Work for the coming months, need part sourcing

Bosch

Registered User
https://i.imgur.com/fgHaZsQ.jpg

Car is a 35th anny, not doing anything crazy to it, stock parts are fine. Going to do brakes myself next paycheck. I'd like to replace both the air pump and accessory belts at the same time I do the thermostat gasket, but I can only seem to find supercharger belts and accessory belts - where should I be looking for good belts?

Also, anyone know where I could get a brake pressure sensor? Having a minor leak over time is fine but I don't want it to get worse and then spew brake fluid everywhere when I'm on the road.

I know that list says a lot of parts aren't coming up but that was from the NAPA guy's supply chain, I've checked some other auto store's websites and found power steering lines and a thermostat gasket(although i suppose high temp RTV would be fine too).

I should add that I am fairly amateur when it comes to car repair, the most complicated thing I've done is spark plug replacement on an old truck and some other minor work on my diesel F250. Any advice is welcome and appreciated.
 
About the thermostat gasket, see:
http://www.sccoa.com/forums/showthread.php?140833-Best-part-number-item-for-thermostat-gasket

I use that gasket plus blue RTV, making sure the housing flange is clean and flat, then once it's together, I let it sit overnite before refilling and running the engine. I'm sure some owners have made a successful repair just with RTV.

About the brake pressure 'sensor', do you mean the switch down on the firewall that triggers the Auto Ride Control? I've got a few used ones if you can't find new, which I hear is hard to do unless you get lucky with NOS (new old stock). Good to get one before you need it, I'd get as many miles of the old one before I swapped it out.

ignoring that our cars don't have 'air pumps', frankly, that list puzzles me. PS hoses, belts, brake parts, gaskets should be in good supply AFAIK.

I'd normally expect NAPA would be a good source otherwise. If J&S can't source from other suppliers, it might mean you'll need to find another shop, or maybe DIY. RockAuto can be a good source, eBay, AutoZone...

Besides the brake pressure switch, I think the only other thing on that list that would be a challenge for any SC owner would be shocks (they're not 'struts', BTW). We haven't been able to buy news ones for a a few years now from the usual supply chains. You'd have to dig around for when someone finds them out of a hoarder's house ;)

Funny you mention spark plug changes - that has to be one of the most un-enjoyed tasks on our cars. Access is very limited, so...

Ken
 
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https://i.imgur.com/GlKY0IX.jpg

This is the image they sent me for the pressure sensor. Like I said, amateur, so I'm always wary of getting fleeced.

https://i.imgur.com/5UvwMRN.jpg

Lousy picture, but the main belt seems fine to my untrained eye when I looked at it. It's the other belt closer in on the engine that has more of a dry cracking issue, but I think replacing both is probably a good idea.
 
This is the image they sent me for the pressure sensor.

That's it. We call it a switch. It just turns a circuit on/off that triggers the auto ride system that firms up the shocks. Lots of previous posts here about possible replacements for it, but so far, we haven't found anything common. Some owners elect to just remove it and plug the hole, which of course gelds that part of the ARC system, so... Good news is if it's swapped out, the brake system doesn't need to be bled. You might want to search here on: ARC brake pressure switch

the main belt seems fine to my untrained eye when I looked at it. It's the other belt closer in on the engine that has more of a dry cracking issue, but I think replacing both is probably a good idea.

Yep, yes and not a bad idea, but while the process to replace is straightforward (the tensioners make it pretty simple), the main belt can't come off without removing at least one end of the lower radiator hose. When that's done, it can be a bit of song/dance to get all the air out of the cooling system if you're not familiar with the process. That process has also been discussed at length in the past. Yell if you need help finding such threads, etc.
 
I've stayed with the stock shocks/suspension, so I can't comment on options that are available. That item from AZ isn't something I've seen before. Interesting they've made it available. Wish they come up with a replacement for the early SC crank sensor they stopped supplying.

AFAIK, you'd need to pull the electric adjusters at the top of each shock, then decide if you want to stare at the light in the dash that comes on when in FIRM mode, or when the system can't communicate with the adjusters. Pulling the bulb is the obvious remedy apparently. Other than that, it won't matter if you remove them.

Keep in mind the stock shocks are not as firm as some owners might expect - point is you might be able to find buyers for the ones you take off, even with lots of miles on them...don't just toss them out without seeing if someone wants them. Unless they're blown out, leaking, bushings shot, hanging by a thread you might be ok leaving them alone.

