AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Project Cars => Topic started by: zeebo76 on September 05, 2019, 02:04:28 AM

Title: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on September 05, 2019, 02:04:28 AM
Hi, I tried to post just a little while ago and got an error, so I’m trying again.

I’ve got an ‘86 eagle that’s pinging/detonating on normal gas.  Im running 89 octane at the moment and it works BETTER, but it’s still not gone.  I think something’s wrong, but I’m stumped.  When it starts to ping, it’s quiet at light throttle, loud at medium throttle, and goes away entirely at WOT.

Head is freshly machined (replaced head gasket a while back), I’ve tried richening fuel mix on the carb, retarding the timing, and it’s not running hot.  What could be the issue?

EDIT:  I realized that I should give more info.  It’s the 258 I6, has a rebuilt Carter carb, vacuum wiring was totally screwed up when I got it from the PO and I think it’s mostly fixed now. I’ve replaced the ignition control module on the passenger side fender well.  I don’t know when the timing belt/chain was last replaced.

Though the car doesn’t seem to run hot, it DOES change in temp very quickly depending on conditions.  I can move from cool shade to warm sunlight and the temp will rise.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: AMC of Houston on September 05, 2019, 12:01:12 PM
First, I'd set the carb and timing per the AMC IS-12e service letter and see if that makes any difference.  Next I'd be checking out the knock sensor system per the TSM (sensor, wiring, etc.).

Note my '85 with 200K miles sounds like its pinging, but its really the timing chain rattling on the timing cover!   Its the original chain - I really need to replace it.......
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 05, 2019, 12:21:51 PM
I THINK I happened upon the answer last night...  Was doing a little forum searching and read that a machined head without a thicker head gasket to match will increase compression, and can therefore cause pinging on regular gas.  Well...  The PO drove this eagle on a bad head gasket and overheated it very badly, warping the head.  The machine shop managed to machine it straight for me and it runs fine with exception of the pinging...  Which is probably a result of them taking so much material off of the mating surface.  Thoughts?

EDIT:  Thanks for the input, Houston.  This eagle only has 80k original miles, so I doubt it would be the timing chain by this age - but never say never, I suppose.

As for timing and carb, I’ll try to fiddle with those some.  I should really buy a TSM...
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 05, 2019, 01:20:50 PM
Just bought a vacuum gauge.  Off the manifold I’m making 20 in. Hg at idle speed...
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: Mitch on September 05, 2019, 04:13:46 PM
First, I'd set the carb and timing per the AMC IS-12e service letter and see if that makes any difference. 

Here is IS-12E...

http://amceaglesden.com/guide/November_1987_-_IS_12E_-_Idle_Speed
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: Taylor on September 05, 2019, 07:28:52 PM
Congratulations on the Eagle.
Have you checked all the vacuum lines?
What about timing? Ignition upgrades?
With the machine work done, have you tried premium fuel? Octane booster?
As for the errors that you were getting. If it happens again can you take a screenshot and send it to me. I’ll see if it can figure out what happens.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 05, 2019, 10:21:01 PM
Mitch:  thanks for the link, that will definitely come in handy here real soon.

Taylor:  I’m in the process of working through all the vacuum lines simply to find leaks.  I’ve had a mechanic go through them to ensure relatively correct routing, but I’m not too sure it’s all correct...  More correct than it was before the mechanic touched it, I’m sure!

I’ve fiddled with timing.  Right now it’s sitting back at 12 BDC, base timing.  Vac advance bumps it to 18-20 right now, possibly more when it’s spinning faster - haven’t had the RPM too high with the timing light hooked up.  Only other things I’ve done related to spark are replace plugs, wires, cap and rotor.

After the machine work done I tried to get it not to ping on regular octane and couldn’t for the life of me - I’m on 89 octane right now, and it only starts to ping when the temp needle climbs over halfway up the gauge.  Pinging gets louder both at higher temps (to be expected) and between 1/4 and 3/4 throttle.  Haven’t tried octane booster.

I’ll shoot you a message if I get another error - thanks!
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: Mitch on September 06, 2019, 03:57:23 AM
when the temp needle climbs over halfway up the gauge. 

