How to troubleshoot and replace a blower motor for GM Grand Am, Skylark, Calais, Achieva

     The blower motor in my 1997 Pontiac Grand Am suddenly stopped running at any of the four speeds. I pulled open the HVAC schematic in my Haynes manual and began to troubleshoot the problem.

                                                   Job at a glance

• Safety:Gloves, safety glasses
• Tools: Utility and Exacto knives, 7 mm socket, crowbar, voltmeter (optional)
•  Parts and materials: Replacement blower motor, silicone sealant, 
•  Cost of parts and materials: Motor $26
•  Shop labor cost for the job: $80 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 2-3 hours   

Troubleshooting

     

      There are a number of possible causes for a blower failure. The blower motor, the blower motor resistor, the fuse for the circuit, the blower relay or the wiring could be the fault. 

1) First check the fuse. In this car the fuse box is at the left end of the instrument panel, adjacent the driver side door. The 25 amp fuse was good.

2) Could it be the blower motor resistor? Located in the plastic HVAC housing in the middle of the firewall, the resistor is responsible for providing the three lower motor speeds and is an unlikely suspect because the fan won’t run at any speed. There is a separate circuit, operating through the blower relay and a fusible link, that operates only on the high speed fan control setting. What are the chances both circuits are bad? If the fan runs on high speed only, the blower motor resistor is likely the problem..

3) The blower relay is not likely to be the problem. At the three lower fan speeds the power for the motor simply runs through a normally closed contact. At high speed the relay is energized and switches contacts to provide full battery power through a fusible link. Both relay contacts would have to bad, a nearly impossible scenario.

4) Wiring. A good way to check the wiring is to disconnect the motor and connect a DC voltmeter to the end of the motor wires. Turn the fan on and check for power at the end of the wires. I did and got 11.5v at the end of the wires. The blower motor is bad.

Removal of the blower motor

     The motor is located inside a large black plastic housing mounted on the firewall. Removing this entire housing is not an option. GM has provided a recessed line in the plastic cover as a cutting guide. 

1) Unplug the motor. there are two wires plugged into it, a ground and 12V power.

2) Disconnect the battery. All this cutting with various Exacto and utility knives and long bladed knives opens the possibly of nicking a live wire. 

3) Pry out two panel fasteners securing the large wiring harness atop the housing. Move it up and as far out of the way as possible. I wedged a crowbar under the harness to provide access for cutting tools.

A crow bar works great to lift the big harness out of the way for cutting

4) Cut away the entire cover, all the way around, following GM's guide line in the plastic.

Remove one screw in the cover. Instructions call for leaving the lower two inches of the plastic intact, but on this car the motor could not be pulled out because this wide and hard piece affords no room. That may not be the case on every GM car. I used an 4 inch blade to painstakingly cut the lower several inches of the cover. As you work around be careful at the bottom not to cut too deep and nick the cooling hose going into the blower. Remove this hose as it becomes possible and tuck it out of harm’s way as the cutting continues. Remove insulation. 

5) Remove the six 7 mm hex screws holding the motor in place. The upper right one also holds a wiring harness bracket. The cutting at the bottom is particularly difficult and requires a longer knife blade and takes time.

6) Pull out the blower motor.

Installation

1) Transfer the ground lug to the new motor. This is a good time to clean the contact surfaces of the electrical connections with a file or abrasive. 

2) Put the motor in position and fasten down with the six 7mm hex head screws.

3) This would be a good time to test the motor. Plug it in temporarily and run it. It’s good!

4) Unplug it again and put the insulation back inside the cover.

5) Put the cover back in position and affix the one hold down screw that goes into a recessed part of the molded cover. Plug the motor wiring back in.

6) Press the cover back in cleanly all the way around.

7) Put down a bead of silicone over the cut seam all the way around.

8) Redress the wires and wiring harness properly.

                            Cheap but effective

                                               

How to replace a brake hose that's acting as a check valve

    After replacing the calipers, pads and rotors on a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am to fix a problem with a seized caliper, the problem re-occurred. Two weeks after the repair the wheel was smoking hot as the new caliper became locked on to the new rotor. I intended to replace the brake hose as part of the initial repair, but it was seized to the flared fitting and the flared fitting was seized to the brake line. Well, now the hose would have to come off. This is not a difficult job if the fittings are freely turning. I have two sets of instructions here. One is for doing the job with a properly free flare nut fitting on the brake line. The other is for a seized fitting. 

Removing the hose from the brake line with a free turning flare fitting 

    Have the replacement hose ready to install immediately upon removing the old hose. If the master cylinder reservoir is allowed to go dry, a complete and time consuming four wheel brake bleed will be necessary.


1)  Turn off the flare nut with a 12 mm flare nut wrench. Free the brake hose from the brake line.

2) Remove the spring clip that holds the hose to the bracket. it will push out toward the wheel well.

3) Unbolt the 12 mm brake hose bracket bolt from the wheel well.
4) Unbolt the 11 mm banjo fitting from the caliper. Make sure to be ready to catch brake fluid. Re-install the new hose with some urgency to avoid a four wheel brake bleed.

