51:23: Opens door, car stops running. 54:19: Door is closed, car starts. 57:08: Door is open, car doesn't start again. 1:00:08 Door open or door closed? I'm betting door closed. Makes me wonder if it has an interrupt on the ignition or an immobilizer for theft protection. Do these cars have a factory theft protection system?
@@maddogbarfog2492 I'm pretty sure we all agree they're not supposed to do that, but ya gotta wonder if some owner along the way installed an aftermarket anti-theft system or something has corroded in a factory system. Or heck, maybe it's an ignition grounding issue that's connected to some wire in the door jamb that's broken. The important thing to do is figure out if it is indeed related/triggered by the door being open or closed.
“Avoid breathing break dust” correct. Especially if you are doing the breaks/clutch on an old car. There is very likely asbestos in the friction material. It’s a good idea to mask up if you don’t know how old they are.
There is asbestos in the new pads as well its just that its in smaller quantities. Asbestos free brakes made in china mean they are completely made of asbestos
The amount of knowledge you gained and shared on this car FAR exceeds a price. Thanks for actually being a channel to recommend to young people to learn from.
I love drum brakes. If you live in the city, slow speed traffic, they will put you through the windshield every single time. Also the feedback on the pedal is more my liking than squishy disc brakes of the era.
@@LynxStarAuto huh? I have ABS with all 4 rotors and pads no drum brakes and I brake super fast. Not squishy or messed up. Maybe just find the right car?
@Dr Evil Drums are great! Until they get heat-soaked. They just can't cool like disks do. It's also way easier to incorporate a cable e-brake into a drum, which is probably why we saw so many front-disk-only cars in the 80s-2000s. Even most of the new 4-wheel-disk cars use a small, integrated drum as an e-brake.
So I work at a junkyard yard in northern Michigian and awhile back we got a 1984 Buick Rivera with 49xxx miles on it, which it looks to be in decent shape for a northern car, so instead of crushing it I decided to save it, basically just needed some fuel and brake lines, which is why it made it to our junkyard, within 15 mins of tinkering and just remembering what your videos, and TH-camers have put out,I was able to get it running and driving around the junkyard, which it actually drives surprisingly well. Thanks to you guys I was able to save a piece of history and just made me feel accomplished of saving a vehicle rather that stripping it down to nothing and crushing it, keep up the positive and great work you and mook put out there.
The other beautiful thing about these: The entire breaking system and most of the front suspension is the same as a 2WD S10, so brake parts are always available.
I appreciate your honest commentary. A family member bought the diesel and had to rebuild it 2 times before it was total. I think that accident was such a blessing.
Just wanted to say, you gave me the confidence to buy two 80s cars, one with a good body and one with an engine that turned but didn't turned on, they got here today and I managed to make the engine start thanks to your carburetor basics video, and all the troubleshooting learned watching your videos. Man does it feel incredible to hear an engine roar after working on it for a couple of hours. Thank you so much for teaching and entertaining me. For those curious both cars are Ford Escort Pamperito's, It's a 1.6L with a Weber 2 barrel carburetor, I think its 95HP
In my opinion, I think you did alright on the wheel bearings, but if I remember from assembling GM bearings in the factory, we tightened to zero play and then backed off a quarter turn. I also just generally enjoy all of your content, but that being said...antiseize does NOT belong on any brakes or brake parts. you should be using bearing grease on the slide pins and proper brake lube on the pads and/or hardware sliding surfaces.
When he reused the old bearing races I just about screamed at the tv. It might be ok IF and I mean IF the races are perfectly smooth and have no change in shape. And I agree, "preloading" a bearing is tightening down to seat the bearings, then backing off a 1/4 turn to allow for heat expansion during use. No torque is required. More to your point, you also dont want to use bearing grease on rubber brake pin seals (in particular) due to the petroleum destroys rubber. Silicone based grease only.. and antisieze isnt a good idea on brakes.
@@jemtec1 I don't think he reused old races, they were new that come pre installed in the new rotors. Oh, and it's not likely the "rubber" seal on the brake pins is actually a natural rubber, and using the normal brake parts silicone grease on the pins is really more like using glue almost guaranteeing that the pins stop sliding ruining the pads and rotors.
@@Dalejrandsr88 the only place antisieze should be used in brakes is on the adjuster screw for drum brakes. Glad you've never had a problem with it, but because of it's consistency it collects more of the dust and dirt and gums up sliders and pins. You should be using a good axle grease for the slide pins and silicone based brake lube on all the the pinch points and slider hardware.
They had that module in stock because GM used it on a metric ton of cars from the early/mid 80s to the mid 90s. Had that exact ignition module/coil setup on a 91 olds 98
Bearings and races are all made with laser measurements. Everyone is exactly the same. Just like you can’t by a matched set of belts because there all exactly the same length . You just buy two off the hook.
@@robertbak4108 so, this is your current job to make these things? Because they used to be machined to fit. Also none of them are exactly the same. It's almost physically impossible, thus the reason for tolerances to allow for the small differences that are unavoidable.
@@robertbak4108 on large machinery with multiple belts on one pulley, you need to make sure all the belts come from the same batch. The size differences can be surprising.
Those plastic bearings are just how those particular bearings are. I've been selling them 20 years they work fine....should have showed the short cut to remove the inner bearing and seal. Take out outer bearing thread the nut back on the spindle and give the rotor a pull. It leaves the inner bearing and seal on the spindle and most of the time it doesn't even damage the seal.
Did it Thursday on a dodge w250. Owner watched me and about had a heart attack. When I showed him how easy it made getting the seal out he was amazed, he'd never seen it done that way
Thank you Kevin, for the Brake tutorial. very detailed and informative! And thanks for the warning on Grand Nationals. In 1986 I was 16. And those cars were the holy Grail of modern sports cars. my brother had a V8 G.N. It was WAY too fast, and WAY too expensive, so he didn't keep it long. Although, it really seems like the G.M designers/engineers....(.nothing against engineers of course....wink wink) were just flexing their muscles and jus added a bunch of (at the time) the top of automotive technology.....like the IROC....but back on the ranch great video, keep.em com'n.
That is why I absolutely do not touch rear brakes if they are shoes! I hate those springs, and even though I have done dozens upon dozens of brake shoes, I just...hate them!