That could be a red flag. I've never had an Eagle's temp gauge go any where near the half way point. They usually barely get into the 'normal' range. You may need to flush the cooling system.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 06, 2019, 05:50:37 PM
when the temp needle climbs over halfway up the gauge. 

That could be a red flag. I've never had an Eagle's temp gauge go any where near the half way point. They usually barely get into the 'normal' range. You may need to flush the cooling system.

That’s news to me!  On hot days it can pretty easily reach the upper third of the gauge.  I guess a system flush is on the list, ASAP.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 06, 2019, 08:37:23 PM
I’m going to buy an infrared thermometer.  What temp should I see on the engine at normal operating temp?
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: Mitch on September 06, 2019, 11:55:31 PM
If your thermostat is the proper one and is operating properly the coolant temp should stay real close to 195 degrees.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 07, 2019, 12:17:56 AM
If your thermostat is the proper one and is operating properly the coolant temp should stay real close to 195 degrees.

I let it warm up to where it wanted to stay in the driveway (let it sit, running, for probably 30 mins) and it hovered around 190 like you said.  I took measurements at all coolant hoses - ranged from 160 to 190 depending on location.  However, it does rise quickly under acceleration or in warmer weather...

The fan works properly too, as far as I can tell.  Thermostat is new (installed it probably 500 miles ago) though the car might have overheated since then.  Temp gauge got to 90% once in rush-hour, uphill, in 100 degree weather...  Nothing burst, it just pinged loud enough that the echo of each ping off of the cars beside me actually drowned out any of my own engine noise.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: Mitch on September 07, 2019, 07:22:47 AM
Did you take the temp on different spots on the rad? A clogged rad will have cool spots. Also ensure the rad is topped up with coolant and doesn't have an air lock.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 07, 2019, 11:52:58 AM
I was going to take the eagle on a little trip today, but I didn’t get the chance.  About an hour in, the car started to buck.  Felt like some kind of issue with the transmission, but it’s not an engine issue....  Some kind of drivetrain problem.  The same thing will happen when I’m coming home, going up my driveway.  It’s angled a good 20 degrees and when I go up, the car tends to kick up into second gear and I get the same feeling.  Like a repeated clunk that feels like a tooth hitting somewhere.  Whole car shakes, and I can hear it a little bit.

UPDATE:  About to drive home now.  Wish me luck!
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 07, 2019, 12:32:17 PM
Made it home.  Man, that feels bad...

UPDATE:  Just checked trans fluid.  :censored: near full, and it looks to be in good condition.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: AMC of Houston on September 07, 2019, 01:26:50 PM
Re the overheating; wonder if someone put a V-belt water pump on a serpentine-belt engine (or vice-versa).  Pump would be spinning the wrong way then.   Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: mudkicker715 on September 07, 2019, 04:59:06 PM
A lean motor runs hotter and a mistimed motor can run hotter (either retarded or advanced).
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: MIPS on September 09, 2019, 08:48:01 PM
Did the 86 year have a weighted mechanical advance in the distributor? I've seen the weights stick and cause an incorrect advance.
Also if you are still running the Carter and presumably the computer you cannot adjust the fuel mix without the computer cancelling it out. Is the stepper currently set to full-rich because either the O2 sensor is detecting or is stuck in a hard-lean condition?
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 11, 2019, 12:45:36 AM
Thanks for all the replies, everyone.  I’ve got a few updates to my situation, I’ll try to respond as I can to all those who have offered suggestions.  This is going to be a long one...

I think everything that’s happened to the car up until now (cutting out, pinging, that knock I described in the long post, also the absolutely horrible gas mileage I for some reason have neglected to mention until now) is related to fuel delivery pre-carb.  I took a while to do more research and drove the eagle for a while and the clunking got worse to the point that it would cut out repeatedly on acceleration, which also happened to feel exactly like what it did on the highway.  I bought some more testing equipment (I’m only 19 and don’t have much money or experience, so I’m taking it slow and careful so I don’t mess up), hooked a fuel pressure gauge up behind the fuel filter just in front of the carb.

The gauge flickered rapidly between 0 and 2-3 PSI when the car ran, and didn’t seem to change when I throttled her up.  Although, the gauge sprung a leak after just a few minutes of me starting to read it, so I’m not sure if it was too accurate.

