'84 Eagle Limited FULL resto

[eagleman]

Good luck and can't wait to see the outcome.

[BaldEagle]

The manual solenoid is exactly the same as the auto one, except without the bottom (ground) post and it's about $15 cheaper. Doesn't require any mods, the old wire just hangs unconnected and the NSS is completely bypassed. All this means is that it can start in any gear, but it's not really a problem and won't cause anything bad to happen (so long as you have your foot on the brake if mistakenly in Drive). If your ground wire isn't working for some reason, the manual one I believe grounds directly to the body, therefore eliminating the whole NSS circuit.

I didn't quite like the idea at first either because technically the NSS is required to work for PA inspection, but it got my car to start and saved me money when I needed to replace mine.

I would have gone that route too, with that kind of price difference, but Orielly's had the auto one for only like a buck or two more. I installed the solenoid today, and tried grounding the bottom stud, but it didn't do the trick. At least it has a very nice clicking noise now! Time to head to the starter.....I think I'd rather rebuild it myself, as I've not been impressed with rebuilt starters in the past.

[Baskinator]

I may have exaggerated on the price of the auto solenoid, couldn't remember exactly what it was, but it's about $10 difference on Rockauto.com. If you act quickly, they have a reman starter for sale for $25, only one in stock. That's less than the price of the drive gear if it's busted, and I'd even get it to replace mine if I had the money.

If you choose the rebuild route however, it's not too difficult. Two of the brushes can simply be screwed out and new ones put in, but one will require soldering. Just get it real clean in there, and grease the drive gear. If the gear is broken, I would suggest just buying a new/reman starter as the replacement gear is more than half the price (and just as expensive as that starter on Rockauto right now).

[BaldEagle]

I may have exaggerated on the price of the auto solenoid, couldn't remember exactly what it was, but it's about $10 difference on Rockauto.com. If you act quickly, they have a reman starter for sale for $25, only one in stock. That's less than the price of the drive gear if it's busted, and I'd even get it to replace mine if I had the money.

If you choose the rebuild route however, it's not too difficult. Two of the brushes can simply be screwed out and new ones put in, but one will require soldering. Just get it real clean in there, and grease the drive gear. If the gear is broken, I would suggest just buying a new/reman starter as the replacement gear is more than half the price (and just as expensive as that starter on Rockauto right now).

Nah, most parts stores do have a $10-15 difference, but Oreilly's has the best deal I could find at $16 for the auto type. I'll test the starter first with some jumper cables, just to see if it's a power/ground issue, then go from there. That is an awesome deal for a starter...........even with S&H, it's about $8 less than the parts stores. Given the probs I've had in the past with rebuilt starters though, I'd pay that $8 just for a lifetime warranty. If it's anything more than brushes, that will be the route I go. The new solenoid does have a real nice sounding click to it now! 

[BaldEagle]

For those who didn't see my starter thread, the car's running now. It was a dead cell in the battery, ultimately. It fired right up, with only 1/4 tank of year old gas in it. Since then I've fixed horrible vacuum leaks, replaced belts, cleaned inside and out, and filled the tank with a Seafoam treatment. It runs pretty good, but does kind of sputter or pop at idle. I think it's running lean.............which may explain why my MPG calculation was such a shock. 31mpg over 95 miles, with hwy and city driving!!! Really, I haven't done anything to it that would be considered an upgrade, and it's sat for a year at 177K miles. I'm almost afraid to try and make it run smooth because of a big drop in mileage. 
I wouldn't mind a drop of a couple mpg's to have it run better, so maybe my next step will be some reversible work. The computer bypass test seems like a good candidate, and cleaning up the vacuum lines can only help, I believe. If I can keep the mileage up there with some upgrades, like the TFI ignition, and have it run good.............I think this will be my main focus on this project. I want the car to look relatively stock, but performance and functionality will be first!
~E

[BaldEagle]

   Well, I did some steps in doing the ECM Test, but didn't have vacuum hose or a tee to make it permanent. Even with just the stepper motor pins fully extended and unplugged, the car runs great now EXCEPT during fast idle. Then it fires right up with just one pump of the skinny pedal, but pops sporadically. When timing, I had it running smooth as glass, but having to plug the vacuum back in destroyed that. Also the timing mark was a little jumpy..............what does that symptom point to? I still highly doubt the calculated 31mpg's that I got last time, so I'll re-figure that now that it's running better.
   New parts from the JY today!!! I've got a really clean MC2150 to rebuild, and a pass side door handle. 
I've got to get my DSLR out and charged for some decent pics soon, but here's another crummy cell one. Egr base is gone now.



Exciting project............I love this car!!!

[GRONK]

By the looks of it, you have a 77-79'ish 2150.  If it's a 1.08 you are good to go.

Looking at your throttle linkage, you will need to grind off that throttle linkage ball and make your own drop linkage.  This is very simple.

If you need anything, let me know.

[BaldEagle]

Thanks Gronk, I'll likely be needing your carbless kit soon. How much does that go for, and does it include the air housing?

[doc65]

Air housing???

[BaldEagle]

Yeah, that was a little vague............air filter housing. 

[shanebo]

I'll chime in as a satisfied customer...gronks set up is awesome! It sure put a lot of pep back into my old bird, not to mention it gets rid of a lot of those darn vaccum lines.

[BaldEagle]

I'll chime in as a satisfied customer...gronks set up is awesome! It sure put a lot of pep back into my old bird, not to mention it gets rid of a lot of those darn vaccum lines.

   My rebuild won't be quite as good as his, but done with the same kit, adapter, etc...........it should still run a lot better than the BBL with stepper disconnected!

   After putting more miles on between fill-ups, it looks like the gas mileage is pretty average. 17-18mpg. I almost feel better about that mileage, over 30, because now I can make improvements to it without worry of decreasing mpg's.

   That sporadic timing mark could mean a worn distributor or timing chain?
Thanks,
~E

[BaldEagle]

Finally got an update for you guys. This weekend I'll be taking it camping and the weather looks promising for a photo shoot.
*Interior detailed by my wife and myself. No more mold, and the musty smell is long gone now. Sagging headliner removed. Rubbing alcohol works great for killing mold, dries quickly, and no harm to interior surfaces.
*Grill was plastic welded and put on.
*Nuttered, and it ran slightly better
*All vacuum lines replaced or deleted. This was the best improvement to date. No sputtering at any RPM, and smooth as glass! It's very basic for now, and the EGR is just capped temporarily.
*Hatch hinges replaced after breaking one. 
*Titled in my name, and new tags.
*Next up I have some RH door handles to put in, EGR to hook up, and TFI upgrade with tune up. The MC2150 rebuild is on hold until needed. Right now I can't even tell if it's running at stop signs, so I don't need to muck that up. This car is proving to be extremely reliable..........my wife has driven it to 90 miles round trip to work for a couple of months now without incident. I'm very grateful for the help this forum has provided us! I love the Eagle, and now must resist the temptation to buy the '87 for sale right down the highway. First one we've seen since getting ours, too. 
~E

[BaldEagle]

Sad, sad time for us..............
the Eagle was totaled over the weekend.
My wife was driving, but she was not at fault so we'll be shopping for a new Eagle when we get the insurance money. I just hope they don't try and lowball us because of the type of car! I don't have any pictures yet, and may not get the car back for parts because it's over 4hrs from home. The impact was driver's front corner to the same on a newer Expedition, so it's munched pretty bad.

[Prafeston]

That is really sad news! Hope you get a reasonably pay out on the total and good luck with your search for another.