What a pain in the a@@

[blackbuick87]

My thermostat better never go bad because I dont want to have to put another one of those SOBs in again
I would rather just change engines I think

 

[BlackBeauty]

WHAT?!

Are you serious? What was the problem? I'll tell ya what, I'll cover your next thermostat if you got my back on ANY other thing I might need with my car. It was pretty easy if you ask me. What was wrong with yours?

 

[TRBON8R]

What's the matter, you didn't enjoy having to F around with that little C-clip for an hour or so, all the while MFing GM over why they would design such a stupid POS? lol Not to mention wishing how you could suddenly grow a couple extra arms out of your ass to try and hold the POS thermostat housing/C-clip in place while trying to get a wrench on the whole mess!!! Naw, I've never done one of these before........

 

[blackbuick87]

I am just pissed because every other one I have done takes five minutes and this thing took an hour.
Plus my garage is too small and I kicked my lawnmower about thirty times.
Just a pain getting the hoses off.

 

[blackbuick87]

Oh Yeah dont get me started on the c-clip. I would still be out there if it wasnt for my magnetic screwdriver that kept getting it out from behind the water pump

 

[REDS HOT AIR]

i did mine while the motor was out..

mine hadent been out since 87 so go figure i tore it all up before i finally got it out the intake..

 

[Buick T]

yes the thermostat is one of the pains in the a@@.

Try the bolt that holds the cam sensor in the same area great fun. It seams a socket will just wedge itself as you start to unbolt it not to mention a straight shot to it would be nice. And it is sometimes a major job to try to turn it in the tight quarters.

How about the brain that put the trans lines holding clip on a stud to the oil pan. Of course the turn the nut and the whole stud turns and trys and does bend the clip all to hell. These cars have so many places with studs and nuts. It was like they were trying to save pennies using the same bolt to put everything on the car. They probably spent more making all the parts reach the same stud.

Oh well I guess that's why we love these things so much! I just love to hear the tires chirp 2nd and 3rd. Sweeeeeeet!

 

[BLACK6PACK]

I tried to be gentle with the Tstat housing, messed with it for over an hour. I was having fits and then someone posted that kirbans has billet housings and the stock one is usually junk with some age on it. I took a pair of channel locks and a big mofo hammer and it came out pretty quick. It was a PITA. Then the gasket that came with the new housing was too fat, and ended up cutting it while trying to install. Went down to the local auto parts store and for $.25 had one that fit much better.

 

[QuickWE4]

From my limited (2 year) experience with my own TR, I gotta tell ya - everything's a pain in the A*S!

I'm doing new valve covers this weekend. I expect that to be a major hassle, even though most have told me that it's not "too" much of a PITA.

But then again, if it's a choice between busting my knuckles and straining my lower back on tht TR all day or going to WORK, I'll choose the car anytime!



Rich

 

[tom h]

Like nearly all vehicles at their end of life, the early model years have relatively simple and clean engine bays.

As the model years progress and they cram in more features and add-ons and regulatory compliance doohickeys, the engine bay progressively looks like a bad house remodel.

Everything is willy-nilly shoved in any way it will fit, weird brackets are created, service access becomes more difficult, etc.

 

[Roger]

No matter what I'm doing to my TR - if other owners or the vendors tell me it's a 30 minute job, I will be lucky to get it done in one day.

 

[ChrisF]

PITA GN Work

If you guys think these cars are tough, work on a C3 Vette!! (68-82)
THOSE are a PITA bigtime!

 

[blackbuick87]

Yeah there are worse ones out there. Has anyone ever changed the PCV on a 2.8 Beretta? or changed the back three plugs

 

[QuickWE4]

yeah, the 3.1 Berettas are just as bad as the 2.8's - especially the back spark plugs. Wire harness has to come out, blah blah blah.

That's why I made Jim Testa change them at his shop the last time they needed replacing!!!


Rich

 

[Ken Cunningham]

Funny, I've changed 2 thermostats on TR's and don't remember them being bad at all?? Maybe I had enough gunk on the engine to hold the clamp in place whilst I got a wrench to it.
The hardest thing I've ever had to do: the top p/s bolt on the tranny bell housing to remove the engine. The hardest thing I've NOT YET done: replacing my power antenna. Everyone tells me they'd rather pull the engine than get that sucker out!

 

[arista5]

i will replace your antenna, if you want to change my t-stat antenna was easy.

 

[dpok69]

Glad i made a smart move when i was changing my intake gasket or i could have gone through the same thing as you guys.

I put on a new thermostat with a billet neck while the manifold was out. I took less than 2 minutes to do it. I suspected the oring would rip during installation through friction, so i sprayed it up with wd-40.

And Yes!!!, those hoses are a bitch!!! But i finally, got a method of attacking them. Take a good quality chanell locks and rotate the hose back and forth from its base until the hose breaks free, sometimes wd-40 helps in loosening the hoses up.

I went through all this, and my intake manifold gasket has to be redone cause it is not sealing well.