Been there, done that. When you get into some of these older cars that you need to make reliable, you will often touch many of the systems. It's a slippery slope, but it feels good when you get it right. Keep up the good work Kevin!
Kudos to you showing all the work not just the sexy shiny stuff Sir! AND helping to bring back another GN to delivering smiles and memories! Intermittent issues, every wrenches FAVORITE situation to diagnose! Ugh
I feel your pain when it comes to the ignition system. I have a Saab 9000 from 1990, and literally spent five years chasing down a check engine problem. We would diagnose, find a problem, repair that problem, Drive for a few weeks, and the check engine light would come back on. This went on for five years… I finally took it to a car electrician, and he pretty much rewired the entire engine bay. That was three years ago, and we still hold our breath when starting the car.
The reason for a hydro-boost system is...(wait for it)... BOOST! A turbo engine doesn't have vacuum all the time, meaning the vacuum booster won't be able to assist breaking when the turbo is boosting the engine, hence why the hydro-boost.(lose vacuum , lose boost for the breaks) This system is also used on 3/4 ton and heavier GM gas and diesel trucks and vans with hydraulic breaks and works well when properly maintained. Also I just want to blame one thing, IT'S A DAMN BUICK!
I know where there's a museum-quality Grand National the guy keeps it in his barn it literally still has the plastic on the carpets and seats he pulls it out four times a year drives it 10 miles and parks in back in his barn. I tried to get him to sell it to me but he doesn't want to sell it yet but he told me when he does I have first crack at it
@@JunkyardDigs I already have but see where you find those cars hard to work on I find them super easy because that's what I grew up working on. But if I get my hands on that car I'm driving the hell out of it
This channel is VERY different from the other auto channels. There is no hype drama, theatrics. Mr. Digs is very conscientious in explaining, teaching, reminding all of his knowledge and processes. The host is clearly a very special person with a talent to nurture others. Thank you Sir for your work!!!
15:25 running a wire wheel around the corner where the axle goes through the drum can help a lot with getting them to come apart at this point. Especially if there is a mess there from corroded aluminum wheels
H iigh.school my friend had one remember tearing it up on the street against Adodge 440 Gt x good Times My 65 tempest couldn't keep up with 326 the Grand national should been producing cars for. More years
Cool tip... if you are having a heat related run one-run issue you can use canned air (keyboard duster) to cool down individual components to pinpoint the problem.
When removing brake drums, remember to back off the shoe adjustment first. The shoes usually stick to the drums, which was the problem on your car. Backing off the adjustment often helps.
If you soak the adjuster in penetrating oil, you can usually get it moving. If you can move the adjuster and pull the shoes back, even a little, your chances of getting the drum off improve a lot. I've been a mechanic for 45 years :)
Thank you for knowing and demonstrating that a lot of the drum sticking is the lugs/hub. This set here was pretty brutal, but I’ve had a lot of success just working the lugs. It was a revelation when I learned that.
To keep your tripods more steady in windy conditions I like to tie a 15lb dumbell to some paracord and tie it off to the lanyard ring. Most tripods have them near where the base starts. The weight should hang quite low to the ground for best results.
I've wanted one of these for so long. The people that own them do not want to come off of them, and I can't blame them one bit. Love watching you work on this.
This video series reminded me of 2 things: 1) Remined me of why these were called "Junk Nationals" back in the day, 2) Reminded me of why so many 1970s cars were bought on the secondary market during the 1980s. Keep up the great work.
Except for using new bearings with unmatched races. Never do this. Or the countless broken or bent pushrods from starting "revival" engines with brake clean. Or not knowing how to prime the oil pump of a Buick V8. Take what you see on this channel with a grain of salt.
@@upscaleshack I cringed through the most of this video. It's clear that Kevin isn't as familiar with drum brakes as he'd like his audience to believe. He also completely skipped the wheel cylinder R&R. Unlike most other cars and trucks, the wheel cylinders on these cars are held in by a spring clip. Removing and installing the clip can be a real challenge for someone who hasn't done it before, but it's easy once you know how it's done. None of that was shown. Also, he failed to point out that the length of the brake lining (the friction material) on the primary shoe is shorter than the lining on the secondary shoe, and that the primary shoe is installed always installed towards the front of the car. He also did the entire job the hard way.
I wonder if the "plug" 22 round was to reduce boost (makeshift power regulalator) when his daughter was driving it? People do crazy random stuff sometimes lol.
My grandpa had his eyeball cut and lost his vision from a brake spring. He always told me to wear safety glasses and made a huge deal over it when I was a kid. Good advice Kevin 🤘🏻
"I've always just done it by hand." Indeed, you couldn't pack bearings any more by hand if you tried, what with a palm full of grease and all. Love it. This is the way that bearings have been packed since time immemorial. Good job passing on the lore.
Too bad he didn't use the dust cap pliers, brake spring, and brake adjuster tools that I sent him a year or two ago. Those are fairly easy to find at garage sales & flea markets.
Great video as always, you seem to have got Matt from Demolition Ranch’s luck with cameras. I will laugh so hard if it gets to a point where someone says “Hey what camera number was that?” And you say “Shut up! don’t tell Mook!” 😂😂😂👍👍
If you don't need the zoom range of 12-60mm you can find MFT (micro four thirds) lenses in 14-42mm with the same 3.5-5.6 aperture in barrel and pancake style both Olympus and Panasonic. Lumix barrel style is the pick of them all and they're all cheap af and super common as the original basic kit lens Olympus and Panasonic sold with all bodies. They're as low as $20 in Australia.
I think most people watch for tech, see how far a burnout channel goes. Keep up showing the work Kevin, that's the interesting part that inspires people. Wonder if that car was in a flood.
Hang a heavy bag/weight off the bottom of your tripod to weigh it down so it won’t blow over in the wind. A lot of tripods have a hook at the bottom of the centre pole which is there specifically for that purpose. Have done that plenty of times while photographing here in New Zealand. Cheers, Ross
Lada has made drum brakes easy to work on, or at least removing the drum, it has 2 additional holes for bolts which u can use to screw bolts on so the drum comes off by itself, the bolts that you screw into the drum's holes pushes the drum off :)
I don't work on cars or hardly know much about the nitty gritty of how things work on them, so watching Kevin and understanding what he's explaining is very helpful. It also goes to show how good at teaching he is, because if I can understand it then he's explaining it well. Also his examples like hungry hippos while doing the wheel bearings is too notch
Power stop and Hawk Brake pads are both my favorite.. powerstop for drums and calipers for street and Hawk for rotors and drums for heavy braking for racing hawks are great for street as well low dust good video as always Kevin @Junkyard Digs
one thing thats very important, on the rear brakes you will notice that the front shoe is shorter than the rear one. Not sure why Kevin didnt mention that, I did pause the video to type this so maybe he will, If you do what Kevin is saying (and for a back yard mech. its a good idea) do ONE side at a time.