A look at the "one way hose"

      Curiosity led me to examine the bad hose for the cause of the problem. I inserted a small gauge steel cable into the hose. It stopped right around where the mounting bracket was crimped onto the hose. I cut the bracket off for further study. I cut the hose in half where the obstruction seemed to be. Now the cable would pass through both pieces of the hose.
Conclusion: a bubble of rust on the inside of the bracket had pinched off the brake hose.

I'm pointing at the bubble of rust that restricted this brake line

Installing a new brake hose with good working fittings

     Make sure to use anti-seize compound on all fasteners.

1) Mount the new brake hose onto the wheel well bracket. The two are keyed and will go together only one way.

2) Re-insert the spring clip. A channel lock pliers will work well here.

3) Mount hose and bracket to the wheel well with a 12 mm bolt.

4) Attach the banjo fitting with the special 11 mm bolt. Note: the fitting has an inside and outside. It will only go on one way. Make sure to use new washers (provided with the new hose). Torque to 33 ft lbs.

5) Mount the hose bracket to the strut tower with the 12 mm bolt.

6) Turn the brake line 12 mm flare nut into the brake hose. Torque up good and snug.


 Some tips for doing this job with seized fittings. 

    Since everything was seized up, I set up it up for a little soak with some PB Blaster.

1) Remove the wheel well bracket in an attempt to free the hose from the flare fitting without turning the flare at all. The half inch bolt put up a fight, but careful and consistent back and forth turning along with liberal shots of PB Blaster got it moving out.

2) Remove the spring clip that holds the hose to the bracket. Work it toward the wheel well with a couple of screwdrivers.

3) Unbolt the 12 mm bracket bolt from the strut tower.

4) Wrap a two inch piece of vinyl tubing around the end of the stuck hose and closed it into a funnel shape with a zip tie. Then I put some silicone around the bottom to seal it. The sealed funnel was then filled with a penitrant. let it soak for a day. It worked. The hose came free of the flare fitting. The flare fitting was still seized to the brake line though.

This little apparatus helped to free the hose from the seized flare nut

5) Unbolt the banjo fitting at the caliper. Have something to catch the brake fluid.

6) Turn off the brake hose. There is plenty of room to do this.

Turning off the entire brake hose from the brake line

Reassembly with a seized flare fitting

1) Turn the new hose onto the flare fitting. Tighten by turning the hose with a 5/8" open wrench while holding the flare nut with a 12 mm wrench.

2) Reassemble the bracket and clip. If it fits properly into the wheel well, it's done. If not, a decision has to be made. There are two options. One is to modify the wheel well bracket to somehow get it mounted to the wheel well. Maybe a shim would work. The other is to drain out all the brake fluid and put a torch on the nut in an attempt to free it. I wish I had tried this. I overworked the fitting and broke it. Here is the post on the brake line splice: http://www.originalmechanic.com/2014/12/how-to-repair-broken-brake-line-with.html

3) Attach the banjo fitting with the special 11 mm bolt. Note: the fitting has an inside and outside. It will only go on one way. Make sure to use new washers (provided with the new hose). Torque to 33 ft lbs.

4) Mount the hose bracket to the strut tower with the 12 mm bolt.

5) Bleed the line worked on or all four if the master reservoir went dry.

6) Test drive and check for leaks.

                                               The hose from this post

                                                   

How to repair a broken brake line with a double flare union

     When replacing a brake hose that was acting as a check valve, I encountered a problem. When I attempted to turn the new hose into a seized flared fitting, I found the keyed hose and it's mounting bracket were about 180 degrees out of bolt-on position. A properly freed flared nut is designed to turn into the brake hose with the hose held by the bracket. I chose to continually try to work the fitting loose. A better option here might be to drain the brake fluid completely out of the line and then heat the fitting with a torch. Brake fluid is flammable, so do not attempt this with brake fluid in the line. That being said, I chose instead to soak the flare nut and end of the line in a penetrant and try to free it up. In the end, I cracked the 3/16" line by holding it with a small channel lock pliers while trying to turn it with a 12mm flare nut wrench. This post covers repairing the broken line with a double flare union. I flared the broken end of the line on the car as well as a replacement piece of line I had to bend to match the original. I understand the double flare fitting is the only legal way to splice a line. The job requires a flaring tool kit. I used an Advance Auto loaner kit.

                                              Job at a glance

• Safety:Gloves, safety glasses
• Tools: Brake flaring kit, reamer or file, tubing bender, protractor, hack saw.  
•  Parts and materials: Replacement brake line with correct flare fitting.Flare nut. brake fluid.
•  Cost of parts and materials: Brake line $6, flare nut $2, double flare union $7.
•  Shop labor cost for the job: ??? 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 3-4 hours   

     Flaring the line on the vehicle

If you haven't flared a brake line before, I recommend practicing on some scrap line. With some practice you should get good results. The most difficult flare is the one on the vehicle. I did that one first.

1) Cut the brake line in a place that is fairly straight. and accessible. I found this to be about eight inches from the end of the brake hose. I used a hack saw as there wasn't room to get a tubing cutter in there. This line had a protective steel coil around it which I also cut off. In addition I removed part of the coil a few inches further in to allow room for the flare nut to slip over the old line. I used an oscillating tool with a cut off wheel.