That said, if you're after a much firmer ride, there are threads here that talk about installing bilsteens, konis etc. One of our vendors sells a package with adjustable coil-over performance shocks, but those are priced to reflect their use/performance. Check out https://www.supercoupeperformance.com
 
Suspension isn't something that's bothering me right now. The ride still feels very smooth, just kinda feeling out my options.
 
Good plan.

Have you confirmed the ARC system is working? The change to firm might be subtle. Light in the dash comes on when you flip the rocker in the console, or, fast steering, hard braking? The light should stay on when the switch is flipped, but go on/off when in auto mode as it gets triggered. If the light flashes, there is a count to indicate which shock/corner as the problem. The controller is one of the modules/boxes in the component tray in the trunk, up underneath the rear package area, behind the back seats.
 
So far it's working as advertised. Not sure if the original owner did any replacements, I have to imagine they did way back when ARC shocks were available. The switch works, and the light comes on during more aggressive driving. I can definitely feel it tighten up.
 
Great.

Sorry if I missed it, how many miles on your Anny? Mine has 110k. I installed new shocks back in 2012, but haven't put more than 5k on them since.
 
There are three belts, all different in length.

  • The longest is the main belt, driven off the large crank pulley, it drives the water pump, power steering pump, alternator and A/C compressor, 89.96 inches stock length, uses one tensioner.
  • Then there is the jackshaft belt, driven off the crank, 42.5 inches stock length, uses one tensioner.
  • Finally there is the supercharger belt, driven off the jackshaft pulley, 39.17 inches stock length, uses one tensioner.
Then you have idler pulleys, one on each tensioner, which are not all the same size stock. When running a different size supercharger pulley, and/or jackshaft and/or crank pulley the belts can be different lengths, and/or the idler pulleys can be different diameters, all depending on fitment (tight/loose, slipping, etc). Note the tensioners have range indicators on them. Different sized pulleys are used to speed up, or slow down, whatever is being driven. Lots of threads here on changing pulleys and why.

I think your car runs a smaller supercharger pulley - at least that's what the owner said in the ad, and how it looks in the photos. You might get by with the stock supercharger belt length in that case, but it can depend on how different the diameter is from stock. A smaller supercharger pulley makes the supercharger spin faster, which results in higher boost. Basically allows you to bolt on more horsepower.

On your SC, you may end up only needing stock length belts, but my advice is to have each belt in hand when buying new ones so they can be compared for length and rib count to be sure you get what you need. Keep the receipt.

Belts for our cars are not unique to the SC, so again, I'd be surprised to hear they are not available, etc.

By the way, that stack of manuals you got with the car contains tons of information. You may want to get used to digging thru them, they look to be the perfect collection for an SC owner.
 
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Awesome, thank you, that is very helpful. The SC belt looks to be in good condition so I'm not going to be concerned about that for now. Payday can't come soon enough, I want to have this thing ready for touring come springtime in the mountains.
 
One last thing, when changing belts, there should be a decal on the header panel in front of the radiator with a routing 'map' that shows how they go, but if it's not there, you'll find that same info in the large factory repair manual. The shorter belts are easy enough to figure out, but the longer one can be tricky. Of course, it can be a good habit to take photos first to help remember where things go when swapping most parts. This practice also helps to document repairs.
 
Okay I did the tstat gasket(used the fel-pro and blue ATV which i saw recommended) and changed the jackshaft and serpentine belts, but I have a question. This car is new to me and I never really observed the belts with the engine running very closely. Everything is lined up on the pulleys correctly, but when the engine runs, it looks like the belt edges towards the front of the tensioner pulley. Is this normal or do I have something ever so slightly misaligned? Car runs and drives and I don't feel anything out of the ordinary.

https://i.imgur.com/1mw3CGK.jpg
 
I took it for a spin and checked it again and it seemed to be running straighter, I'll keep an eye on it and the belt. However, now I'm noticing that I'm idling at >1k, fluctuating between 1k and 1.2k. So I'm guessing I need a new IAC valve if it doesn't settle out soon.
 
seemed to be running straighter

When the belts were off, did you sanity check all three idlers to confirm they're spinning smooth and not loose on their bearings?

guessing I need a new

Maybe, sure, but...don't guess. Pull codes ;) Pls. don't just fire the parts cannon at it, in any case.
 
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