Hey Sir it’s better when you have the brake dics off and spray it wip it down then put it on I’m 16 and my dad is a mechanic for his whole life and I’ve been learning since I was a baby it’s just faster and better for me at least
I used to do the same method for getting grease into a being.. Then the Snap-on Dude showed me this neat being packer... Huge diff and works better and way faster. Another thing I keep seeing is that everyone just replaces Brake rotors and drums when the originals are just fine with a touch on a brake lathe... Older metal is in most cases much better than the cheap Chinese ones you buy
I love your process and the education you share while you get there, I am 65 and have been wrenching since I was 9, My first revival was an atmospheric intake Briggs&Stratton, I got out of the scrape pile at the wrecking yard my Dad worked at. I made it run and Dads boss sold it! A bad day for a kid.
Glad you suggested keeping one side of the rear brakes assembled. That is one of my next projects on my 97 S-10. I had already figured on taking pictures but I will definitely take the advice!
Great Job Kevin, I have been watching you guys for some time now and thought i should comment some appreciation to you for the great vids you do! All the best from the other side of the pond MEC
I love that you made a clear point about the brakes in the beginning. I'm at 2:34 in the video. Brakes are absolutely important to any vehicle that you plan on driving regularly. It's had me in a laughing fit on you last 2 videos on this car when you took out to drive without brakes. Its funny to me because I've done the same thing. When I was younger I always had about 40 dollars in my pocket and nothing more, so when I got a crap car running in my front yard I would go test it. Most of the time I didn't have breaks. As long as 1 wheel out of 4 were stopping somewhat decently I would take it on a test drive. I'm glad that you spent the time to explain brakes and didn't cut it out of this video.
Dude, we are right here with you for it. Your channel is my favorite. You are entertaining and educational and watching you go through the headaches is a learning experience for everyone. Thank you for these videos.
28:55 "they got their money out of this car" thats how i feel about my 107k mile Dakota 5.9 R/T, the body is in good shape, but i feel like they didnt do any maintenance or replace anything.
Kevin cut the keeper pins on the back of the backing plate and that will let the shoes come off with the brake drum! Simple and fast. A trick I learned from My Dad and did this in My repair shop for years.
Pro tip: when dealing with hubbed rotors as on this Grand National, always clean the rotor before assembly, this ensures that all surfaces are cleaned as sometimes the preservatives make their way into the bearing area. Also if your not going to replace the rotors make sure you get the old ones turned with every set of pads.
My first rear brake job was on my 86 Monte Carlo LS with t-tops. You are definitely on point about not completely disassembling both sides at once. I had to use drivers side for reference and going back and forth dozens of times, granted this was 20 years ago without the benefit of a camera phone.
The most effective way that I've found to remove drums (it's just about instant) is to remove both rear wheels and have your car fall off of the jacks. Knocks them right off
@@John_nolan24 I had both the rear wheels off of my roadmaster wagon and I tried to support the car with just 1 cinderblock under the differential. Block broke into pieces and the car fell onto the drums.
Door open interrupt killed the ignition. Late 80's madness right there. good luck to anyone that has issues. you gotta use your key to unlock the door and reset everything.
Since that car is such a disaster, you should name it "Hotblack Desiotto" after the founding member of the Rock group Disaster Area. Anybody who's read Is Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy will understand.
Thanks for doing the detailed tech on the install of the rear brakes Kevin. That said, all I could think about the whole time you were doing the rears was "rear disc conversion"!
I rescued my father's 1963 VW Bug that had been parked outside for at least 20 years. The front right wheel was locked up (drum brakes) so I tried everything you did.. WD-40, hammering with a large ball peen, heating with MAPP gas, prying the drum and nothing. Finally I found a large gear puller and it popped off after a bit of applying and reapplying.. I tried not to destroy the drum because it was the old 5 lug drum and needed to mount the tire. Save yourself and keep a gear puller around for old drum brakes. Time is more valuable than the old drum..
Man. You are killing it! I liked the reference to manscape products and not to mention! Your show is great! No calling parts your own names and so much unnecessary talk around the point of a project
I've lived in Iowa my entire life, I haven't seen a Grand National out in the wild around here since the 90s. Winter road salt absolutely destroys everything here, anything old and cool that has survived likely spent a lot of time hiding in doors or came here fairly recently from elsewhere.
Dude, I really like your video's but there are 2 things about Turbo's, especially "old" Turbo's you should know: 1. carefully build up the operational temperature of the motor: so not just the water temperature, but also the motor oil temperature, which comes to operational temperature after 20 Km's which is 12.5 Miles at an average outside temperature. So the colder it is outside... the longer it will take to proper get your engine oil to get to operational temperature. So jumping into a Turbo driven car and go for high revs intimidate at a cold engine will f@ck up your engine and especially your Turbo. 2. After a drive with a vehicle with a Turbo engine, one should take his/her time to have to cool down and speed down the Turbo, by having the engine idle for at least 5 minutes in park without revving ! Since the Turbo will spin at a huge high rpm's, due to recent high revs of the engine, You will have to avoid to crash your high spinning Turbo due to lack of oil fed...since the engine is off. The Turbo will rev a lot longer, even when you have parked and you have left your car. So getting those Turbo revs down to Idle revs, it will save you your Turbo. The Turbo only will be fed fresh oil when the engine runs...So your Turbo basically in theory can and possibly will run dry and so will crash at high revs when engine does not run. It is therefor very unwise to rev your Turbo engine just before you are to put your engine off and get out your car to go do your thing. Actually revving your engine with Turbo is to be avoided when you are near by the location you are going to, in fact going slow and with low revs the last few miles to your destination will save you your Turbo. We've got a lot of experience with Turbo driven cars here in Europe, and we also have unfortunately enough experience in how to f@ck up a Turbo. These are very expensive lessons I may have to add...
