DAVES89 Posted May 26, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted May 26, 2020 Yesterday got the 'vert out of storage yesterday. A quick check over and then a summer of topless driving. All 3 Reattas are now home. On a side note I will not lose my storage at the "Widow Schneiders" as she has decided that moving would cost her more then staying in her current home. However she has a daughter who thinks I am taking advantage of her by having my car in one corner of her 3 car garage in exchange for snow shoveling. As I will be taking the 'vert to Texas [mostly permanently] I really no longer need her storage. For over 20 years I have done her driveway [since her husband died] before 8 am as she meets friends for breakfast everyday. Let her kids get there before they go to work. They complain now about cutting her lawn weekly... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 29, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted May 29, 2020 Took the 'vert in for a tire rotation. Bought brand new Michelin tires in June of 2018 and only put 1500 miles on them. I will be swapping the 'verts tires and wheels for the Red's. They are the same 7 spoke Buick chrome wheels that are popular with some of the Reatta owners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted May 29, 2020 Share Posted May 29, 2020 1 hour ago, DAVES89 said: Took the 'vert in for a tire rotation. Bought brand new Michelin tires in June of 2018 and only put 1500 miles on them. I will be swapping the 'verts tires and wheels for the Red's. They are the same 7 spoke Buick chrome wheels that are popular with some of the Reatta owners. Makes sense if you are just going to have the vert sitting most of the time in TX. Take a small air compressor down and leave it with the vert. You will need it to inflate the tires each time you go down if it's going to sit for long periods of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted May 29, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted May 29, 2020 I was going to take a compressor [cigarette lighter plug in job] but the maintenance shop is about 500' from our place. They have a free to use compressor with a tire valve. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 Not something I did to my Reatta but something I did for my car. I related I had misplaced my pump and accumulator test gauge setup, and it is still missing, but I constructed a new one today. I found it very difficult to find conversion adapters locally, both bubble flare and inverted flare to npt for the tee and gauge. I had to resort to ordering them via the internet which was time consuming. Even NAPA had nothing, which was a surprise b,ut all fixed now. Dave and I will be testing a few accumulators in the near future. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 2, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 (edited) 2seater came over today and tested all 8 of my accumulator balls. I even removed them from all four of my Reattas [one is a junker]. Turns out I have 4 in like new condition and one just a bit over average. I will install this last one in the "junker" Reatta so it looks somewhat complete. That leaves me with 3 like new balls in each Reatta and one for back up. While Hal was here we wired up a MP3 lead for his son's Reatta [my old '89 Black]. Thanks Hal! Edited June 2, 2020 by DAVES89 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 18 hours ago, DAVES89 said: 2seater came over today and tested all 8 of my accumulator balls. I even removed them from all four of my Reattas [one is a junker]. Turns out I have 4 in like new condition and one just a bit over average. I will install this last one in the "junker" Reatta so it looks somewhat complete. That leaves me with 3 like new balls in each Reatta and one for back up. While Hal was here we wired up a MP3 lead for his son's Reatta [my old '89 Black]. Thanks Hal! And Dave has the balls to prove it, plus is very generous in return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 18 hours ago, DAVES89 said: 2seater came over today and tested all 8 of my accumulator balls. I even removed them from all four of my Reattas [one is a junker]. Turns out I have 4 in like new condition and one just a bit over average. I will install this last one in the "junker" Reatta so it looks somewhat complete. That leaves me with 3 like new balls in each Reatta and one for back up. While Hal was here we wired up a MP3 lead for his son's Reatta [my old '89 Black]. Thanks Hal! It took a lot of balls to do what you guys did. I don't have enough balls to do it. ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Studebaker Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 4 Balls in "like new condition"............shoot, I guess most of us are lucky to have one in "a bit below average" condition, and no clue about the other one. Crazy talk....ha ah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2seater Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 I am out of innuendo's for now. I wish I had thought to take a pic of Dave with a bag of three of them attached to his belt, although I did make an indiscreet comment about the "look"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 4, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 1 hour ago, 2seater said: I am out of innuendo's for now. I wish I had thought to take a pic of Dave with a bag of three of them attached to his belt, although I did make an indiscreet comment about the "look"? Just so everyone understands what 2seater is referring to is this. When my wife and I vacation she likes to buy stuff for family members and I end up carrying what we buy. As most items bought are trinkets or clothes what I do is take the plastic shopping bags and hang them by my pants belt. As it was very hot and humid we did the testing in my