What did you do with your Trans Am today?

**9T8WS6** · 04-02-2024, 07:34 PM

I had mentioned an issue that I have been dealing with a few years and that issue kept us from enjoying the T/A for a long while.
That issue is, I cannot get the flow of air to change from the windshield to the dash vents or floor.
This has caused me to let the T/A sit a lot more than desired.
Someone responded to my quiz for help to look for a broken vac line between the top of the motor and the bottom vac canister under the R/H headlight assy.
I had already seen that line broken when I replaced the headlight motors BUT could not see where it actually connected.
After the suggestion I set that idea in the back of my head and it went to sleep.
I bought replacement line and hose fittings/splices to match the line dim and placed the parts on my loading bench and FORGOT about it.
Today, I decided to give a look to see what, IF anything I could discover. Looked under the bottom below the headlight assy and I see where the line connected to a vac canister. I did not know what it was much less it being a vac canister. I ran the line up the wheel well to above the breaking point and spliced and replaced the vac line, connected it to the vac canister, fired up the bird and IT WORKED!!
It took me a bit longer than I thought it would to complete the job and clean up but I have A/C from the dash again.
YES, I did take and enjoy a nice T/A ride on a warm day.

Thanks to whomever it was that sent info in ref to this project.

**Whamhammer** · 04-09-2024, 05:47 AM

Gracie is going into the shop, for rust repair of the floor pan and wheel arches, Friday. I hope that all of the rust gets found, and fixed, and I can lay in the new carpet, plus sound-deadener, and re-install the interior (I Evapo-Rusted the seats metal parts and repainted those surfaces.

Hopefully big problems won't be found.

**Whamhammer** · 08-18-2024, 02:06 PM

Been spending two hours at a time, in my garage, putting FatMat on the passenger side of the floor. There are so many bumps and curves and indents that I have been cutting smaller pieces of the deadener down, so I can try to make full contact with the floor.

Pretty sure that the driver side will be a bit easier.

Also cleaned all of the rust off of the rear seat frames, and the passenger seat.

Pretty soon, I need to figure out how to put in my new inside shifter boot (the rubber one that goes on the floor), as it has no cutout. I presume that I just cut a small hole at the top and wiggle it over the shifter.

**SMWS6TA** · 08-18-2024, 06:24 PM

yup. make it small, if you have to trim a little at a time is best. you can't add it back. if you do go too much I ran a zip tie around it and the shaft to close it up.

**Whamhammer** · 08-25-2024, 01:04 PM

Got Gracie's oil changed over the weekend and removed the snow tires from my original 17-inch wheels (their production date was stamped 2612!

)

When I dropped the car off at the shop, I told them that I had the 6 quarts of Mobil 1 and the filter in the trunk; the writer told me that they would only use their oil. Upon asking what brand oil that they used, I had to explain what "brand" meant, once I found that they did use Valvoline, I insisted that they use my Genuine GM filter, and the guy asked me "What's GM?".

Does anyone else remember when the guy up front in a maintenance/repair shop actually had at least half-a-clue?

**Whamhammer** · 09-04-2024, 02:19 PM

Got all but the drivers front seat area sound-deadenered on the floor plan, maybe get that done this weekend, after I remove the seat, and then send it to a trim shop to put the new carpet and dash top in.

Might actually look like a daily driver road car again soon!

**SMWS6TA** · 09-08-2024, 05:18 PM

Pics?

**Whamhammer** · 09-09-2024, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

Pics?

I need to figure a place to put a pic on to link to here, first.

Long story short, got the seat out, went to clean the driver front floor pan and after wiping Windex and a paper towel, some of the paint on the interior floor pan started immediately flaking off. No rust, no primer left, just metal.

Most of it is leading towards the trans-tunnel hump.

I do have some Long-Tube Headers and catted y-pipe, I presume exhaust heat?

I am wondering if I should just coat the inside of the pan with POR-15 and not worry about stripping the floor, just a quick, light sanding?

**SMWS6TA** · 09-10-2024, 03:52 AM

couldn't hurt. I have long tube headers, cat delete and ory and have no issues like that.

For pic I use Flicker. Photobucket used to be great then they screwed me so I used ficker

**Whamhammer** · 09-21-2024, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

couldn't hurt. I have long tube headers, cat delete and ory and have no issues like that.

For pic I use Flicker. Photobucket used to be great then they screwed me so I used ficker

Yeah, the flaking paint was really weird, never seen that before. I ended up getting two 4 0z. cans of POR-15 and am using part of one to coat over the floor pan area where the peeling was.

I changed out all but one sparkplug wire and new boot heat protectors (guess which one I can't get to?).

I am hoping that I will have all including the area around my shifter covered with FatMat this weekend, and I am going to call a local performance shop that I have done business with to see if it willing to look at my car, without an interior except the drivers seat, to find out what all of the surging, hiccuping, and smelling like a fuel tanker spill is about.

Then it should be going to a trim shop to put in the carpet and make sure the trim fits right because I am way behind on getting things done and need to be able to do other things over the winter.

**Whamhammer** · 10-11-2024, 12:11 PM

Dropped Gracie off at the local performance shop, PCV grommet was bad and leaky (weird because the whole PCV system was replaced with a new assembly two years ago during engine swap), was for sure showing way lean and was enrichening the piss out of it. They fixed it, put the 8th wire on, set it to relearn and its better.

I do want to see about improving off-idle response a little though.

Replaced the front upper and lower A arms and struts and a front hub was going bad, so .... yaaaaaaaaaaaaay, I'm broke!!!!

Trim shop wants pictures of the inside of the Trans Am to ballpark cost for installing the (me provided) carpet, even after I told them the trim is out and I just put down the sound deadner.