2) Preparation for flaring is a three step process. Proper preparation is critical in achieving a good result. Step one is squaring off the end of the tubing. Put the tubing in the flat end of the flaring bar and file it flush with the surface. Step two is to ream out the inside of the tubing with  a reamer, a knife or a small round file. Step three is to bevel the outside edge of the tube with a file.

Step one is squaring off the end of the line with a file

3) Slip the flare nut on the old brake line. I had to straighten the line a bit to get the nut on far enough.

4) Now we're ready to flare the brake line. Fit the tubing to be flared in the concave part of the flaring bar. Set the height of the tubing above the bar surface at the height of the first step of the button-like anvil.

5) Cinch the flaring bar down tightly and evenly on the tubing. Check the height again with the anvil. If the tubing is not held tightly enough in the bar, it may be pushed through, ruining any chance of a good flare.

6) With the little nipple on the anvil in the tubing, carefully center the driving tool, conical point over the anvil and tubing. Put a drop of brake fluid on the driving surface of the anvil. It must drive on straight. I had just enough room to turn the sliding handle of the driver around to be able to bottom out the anvil.

With everything aligned and centered, press the anvil into the tubing

7) When the anvil is bottomed out, back off the driver and remove the anvil. Inspect the flare. It should be even all the way around. Inspect the pressed end of the tubing. It will be "bubble“ shaped. If it looks even and centered proceed to the next step.

Look for an even bubble shape after pressing the anvil into the tubing

8) Using just the conical driver now, center it in the tubing and drive it down until the tubing flares out to it's limit. Inspect. The flare must be even, centered and complete. If it looks good, the worst is over. If it doesn't, repeat steps one through eight again.

This is a good flare

Bending a replacement piece of line

     I needed about a ten inch piece of brake tubing to go from the brake hose to my newly flared tubing. I used the original piece of now broken off line as a template to make a replacement. The original had three bends in just that short stretch. While I was able to duplicate them pretty well, the important thing is just to get to the other fitting. This procedure is for duplicating the bends.

1) Measure the overall length needed for the replacement tubing. I used a cloth measuring tape of the kind used in sewing.

2) Using a tubing cutter, cut the new piece to that length.

3) To duplicate the angle we need to know two things. 1) The distance from the end of the tubing to the center of the first bend and 2) the angle of the bend. Measure the length. Mine was 7 cm. Use a protractor to find the angle of the first bend from the brake hose end. Lay the straight part parallel on the straight edge of the  protractor with the center of the bend at the center circle. Record the angle.

4) Bend the first angle. With the new piece of tubing in the tubing bender and parallel with the straight edge and the middle of the  bender over the center hole, bend to the needed angle.

Using a protractor and tubing bender to duplicate the needed bends

5) Make the second bend. Put the old tubing against the new and determine where the inside radius of the next bend will be. Now make a longitudinal line on the new tubing . Get the measurements of the distance from center bend to center of bend as well as the angle of the bend. Now place the tubing , line down, in the bender and again bend it to those specs. Repeat the procedure of bend 2 for bend three. Now take it out and check the bends for fit.

Looks like a good fit

     Now put a flare on the end of the replacement tubing as done on the vehicle end of the line.

Fitting and finishing the install

1) Install the new piece of tubing on the brake hose.

2) If necessary bend the car end brake line back to the mating position with the new line.

3) Install the double flare union on the old brake line. Don't forget to use some anti-seize lubricant.

The finished double flare union

4) Turn the brake hose end of the line into the other end of the union.

5) Tighten all fittings to final tightness.

6) Bleed the brakes. A four wheel brake bleed is necessary since the reservoir was drained.

7) Test for leaks. 

Here is a link to an inexpensive flaring tool kit with good reviews:
                                                                                                      basic bender
                                                                        

How to replace the sway bar links on a GM Grand Am, Skylark, Achieva, Calais, Somerset

     While replacing the lower ball joint on a 1997 Pontiac Grand Am, I noticed that the lower part of both sway bar links was missing.

The Repair Basics                          

• Safety:Gloves 
• Tools: Two jacks, 14mm deep well, 14mm box end wrench
•  Parts and materials: Sway bar link kit, anti seize lubricant..
•  Cost of parts and materials: Bar link kit $9.00
•  Shop labor cost for the job: ??? 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 1-2 hours   

1 1)    Break the lug nuts and jack up the vehicle.

2 2)   Remove the wheel. There are parts missing from both ends of the sway bar. Both links are broken. 

The lower part of the bar link is gone

1 3)    With a 14mm deep well socket and a breaker bar, remove the top nut while holding the broken shaft below with a vice grip or channel lock pliers. Remove the bushings and caps and the entire remaining link. Keeps the parts in orientation to help in assembling the replacement parts.

2 4)    Get the new links and assemble to get the orientation. First put a metal washer, bowl (concave) end up, then a rubber bushing, ridged end up, then another bushing, reverse of the first (ridged end down, then a washer, concave end down, then the metal sleeve, then another set of the four pieces in the same order as the lower end, then the 14mm nut.

3 5)  Put a jack under the ball joint and raise a bit to ease assembly.