Nevertheless, I decided to start fixing a few things regarding my fuel system, mainly under the hood.  Replaced the filter, replaced a few lines, bought a Schrader valve tee fitting (for easy fuel pressure testing in the future)  and installed it inline after the filter - also got rid of the weird curvy hard fuel line between the filter and the carb.  I also disconnected the inlet line on the fuel pump and blew compressed air back down into the tank.  Sounded reasonably clear, but doing that procedure brought a question to mind:

Is there a filter between the tank and the mechanical fuel pump?  If not - this car sat for about a year, maybe two, without being driven while it’s head gasket was blown.  I drove it on bad gas for a little while because I didn’t have a choice, so if there’s no filter between pump and tank it’s possible that the fuel pump has swallowed some gunk and gone mostly bad.  I know there’s supposed to be a pickup sock in the tank, I’m just not sure how it would hold up to age...  Given the reading from my questionable fuel pressure gauge, the fact that the old fuel filter still seemed to be good, there didn’t feel to be anything stuck in the line when I gave it a good squirt of compressed air, and I couldn’t spot a fuel filter under the car...  I’m leaning toward the pump being my issue.  It looks original, and if it IS bad, I could’ve just been leaning out this whole time and not known it until the car started sputtering.

I’ll work on the car some more tomorrow, and after I can get the fuel pressure stabilized I’ll work on resetting the carb to IS-12E standards.

ANYWAY, onto the responses.

Did the 86 year have a weighted mechanical advance in the distributor? I've seen the weights stick and cause an incorrect advance.
Also if you are still running the Carter and presumably the computer you cannot adjust the fuel mix without the computer cancelling it out. Is the stepper currently set to full-rich because either the O2 sensor is detecting or is stuck in a hard-lean condition?

I’m not sure if the advance is weighted, but a few months back I did  pull the distributor off, clean the advance mechanism, and verified its operation.  Not sure if it’s proper though.

I am still running the carter WITH computer, BUT I have adjusted the fuel mix and it definitely makes a difference.  I can hear the car’s idle change when I fiddle with the screws, and after I found out that I didn’t have one of them set right I adjusted it and the idle went from choppy and low to a better sound and feel.  I’m not sure about the stepper motor, how to tell what it’s set to.  Carbs are still new to me - the oldest thing I’ve worked on before this is my ‘89 Cherokee, and it has port injection.  Waaay simpler.

A lean motor runs hotter and a mistimed motor can run hotter (either retarded or advanced).

I’m pretty sure I’m running lean.  Would LOVE to have a method of actually checking if I am or not, but I’m not sure how.  However, I’m only running 12 BDC at idle, and the advance bumps it higher depending on RPM’s.  I don’t think that’s far enough off to cause issues related to mistiming.  I do have misses on different cylinders from time to time, however.

Re the overheating; wonder if someone put a V-belt water pump on a serpentine-belt engine (or vice-versa).  Pump would be spinning the wrong way then.   Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that.

If the pump were spinning the wrong way, wouldn’t that cause a MUCH higher temp?  From the readings my infrared thermometer has been giving, I’m running 160-190 at idle.

Come to think of it, I am having issues to get my heater to blow warm even after I bled my system, and there was a fair amount of residue in the line leading to the heater core...  Too much for my comfort, especially because that’s a brand new heater core.

EDIT:  I forgot to mention this, but I can actually feel the fuel line pulsing when she’s running.  Not sure if that’s normal or not, but since the gauge flickers too I’d take that as a sign that my gauge isn’t bad but that there is in fact a delivery issue.  There doesn’t seem to be a pressure regulator anywhere either, which is odd to me - but I guess that since this isn’t exactly a high-pressure application like fuel injection is it isn’t really necessary.

EDIT EDIT:  Last edit, I promise!  I’ve heard some rumors about 1986 eagles having the option for a crappy transfer case, or something.  I took a look at the identification plate on mine and I have an NP128 AM.  Is this the good kind, or the bad kind?
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 11, 2019, 08:51:52 PM
Picked up a new fuel pump today, installed it, and ran it for a few minutes.  The gauge told me that the pressure was steadier and a touch higher, but before I got to actually drive it I noticed a fuel leak coming from the pump itself.  No bueno.  I tried removing the fitting that the leak was coming from but I guess it’s integral to the pump or something because it would never budge.  I ended up bending the whole thing.  Waiting for another replacement pump tomorrow, it’ll be covered under warranty.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: MIPS on September 12, 2019, 10:00:03 PM
Quote
Is there a filter between the tank and the mechanical fuel pump?

