive me over to the shop over lunch tomorrow to pick up the Caddy, afterwhich I JUST MIGHT DRIVE IT TO WORK FOR THE FIRST TIME. (((O___O)))

There were plastic pieces stuck in the pickup, and we replaced the oil pump.

Just... wow. I can't concentrate on anything I'm so excited.

:worship: :cloud9: :D
 
#320 ·
It came off of something in the timing case... so yes, you're probably right. I have no idea what kinds of plastic pieces used to be in there. The mechanic is going to show me the remnants tomorrow.

----------

I have learned many Japanese/Korean/German swear words in the last few years. Mostly German. VWs are revenge for WW2. I'm positive.
LOL Now I'm curious, what Japanese swear words have you learned? :D
 
#322 ·
Great to hear the oil pressure is ok again. Did you have checked the crank bearings to see whether they are ok? When replacing the oil pump this is an easy job.
Congrats to you that it seems that your engine is healthy. I was worried about that as you said the oil pressure is not good. I think you know about my story with the broken 4100.

I have learned many Japanese/Korean/German swear words in the last few years. Mostly German.
Really? Let me hear some of them. :D :D

Regards
Felix
 
#329 ·
Sorry for the late update... it's been a crazy day playing catch up with work tasks while taking care of the Caddy :)

Here are a couple pictures of the oil pump and the plastic pieces that came off the cam gear and got stuck in the pickup. The Caddy is safely running now. I even took it for a drive all the way down to the mall a few miles away. It's running with a great amount of power and acceleration. It's pretty much the way it was when I stopped driving it back in 2005 (minus a handful of non-critical electrical problems. lol)

Anyways, I'm going to have it smogged tomorrow to see if it passes, as well as try to drive it to work tomorrow. My office is 10 miles from home. That would be the longest drive the Caddy has done in 10 years. We'll see what happens. :)

Oh, and the Caddy got a celebratory hand wash :D

Machine Metal


Auto part Muffler


Vehicle Car Parking Asphalt Hardtop


Land vehicle Vehicle Car Luxury vehicle Full-size car
 
#330 ·
I think that the worst thing you can do to your motor now is to subject it to excessive RPM. That will just help it to toss the rest of the plastic from the cam gear teeth into the oil pan. So try not to get mad at the car, the traffic or your man and take the anger out by winding the crap out of the poor long-suffering little motor.
Good to hear that (1) you got a good mechanic who seems to know what to do and (2) you have your little motor running as it should now.

Cheers.............R.
 
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