Good advice and applicable to today's turbos as well...I will typically drive the car gently and out of boost when I'm in my neighborhood to avoid point #2. Original turbo at 131,000 miles on my 2011 Mazdaspeed 3.
excellent advice on the rear drum brakes...im a bit older ,and yes how many times you have to check other side of rear breaks make sure every thing is in place...memory wont help..doing few rear drums will help...great advice..love the channel.
Pro tip #2: when working with drum brakes you only anti seize the hub and the space around each lug stud, everywhere else such as the pad bumps you want to use brake grease, the springs that hold the shoes on don’t get anything on them, the adjuster wheel gets brake grease. To get the drum off and it’s being a pain always use sandpaper around the hub then spray it with PB blaster and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and it will come off, if that don’t work use an air hammer around the center and then it should come off.
Thank you for our obligatory Mook visit . We need her laugh and smile . It makes our day . BUT , drum brakes , that is why I'm not a mechanic . My 67 Camaro broke me .
Pretty bad when you already know before he did any diagnosis that it was the regulator in the Alternator that was causing the no charge issue. I've had a bad alternator or two in the past. 😆 P.s. Powerstop definitely makes some good quality OE and OEM+ replacement/upgrades def one of my favorite brands for brake components.
Ladies and gentlemen one bit of advice wear some type of glove. You're dealing with hazardous chemicals and micro steel slivers. If we want to keep turning wrenches into our 50s we have to protect ourselves.
I was surprised it wasn't changed when it only takes a minute to swap, it's leaving a part worn hardened surface, which isn't great, also as it is a different bearing does it have the same angle of incidence as a worn one ? Do different manufacturers have any difference between their products.
Yes! jump cut to fully assembled made me smile. He was trashing that car until that pass had him grinning. Great video, thanks for the brake refresher training.
@@twinkie27271 I didn't have a problem with the tools he used. I've done plenty of sets of drum brakes with nothing more than Vise Grips and a screwdriver. That's less than ideal, but it gets the job done. My problem was with his procedure and the fact that he didn't do a good job of explaining how the system works, and what each individual part does. At the beginning of the video he tells us that he actually *likes* doing drum brakes. He then goes on to do the job the most difficult way possible, and he totally skips the wheel cylinder R&R.
Back in the day I worked for a large Michigan dealership that sold the Grand National. They had 4 of the GNX models. Drove a couple of those to the Detroit auto show. Was a great experience!
Thanks to MANSCAPED for sponsoring today’s video! Get 20% OFF + Free International Shipping with my link manscaped.com/JunkyardDigs
Manscaped is great
Ok
My wife thanx you
pro tip cut the retainer pins from back of drums the brakes will fall aparts and drums will just fall off as they be nouthing to hold them
Got 100 octane?
Turn it up!
🚗💨
51:23: Opens door, car stops running. 54:19: Door is closed, car starts. 57:08: Door is open, car doesn't start again. 1:00:08 Door open or door closed? I'm betting door closed. Makes me wonder if it has an interrupt on the ignition or an immobilizer for theft protection. Do these cars have a factory theft protection system?
Mine didn’t do that.
@@maddogbarfog2492 I'm pretty sure we all agree they're not supposed to do that, but ya gotta wonder if some owner along the way installed an aftermarket anti-theft system or something has corroded in a factory system. Or heck, maybe it's an ignition grounding issue that's connected to some wire in the door jamb that's broken. The important thing to do is figure out if it is indeed related/triggered by the door being open or closed.
The alarm system was an option. I owned my 87 for 22 yrs.
My thoughts too
Omg, that's a good catch
“Avoid breathing break dust” correct. Especially if you are doing the breaks/clutch on an old car. There is very likely asbestos in the friction material. It’s a good idea to mask up if you don’t know how old they are.
Totally agree...also probably a good idea to mask up when cleaning out rodent infestations as well.
Brake.
@@totalyep ha ha I can’t believe I let that by.
Kampfmesser it happens. I’m no scholar. Totally agree with your comment.
There is asbestos in the new pads as well its just that its in smaller quantities. Asbestos free brakes made in china mean they are completely made of asbestos
I'm glad to see someone teaching the old school bearing grease packing method. I learned it in high school auto shop back in 1999. never failed me.
Same. Process I learned in 1979 lol
Old school...1999.... Holy shit
@@1mandanceparty still the old school method.
I got taught this two months ago in tech school and two years ago in high school shop class lol hardly old school
@@bongoms They used this same damn process for decades, definitely old school if I ever heard it
The amount of knowledge you gained and shared on this car FAR exceeds a price. Thanks for actually being a channel to recommend to young people to learn from.
Kevin: I actually like doing drum brakes.
Narrator: Seventy two hours later.......
drum brakes are simple if you have a mind lol
I love drum brakes. If you live in the city, slow speed traffic, they will put you through the windshield every single time. Also the feedback on the pedal is more my liking than squishy disc brakes of the era.
@@LynxStarAuto huh? I have ABS with all 4 rotors and pads no drum brakes and I brake super fast. Not squishy or messed up. Maybe just find the right car?
@Dr Evil Drums are great! Until they get heat-soaked. They just can't cool like disks do. It's also way easier to incorporate a cable e-brake into a drum, which is probably why we saw so many front-disk-only cars in the 80s-2000s. Even most of the new 4-wheel-disk cars use a small, integrated drum as an e-brake.
Surprisingly the one time i worked on drum brakes, they came off themselves
So I work at a junkyard yard in northern Michigian and awhile back we got a 1984 Buick Rivera with 49xxx miles on it, which it looks to be in decent shape for a northern car, so instead of crushing it I decided to save it, basically just needed some fuel and brake lines, which is why it made it to our junkyard, within 15 mins of tinkering and just remembering what your videos, and TH-camers have put out,I was able to get it running and driving around the junkyard, which it actually drives surprisingly well. Thanks to you guys I was able to save a piece of history and just made me feel accomplished of saving a vehicle rather that stripping it down to nothing and crushing it, keep up the positive and great work you and mook put out there.
The other beautiful thing about these:
The entire breaking system and most of the front suspension is the same as a 2WD S10, so brake parts are always available.