Depending on its condition, there should be a sock on the inlet tube in the tank. For the 82 year at least there shouldn't be any other filters between the tank and pump but it doesn't hurt to install one before the pump anyways in case the sock fails or you have loose deposits in the fuel lines.

Quote
I am still running the carter WITH computer, BUT I have adjusted the fuel mix and it definitely makes a difference.  I can hear the car’s idle change when I fiddle with the screws, and after I found out that I didn’t have one of them set right I adjusted it and the idle went from choppy and low to a better sound and feel.  I’m not sure about the stepper motor, how to tell what it’s set to.

Hmm, it shouldn't do that. The stepper motor is non-adjustable and can only either fail with an open winding or seize and stop responding to computer control. Optionally if the O2 sensor or its single wire has failed the computer will only sense a full-lean condition and force the metering pins into the rich position but then allowing you to tweak directly from the screws. Electronic carburetors are really finnicky things.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 15, 2019, 01:14:00 AM
Last night I pulled the fuel tank - I got all the old hoses replaced, and replaced the pickup sock too.  Put the tank in today along with it’s new hose work and the eagle started running super, super rich - a great sign, really!  The old sock was clogged, and my jury-rigged replacement is in much better condition.  Lot of the old hoses were dry rotted too...

I think my water pump is bad.  I hear a ticking that at first sounds like valves from inside the car, but it sure is awfully loud - and I don’t seem to have any circulation in the cooling system.  Small hose running from the thermostat is super hot immediately (150 F) while the rest are cooler (90-110), and the radiator is at about 70F.  After the car has run for a while all the hoses heat up to 160-180, but the radiator never climbs above 70-90 depending on the spot.  The heater blows warm either occasionally or after about 20 minutes of running/driving (after the cooling system has had a chance to warm up thoroughly).  I know I don’t have any bubbles, I’ve bled the system several times.

To MIPS:  I replaced the sock, and it made a world of difference.  Once I started her up again she plumed black, and I was able to adjust the mixture screws (screwed them shut right, then loosened them 3 full turns and seemed to do the trick) to get a good idle and exhaust feel.  So, I guess something is definitely wrong with the stepper motor.

UPDATE:  Got to take her out for a drive.  NO more hiccuping, and she has more power!  So, so much better.  Making up a list of things to do next.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 20, 2019, 05:25:09 AM
Hey again everyone.  This thread should probably be moved to the projects section because that’s what this is turning into...

In the last week I’ve done a lot.

Added mud flaps, square stock-looking fog lamps on the front bumper, replaced thermostat, water pump + radiator, flushed + refilled tranny fluid and swapped filter (fluid was almost black, definitely time for a change), dropped the headliner and re-upholstered it ($30 total, looks and feels great), fixed the roof leak (roof rack was missing both front threaded bushings that originally held the rack watertight to the roof), and started tearing the steering column apart to fix the wobbly tilt steering wheel.

The first pivot pin remover I bought broke off inside one of the pins, but I bought another and it worked on the second - so tomorrow I’m going to be tacking a bolt to the stuck pivot pin and trying to yank it out that way.  After this, the only major roadblock for it being able to be kept outside as it enters rainy season is the leak in the back window.  After fixing that, it should be totally drivable, get decent gas mileage, have decent power, and be super cool!

Oh, also, I converted both of my cable adjust mirrors (which had gone floppy, no possible way to adjust them) to manual adjust, using the original housings and mirror glass and everything.  I can put out a short write up on it if anyone wants - the only exterior difference is one screw head visible on the back side of the housing.  They work great!  No wobbling, very tight, and only ran me $40 and a few hours of work.
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: mudkicker715 on September 20, 2019, 06:52:05 AM
Sure why not give a writeup and how it was changed to a manual mirror. Also i will move your thread. You may want a new title for it though? If you do decide to retitle it you should be able to do that?
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: amcfool1 on September 20, 2019, 07:32:56 AM
hey, good work. i would be interested in the mirror repair. thanks, gz
Title: Re: Pinging
Post by: zeebo76 on September 20, 2019, 02:54:14 PM
Alright, I'll post the writeup under rehabilitation how-to's and tips.  It's pretty easy, but it's not exactly a science...  Once you get started on the conversion a lot of it comes together via common sense and by feel.  Just need two universal mirrors from autozone, a tube of RTV, something to cut plastic with (I used a jewelry saw, but I'm sure there are other things to use), a drill, and a philips head screwdriver.