4 6)  Put the bolt with the lower washer and bushing up through the hole in the control arm. Once through, add the next bushing and washer and then the sleeve. Now, holding the link in one hand push on the next bushing and washer, Slip the bolt through the hole in the sway arm and put the last bushing and washer and finally the nut in place. If needed, raise the ball joint a bit higher to get a good amount of the nut into the bolt thread.

5 7)  Repeat on the other side, but don’t tighten either up all the way until both are mounted. Torque nut to 15 ft lbs.

                                                    

How to install a car stereo

    The Pioneer after-market stereo in my GM car failed to eject a CD. I removed it and took it apart. The loading mechanism was beyond repair. I found a Pyle model PLR-26MPU car stereo, along with Metra installation kit 99-4000. This car stereo, like many of the newer ones,  has an auxiliary input as well as an SD card slot and USB port. And, of course, an AM/FM radio for when the battery on the music player dies and needs charging with the USB port. Hey, who needs a CD player in the car anyway?  This one has everything I need.

1)  Remove the old stereo. This will differ on each car. Remove or pull away the dashboard trim piece from in front of the existing stereo. It may not need to come all the way out, just far enough to get at the old stereo mounting screws. Take care to save and label all fasteners for re-use on install.

2)  Gather the parts. Three things are needed:  1) a stereo,  2) a wiring kit to fit the existing car factory wiring to the new stereo (I re-used the existing wiring someone else had installed with the Pioneer), and 3) a molded plastic mounting kit to fit the stereo exactly into the opening.

The needed components: wiring harness, stereo, stereo mount kit and crimp fittings

3) Wire your replacement stereo wiring to the kit that will mate with the car wiring. There should be instructions in the stereo kit that will show the function of each wire. Likewise, the wiring kit will have a chart showing each wire’s purpose. All you have to do is match them up, all eleven or twelve of them. The wire colors on the factory matching harness that went with the old Pioneer stereo exactly matched the Pyle wiring.  I think a crimp fitting will hold up better in a car, where vibration and temperature extremes can challenge a connection. Yellow is the battery 12V responsible for the memory and red is the ignition switch.

Crimp the fitting for greater reliability

4) Mount the new stereo to the mounting kit. A metal sleeve must be removed from the new stereo. It is held in by catches on either side. My stereo came with tools to release this catch and remove the sleeve. Generally a sleeve will be removed from the stereo and then slipped back on after the stereo is put in the mount. However, my sleeve was totally wrong for the Metra kit the Pyle stereo was to be installed into. I struggled for awhile to make it fit and then had to find another way to affix the stereo to the mounting kit. There were two holes in the plastic Metra housing that aligned with holes on either side of the stereo. I removed the cover from the Pyle to make sure the sheet metal screws I used would not hit any circuit boards or other parts inside the stereo.  I used 1 ¼” long sheet metal screws. That made for a tight, secure mount in the Metra housing.

Run a sheet metal screw through a hole in the stereo housing that lines up with an existing hole in the stereo. 

5 ) Fit the new stereo and mounting kit to the dashboard.  These kits are designed to work with many makes and models of cars, so select the parts that will work with your vehicle.  It is best to take the mounting kit to the car and check the fit before moving on to the next step. On the GM kit I used, two bolts and nuts fasten two brackets to the left and right of the stereo holder.  These align with the factory mounting holes in the dash.  In order for the stereo holder to fit in the dash opening I had to have the flush bolt head to the outside because the threaded end protruded too far to fit. These are the kinds of problems one normally encounters when mounting an aftermarket stereo in a vehicle.

6) Mount the stereo in the dash. First plug in the antenna cable and then the wiring harness. The existing stereo did not have a ground strap, so I didn’t worry about it. The ground connection on the tight-fitting antenna cable provides a good ground. Now mount with the two mounting screws in the dash. Remount the dash panel over the stereo.

7) Test all four channels for correct operation.

                               For GM

How to replace the lower control arm ball joint on GM Grand Am, Calais, Somerset, Achieva, Skylark

     The grease cup on the lower ball joint on this 1997 Pontiac Grand Am was torn. Although the ball joint was still good, it wouldn't be long and it would wear out. I had the front end up and ready for a brake job, so it made sense to do this now. The ball joint on this car is riveted to the lower control arm. I attempted first to grind away and then punch out the rivets with the arm on the car. Nope, no way. These appear to be pressed in. I then tried to drill them out from under the jacked- up car. The clearance, even for a right angle drill was so small, I couldn't help but miss the center of the rivet. I decided to pull out the control arm and do the drilling on a bench. I mention this trouble I had in answer to the question "why didn't you take out the rivets with the arm on the car? I couldn't do it. Maybe you can, but maybe you'll waste hours trying. This procedure covers how to do it with the control arm out of the car.

The Repair Basics                          

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves, and a dust mask. 
• Tools: Two jacks, 19mm and 15mm sockets, 21mm and 18mm open end wrenches, 3/8" Allen socket, ball joint fork, electric drill and bits from 1/8" to 1/2". May need pry bar and vice-grip pliers. 
•  Parts and materials: lower ball joint, brake parts cleaner, grease.
•  Cost of parts and materials: lower ball joint  $16.83
•  Shop labor cost for the job: $??? 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 3-4 hours   

    1)    Break the lug nuts and jack up the vehicle.

