[GOBULLGO]

Yippee Ki Yay Mother [email protected]#%$!!!!
200K MILES….Original Tranny and Engine
(But I have a leak in my timing cover and she also burns some oil)

How I did it
· Perform maintenance according to manual up to 100K
· After 100K change tranny fluid every 30K
· Front Brakes/Rotors are pathetic on this car but buy Brakes and Rotors from Autzone and you can exchange them within 2 years so change them before year 2 and get a new set of rotors and pads
· Use OEM parts whenever possible there is a difference when it come to fit and performance
*non oem tension pulley-failed within year
*non oem tie rod ends, stabilizer links etc high failure rate MOOG/OEM are great
* yes it happened to me Bosch plugs failed within 20K
* non oem PS pump leaked within year

· Change the 3 or 4 vacuum lines for the intake at 100K and thermostat. Save yourself some aggravation down the road
· Change upper and lower IM gaskets when changing plugs
· BUY THE RIGHT TOOLS!!!!!!
· Wash the car once a month
· Quick struts are great
· Buy a service manual, search the forums, and google google google
· If you’re not mechanic by trade like me, man up your gunna make mistakes but be patient, plan your work and work you plan
· Change brake fluid, ps fuild, antifreeze at 100K and after that every 50
· DOHC engine mounts and tranny mount replacement are hard and so is the Oil Pan Gasket replacement but I did them so anyone can do them!!!
· The door panel leather that falls off take it to an a car upholster they will fix it for 25 each
· When your replacing the struts take the whole knuckle to a mechanic/machine shop and have him remove and replace the ball joints. Dirt cheap and stress free
· Sometimes you really just need a bigger hammer especially for those damn rear drums
· Buy a torque wrench
· BUY A TOYOTA!!! J j/K


THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME ALONG THE WAY IN THIS FORUM!!!!
Talk again @ 250k!!!

 

[cjjames23]

-Take as little "short" trips as possible.
- When you buy parts, you get what you pay for.
- Use this forum to ask for help if you get lost, lots of people are more than willing to help.

 

[Redcoat17]

Also as for the leather on the panels, mine were already peeled off and horrible looking when I got the car. I went to the local JY (LKQ) and with a bit of prying, attained some good looking replacements that I glued straight in for about $4 a panel!

Still looking for that cheap wood trim though.. lol. My car is currently at 206K miles.

 

[Blkfordtaurusman]

Still looking for that cheap wood trim though.. lol. My car is currently at 206K miles.

I have (2) sets of Dark Sable Burl radio Bazel for a (gray interior) & shifter surround for FREE just pay $25 shipping with US POSTAL service shipping & its yours.

 

[fct]

· Perform maintenance according to manual up to 100K
· After 100K change tranny fluid every 30K

The second statement seems redundant.

· Front Brakes/Rotors are pathetic on this car but buy Brakes and Rotors from Autzone and you can exchange them within 2 years so change them before year 2 and get a new set of rotors and pads

That's nice to know. I have thrown away spent Duralast brake pads in the past. Supposedly, NAPA and Advance Auto stores also give life warranty on premium brake pads.

· Change the 3 or 4 vacuum lines for the intake at 100K and thermostat. Save yourself some aggravation down the road

Where did you get the replacement hoses? Some of them are starting to rot on my car.

In my experience, buying a life time wheel alignment service contract was a good deal. I paid $150 to Firestone for it and then I have done like 5 wheel alignments after that. If you're going to keep the car this long you will need this many alignments or more.

 

[cjjames23]

In my experience, buying a life time wheel alignment service contract was a good deal. I paid $150 to Firestone for it and then I have done like 5 wheel alignments after that. If you're going to keep the car this long you will need this many alignments or more.

That is not a bad deal at all, seeing as how the shop I work at charges 7/10 hr labor for an alignment and our shop rate is $92.50/hr.

 

[soundu]

98lx Vulcan 210K rode hard.
previous victims:
bad steering rack (never again on that deal)
broken brake lines under door (again, one time deal)
both rear calipers

Currently down for extended maintenance.
water pump noise turned into bad AC pulley bearing which turned
into broken subframe bolt.

List of items for its third resurrection
rear subframe broken bolt (now removed, but hole in floor remains)
AC pulley (pulley on, pump is still loose needs R134 too)
alternator repair or replacement (tried to get the large lead off, broke
the stud off inside the alternator.
replace water pump. Think its probably good, but not worth the risk
of NOT changing it now.
find dam hard to find teflon washers for PS pump i had to remove
for clearance.
replace leaking lower AT cooler line to radiator which has been leaking
replace badly leaking valve cover gaskets
replace oil presaure sender for possible leak.
clean intake butterfly for crud build up (sometimes sticking)

And thats no counting the quick sturts from the Upull in the trunk...

