Originally Posted by Oldblue

Yes it’s always a great feeling getting the job done, and you know you did it yourself and correctly! Are you using the water pump tool or changing the timing chain and balance shaft chain as well?

Originally Posted by Kimberly Brooks Campbell

You are welcome. Cool. Yes, Kimberly will do. All rightee then. Only a few close friends believe I do this all myself. I bet. Well. Friends and the people at the parts store. 😋. Yes good point.

Love hearing about a loving marriage. That is fantastic. Thanks, we can bark at each other at times. LOL So few marriages last nowadays. That does seem true. Does she do her own maintenance still? Only if I need a hand, but she is also a formally trained gourmet cook. So she keeps the grub good, & I try & keep the toys running.. Still ride? Yes we both do. She loves riding my 1997 Harley Road King.
And I Iike the 1994 Fat Boy or the 1973 X-Police Servi-Car. (3 wheeler w/hand shift & foot clutch) ..

Had a tiger today trying to get one control arm off. 🤬. I never heard that expression before.. But I know what you mean. The bolt turned but wouldn’t back out. Bummer. I spent the entire day trying every way I ever knew to get it out. Hate those battles. And since I’m not changing the arm. Just the bushing, I couldn’t cut it off. I hear ya..

I was about to loose my mind so I looked online and read that control arm bushing could seize on the bolt. Well, I thought, that can’t be it. The bushing has no threads. Right? Wrong.

Wrong. 🤪 Weird but true. The bushing is totally shot. Was turning with each swing. Yes I can imagine that. So I got a hefty lock wrench. Got tight grip on the bushing and my daughter came out to hold the bushing tight while I broke it loose. Good for you..

Not much better than that feeling when u overcome an obstacle. It’s just awesome. 👍 Agreed 100%, gratification for a conquered battle..

Tomorrow I’ll be getting the bushings swapped Very Cool. then I can put the suspension back together and get her drivable for a bit. Good for you. Going to do a full flush of the coolant lines before I put the new water pump in. Good deal, GM used to add clear Gel Caps to the coolant system when they built them, to ensure no tiny leaks. Be sure to get all the air out, The Rad is lower than the engine making it more challenging to get all the air to be purged out. Are you gonna be using Dex-Cool, good for 5 Years.
Don’t want any gunk in there with a new pump. No, you are right about that. I gotta drain it all anyway. Might as well start clean. 😊 Very true, & if you swap thermostats, be sure to get a GM one, aftermarket causes issues.. Many have reported here.

Originally Posted by sleeper

And the timing chains (as previously mentioned) are pretty important, with the miles yours has. Something to seriously consider. Our engines are "interference engines", meaning if your chain were to jump a tooth the valves could hit the pistons.

Sounds like a busy day coming. Have fun, I gotta mow grass, cause rains are coming.

Originally Posted by Kimberly Brooks Campbell

I enjoy mowing. It’s me time. Lol Kimberly- I enjoy mowing as well. Just a bit hot this time of year in the South.. Gotta mow in the early AM.

about timing chains. will the car give any signs BEFORE the timing chain goes? Well my '08 2LT Panel only has a tick over 34K on it. So I haven't had to do any yet. The others know better on that. I know it’s time. And I know it’s catastrophic if it fails. I just haven’t got the gumption yet. 😒. I hear ya, Old blue has changed a couple at least, so I've read here.

I hadn’t heard about aftermarket thermostat. I just got one and made sure it was rated at 180° Something weird about aftermarket T-Stats, the HHR doesn't like them. It likes the Overly expensive GM version.