I thought a lot of it looked similar, currently rebuilding a RWD 88 s10 blazer myself
The real magic is that there is ENORMOUS aftermarket support. You can build a G body into anything you can imagine.
@@LynxStarAuto Very much so
@working_country ___ i would a put blazer calipers on there duel piston and blazer spindles cuz they take a hub and not a rotor with a bearing
@@LynxStarAuto That's the reason that even though I'm not a fan of the looks, I'd still like to have one. Fabulous aftermarket support!
I appreciate your honest commentary. A family member bought the diesel and had to rebuild it 2 times before it was total. I think that accident was such a blessing.
Just wanted to say, you gave me the confidence to buy two 80s cars, one with a good body and one with an engine that turned but didn't turned on, they got here today and I managed to make the engine start thanks to your carburetor basics video, and all the troubleshooting learned watching your videos. Man does it feel incredible to hear an engine roar after working on it for a couple of hours. Thank you so much for teaching and entertaining me. For those curious both cars are Ford Escort Pamperito's, It's a 1.6L with a Weber 2 barrel carburetor, I think its 95HP
Pamperito?
In my opinion, I think you did alright on the wheel bearings, but if I remember from assembling GM bearings in the factory, we tightened to zero play and then backed off a quarter turn. I also just generally enjoy all of your content, but that being said...antiseize does NOT belong on any brakes or brake parts. you should be using bearing grease on the slide pins and proper brake lube on the pads and/or hardware sliding surfaces.
When he reused the old bearing races I just about screamed at the tv.
It might be ok IF and I mean IF the races are perfectly smooth and have no change in shape.
And I agree, "preloading" a bearing is tightening down to seat the bearings, then backing off a 1/4 turn to allow for heat expansion during use.
No torque is required.
More to your point, you also dont want to use bearing grease on rubber brake pin seals (in particular) due to the petroleum destroys rubber.
Silicone based grease only.. and antisieze isnt a good idea on brakes.
@@jemtec1 I don't think he reused old races, they were new that come pre installed in the new rotors.
Oh, and it's not likely the "rubber" seal on the brake pins is actually a natural rubber, and using the normal brake parts silicone grease on the pins is really more like using glue almost guaranteeing that the pins stop sliding ruining the pads and rotors.
@@jemtec1 I agree. Silicone based caliper grease is what should be used.
Never had any issues using antiseize on brake parts
@@Dalejrandsr88 the only place antisieze should be used in brakes is on the adjuster screw for drum brakes. Glad you've never had a problem with it, but because of it's consistency it collects more of the dust and dirt and gums up sliders and pins. You should be using a good axle grease for the slide pins and silicone based brake lube on all the the pinch points and slider hardware.
Over an hour of JYD goodness! Hell Yeah!!
They had that module in stock because GM used it on a metric ton of cars from the early/mid 80s to the mid 90s. Had that exact ignition module/coil setup on a 91 olds 98
Bearing and races are actually machined as a set you should use the race the bearing came with not the generic race installed in the new rotors.
agreed
Bearings and races are all made with laser measurements. Everyone is exactly the same. Just like you can’t by a matched set of belts because there all exactly the same length . You just buy two off the hook.
@@robertbak4108 so, this is your current job to make these things? Because they used to be machined to fit. Also none of them are exactly the same. It's almost physically impossible, thus the reason for tolerances to allow for the small differences that are unavoidable.
@@robertbak4108 You could be in for a hell of a repair bill if you start mixing random belts and bearings.
@@robertbak4108 on large machinery with multiple belts on one pulley, you need to make sure all the belts come from the same batch. The size differences can be surprising.
I watch quite a few podcasts, but Kevin is definitely one of my favorite ad readers. I skip plenty of ads , but not here at Junkyard Digs.
Those plastic bearings are just how those particular bearings are. I've been selling them 20 years they work fine....should have showed the short cut to remove the inner bearing and seal. Take out outer bearing thread the nut back on the spindle and give the rotor a pull. It leaves the inner bearing and seal on the spindle and most of the time it doesn't even damage the seal.
Yes I just left a comment about that. Been doing it for every wheel bearing even on trailers it works great!
Did it Thursday on a dodge w250. Owner watched me and about had a heart attack. When I showed him how easy it made getting the seal out he was amazed, he'd never seen it done that way
Thank you Kevin, for the Brake tutorial. very detailed and informative! And thanks for the warning on Grand Nationals. In 1986 I was 16. And those cars were the holy Grail of modern sports cars. my brother had a V8 G.N. It was WAY too fast, and WAY too expensive, so he didn't keep it long. Although, it really seems like the G.M designers/engineers....(.nothing against engineers of course....wink wink) were just flexing their muscles and jus added a bunch of (at the time) the top of automotive technology.....like the IROC....but back on the ranch great video, keep.em com'n.
Thank you for the emphasis on safety glasses doing brakes especially. My ex's dad was a mechanic and lost an eye when a brake spring went flying.
That is why I absolutely do not touch rear brakes if they are shoes! I hate those springs, and even though I have done dozens upon dozens of brake shoes, I just...hate them!
Been there, done that. When you get into some of these older cars that you need to make reliable, you will often touch many of the systems. It's a slippery slope, but it feels good when you get it right. Keep up the good work Kevin!
It truly breaks my heart to see this Grand National in this condition. This is one of my cars that I’ve always wanted 😟
If you use a pair of side cutters you can cut retaining nails. It. Will help with. Really stubborn shoes
Kudos to you showing all the work not just the sexy shiny stuff Sir! AND helping to bring back another GN to delivering smiles and memories!
Intermittent issues, every wrenches FAVORITE situation to diagnose! Ugh
I feel your pain when it comes to the ignition system. I have a Saab 9000 from 1990, and literally spent five years chasing down a check engine problem. We would diagnose, find a problem, repair that problem, Drive for a few weeks, and the check engine light would come back on. This went on for five years… I finally took it to a car electrician, and he pretty much rewired the entire engine bay. That was three years ago, and we still hold our breath when starting the car.
You could have put some tape over the check engine light and there you go fixed
my 01 holden rodeo has has a check engine light from when we got it as we changed the immobiliser and we just removed the light
@itsdagas8187 not on a saab. Engine light means limp home boost. And the 9000s were alot of fun when you could hit full boost. Base boost is meh.
Thank you for giving this car some love! They are fast cars and this one shows some major wear.