EDIT:  It's been posted!
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on September 20, 2019, 03:36:11 PM
Got a decent picture, finally.  Here she is about two weeks ago.  Wheels, tires, non-saggy springs, and a buff/wax are soon to come!

(https://i.imgur.com/cmVD5XW.jpg)
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on September 21, 2019, 03:59:02 AM
Busy day today.  Went to pick-n-pull for a pair of steering column pivot pins, ended up finding two laying on the floor of an old suburban.  Cost me $5. Came home and started going through miscellaneous fixes - ashtrays on the rear doors were filthy, so I worked them over inside with brakleen and a steel brush, then painted the insides black.  Don’t plan on letting anyone smoke in the eagle, so they’ll just be for trash or something, I guess.  Bought and installed a rear view mirror that doesn’t wobble, painted the parts of the dash that were supposed to be silver silver again.

Went around all the trim and found a lot of spots where screws were missing, so I threw some basic lath screws in and everything feels tighter now.

took all the seats out of the Eagle, gave the interior a nice deep cleaning.  Vacuum, carpet spray, scrub with a brush, wipe with a towel, then another pass with the vacuum.  Looks and feels a whole lot better.  Also wiped down all the vinyl/trim with 405 cleaner, and gave the spare tire compartment a VERY deep cleaning.  I actually hadn’t ever looked in there and it was just full of dirt, lint, miscellaneous garbage.  Scrubbed, cleaned, and wiped until it was as close to spotless as I could get it and then made a carpet insert.  Spare tire went back in, I put the roadside kit in there along with a bottle jack and a tire iron.

Isn’t showroom quality or anything, but when she’s back together I certainly wouldn’t feel afraid to take her to cars and coffee!

Tomorrow is going to consist of finishing up the steering column repair, cleaning the seats, fabricating some lift brackets for them, re-installing, then hopefully taking her for a test drive.  Fingers crossed!
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: Mitch on September 21, 2019, 11:12:18 AM
That's a real nice looking Eagle! I can tell it's only going to get better! I'm jealous.   :occasion14:
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on September 24, 2019, 01:59:27 AM
Thanks, Mitch!  Paint on her isn’t too good but she has no rust, she’ll clean up in no time.

Anyway, updates!

Got the steering column + cooling system back together and took her for a drive, and although she ran way cooler she started hiccuping again.  This time I happened to notice that it seemed very even and steady under load, so on a hunch I drove back home and hooked a timing light up to the coil plug and it was missing very steadily under load.  Threw a new coil in her and she drives good as new.  With all the new cooling parts she is MUCH cooler than before, and I actually have heat now, which is nice.

Trans flush feels super good, shifts are still firm but not as harsh as before.

Came up with an idea as to why she might be pinging and started feeling around the EGR valve.  After not feeling satisfied with how it felt, I pulled it and sure enough it holds no vacuum whatsoever.  Try to test it with a vacuum pump and all the applied vacuum leaks out immediately with the intake/exhaust holes plugged.  If I’m right on this, if the EGR valve was effectively stuck closed I’d have higher-than-intended combustion temperatures, which leads to pinging...  Could be the source of my pinging woes.  Will be picking up a new one tomorrow.

Steering wheel isn’t wobbly anymore, although the blinkers went out on my test drive and it took me a while (relative to all the rest of my progress) to get to figuring out why...  looked under the dash and found the flasher, rated for 2 bulbs, literally broken in half.  The right turn signal stopped returning to center after a turn, so once again I pulled the steering wheel and found that the return spring had somehow popped out of its little home.  Put it back in, and hopefully I now have a properly functioning right turn signal once I get the new heavy duty flasher.

My stepdad also helped me to put a 2 inch lift on the front seats using 4 pieces of 1/8” thick, 1” diameter square tube steel, and the driving position feels SUPER good now...  Although the steering wheel will need to always be in its upright position, I consider that a worthwhile trade off for not having to feel like my eyes are only a few inches above the hood while driving!