    2)     Remove the wheel.

    3)     Use some brake parts cleaner to remove dust from the work area. Wear a mask. Unbolt the brake caliper with 3/8” Allen wrench. Hang it up securely out of harms way.

    4)     Remove the rotor, which is in the way of ball joint removal.
    5)   Disconnect the motion sensor and secure it out of the way

    6)     Remove the bar link with a 14mm deep well socket on top and a 14mm box end wrench on the bottom. This is basically a long bolt with 4 rubber bushings, a metal sleeve, 4 cap washers and a nut. It is bolted from the sway bar to the control arm and therefore must come out. 
    7)      Remove the cotter pin on the castellated nut.

    8)      Remove the ball joint castellated nut with an 18mm open end wrench. There is no room to get the preferred box end in there. Also, it will only turn out part way before it hits the teeth of the sensor wheel. At this point go to the next step.

    9)    Using a ball joint fork, separate the ball joint where it is pressed into the knuckle. Then use the fork to pry the control arm downward to allow clearance to remove the castellated nut.

Tap the ball joint loose from the steering knuckle

  10)    Remaining are two bolts, one front and one rear, holding the control arm in place. The rear is straightforward. Use a 19mm socket and breaker bar on the bolt head (under) and a 21mm open end wrench to hold the nut on top. The front bolt and nut is trickier.  I was able to hold the nut (in a channel accessed through an opening underneath)with a 18 mm open end wrench while turning the bolt head with a 15mm socket and ratchet (1/2”). Once both bolts are out, wiggle and jostle the arm till it comes out. Note the orientation of the round rear rubber bushing as it is not quite symmetrical. 

Removing the front control arm bolt

  

 11)   Now, with it out of the car, put it on work bench. Carefully center punch the rivets . I had ground them off flush, but this is probably unnecessary as the outer ring left over after drilling can simply be knocked off. Using a step bit process, I started at about 1/8” and worked up to 1/2", sharpening the bits as I went along, I finally got all three drilled out. The one I miss-drilled from under the car required three small holes drilled and I then used a small chisel to pound it out. Check the hole size on the control arm. Mine was slightly too small for the bolts provided in the kit and I enlarged it rather easily with a round hand rasp.

                         

Carefully center tap and start with a 1/8" drill bit 

                         

     Installation

 12)   Mount the the new ball joint in the control arm by tapping it in with a hammer. If applicable, install a grease fitting (provided with mine) and fill with grease. Make sure the ball joint is facing upward. The wiring harness holders will be up. Now mount the nuts and bolts and torque to 50 ft lbs. My instructions had no torque listed but 50 seems adequate.  Re-position the large round rubber isolator in the left rear hole. The end with the ridge faces down. 

 13) Seat the control arm back in position on the vehicle. Do not have the ball joint in the knuckle at this time. Start with rear end first. I found the rear rubber isolator hangs up and is hard to seat. I had to take it out and cock it so it would slide it. I managed to get it to finally seat with a pry bar and by clamping a vice grip pliers around the bushing and tapping on the pliers. I also tapped a round chisel into the hole to align it. The front end of the arm fit in easily. 

Canting the rubber bushing a bit will aid in installing this close-fitting part

   14) Bolt the control arm in place. Install both bolts. On the rear use a 19 mm socket on the bolt and a 21 mm wrench on the nut. On the front mount, put the 15mm bolt through, but leave 1/2" of the bolt sticking out. To get the nut started, put it in the channel provided by the cut out and hold it against the bolt threads while turning the bolt head with a ratchet. When it is threaded on a bit, insert a 18mm open end wrench in the opening and turn the bolt until you feel the wrench catch on the nut. Torque the front bolt to 89 ft lbs and rear bolt to 125 ft lbs.
   15) Now seat the ball joint stud in the hole in the steering knuckle. Once aligned, tap it with a hammer until it seats and the threads are above the top of the knuckle hole and can be caught with the castellated nut. Turn the nut with a 19mm wrench and torque to 45 – 55 ft lbs and insert the cotter pin.

  16)  Remount the sway bar link to the control arm. Lift with a jack under the ball joint to aid in getting the bolt, with washers and bushings through the sway bar from below. Torque to 17 ft lbs.

  18)  Remount the rotor and brake caliper. It's a good idea to put some grease under the "hat" of the rotor to keep it from rusting to the hub. Torque the caliper 3/8" Allen bolts to 38 ft lbs.
  19)  Mount the wheel and partially torque the lug nuts. Here, too, put some grease on the underside of the wheel where it contacts the rotor. Lower and apply final torque in sequence to 80 ft lbs for steel wheels. 
  20) Test drive. It may be necessary to have the alignment checked and adjusted.