Cool! You got the Vortex Buick info from my site. Shout out to Buick Guru Steve Wood for writing that doc you used.
Great video. Keep doing g-bodies. We all love them. Brian is a blessing to the g-body community as well. Keep it up.
The reason for a hydro-boost system is...(wait for it)... BOOST! A turbo engine doesn't have vacuum all the time, meaning the vacuum booster won't be able to assist breaking when the turbo is boosting the engine, hence why the hydro-boost.(lose vacuum , lose boost for the breaks) This system is also used on 3/4 ton and heavier GM gas and diesel trucks and vans with hydraulic breaks and works well when properly maintained. Also I just want to blame one thing, IT'S A DAMN BUICK!
I know where there's a museum-quality Grand National the guy keeps it in his barn it literally still has the plastic on the carpets and seats he pulls it out four times a year drives it 10 miles and parks in back in his barn. I tried to get him to sell it to me but he doesn't want to sell it yet but he told me when he does I have first crack at it
Start collecting forum articles now 😂
@@JunkyardDigs Muesum-quality?! Yeah no, that's too nice to drive imo
@@JunkyardDigs I already have but see where you find those cars hard to work on I find them super easy because that's what I grew up working on. But if I get my hands on that car I'm driving the hell out of it
This channel is VERY different from the other auto channels. There is no hype drama, theatrics. Mr. Digs is very conscientious in explaining, teaching, reminding all of his knowledge and processes. The host is clearly a very special person with a talent to nurture others. Thank you Sir for your work!!!
15:25 running a wire wheel around the corner where the axle goes through the drum can help a lot with getting them to come apart at this point. Especially if there is a mess there from corroded aluminum wheels
55:30 - "The engine never had a problem, everything attached to it did" You're basically describing every GM ever made
Dude.... When you said this was a big pile of $h!t with a turbo I died laughing!!! Someone finally said it!!! Thank you!!!
H iigh.school my friend had one remember tearing it up on the street against Adodge 440 Gt x good Times My 65 tempest couldn't keep up with 326 the Grand national should been producing cars for. More years
Hey Randy well said 😂
Stick to your own rubbish channel
@@moroniconner7500 no thanks
Truth lol..
Cool tip... if you are having a heat related run one-run issue you can use canned air (keyboard duster) to cool down individual components to pinpoint the problem.
When removing brake drums, remember to back off the shoe adjustment first. The shoes usually stick to the drums, which was the problem on your car. Backing off the adjustment often helps.
That Will never work when the shoes Are stuck
That tiny adjuster wheels teeth are gonna give before anything rusted together
bruh he said that in the video but explained that on stuff this old that adjuster almost never works
He explained why he didnt use the adjuster in the video if you actually watched it.
If you soak the adjuster in penetrating oil, you can usually get it moving. If you can move the adjuster and pull the shoes back, even a little, your chances of getting the drum off improve a lot. I've been a mechanic for 45 years :)
Thank you for knowing and demonstrating that a lot of the drum sticking is the lugs/hub. This set here was pretty brutal, but I’ve had a lot of success just working the lugs. It was a revelation when I learned that.
To keep your tripods more steady in windy conditions I like to tie a 15lb dumbell to some paracord and tie it off to the lanyard ring. Most tripods have them near where the base starts. The weight should hang quite low to the ground for best results.
I hang my engine polling chain from the hook on the tripod center column. No joke.
I've wanted one of these for so long. The people that own them do not want to come off of them, and I can't blame them one bit. Love watching you work on this.
I got good laugh out of Mook being spotted. It’s like she’s playing “Where’s Waldo” 🤣
“Where’s Mook?”
This video series reminded me of 2 things: 1) Remined me of why these were called "Junk Nationals" back in the day, 2) Reminded me of why so many 1970s cars were bought on the secondary market during the 1980s. Keep up the great work.
Kev is such a awesome automotive teacher.
I’m learning a lot about cars from watching
except for antiseize on brakes! lol
Except for using new bearings with unmatched races. Never do this. Or the countless broken or bent pushrods from starting "revival" engines with brake clean. Or not knowing how to prime the oil pump of a Buick V8. Take what you see on this channel with a grain of salt.
@@upscaleshack I cringed through the most of this video. It's clear that Kevin isn't as familiar with drum brakes as he'd like his audience to believe. He also completely skipped the wheel cylinder R&R. Unlike most other cars and trucks, the wheel cylinders on these cars are held in by a spring clip. Removing and installing the clip can be a real challenge for someone who hasn't done it before, but it's easy once you know how it's done. None of that was shown. Also, he failed to point out that the length of the brake lining (the friction material) on the primary shoe is shorter than the lining on the secondary shoe, and that the primary shoe is installed always installed towards the front of the car. He also did the entire job the hard way.
@@upscaleshack Or even trying to bend pushrods back into shape
I wonder if the "plug" 22 round was to reduce boost (makeshift power regulalator) when his daughter was driving it? People do crazy random stuff sometimes lol.
3 cameras? I’m betting it’s either the return of the Angus or the start of junkyard Jesse. Either way I’ll be happy
My grandpa had his eyeball cut and lost his vision from a brake spring. He always told me to wear safety glasses and made a huge deal over it when I was a kid. Good advice Kevin 🤘🏻
"I've always just done it by hand." Indeed, you couldn't pack bearings any more by hand if you tried, what with a palm full of grease and all. Love it.
This is the way that bearings have been packed since time immemorial. Good job passing on the lore.
Too bad he didn't use the dust cap pliers, brake spring, and brake adjuster tools that I sent him a year or two ago. Those are fairly easy to find at garage sales & flea markets.
Thank you for making this educational as well as entertaining. I learn from you, and really enjoy the diagnostics.
Great video as always, you seem to have got Matt from Demolition Ranch’s luck with cameras. I will laugh so hard if it gets to a point where someone says “Hey what camera number was that?” And you say “Shut up! don’t tell Mook!” 😂😂😂👍👍
If you don't need the zoom range of 12-60mm you can find MFT (micro four thirds) lenses in 14-42mm with the same 3.5-5.6 aperture in barrel and pancake style both Olympus and Panasonic. Lumix barrel style is the pick of them all and they're all cheap af and super common as the original basic kit lens Olympus and Panasonic sold with all bodies. They're as low as $20 in Australia.