FINALLY, I realized that I’m supposed to have a license plate light.  Went around back and it’s definitely burnt out, so will be picking one up tomorrow.

Probably a $75 shopping list for tomorrow, but it’ll be worth it.  After all this, I think the next steps will be to finalize the waterproofing of the roof rack and back window.  After that, probably a well-deserved wash, buff + wax for the Eagle...  Lots of surgery lately, I think most hospitals give patients ice cream afterward, right?

EDIT:  I also kinda want to do the relay install for the headlights, except the low beams will stay on WITH the high beams when I turn the high beams on.  I just like the full quad-headlight look...  Though, I’ll probably need a better alternator.  I need a stronger one anyway...
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on October 06, 2019, 02:03:24 AM
Been a little while but there are some more developments on the way, mostly visual ones.

I have an interior + exterior detail scheduled for October 11th, and so I decided that it would be a good idea to give the detailers a more thorough way to do their job - I took all the plastic exterior trim off!  Flares, bumper caps, and the one that runs below the doors.  I’m painting them now.  In addition, since the eagle is going to be down until sometime after the 11th, I decided to also tackle the leaky valve cover.  Was a PITA to remove (as usual) but I got it without disconnecting anything, and only broke two of the hard vacuum lines in the process!   :occasion14:

Here are some pictures.  Hopefully they’ll show up properly, because I’m posting this from my phone right now.

(https://i.imgur.com/h3esTYH.jpg)

Naked eagle.  I wasn’t surprised that the flares had dirt trapped underneath them - however, I WAS surprised by the sheer amount of it.  I shook everything out and had a massive pile at my feet...  I ended up really loving how the eagle looks without it’s plastic flares, but the flares are much easier to paint to end up with the two-tone look I want that they’re going back on.  Plus...  I like how wide it makes it.

(https://i.imgur.com/Ws8qAQV.jpg)

So I rattlecanned all the trim, but I did it with great care so it looks excellent considering the previous condition of the trim.  Chips, dents, dings, scrapes...  I can’t hide it all, but I got about half of it.

Sanded them flat, washed them, wiped with alcohol, wipe dry, two coats of primer, sand primer down, wipe with alcohol, one more coat of primer, final primer sand and another alcohol wipe.  I’m up to 10 cans of Ford Toreador Red Metallic duplicolor paint at this point.  Not the cheapest, but it looks excellent.  Three or four coats of base coat, then sand the remaining imperfections and do a few more coats.  Mostly flat - good enough for government work, as a few of my friends might say.  I’m not looking for this eagle to be showroom material, it’s going to be a daily driver, but I do want two-tone.

(https://i.imgur.com/friiANY.jpg)

This is where I’m at on the paint right now.  Just got done applying the last clear coat layer to the bumper caps, tomorrow will be sanding and polishing them, removing the masking tape, then going through the same song and dance with all the other trim pieces.  They look really beautiful...

(https://i.imgur.com/yE0kUAC.jpg)

Here’s a test fitting I did of a rear bumper cap earlier today.  Now, for another essential tidbit of information...  Those wheels and tires are going as soon as the detail is done and the car is finished painting.  They’ll be replaced with these...

(https://i.imgur.com/WOBKHEa.jpg)

15x7 black steelies that will stick out further than the original 15x6 steelies,

(https://i.imgur.com/6jfQXlG.jpg)

Wrapped in a brand new set of 215/75R15 BFGoodrich A/T KO2’s with white letters.

The rear axle will also have 1” spacers mounted on it to bring the rear tires even in width with the fronts.  It’s gonna look amazing.  Clean white paint, clean red trim, and new wheels and rubber...

Yeah.

Anyway, I also mentioned removing the valve cover, well I decided to re-paint that too.

(https://i.imgur.com/KHxG4Q0.jpg)

Perfect tool (sarcasm) for removing the rear valve cover bolt.

(https://i.imgur.com/RwZlFLS.jpg)

Here’s the painted valve cover.  Cherry red.  Shortly after that photo was taken I went along the top very carefully with a razor blade and scraped the paint away - all the raised areas (like the 4.2 logo) are now down to the base aluminum, shining silver.  I’ll be giving the front and rear diff covers the same treatment here in a few days, when I flush and refill them.