                         the entire arm                                          Just the ball joint

                                                              

How to replace front brake calipers, rotors and pads on a GM Grand Am, Skylark,Somerset, Achieva, Calais

    The right front caliper on this 1997 Pontiac Grand Am completely seized up, leading to a permanent "brake on" grinding noise. A re-manufactured caliper on this car is just $23.85, so I decided to replace both. New rotors and pads were also required. I intended to change the brakes hoses as well, but found both to be so badly seized to the steel brake lines that I feared I would snap off the fitting or bend and damage the line. This car had other issues with the lower ball joint and sway bar links. The hoses would have to wait.

The dust boot failed on this one

 The Repair Basics                          

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves, and a dust mask. 
• Tools: Two jacks,  11mm socket, 3/8" Allen socket, 8mm box end wrench, torque wrench 
•  Parts and materials: Two rotors, two sets of brake pads, caliper or anti-squeal grease, lacquer thinner, brake parts cleaner, brake fluid. 
•  Cost of materials: rotors and pads(two wheel set) $62.53. Calipers 2@ $23.85ea.
•  Shop labor cost for the job: $100 on average. 
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 2-3 hours   

Disassembly

  1)  Break the lug nuts and jack up the front of the car. On this car, I used two jacks. 

  2)  Remove both front wheels.
  3) Turn out the brake bleeder on the seized caliper. If the caliper now releases it's grip on the rotor, this would indicate a bad brake hose. If not, it's the caliper. It's the caliper. 

  4)  Pinch off the brake hose with vice grip pliers to keep the entire system from draining.

  5)  Disconnect the caliper brake hose banjo fitting from the caliper with an 11mm socket.

Use an 11 mm wrench or socket on the banjo fitting. Note the tubing covered vice-grip pliers on the hose.

  6)  Catch brake fluid in a pan

  7)  Unbolt two 3/8” Allen caliper mounting bolts and pry out caliper with a large screwdriver

  8)  Remove the rotor.

Re-assembly

  1) Mount the new rotor. Don't forget to clean up the contact surface of the hub with a wire brush and solvent. Then apply some caliper or other grease to the surface of the hub and under the "hat" of the new rotor. These can rust on, and be a real pain to persuade to come off. 

  2)  Make sure the piston is retracted all the way. As I am using a re-manufactured caliper, it should be.

  3)  Place anti-squeal compound or caliper grease on the part of the friction plate that contacts the pad holder portion of the knuckle.

  4)  Mount the new pads. They snap in place with no external hardware. Slick.

  5)  Mount the now “loaded”  caliper on to the knuckle.

  6)  Torque the bolts to 38 ft pounds with a 3/8” Allen socket.

  7)   Remount the brake hose banjo fitting (with new washers, included in the caliper kit) and torque to 33 ft lbs.

  8) Repeat removal and re-assembly steps 1-7 on the other side. With brakes it always best to do one side at a time. 

  9)  Bleed the brakes. Check the master cylinder for brake fluid level. If it was allowed to go empty (as mine did), it will be necessary to bleed air out of the entire system. This is done in a certain order, furthest from the master cylinder closest. So it’s right rear, left rear, right front, left front. I used a one man brake bleeder and found the results disappointing. I then fell back on the reliable two man method. How hard is it to find someone to sit in the car and apply and release the brake on command? An 8mm box end wrench will be needed for the bleeder screw. The back brake bleeders were badly rusted and required replacement after I won the battle to remove them. 

  10) Remount the wheel (again, clean the inner contact surface of the wheel with the rotor and apply some grease). Tighten the lug nuts as much as possible before setting the car down and torqueing in stages to and in a star pattern, ending at 80 ft lbs for steel wheels.

  11) Test drive.

    Front left                      Front right
                               

How to replace a sink strainer basket

    My kitchen sink strainer basket broke after many years of service. Installing a new one is a simple matter.

1)  Place a pan under the drain pipes to catch water and remove the drain pipe from the old basket.

Removing the drain pipes from the basket is simple with PVC

2)  Turn off the ring nut on the basket. Turn the lower,smaller diameter threads on the basket counter-clockwise with a channel-lock pliers. This will produce some slack to make the ring nut come off easier.

To remove the ring nut, use channel lock pliers and turn on the pipe threads

3)  Remove the old basket.

4)  Clean the basin opening where the new basket will go.

5)  Apply a small amount of plumbers putty to the upper surface of the basin where the basket goes.  Rolling it into a ¼ inch diameter string works well. Press the putty around the inner diameter of the upper basin opening.

6)  Center the basket in the opening  from above.

7)  Turn the large nut on hand tight from underneath. Remove any excess putty that may ooze out from above as it is tightened.

8)  This might be a good time to clean out any buildup from the inside of the drain pipe while it is removed.

9)  Put new Teflon tape on the threads of the basket and the junction where the drain pipe meets the down pipe.

10)   Reattach the drain pipe and hand tighten if using pvc.

11) Test for leaks

How to replace the outer tie rod end on a Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town and Country

     When the outer tie rod end wears out there will be vibration coming from the front end, especially when at higher speeds. It will be felt it in the steering wheel since this is a steering part. This is not a difficult job on this vehicle, although as usual, removing the old part may be a challenge. Remember that this is an alignment part and alignment should be checked at a shop after the repair.

