Just for the record...

Changing the power steering rack in a Riv blows big hairy donkey dink. Could they have it bolt to a few more things?????

Ugh.

That is all.

Yeah, not very fun is it......

It's actually not that bad. Drop the exhaust from the rear manifold, unbolt everything, lower the rear of the cradle, and pull the rack out.....

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh... Great theory, until you've got a rusty New England car with 180K miles and 14 salty winters and all the nuts and bolts no longer resemble nuts and bolts. Boo!

That exhaust will come apart, but never make it back together.

toomanytoyz wrote:

Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh... Great theory, until you've got a rusty New England car with 180K miles and 14 salty winters and all the nuts and bolts no longer resemble nuts and bolts. Boo!

That exhaust will come apart, but never make it back together.

I know exactly how you feel. Michigan isn't any easier on our cars. Just have to soak everything with penetrating oil for about a week until you tackle the job. Doing it on the floor in the garage doesn't make it any easier either....the exhaust studs are going to break, especially if they've never been apart before.

The exhaust studs were about 1/8" thick. And the 9/16" nuts on them were just 1/4" bumps of rust. Not much left.

Looks like I'll be doing my headers and cat delete sooner than later!

toomanytoyz wrote:

Looks like I'll be doing my headers and cat delete sooner than later!

Now you're thinkin like me! If it's all gonna break anyway, may as well break it and make it better

Abaddon wrote:

toomanytoyz wrote:

Looks like I'll be doing my headers and cat delete sooner than later!

Now you're thinkin like me! If it's all gonna break anyway, may as well break it and make it better

Never repair... UPGRADE!

toomanytoyz wrote:

The exhaust studs were about 1/8" thick. And the 9/16" nuts on them were just 1/4" bumps of rust. Not much left.

Looks like I'll be doing my headers and cat delete sooner than later!

...yeah but the plate at the cat is stainless - just back the studs out rusty nuts and all, replace with studs from a parts store, you can get stainless ones if you want. If u are feeling lucky swipe some coper antiseize on teh studs when reinstalling and crank the nuts down good. The studs wont seize and the nuts won't turn. I think the PITB part is you don't necessairly have them on the list of "consumables" needed on hand to replace a rack...

...adn what beancounter genius decided it was OK to use those teeny studs (save 2 ounces?!?! I know it adds up but geeeeeez).

Albertj

I used to have a Roadmaster wagon. Great car when the kids were small. Traded for a Regal GS.

What all have you done to yours?

albertj wrote:

toomanytoyz wrote:

The exhaust studs were about 1/8" thick. And the 9/16" nuts on them were just 1/4" bumps of rust. Not much left.

Looks like I'll be doing my headers and cat delete sooner than later!

...yeah but the plate at the cat is stainless - just back the studs out rusty nuts and all, replace with studs from a parts store, you can get stainless ones if you want. If u are feeling lucky swipe some coper antiseize on teh studs when reinstalling and crank the nuts down good. The studs wont seize and the nuts won't turn. I think the PITB part is you don't necessairly have them on the list of "consumables" needed on hand to replace a rack...

...adn what beancounter genius decided it was OK to use those teeny studs (save 2 ounces?!?! I know it adds up but geeeeeez).

Albertj

LOL. You're funny. There's no backing anything out. It's snapping, drilling, and tapping. Eff that. I'll work around it until I can afford the headers. I'll get rid of the cat and resonator at the same time.

sburch23 wrote:

I used to have a Roadmaster wagon. Great car when the kids were small. Traded for a Regal GS.

What all have you done to yours?

Not a whole lot yet. It's my 5th B-wagon though, so just give me time. The interior is all redone with Corbeau bucket seats, reupholstered rear, floor shift, and audio and video for the kids, Done a few things on the exterior, hood, de-rubbered the side molding and polished the stainless and installed a set of clear/ smoked headlights and corners with 45ooK HID's. Hotchkis springs all around and upgraded bars. The 18x9.5" Coy's wheels with 275/40's. Exhaust and intake and a few other little things. But I've built a stout disc brake rear with 3.42's, TruTrac, Moser's, ARP 1/2" studs and an aluminum cover with the preload screws for the carrier bearings. Building a stout 4L80E for it now too, and got a nice Yank 3200 converter... Why all that? Well, I'm also building a build turbo motor for it right now, too. Hope to have about 550-600HP at the wheels by the end of spring.

Should be a fun sleeper.

Hell yea, that Roadmaster is MINT!!!

I am liking the roadmaster beast. Put some good pics of that on the showroom.