Richard S

A month or so ago the idle would stay at 1000-1100 rpm after a cold start [well, cold for San Diego]on my 90 with 80k. Took 15 minutes of driving, a bit after the engine reached operating temp, before it settled at 650. I removed the MAF and IAC valve and cleaned all, and replaced. If I had time I would have removed the plenum and cleaned that as well, but not this time. Now it starts at between 900-1000 and goes down gradually over about 10 minutes of driving until the engine reaches operating temp befor it settles back to 650. How long should the idle remain elevated? If mine is lagging, is it likely a defective IAC?

There were 2 sources. Padgett identified Prior Reman. If they don't have a unit in stock, they would have to do yours. Pretty quick turnaround. They have a website. The other was place in the Los Angeles area. Im at work and don't have the name. I don't know if they are still doing that, but they were a good deal cheaper than prior. I have been running one of their units for about a year without any problem.

I assume Jon asked about the oil pressure because the closest spring to the pan is in the oil pressure relief valve in the oil filter housing. I assume that mechanism is there so if the filter is clogged driving the oil pressure too high, the filter is by-passed. I am not sure removal or failure to replace that spring would affect the oil pressure in an otherwise properly running engine. Jon, wouldn't that primarily affect whether oil is filtered or not?

Apparently there was some talk that the Reatta was to get an incarnation of the Caddy motor since the cross member is the same as the Allante. I understand the 4.1, 4.5 and 4.9 are bolt ins. Real problem is wiring and conmmunications.

Oh yes, Greg, I do remember the thread on the dreaded isolators. Years of rust and a decidely bad design led many of the nuts inside the frame to break loose before the bolts came out. I have a can of Kroil on the shelf when I elect to tackle them on my vert. I was thrown off because I thought they were designed to isolate road noise from the body, not hold up the engine. I suppose that since they involve the cross member, engine cradle bushings are correct.

I'm going with the plug wire. However, if one wire was bad, why not spring for a set of wires? They are very inexpensive, and most of the aftermarket stuff is better than OEM. When's the last time the plugs were changed?

What is the engine cradle bushing? I assume it is not the engine mount.

I think it was Shorty who put the 4.9 in a Reatta few years ago. Had shop in the midwest do the programming as I recall. I want to say Indianapolis. Might be able to find the posts on it if we had a real search engine here.

Padgett, I was thinking about one of these for my wife, paid for by selling the Caddy Catera. Aside from price, is there something about these models that make them preferable to newer years. Was the Chevy vans the same?

Jeez, 55, I thought the 90 vert I rescued from the crusher was bad. Whoa!. Tell me there was something really pristine about this car. Clearly this thing was on the ventilator and someone was administering the last rites before you got it.

Just a thought [from a buy who has rolled a Custom Supreme vert]: Aside from safety considerations, wouldn't a roll bar add torsional rigidity to the vert abating the cowl shake somewhat, if not completely? Is there someone who made a roll bar for these cars, or would it have to be a custom job?

The end links on the early models differ from the later ones. You can go with urethane bushings on the end links for early cars, but there is nothing over stock available for the 90/91 models that I know of. The bushing pictured above is similar in shape all years, but it may be that the diameter of the bar may have changed [???]. I recall there was a thread years ago discussing the possibiilty of modifying a standard urethane bushing to fit our bracket.

Boy, I second Padgett on that. I have never seen a broken spring before. If it was rust, I might conclude that both sides were subject to the same forces for the same length of time, and hence the other side is at risk. Even if it were not, it would seem to me that ride and handling would be compromised a bit by having one new one and one 21 y.o spring on the same axle. Wouldn't it be cheaper preferable to get a pair of good ones from Jim or Randy and use the savings to replace both struts while you are there?

Jeremy, with that cloud cover, I doubt you will need the tree for shade. Is that snowfall Vegas??

Isn't that around the corner from you, Padgett?