                                                                The Repair Basics                                      

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves 
•  Tools: Two jacks, jack stands,  22 mm and 18 mm  wrench, 11/32 socket and 3/8" ratchet, hammer 
•  Parts and materials: Replacement outer tie rod end, 14mm x 1.5 nut, grease gun 
•  Cost of materials: tie rod end $42 from Napa, nut $1.35
•  Shop labor cost for the job: 1/2 hour $50 average. I got a complete estimate of $130
•  Home mechanic estimated time: 2 hours   

                                                                      Removal

1) Break loose the lug nuts on the front wheels.

2) Jack up the front of the vehicle and support. I use two jacks toward the ends of the cradle behind the engine and then used railroad ties. 

3) Inspect both tie rod ends for any looseness or free play. There is play in the left outer tie rod end. If time and pocketbook permit, it may be wise to replace both outer tie rod ends at this time.  

4) Mark the threads with on the alignment adjustment rod where it goes into the tie rod end.

5) Unbolt the old tie rod end from the steering knuckle. With an 18mm wrench on the tie rod nut, hold the stud with an 11/32 socket. I first let it soak awhile in penetrating fluid. I had little trouble with this nut. The trouble would come later.

6) Using a hammer, tap the tie rod out of the steering knuckle. Spinning the nut back on a bit may provide a better hitting surface. This is a press fit. 

7) Let the tie rod rest back in the knuckle and loosen the adjustment backing nut. This one was seized on and that surprised me. No amount of penetrating fluid and grunting and tapping the wrench with a hammer would break it loose. I then broke out the propane torch and heated it for a full five minutes. It turned right off.

8) Spin out the old tie rod end now. 

                                                                       Installation

1) I got a new back up nut (14mm x 1.5) since I had to beat and heat the old one. Position it just past where the mark was for the original.

2) Turn in the new tie rod end until It is just short of the back up nut.

3) Install the grease fitting and the grease cup.

4) Push the tie rod stud through the hole in the steering knuckle.

5) Turn the 18mm castle nut on till it seats and then little more.

6) Insert the cotter pin and bend it over.
7) Fill the cup with grease.

8) Install the wheel, raise to remove stands and lower to the ground.

9) Torque the lug nuts to 100 ft lbs.

10) Have the front end aligned at a shop as soon as possible. I paid $54.95

                              

How to build an eight foot long household wheelchair ramp

 

     When a relative had a stroke and suddenly became wheelchair-bound, access was needed for home care in three different family homes, including her own. I designed and built three simple wheelchair ramps. These ramps were made for access to homes with two step entries ranging from twelve to nearly eighteen inches high. There are two basic designs. Design one is eight feet long and covers steps up to 16 inches high.  Design two covers entrees up to 20 inches high. Here is a link to that 10 foot outdoor ramp. The longest ramp possible for the conditions is best. An eight foot ramp is easiest because plywood is readily available in four by eight foot sheets. A length greater than eight feet requires an additional length of plywood for the surface run. This post covers design one, the eight foot ramp. It is designed for occasional household use on a garage entry into a house. This project applies to conditions where the total rise of the ramp is 16 inches or less. These dimensions allow for the use of a 4 by 8 sheet of plywood for a final ramp pitch of 2:12 or two inches of rise for every foot of ramp. This is right at the maximum recommended pitch for a household ramp. If your entry point is any higher off the ground than that, a longer ramp will be needed. I have designed the ramp with the top resting on the first step and the lower end beveled to sit squarely on the floor. If used outdoors, pressure treated wood or painting would be recommended. The ramp was built over several weekends at a cost of under $40 and a weight of 58 pounds.

                                                       
                                                                    Overview                                     

• Safety: Safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection. 
• Tools: Wood saws (circular or table or hand or reciprocating), belt or other sander, electric drill, square or other straightedge, tape measure, angle finder (optional), clamps, saw horses.
•  Parts and materials: One 4 by 8 sheet of plywood (at least 3/8" thick), five 8 foot long 2x4s (good quality-I used fir), light thin material for side rails (such as scrap paneling), wood screws ( I used  2 1/2"   and 1" coarse thread drywall screws), poster board, spray paint. 
• Cost of materials: plywood $15.47, five 2 by 4s ($2.80ea) $14.00, screws $2.75. Total $32.22 Additional materials (I used existing leftovers) if purchased: carpet $10, rails $5. 
• Weight: 58 lbs.
•  Estimated time: 6-8 hours   

  1)      Cut the sheet of plywood to the width of the entryway threshold with a circular or table saw. Mine was 31 inches. This is a good time put a bevel under the leading edge of the ramp, at the ramp slope. 

  2)     Lay the cut plywood in place, propped up underneath as it will lie when the ramp is done. Now clamp the straightest edge of the straightest 2x4 along the eight foot length and an inch in from the edge. There are several approaches to use to duplicate the angle of the ramp with the ground.  One is to find the pitch of the ramp with a pitch and angle finder and then mark the runners to that angle using a protractor. Using an angle finder, I found my ramp to be at 10 degrees. Another is to make a template of the exact angle. I tried both and found the template to be a more reliable method. 