basement shop. When we were done we had to much to carry up to the garage and 2seaters car so I used the same trick. I put the 3 balls in a plastic shopping bag and hung it from my belt so I could grab the last of the stuff. it is funny looking but is very effective. I do find that I am like most men... 2 balls to a bag works very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 4, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 On a more serious note I have been having some real issues with the Red that with Kendalls help were resolved today. Two Sundays ago my wife and I drove to a riverfront bar and grill for a couple of drinks and sandwiches. That part was great but when we got in the car to leave it would hardly start and then went about 5' and died not to start again. After several futile attempts to start it I gave up and called a wrecker who towed it to their shop. I was sure it was a fuel pump and told the shop so, but the shop tried the pump several times and the car started every time. So I drove it home and for 10 days [including today] never a hiccup. I even hooked up my fuel pump tester for all this time and it read perfectly. Well that all ended today as another problem popped up, this time a no start/no grind when I turned the ignition key. I asked my friend Kendall to come over and after checking the starter [it was good] he determined it was the electronic slide switch at the bottom of the steering column. Here is the amazing thing, that Kendall quickly found out what was wrong and had the part out. And that I had the part in my parts bin. 10 minutes later after testing the "new" switch to make sure it works it was in and the car started without a hitch... except for one thing, the fuel pump stopped working. It was loud when it did work and then sometimes wouldn't work at all. So Kendall would turn the key to start and I would pound the bottom of the tank with a rubber hammer and then it would work. So tomorrow I set an appointment for a new pump to be installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 5 minutes ago, DAVES89 said: I would pound the bottom of the tank with a rubber hammer and then it would work. I told you so. Remember my story about my Dodge Dakota pickup. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 4, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 3 hours ago, Ronnie said: I told you so. Remember my story about my Dodge Dakota pickup. ? That's true Ronnie, you also were on the leading edge of this issue. And also 2seater who earlier today in a phone conversation also told me that I had more then one issue going on. I never expected both of the issues to come at the same time. Also what I didn't mention earlier is that the fuel pump has no almost completely failed. I drove Kendall home in the Red and barely made it home. I just hope there is enough left in it to get it to the garage that towed me in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 That's the way it is with an old car. Seems like when it rains it pours. I hope the new pump gets you going again. BTW, if it were me I would have them install a Delphi or ACDelco pump. My friend with the auto parts store says they cost a little more but they are much better pumps. Also have the mechanic check the rubber seal (or rubber hose if the pulsator has been removed) that connects the pump to the fuel lines to make sure there is a tight connection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 4, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 Thanks Ronnie. This is getting to be a real pain. The replaced unit [that just failed] was a Delphi. The shop is saying it was the connection to the sending unit that has caused my problems so I am on the hunt for a sending unit. I looked up some old posts "over there" and some guy who posted a total of 3 posts claims that the 1988 Cadillac Seville will work [Dorman 692-102. There is no sending unit by Dorman for a 1989 Seville or any Reatta. However the seals and other available gas tank parts from Dorman are the same for both years. I am "all in" on these Reattas and am willing to spend the money for the Dorman sending unit. If it works we know that we will have the '88/89 Reatta handled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 4, 2020 Share Posted June 4, 2020 I hope it works out. Buy from someplace where it will be easy to return if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 4, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 4, 2020 It's out of my hands. The garage insists that they provide the parts so that part is done. I will tell them to do a test fit [or look to see if it will work] before installing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAVES89 Posted June 6, 2020 Topic Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 So while I wait for parts to arrive [fuel pump and sender] for the Red I am driving the 'vert full time. Took it for a drive to my friend's house about 40 minutes away and wanted to use the cruise. Checked the vacuum, it was good, however I noticed a rotting hose and swapped it out. Also swapped out the cruise servo with another known working unit from the parts bin and tried it out with success. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Dave, the way it is going you're going to be a full time Reatta mechanic. That's the way it's getting with me and my old GMC truck. Seems like I find something to do to it almost every day. Working on it and driving it is becoming my hobby. That is one of the reasons my Reatta is sitting in the garage so much. I did get my Reatta out and drove it for about 2 hours yesterday. I really enjoyed it so maybe the GMC will take a back seat for a while and the Reatta will be my favorite again. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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