Of the many times we've seen a can of brake clean in Kevin's hand this is among the few where it was used for its intended purpose
I think most people watch for tech, see how far a burnout channel goes. Keep up showing the work Kevin, that's the interesting part that inspires people. Wonder if that car was in a flood.
Hang a heavy bag/weight off the bottom of your tripod to weigh it down so it won’t blow over in the wind. A lot of tripods have a hook at the bottom of the centre pole which is there specifically for that purpose. Have done that plenty of times while photographing here in New Zealand. Cheers, Ross
Lada has made drum brakes easy to work on, or at least removing the drum, it has 2 additional holes for bolts which u can use to screw bolts on so the drum comes off by itself, the bolts that you screw into the drum's holes pushes the drum off :)
I don't work on cars or hardly know much about the nitty gritty of how things work on them, so watching Kevin and understanding what he's explaining is very helpful. It also goes to show how good at teaching he is, because if I can understand it then he's explaining it well. Also his examples like hungry hippos while doing the wheel bearings is too notch
Been waiting to see the Grand National back on the channel!
1 year later I bought a 97 Grand National and a 87 Monte Carlo SS. Crazy what a difference a year makes!
Power stop and Hawk Brake pads are both my favorite.. powerstop for drums and calipers for street and Hawk for rotors and drums for heavy braking for racing hawks are great for street as well low dust good video as always Kevin @Junkyard Digs
Circle track racing we would put hawks on the left side and worn out oem on the right. Everyday drivers I switched to powerstop 6 or so years ago.
@@Vamp_Tepez that's some cool information 😎
Hawk pads have alot of brake dust .
@@stevenmaines9114 depends on the version of pad you use
@@AntonioClaudioMichael its all of them lol . That wat on my mustang and iv had them all butnthe track ones
one thing thats very important, on the rear brakes you will notice that the front shoe is shorter than the rear one. Not sure why Kevin didnt mention that, I did pause the video to type this so maybe he will, If you do what Kevin is saying (and for a back yard mech. its a good idea) do ONE side at a time.
He said on the GN they are both the same. Same part number. No difference.
Damn I was wondering where the Grand National went. Definitely a cook ride to 🔧 on.
@@samilahhoahoe5125 babi jurl?
What are you doinggggg???
@@jasonw7497
🤔
Hey Sir it’s better when you have the brake dics off and spray it wip it down then put it on I’m 16 and my dad is a mechanic for his whole life and I’ve been learning since I was a baby it’s just faster and better for me at least
I used to do the same method for getting grease into a being.. Then the Snap-on Dude showed me this neat being packer... Huge diff and works better and way faster. Another thing I keep seeing is that everyone just replaces Brake rotors and drums when the originals are just fine with a touch on a brake lathe... Older metal is in most cases much better than the cheap Chinese ones you buy
I love your process and the education you share while you get there, I am 65 and have been wrenching since I was 9, My first revival was an atmospheric intake Briggs&Stratton, I got out of the scrape pile at the wrecking yard my Dad worked at. I made it run and Dads boss sold it! A bad day for a kid.
You are doing a fantastic job. Keep it up Kevin.
Glad you suggested keeping one side of the rear brakes assembled. That is one of my next projects on my 97 S-10. I had already figured on taking pictures but I will definitely take the advice!
I would just like to thank you for getting me into cars and teaching me about them, oh and nice car 🤘🇺🇸
You can just turn the lens in and they’ll send a replacement but as for the tripod don’t use that kind when in that type of environment
Great Job Kevin, I have been watching you guys for some time now and thought i should comment some appreciation to you for the great vids you do! All the best from the other side of the pond
MEC
I love that you made a clear point about the brakes in the beginning. I'm at 2:34 in the video. Brakes are absolutely important to any vehicle that you plan on driving regularly. It's had me in a laughing fit on you last 2 videos on this car when you took out to drive without brakes. Its funny to me because I've done the same thing. When I was younger I always had about 40 dollars in my pocket and nothing more, so when I got a crap car running in my front yard I would go test it. Most of the time I didn't have breaks. As long as 1 wheel out of 4 were stopping somewhat decently I would take it on a test drive. I'm glad that you spent the time to explain brakes and didn't cut it out of this video.
Well done my friend. Excellent job bringing life back in to this old car. Hey Mook
Dude, we are right here with you for it. Your channel is my favorite. You are entertaining and educational and watching you go through the headaches is a learning experience for everyone. Thank you for these videos.
28:55 "they got their money out of this car" thats how i feel about my 107k mile Dakota 5.9 R/T, the body is in good shape, but i feel like they didnt do any maintenance or replace anything.
Kevin cut the keeper pins on the back of the backing plate and that will let the shoes come off with the brake drum! Simple and fast. A trick I learned from My Dad and did this in My repair shop for years.
Pro tip: when dealing with hubbed rotors as on this Grand National, always clean the rotor before assembly, this ensures that all surfaces are cleaned as sometimes the preservatives make their way into the bearing area. Also if your not going to replace the rotors make sure you get the old ones turned with every set of pads.
My first rear brake job was on my 86 Monte Carlo LS with t-tops. You are definitely on point about not completely disassembling both sides at once. I had to use drivers side for reference and going back and forth dozens of times, granted this was 20 years ago without the benefit of a camera phone.
The most effective way that I've found to remove drums (it's just about instant) is to remove both rear wheels and have your car fall off of the jacks. Knocks them right off
Up here in the north you wouldn't have a car left!
Where are you what is it what is your thing like that
@@John_nolan24 I had both the rear wheels off of my roadmaster wagon and I tried to support the car with just 1 cinderblock under the differential. Block broke into pieces and the car fell onto the drums.
@@themagicboy6548 hopefully you learned something.
Door open interrupt killed the ignition. Late 80's madness right there. good luck to anyone that has issues. you gotta use your key to unlock the door and reset everything.
When I did the front brakes on my 86 Grand Prix a couple years ago the bearing carriers weren't plastic. I guess it depends on the manufacturer.
Kevin, one thing I do is leave the springs on the old shoes, it makes it easier to put the new springs in, great video. Thanks.
"Safety Third" Mike Rowe would be proud.
Liked! Great story. This and the the Goldsmobile are a couple of my favorites.