**Whamhammer** · 11-08-2024, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Whamhammer

Dropped Gracie off at the local performance shop, PCV grommet was bad and leaky (weird because the whole PCV system was replaced with a new assembly two years ago during engine swap), was for sure showing way lean and was enrichening the piss out of it. They fixed it, put the 8th wire on, set it to relearn and its better.

I do want to see about improving off-idle response a little though.

Replaced the front upper and lower A arms and struts and a front hub was going bad, so .... yaaaaaaaaaaaaay, I'm broke!!!!

Trim shop wants pictures of the inside of the Trans Am to ballpark cost for installing the (me provided) carpet, even after I told them the trim is out and I just put down the sound deadner.

I might need to find a second trim shop to do the carpet/interior install/reinstall, been waiting to get a quote or even a timeline for a month now.

**Whamhammer** · 12-09-2024, 11:10 AM

Finally got an appointment with my trim shop to install the new carpet, and reinstall the interior, next Monday. I should have a normal looking WS6 in time for Christmas.... yaaay!

Then I put it on wheel stands and swap out the O2's and probably a new driveshaft. I guess $500-ish is the cost these days for a new aluminum?

Do I need to put a different driveshaft in if I upgrade to a Strange or similar 12 Bolt?

I know Hawks sells used aluminum driveshafts for $200, probably need new U-joints for those?

**SMWS6TA** · 12-09-2024, 07:55 PM

I was able to use my stock driveshaft when I installed my 8.8 rear for a while. Once I upgraded the t56 to stage 2.5 with viper output I got a Strange custom chrome moly 3" with 1350 u joints to be able to handle current and future mods. Iirc it was 1/2 to 3/4 shorter in length due to upgrading the Pinon yoke to 1350.

I would strongly recommend you wait till you install the new rear so you can get correct measurements. Also highly recommend 1350 u joints.

**Whamhammer** · 12-10-2024, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by SMWS6TA

I was able to use my stock driveshaft when I installed my 8.8 rear for a while. Once I upgraded the t56 to stage 2.5 with viper output I got a Strange custom chrome moly 3" with 1350 u joints to be able to handle current and future mods. Iirc it was 1/2 to 3/4 shorter in length due to upgrading the Pinon yoke to 1350.

I would strongly recommend you wait till you install the new rear so you can get correct measurements. Also highly recommend 1350 u joints.

I hear you, the problem that I have is the shop that looked at the car is saying that the driveshaft has some play involved in it, and that why I have noise in the driveline at times. The shop isnt sure, without pulling the driveshaft if it is just a ujoint problem or if the yoke is worn or something else; and at over 220k, thats a strong possibility.

Circa 2018, I had a shop replace the u-joints on the driveshaft, I dont know if those bearings are crap or what.

My biggest worry is that I pull the driveshaft, in hopes its just U-joints and then find out I need a new driveshaft, or a new yoke, and then I am in it for the cost of what would have been a new Summit aluminum driveshaft anyways. I dont see me getting the 12 bolt until next winter, I still want to drive the car and enjoy it.

I am thinking that while I have it on wheelstands to replace the O2?s, if it comes out like it would have with my 1989 TA, I could pull the driveshaft and bring it to a axle shop and see what they say?

**Whamhammer** · 12-31-2024, 11:22 AM

Waiting to get Gracie back with its new carpet installed and trimmed to fit the reinstalled interior and new dash top put on as well. Probably getting it back on Thursday is my guess?

Next step is to put the car on stands for new O2's and get the driveshaft diagnosed.

**TransAmTerry** · 12-31-2024, 01:17 PM

Last week I discovered the right headlight wasn?t coming up when I turned the lights on. I figured it was the usual bad gear problem so I ordered the brass ones for both sides. I manually raised the light bucket to work on it and while it was up - just for grins and giggles, I flipped the light switch on and the left one came up matching the right on Then I turned off the lights and they both went down- lights back on and they both came up !🤔🤔. Now the lights go up and down without issue. Took it out last night for a drive and stopped at a few places while I was out - no problems. Don?t know what to think about that?! Now I have new brass gears just waiting for crap to go bad for real 😝

**Mecinoid** · 01-04-2025, 12:17 AM

Just do the swap.... It isn't too difficult... Maybe an hour of work. Did mine 10 years ago... no issues. If you want to do on cheap (other folks) you can simply rotate the plastic gear 180 and it will work. The plastic gears just wear out. The brass gears make a tad bit of noise but, you really can not hear the difference inside the car.

**Mecinoid** · 01-04-2025, 12:23 AM

What did I do to my Bird today..... Well, took automatic antenna apart and made it into manual antenna. Hated antenna always going up when I turn on radio to listen to Sat Music or MP3's. Now just raise the anntenna halfway manually. Looks better anyways. Had to drill out plastic rivets to do the mod. Then in order to grab flush antenna I had to drill the tip and use a pin to keep antenna top above surface to grab. I suppose I could have bought a manual flush mount with key. I might still do that but I can now raise and lower antenna by hand. In the past, on other cars, I have installed a power antenna with a momentary switch under dash. I might do that again.

**Whamhammer** · 01-04-2025, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Mecinoid

What did I do to my Bird today..... Well, took automatic antenna apart and made it into manual antenna. Hated antenna always going up when I turn on radio to listen to Sat Music or MP3's. Now just raise the anntenna halfway manually. Looks better anyways. Had to drill out plastic rivets to do the mod. Then in order to grab flush antenna I had to drill the tip and use a pin to keep antenna top above surface to grab. I suppose I could have bought a manual flush mount with key. I might still do that but I can now raise and lower antenna by hand. In the past, on other cars, I have installed a power antenna with a momentary switch under dash. I might do that again.

I need to tear mine down and replace the mast, as some of the teeth stripped . When I start the car, the antenna goes up and makes a grinding noise on the last several teeth.