 

[GOBULLGO]

Vacume Lines

Replacement vacume lines are not expensive at the dealer that is where I bought mine but you might have luck sourcing from RockAuto. Sometimes shopping around amongst different model years on Rock Auto increases your chances of finding what you need. As you know the DOHC is the same from like 99 to 2005 or something like that.

+ 1 on the lifetime alignment I wish I would have known that years ago.

 

[sheila]

^+1. If you keep 'em 'til they die, lifetime alignment agreement is the only way to go!

 

[henrysel]

^+1. If you keep 'em 'til they die, lifetime alignment agreement is the only way to go!

They're not as easy to find as they used to be though. I used to buy it from Goodyear, but they stopped doing it, now they just do a 3 year alignment deal and you can get one every 6 months.

 

[sheila]

Does Firestone still offer them?

 

[chudley645]

Do you still have these?

I have (2) sets of Dark Sable Burl radio Bazel for a (gray interior) & shifter surround for FREE just pay $25 shipping with US POSTAL service shipping & its yours.

Do you still have any available?

 

[fct]

Does Firestone still offer them?

I don't know, but I bought my lifetime contract last year. I believe the list price was like $170, but when they gave me a $20 discount.

 

[Redivivus]

-Take as little "short" trips as possible.

Forgive my ignorance, and this may be a subjective question, but what is considered a "short" trip? Would this mean not letting the car come up to temperature?
At the moment, my work commute is limited to about an 8 mile drive, which takes approximately 10-15 minutes, mostly city stop and go, but a minor stint on the freeway.

 

[The White Falcon]

A trip where the engine doesnt get up to operating temperature. Your trip takes 15 mins, so you should be fine.

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[sousa632]

A trip where the engine doesnt get up to operating temperature. Your trip takes 15 mins, so you should be fine.

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Then I'm screwed....... :lol2: I only take short trips with mine other than when College is in session(my college days are long gone). I play in my local community college band which we practice once a week. Other than that, it's short trips cause I have the work van for the 150-200 mile daily trip. Every once in a while I take it on a longer trip but its not all that often anymore. I almost have 148K on mine now.

 

[The White Falcon]

With the heat, mine is up to operating temp quick lol.

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[sousa632]

With the heat, mine is up to operating temp quick lol.

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Yea really.... with it being over 100 for close to a week and a half up here it's almost operating temperature before you even turn it on. :lol2:

Thank god that crap is over with. I was able to turn the air off and keep the windows down earlier today when I went out.

 

[BoogiesAdda]

I got 303k out of my 95 GL. I am a adamant believer in preventative maintenance. I don't wait for things to fail if I can help it. I replace them shortly before their life expectancy is up. I change fluids every 40k and always change the oil at no more than 3500 miles. I don't buy cheap parts like Dad always said you get what you pay for. If I must use a mechanic I always use the same one and give him a list of what I have done this way he knows what has been done and what hasn't which helps with diagnosing an issue. I lived in NY when I had the GL and only got rid of it because of the strut towers rotting out. I sold it to a guy for $300 who replaced the sheetmetal and gave it to his daughter last I saw him it had 360k on it.

The only things that ever caught me off guard on the GL were the rack and an issue with the big wiring harness behind the kneeplate under the steering wheel.

 

[cjjames23]

-Take as little "short" trips as possible.

Forgive my ignorance, and this may be a subjective question, but what is considered a "short" trip? Would this mean not letting the car come up to temperature?
At the moment, my work commute is limited to about an 8 mile drive, which takes approximately 10-15 minutes, mostly city stop and go, but a minor stint on the freeway.

A short trip varies from person to person. I personally believe that the engine should reach normal operating temperature and stay that way for 5-10 minutes. I think that is when everything has had it's chance to cycle and most self tests can be performed, but that is just one persons opinion. I deal with all makes and all models of vehicles, all day, every day and I see the difference from those who take short trips and long trips. Hell, I see people who don't follow proper maintenance protocol. Today we had a '02 Jetta come in with a no start condition. Turns out this person had yet to change the timing belt and the crank sprocket ate through the belts teeth, resulting in every valve being bent. It just goes to show that you need to take care of your car.