That's epic, unfortunately like you said,it is a turd, with a turbo. Can't wait to see how it turns out though. Keep up the great content 🤙🏻
It's good to see someone on TH-cam who knows what they are talking about
Since that car is such a disaster, you should name it "Hotblack Desiotto" after the founding member of the Rock group Disaster Area.
Anybody who's read Is Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy will understand.
And, it has been dead for 40 years for tax purposes.
Thanks for doing the detailed tech on the install of the rear brakes Kevin. That said, all I could think about the whole time you were doing the rears was "rear disc conversion"!
I'm doing my brakes on my Tahoe tomorrow, this is super helpful. Never done brakes (successfully 😆)
I rescued my father's 1963 VW Bug that had been parked outside for at least 20 years. The front right wheel was locked up (drum brakes) so I tried everything you did.. WD-40, hammering with a large ball peen, heating with MAPP gas, prying the drum and nothing. Finally I found a large gear puller and it popped off after a bit of applying and reapplying.. I tried not to destroy the drum because it was the old 5 lug drum and needed to mount the tire. Save yourself and keep a gear puller around for old drum brakes. Time is more valuable than the old drum..
40 minutes of brakes made more complicated, 25 minutes of Kevin bitching about Gbodys. 10/10
Don't forget he hates old people
Man. You are killing it! I liked the reference to manscape products and not to mention! Your show is great! No calling parts your own names and so much unnecessary talk around the point of a project
I didn't know that they had Grand Nationals in Iowa. Spent many weeks there in the past 18 months and have not seen 1 of them
They were never very common to begin with.
You didnt look in raccoon infested barns.
I've lived in Iowa my entire life, I haven't seen a Grand National out in the wild around here since the 90s. Winter road salt absolutely destroys everything here, anything old and cool that has survived likely spent a lot of time hiding in doors or came here fairly recently from elsewhere.
You can get tripods that you can hang a weight from the centre to both stabilise and hold the thing down in the wind.
Great video
Dude, I really like your video's but there are 2 things about Turbo's, especially "old" Turbo's you should know: 1. carefully build up the operational temperature of the motor: so not just the water temperature, but also the motor oil temperature, which comes to operational temperature after 20 Km's which is 12.5 Miles at an average outside temperature. So the colder it is outside... the longer it will take to proper get your engine oil to get to operational temperature. So jumping into a Turbo driven car and go for high revs intimidate at a cold engine will f@ck up your engine and especially your Turbo.
2. After a drive with a vehicle with a Turbo engine, one should take his/her time to have to cool down and speed down the Turbo, by having the engine idle for at least 5 minutes in park without revving ! Since the Turbo will spin at a huge high rpm's, due to recent high revs of the engine, You will have to avoid to crash your high spinning Turbo due to lack of oil fed...since the engine is off.
The Turbo will rev a lot longer, even when you have parked and you have left your car. So getting those Turbo revs down to Idle revs, it will save you your Turbo. The Turbo only will be fed fresh oil when the engine runs...So your Turbo basically in theory can and possibly will run dry and so will crash at high revs when engine does not run. It is therefor very unwise to rev your Turbo engine just before you are to put your engine off and get out your car to go do your thing. Actually revving your engine with Turbo is to be avoided when you are near by the location you are going to, in fact going slow and with low revs the last few miles to your destination will save you your Turbo. We've got a lot of experience with Turbo driven cars here in Europe, and we also have unfortunately enough experience in how to f@ck up a Turbo. These are very expensive lessons I may have to add...
Good advice and applicable to today's turbos as well...I will typically drive the car gently and out of boost when I'm in my neighborhood to avoid point #2. Original turbo at 131,000 miles on my 2011 Mazdaspeed 3.
I wonder if that could be solved by running the oil into a small reservoir first and passively oiling the turbo?
excellent advice on the rear drum brakes...im a bit older ,and yes how many times you have to check other side of rear breaks make sure every thing is in place...memory wont help..doing few rear drums will help...great advice..love the channel.
Pro tip #2: when working with drum brakes you only anti seize the hub and the space around each lug stud, everywhere else such as the pad bumps you want to use brake grease, the springs that hold the shoes on don’t get anything on them, the adjuster wheel gets brake grease. To get the drum off and it’s being a pain always use sandpaper around the hub then spray it with PB blaster and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and it will come off, if that don’t work use an air hammer around the center and then it should come off.
Thank you for our obligatory Mook visit . We need her laugh and smile . It makes our day . BUT , drum brakes , that is why I'm not a mechanic . My 67 Camaro broke me .
Pretty bad when you already know before he did any diagnosis that it was the regulator in the Alternator that was causing the no charge issue. I've had a bad alternator or two in the past. 😆
P.s. Powerstop definitely makes some good quality OE and OEM+ replacement/upgrades def one of my favorite brands for brake components.
Ladies and gentlemen one bit of advice wear some type of glove. You're dealing with hazardous chemicals and micro steel slivers. If we want to keep turning wrenches into our 50s we have to protect ourselves.
I was taught to always replace the race when changing bearings, but does it really make a huge difference?
I was surprised it wasn't changed when it only takes a minute to swap, it's leaving a part worn hardened surface, which isn't great, also as it is a different bearing does it have the same angle of incidence as a worn one ? Do different manufacturers have any difference between their products.
That is hands down the best description of packing bearings I have seen. A+
Yes! jump cut to fully assembled made me smile. He was trashing that car until that pass had him grinning. Great video, thanks for the brake refresher training.
@@grahammcnally4799 He literally showed you the most difficult way to do GM drum brakes in this video. It was almost painful to watch.
@@alantrimble2881 yes, but now they know it can be done with just a few hand tools. I'd have done it different, but it's not my shop or video.
@@twinkie27271 I didn't have a problem with the tools he used. I've done plenty of sets of drum brakes with nothing more than Vise Grips and a screwdriver. That's less than ideal, but it gets the job done. My problem was with his procedure and the fact that he didn't do a good job of explaining how the system works, and what each individual part does.
At the beginning of the video he tells us that
he actually *likes* doing drum brakes. He then goes on to do the job the most difficult way possible, and he totally skips the wheel cylinder R&R.
Back in the day I worked for a large Michigan dealership that sold the Grand National. They had 4 of the GNX models.
Drove a couple of those to the Detroit auto show.
Was a great experience!
Grand national 👌🤘🤘