Can you post the tire wear pattern? This can help determine if you just have alignment issues, or something related to suspension parts. And yes, they are struts. By mushy do you mean they do not offer as much resistance as you feel there should be, or, after hitting a bump, the car seems to bounce longer than it should? If you elect to do the struts, you might also consider replacing the sway bar busings and end links. Unless you know a reliable shop, you might want to take to several places to diagnose. Suspension shops, particularly the franchises, are notorious for suggesting work/parts that are not needed. By getting several opinions, you can at least get an idea on what everyone agrees upon.

This is, really, too little to go on. Might be as obvious as corroded battery cable and/or marginal ground.

There isa fellow who makes a plexiglass version for the Allante. I have one of the earlier incarnations, but the later ones are nicer. You install a channel bracket on the rear floor shelf, and tape a magnet to the top shelf. Works well, particularly since the Allante generates its own cabin tornado. I suppose the answer, Padgett would be to have someone fabricate the right size piece, or probably hinged pieces, of plexiglass. A channel bracket shouldn't be hard to come by, and some method of supporting the top. Might have to experiment to find the ideal minimum height and width that still provides the relief you are looking for. I too have a 1971 124 Spyder in the garage. Got it for almost nothing when it blew a head gasket on the PO. It is bored out from 1608 to the 1800 specs. Have all the parts, including a downdraft Webber conversion and nice rebuilt head. Body near perfect and no rust. Interior not too bad. Nice tip on the X19 wheel. Had a 71 124 coupe back in 75. Ran great until I failed to replace the belt on schedule. Bent all the valves and knocked some carbon off the pistons when in broke, but that's all the damage it did. And yes, though my bugeye sprite was positively medieval by comparison, I still wish I had it back.

The suspension is shared with the Allante, though parts for the latter are harder to find and more expensive than the Reatta. Radiators and condesers are also shared with the Eldo, I think. Am I correct in saying that most 3800s did not use the engine torque strut and so do not have the same mount for it in front of the crank pulley?

Dave, wouldn't picking parts with Jim or Mike be like doing a little sketching with Rembrandt?

Yes, the CD works fine. I did use a GM adaptor pigtail for the installation. John, I guess the best thing would be to test the antenna by plugging in another one. Might have one in the garage. Mine is a telescoping retractible unit. Is there something in that could break that could affect signal strength? I know the plastic retractor can break, but that does not seem to affect the signal.

I replaced all the speakers in my 90 and decided to go with an in-dash cd radio. Got a Clarion. Noted that the PO had replaced the power antenna [must have because it is was secured in the trunk with platic ties]. I secured it by making an adaptor bracket. Still, the reception of weak stations is not very good. Aside from public radio, which is acceptably powerful, there is not much to listen to here. There is a classical and a jazz station but both are small operations that don't have powerful signals. Doesn't take much to lose them. I would have thought that today's radios all have about the same ability to pick up weak stations. Is there anything else I should look at or do? Are there signal boosters that really work?

I did a fairly complete step by step of that conversion several months back. The only thing omitted from that write up was changing the brake hoses. I, and Daniel I believe, had braided stainless hoses made up that are a bit longer than stock. If I remember right, that added about $35 to the cost of the conversion. Try searching the archive. I don't think it is included in Ronnie's site.

Jim, I sent you a pm the other day with regard to the stuff I am still interested in. BTW, I could send you the old struts when I swap them in, but not sure if you want to do that much work just so the chassis would roll. Hate to see those struts go to the crusher tho.

This was done some years ago by Smitty, or at least he had it done by a shop in Indianapolis, I think. There are some communication problems to overcome. If you do use the V8, you would probably want to find one with multi point fuel injection rather than throttle body. My 87 Allante with the 4.1 has the former and it is much more spirited than the latter. Not sure if Smitty used the Caddy tranny of the Reatta, but he said the drivetrain was a bolt-in. Still like the Grand National conversion better.