ProwlerGT's 3000GT Revival Thread - Start Up

[Nihil]

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

Well for future readers here's some interesting detail on the push-rod:

The summary:
It may be wise to readjust your power booster push-rod cap nut +/- every 50k miles depending on driving habits. It may also be a good practice to put a 7mm nut behind the cap nut so that it does not move in the future thereby eliminating the need for future adjustment after much use.

The details:
That 3/8" I wrote about ... well I believe I've figured out where I lost it. The little cap nut that is the tip of the push-rod that pushes the master cylinder is almost exactly 3/8" long. It is actually about 6.5/16 long which comes to 3.25/8" long.

Whats this mean? Before the fluid in the reservoir moves (top of reservoir off pushing pedal ever so slowly) the pedal travels 3/8" down. The cap nut is adjusted or I should say PUSHED BACK OVER TIME DUE TO USE 3/8" back and thus the delay of braking and loss of ability to use fully available brake power.

Each successive push of the brake pedal moves the cap nut EVER EVER EVER EVER EVER so slightly backwards in a clockwise motion due to sheer forward pushing force. Over many thousands of miles; probably over 60k the cap nut gets far enough back to where it affects the braking performance.

I found this stuff out I went to adjust the cap nut on my old OEM booster which is off the car. The cap nut would not budge at all. It was jammed all the way back and I had to use the vice grip pliers to hold the rear grip portion in place while i turned the cap nut counter-clockwise.

The only thing that bothers me though is if the cap nut is 3/8" long and the brake pedal engages the fluid movement at 3/8" push down then this would mean adjusting the cap nut outward nearly its full length, which I believe would damn near push it right off the end of the push-rod threads. Though on the car vs using the spare I had to work on may make a difference since its all connected up to the pedal etc.. Though I also have to see the back of the master cylinder push plate too and see if it is worn inward though that would've been taken care of during the mc rebuild I do believe.

Idea: A 7mm nut behind the push-rod cap nut tightened good against it may eliminate the need for future adjustment.

I haven't been able to will myself to work on the car yet cause I don't want to set myself up for further disappointment even though I'm confident about this fix, but now having done this on the spare booster I've got some reference experience for doing it on the car.

Go Do IT!! NOW!!! Get this car up n running n over with already! Good luck

[ProwlerGT]

My bad: The cap-nut is physically part of the threaded push rod that engages the mc. I had thought the cap-nut came off, but it does not. So my idea of using a lil nut to hold the cap-nut in place assuming the cap-nut was separate from the threaded part won't work. What about thread locker? Is that a bad idea to use in this instance?

[Nihil]

Originally Posted by ProwlerGT

My bad: The cap-nut is physically part of the threaded push rod that engages the mc. I had thought the cap-nut came off, but it does not. So my idea of using a lil nut to hold the cap-nut in place assuming the cap-nut was separate from the threaded part won't work. What about thread locker? Is that a bad idea to use in this instance?

Just adjust it properly and see if it fixes your problem........and know that after about 5 years you might have to maintenance it.......like everything else

Just fix yer car, man!

[ProwlerGT]

Spent what turned out to be all of last night (all AM hours till 6am) adjusting the push-rod, cleaning my mas (then a wonderful fight at the very end with the connector/harness that refused to stay clipped together), and finally bleeding the brakes.

I started bleeding without the car on cause I have no ABS, but later I realized the booster makes it hard for you. I guess I wasn't thinking though and could've pulled the vac line off the booster instead of starting the car. That would've been a much better way since I had the garage all nice and A/C'd and now we're getting our wonderful 80%+ humidity days and nights here. I finally realized that due to not having a good seal between the bleeder hose and the bleeder valve I was getting on the spot air coming into the line so I'd try to press the bleeder hose as hard as I could till all I saw was tiny tiny tiny bubbles to no bubbles. That was the best I could get it.

After all that time I think the brakes are going to work wonderfully as just pulling back and forth in the garage it now seems to have that DEAD stop stopping power that I have been missing for way too long. I could not however go take it for a test drive yet as my broke ass van is parked behind the garage on ramps and today I have to take an exhaust pipe in somewhere for a custom weld job. It is probably better I drive it later today anyway because I have not had any sleep.

I hope cleaning the MAS does something GOOD. It did not look at all dirty (used flashlight) like the one on my van did. Though the Mitsu one seems to be designed such that debris would not touch/hit the element. We'll see. Going to sleep now at 7 AM !!!!

OH yes how could I forget...... BLESS MY SISTER FOR HELPING ME BLEED THE BRAKES SINCE FOR WHATEVER REASON THE SPEED BLEEDER GODS HAVE CHOSEN TO OPT ME OUT OF BEING ELIGIBLE FOR USING THEM!!! My sister was a huge help. The speed bleeders I ordered from 3SX simply got their threads ruined on the new calipers. I have a feeling though that whoever remanned these calipers screwed up the rethreading. BLESS MY SISTER! I should treat her out to eat!

NIght... morning... good day... however you wanna look at it.

[ProwlerGT]

I took the car out for a "real drive" last night. I must say it was very very nice to be driving it again and I enjoyed it very much. Just listening to my cd-player in-car was great. I was however reminded of the problem that plagues our cars... the radio reception is awful. I have a 3rd party antenna and its never been right since. The OEM antenna works the best with the exception of the plastic teeth band that eventually falls apart. I may put the OEM one back in one day.

The brakes still drag though braking is much much improved. Nearly like new. I was hoping that driving all over (interstate included) would take the rust and other settlement off the pads/rotors and that I'd not hear the dragging anymore, but no such luck. I also am hearing this moderately noticeable metal contraction at the front driver wheel. Can't figure out what it is, but maybe thats the only wheel dragging. Dunno. Haven't had time to diagnose.

I was wondering..... since I adjusted the push-rod..... should I have also retracted all of the pistons in the calipers too .... to reset the pistons and suction action?

IDLE speed is amazingly stable. It doesn't even seem to change from 750 DEAD ON when I turn on the a/c or turn the wheel. Hope thats not a blessing in disguise though. Maybe I should check on IAC counts and do a datalog.

Ksports - This is the first time I have had a chance to really feel the Ksports in action all over town and interstate and I really have to say it makes me very uncomfortable and most especially in neighborhoods and parking lots. Its ridiculous. I feel like I'm riding on a steel platter. There is almost zero absorption of bumps. It is very clear to me now that my agenda for wanting a "daily driver" is quite different than wanting a car for "racing" at the drags or wherever. I did so much research on the Ksports too before getting them and everyone said how great they were, but I believe now my error was that everyone was beefing up for racing. In a daily driver I don't need headaches and stomach aches from being jostled around like a bean in a plate. LOL - Its just a little ridiculous. I MIGHT get used to them..... MIGHT - going to see how it goes for a lil more driving, but currently I'm thinking I will ultimately switch back to stockers.

A/C - While driving its been good. At idle the a/c rumbles the vehicle. I am wondering if I have the belt too tight. Not sure though. I just think its time for the compressor to go. That cleaning and oiling up of the a/c clutch I did seemed to help it a lot for running without getting stuck so that might hopefully buy me summer usage out of it before having to do anything with it again.

Steering rack and tie rod ends - still needs to be done. Dunno whether I want to do alignment or not till I decide about going back to stock shocks/struts.

Electrical ignition switch - Needs to be done yet.

To me there still seems to be a bog down (slightly) when I hit the gas, but this very well may be how the car has always been due to the crappy 1st and 2nd gears the ATX got. Though as I had years ago, I've learned to live with it.

Another day another bolt turned.