I’ve also been wondering about 3D printing a ram air funnel, and cutting into the power bulge as follows.  It’s a pipe dream, and since my mother (who owns the car, and will be driving it after I’m done with it) doesn’t like the idea it’s pretty much never going to happen.  But a man can always dream, right?

(https://i.imgur.com/Hd5bcQQ.jpg)

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on.  Lots and lots of painting.  It’s my first real paint job and I’ve learned a few tricks - what to do, what not to do, et cetera.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: rmick on October 07, 2019, 08:03:00 PM
Couldn't resist.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on October 20, 2019, 08:29:35 PM
Got the painting done!  Got a set of new tires on her and had the stock steel wheels powder coated gloss black.  She sure looks sharp.

(https://i.imgur.com/RNr2XOU.jpg)

I also removed and re-sealed the rear hatch glass.  Took the window trim off and found out it was only attached on one of four sides...  no more leak now, though!

Only a few things left on the to-do list for now.  She’s sagging pretty badly, and today we drove her into town with four people and a full tank of gas...  Bottomed out a lot.  Have a set of stock-height springs on the way.

I’ve got a new BBD stepper motor on the way as well, the one that’s on the car currently is completely nonfunctional.  She runs, but still has that hesitation issue . I suspect it’s because of the lack of a functional stepper motor.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on October 22, 2019, 10:44:36 PM
So I'm plugging here for my mother's post (in the wanted section) requesting a factory (or NOS reproduction) center console for an automatic shifter Eagle.  If anyone has any tips on how to find one, or if anyone knows someone who would be willing to let one go, PLEASE let me know.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on October 26, 2019, 03:54:22 AM
Update time!  I took a few days off working on the eagle, but as of yesterday I’m back at it.

The major project I’m working on at the moment is making a new harness for the headlights.  Two relays activated by the headlight/hi-low switch like normal, both with individual fuses.  The load bearing wires for the headlights are going to be 16 gauge, and I’m changing the ground location for each side.  As of right now I have the high beam harness completed along with both left and right side grounds, and the high and low wires to activate the relays have been re-routed, extended, and slipped into a preexisting wire harness under the hood.

(https://i.imgur.com/zFsZdCy.jpg)

Pulled the front fascia off last night, and unbundled the wrapping of the factory harness all along the bottom.  I went ahead and bought a new set of headlights, but I will be keeping the old ones too as they still work - always good to have spares handy.

(https://i.imgur.com/Rcey1X9.jpg)

The ends of the high beam harness and the ground wires are laid out of each headlight bucket so I don’t lose track of them.  Every joint is soldered and wrapped in heat shrink as needed.

(https://i.imgur.com/tZ4Zy1q.jpg)

That’s the relay/fuse block I cobbled together.  It will sit right beside the battery/ignition computer in the engine compartment, and both positive and negative leads will be attached to the power and ground leads on the solenoid beside the battery.  Yes, that is RTV.

My secondary project is a little less common, but I think it’s more interesting.  I’ve talked about this some on AMCForum, but what I’m going to do is make a diagnostic display that will sit on the dash, and hook into the diagnostic ports under the hood in as unobtrusive a fashion as I can manage.  I’ll explain more in a sec.

(https://i.imgur.com/xaRVJLc.jpg)

There’s my project box for the whole thing. 

I have some general guidelines for what I want out of this diagnostic box.  It will be relatively small (7 inches wide, 4 inches deep, 2 inches tall), it will be easily removable, (it has ports for both the 15 pin and the 6 pin Molex connectors on the side, as visible in the image) it will be fully switchable at will, and it will be easy to disassemble for repair/troubleshooting.  I have all the components I need to make it, and I will start putting it together once I’m done with the headlight relay.  I could potentially do a write up if it works well enough, but I’m not sure how many of you would be willing to spend the money on the parts.  It wasn’t exactly cheap, mostly because of the whole “switchable” thing.  Lots of tiny 25mA relays in it - one for each LED, and some other components. It will also display the O2 sensor reading, which will be useful for comparing the AO and BO (stepper motor) signals against

Anyway, those are the major things, but there are also some smaller developments.

