Home maintenance

[Kiwi Bloke]

One thing I should ask, and has *probably* been asked too often, is how easy are 1987's to work on at home? My old Jaguar XJ40 was a b*tch, and various Jappo cars have been easy. Are there many special tools required? Cuz if there are, they probably don't exist in New Zealand.

I know that there is a Haynes manual covering this car, but being English, my experience of Haynes manuals over the last 20 years has taught me that you shouldn't believe everything that is written in them.

Actually, I've just remembered something. In 2002 I was visiting friends back in England, and I visited the Haynes museum. They have a great range of cars there, including the C4 that they dismantled and rebuilt for the Haynes manual. I wonder if it worked afterwards..... <grin>

Adrian

[c4cruiser]

I have a Haynes manual for my 87 coupe and it is pertty poor in terms of specific content for any particular model year. The pictures are very grainy and in most cases are not a lot of help.

The best manuals are the same factory shop manuals available to the GM service tech. You can get them from Helms, the company that prints most of the service manuals for US cars and trucks. Go to www.helminc.com and click on "Aftermarker and then use the selection buttons to find manuals for your year. Most of the C4 manuals will run about $90 USD not including shipping. These manuals also show up on eBay from time to time.

These manuals have comprehensive step-by-step repair and diagnostic procedures for a specific year of car and the C4 manuals are typically a 2-volume set; one for engine, driveline, suspension, brakes, A/C and such and another volume for emissions and driveability. Any supplements that came out for that year of car are also included when you buy the new ones. Well worth the money if you plan to do a lot of work yourself or especially if you are going to have a mechanic look after your car for you.

Most common mechanics hand tools in both metric and SAE (inches) are all you really need for general service. A good set of combination wrenches and some sockets in both standard length and deep-well sizes are needed. Also a set of 1/2" drive sockets helps for those large bolts and nuts. A 1/2" drive breaker bar and some ratchets in both 1/2" and 3/8" drive will round out the toolkits. You might get some 1/4" drive sockets for those tiny nuts and bolts.

A torque wrench is a necessity as is a digital volt/ohm meter. Some Torx screwdrivers are very helpful; sizes from T15 to T40. Don't forget a good spark plug socket in 5/8" with a few 3/8" drive extensions and u-joints.

[Kiwi Bloke]

Hey yeah! Thanks for that. I see that they do the "ST36487" Shop Manual for the 1987 for $75 plus etc.

Much obliged.

Adrian

[Kiwi Bloke]

Well b*gger me! They even have a 1,500 page CD ROM covering my 2003 Honda Jazz. You can't get this in any market where the Jazz is sold (as far as I can tell) yet the CD ROM is being sold by a company in a country where that model isn't available!

Boggle!

Adrian

[Ken]

I'm glad to see that someone beat me to the punch and recommended the Helm manual over the Haynes.

As for workin' on 'em - the more you do, the easier it becomes.

I've just about had everything apart on mine at one time or another, while another member here, Outlaw, has gone the full-bore treatment of his C4 and currently has it down to a bare shell!

[Kiwi Bloke]

Thanks Ken. This is the sort of news I like.

I hope to work on it at home. My 5 year old daughter is waiting impatiently for me to get a red Corvette, and my 8 year old son keeps asking me how steering racks work and how Ackerman steering works.....! And my 71 year-old mother has a two-door Toyota 2-liter twin-cam and loves the sound of it changing gear when she accelerates hard. She and I watch Aussie V8 SuperSaloon and Formula 1 races together. Must be in the blood.

Adrian

[Ken]

Your family sounds like my kind of people!

[Kiwi Bloke]

<grin>
My son has decided that he wants to work for Holden Special Vehicles in Aussie when he grows up. As I'm sure you're aware, they designed the Holden Monaro which is being sold on your side of the pond as a Pontiac GTO. HSV cars mostly have the Gen III engine from the later Corvettes. Look like executive sedans, but pack over 350bhp. He likes V8s.

Adrian

[Ken]

We want the El Camino back. You guys got it in the Holden version still!

[Kiwi Bloke]

The Maloo is a monster of theirs:

http://www.hsv.com.au/cars/vy2/default.htm

Look at the R8. Coooool. 390bhp.

[Ken]

[RonJ]

my 8 year old son keeps asking me how steering racks work and how Ackerman steering works

Your 8 year old wants to know about the Ackerman Principle???

Sheesh, that kid needs more television ...... LOL!!!!!! More power to him ....

Ron ...

[Kiwi Bloke]

He is dreaming of us designing a snow-sled, with skis to steer, hence the steering rack (he wants us to do it from spare parts). As part of the explanation about the rack, I pointed out that with cars, the inside wheel has to turn a different amount from the outside wheel, when turning a corner. I told him that this was called Ackerman Steering, and he now wants to understand how it works....

He loves TV too. I have to ration Cartoon Network.

I didn't mention that my 4 year old son has been obsessed with GT40s for about a year now. My kids, hey?

I have started to explain to them about the left-right-left-left-right-left-right-right firing pulses of a V8 and how this makes the "wozzle" noise, and if you have a "bundle-of-snakes" pair of manifolds, this noise goes away, and you get a screamer instead. They are absolutely entranced!

Adrian

[Fishman]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Bloke

I didn't mention that my 4 year old son has been obsessed with GT40s for about a year now.

My 5 year old son can probably name most parts of the engine and what they do. He crawls under the car with me every chance he gets. My 21 year old son cannot change his own oil.

And... my 2 year old son hates it when I take the keys out...

[Kiwi Bloke]

My! He looks mean, and ready to rock!