  3)    Method 1: Find the angle. We need to cut the lower supporting end of the 2x4 at 10 degrees to match the pitch of the ramp. I attempted to do this using a protractor, making  a line at 10 degrees through the corner of the lower end of the ramp and the 2x4 runner. Though I took great care marking and cutting the runner, the result was too far off to use. I then decided to make a template and though this is a bit time consuming and tedious, the result was much better.

  4)    Method 2: Make an exact template for the angle of the runner. Get a piece of straight material for the pattern.  I used poster board. Spray the edge of the lower two feet of the ramp with dark spray paint and press the board against it. Cut along the painted lower line and you should have an exact duplicate of the angle of the ramp. Check the fit by placing the template under the ramp. If it fits, great, but if not, undercut it and fill in along the length with thinner strips of material, taped in place. This is what I had to do. A template can also be made by using hot melt glue and a scrap piece of squared plywood. Simply glue the plywood to the side of ramp surface. Then mark it underneath and remove. Cut at the line and transfer to the runners. That worked great for me on a second ramp I built.
   

Carefully make a template of the angle at the lower edge of the ramp

  5)    When the template fits fine, transfer it to a 2x4. I spray painted the line onto the 2x4.

  6)    Carefully cut on the line. I cut it by hand first with a rip saw, then a reciprocating saw. A fence is needed to keep the reciprocating or other saw on the line. This is precision work. 

  7)    Check the finished runner by clamping it under the plywood ramp surface and check that it is flush on the ground along it’s entire contact surface. I’m good.

This will do, we have good even contact with the floor

  8)  Using the good first runner as guide mark the other three and repeat the cut. Check them when done if desired. Mine needed a little touch up with a belt sander to achieve a flat contact surface with the garage floor. Important: save the short wedge pieces leftover from these cuts, as they will be used to make a  level upper support platform for under the top of the ramp.

  9)  Turn the plywood ramp surface upside down and align the runners. Take care to use a square at the lower ramp end and make sure the cut ends of the runners align with the lower load bearing edge of the ramp surface. Mark the underside of the plywood with each runner’s final position as well as number both the runner and the underside of the plywood where they go. Though I tried, my runners were not identical.  So make sure that the correct runner is properly positioned before screwing down.

  10)   Now turn the runners over and position them on the floor in their correct orientation.

  11)   Place the plywood on them in correct orientation. Align all the marks underneath.

  12)   Fasten the plywood to the runners one at a time and at opposite ends with 2 ½ “ coarse drywall screws. Check the alignment by lifting it up and checking the marks. Better here to pull out a screw or two to fix misalignment. Of course on the angled end of the runner a shorter screw will be used at a distance in where there is some meat in the runner. I put in 20 screws.

The ramp surface attached to the runners with wood screws

  13)   Use the leftover angled pieces (wedges) to level the underside of the upper ramp and support it. I used a belt sander to even out all four wedges. Cut a piece of plywood from the leftover material to the same width as the ramp and same length as the runners (31 by 10 inches)

  14)   Now lay the materials on the runners of the upside-down ramp. Orient them over each runner and carefully mark the position of the wedges on the small piece of plywood.

This is the underside view of the upper support piece. It's like a mini ramp.

  15)   Screw the leveling wedges to the plywood. I used two screws on each one.

  16)   This is a good time to bevel the lower edge of the plywood for ease of getting the wheelchair started up the ramp. I used a belt sander.

  17)   At this point decide what finished surface, if any, you want on the ramp. This is especially important to do now if carpeting is being used as it will affect the final position of the upper support wedge. I decided on indoor outdoor carpeting. I cut the piece to size, leaving an overlap of one foot on the bottom edge of the ramp and stapled it on.

  18)   Now set up the ramp in its final position. Use some scraps of wood to support it in the exact position it will end up in.

  19)   Place the leveling wedge under the top of the ramp and measure the distance to the step or ground where it will rest. Mine was 30 cm. Now find flat scrap wood materials that will very closely match that dimension and cut to fit the step. I used some scrap particle board and boards from some leftover shelving. Make it at least as long as the ramp is wide and wide as the step is deep. Place these "riser" materials on the step or ground as required.

Any piece of scrap flat material can be used to build up the step till the ramp is flush with the landing

  20)   Add three short cross members between the runners . These will be needed as attachment points for the leveling wedge. It also adds some needed support for moving the ramp if portability is needed.  I added three staggered cross supports about three to four inches in from the upper end of the ramp.

  21)   If additional support is desired at the lower end of the ramp add three more cross supports there. I did this as I will be periodically moving the ramp in and out.

  22)   Now determine the final position of the leveling wedge under the top of the ramp. Place upper riser pieces and the leveling wedge in position. Now put the ramp, complete with surface finishing on top of the pieces and abut to the step threshold. Move the leveling piece forward or back until the main ramp is at the same height as the threshold. Make an alignment line through the leveling ramp and the outside runner on both sides.

Make a line through the leveling wedge at the point where the ramp is flush with the threshold 

  23)   Turn over the ramp and fasten the leveling ramp to the underside of the main ramp. Align the leveling piece with the lines made in the last step. Screw it to the cross members underneath.

  24)   Install rails on both sides of the ramp to prevent the wheelchair from running off the ramp; I used some pieces of scrap paneling.

  25)   Put the ramp back in position, test and use.