I received a bunch of great packages in the mail over the last several days.  White letters for my BFG’s, a set of 3 fender covers, wider spacers,  a set of four soft rubber mud flaps, and a roll of gold pinstriping.  White letters are installed, 2/3 fender covers are already in use, pinstriping has already been applied to missing areas on the driver’s side (passenger side was perfect)  and the mud flaps and spacers will happen at roughly the same time sometime next week.

(https://i.imgur.com/Nw3tRyv.jpg)

The fender covers are all the same size and brand.  They are the smallest size of “Fender Gripper” (brand name” fender cover, and so far they have stuck to the fender wonderfully, are just about the right size, and have both a nice weight and feel to them.  I do think I might go buy a few magnets, however, because if I want to pull the covers far enough out that they don’t pass over the crevice where fender and hood meet, they do want to slide off from time to time.

Also visible in the image is what the white lettering kit looks like on the tires!

Alright, time to wrap this up.  I have two questions for everyone.

1:  Does anyone know of a place that sells mesh/wire covered headlight buckets (the metal buckets that hold the sealed beam bulbs into the adjustable/aimable bracket)?  I’m going for a sort of rally/muscle kind of look and I think that a set of those with some added protection would both be a good investment AND look great.  I know that there are sets of rock guards for Jeep YJ headlights, I just don’t know if they would work on an Eagle.

2:  What is this connector?  It is coming out of the small harness that comes up on the driver’s side.  It is NOT a wire for the headlights, even though it is the same shade of green as one of them is.  I pulled the green headlight wire out of the loom and the connector in the image is still there, attached to a separate, identically-colored wire.

(https://i.imgur.com/mj65oHO.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/dODH8Fn.jpg)

Thanks for any light anyone might be able to shed on this.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: Mitch on October 26, 2019, 07:16:25 AM
This may help...

http://amceaglesden.com/guide/1988_Large_Electrical_Schematics_-_Much_applicable_to_other_years.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: Taylor on October 26, 2019, 10:08:06 AM
This should cover everything under the hood.
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on October 27, 2019, 07:01:26 PM
Thanks, you two - I found out that that plug is for the factory fog light harness.  Since the eagle doesn't have factory fog lights, it never had anything plugged into it.

ANOTHER question - I finally confirmed that I'm missing most of the parts for my upstream pulse air system.  No control valve, no check/diverter valve, the hose coming from the carb air cleaner is plugged and the line coming from the exhaust is also plugged.

I can't find a replacement for the control valve (the valve with 1 big + 1 small inlet, and 1 small outlet) anywhere.  Would anyone happen to have a spare they would be willing to sell?
Title: Re: 1986 AMC Eagle Wagon cheap rehab
Post by: zeebo76 on November 08, 2019, 08:03:03 PM
SCORE!!!

(https://i.imgur.com/QcqBuWL.jpg)

Found a 1982 Eagle Sport on Facebook three days ago.

(https://i.imgur.com/e5p7XMI.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/oAOlPx4.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/3aePEfD.jpg)

It’s got a ton of great spares.  Interior hood lever (the black plastic thingy that always breaks), both hatch hinges, doorjamb protectors, headlight bezels, taillights, marker housings, window trim, bumpers, door handles, carburetor, and more.  It’s basically a complete car, the issue with it is that it’s just got too many small little issues.  It’s missing the plastic cladding, a door panel, two doors don’t close, the hood is bent, the roof rack has a missing section, the car was uncovered for a while, tires are shot, it’s got no exhaust...

BUT.

(https://i.imgur.com/mBTcgOM.jpg)

It’s a stick shift.  It’s got everything I’ll need to do the manual swap I want to do in my eagle with the exception of the actual transmission - the parts car has an SR4 in it, and if I’m doing a manual swap on my eagle there’s no way I’m putting that piece of junk in there.  I’ll be doing an AX15 conversion.

But, yeah!  It’s got the clutch and brake pedal, crossmember, master cylinder, it’s got a center console with the gauge package in it, and it’s got a tachometer!

Last but not least, it’s got a freshly rebuilt motor, only about 7k miles on it.  I trust the girl who sold it to me - she just about cried when I took it away.  She had it stored at her brother’s place and she was pregnant with her second kid, so the eagle couldn’t be worked on and it just needed to go.  $850 (maybe a little steep, but I don’t really care haha) and it’s now mine.