1990 Firebird - Uncovering Serious Problems

[@WorthlessWhips]

Patreons vote on the cars to buy for future episodes - www.patreon.com/worthlesswhips Or support us here - paypal.me/worthlesswhips

[@ruthgatorbinzburg1876]

Patrons, not patreons. Sorry that shit drives me bonkers lol

[@NeverMetTheGuy]

Did fresh coolant in the VR6 two guys ago. It also made a giant mess, BUT looked brand new even after not being driven much for almost three years.

[@joeblo5799]

1. look into using a quart of transmission fluid for engine oil fluss, it has detergent in it. 2. I never buy 50/50 coolent becuase your paying for 50% water, just buy 100% ccolent and the water yourself.

[@NM-qd3tm]

SerpentZA: This stuff is dangerous! *Proceeds to immediately taste it*

[@TheGreatStinky1]

I cried laughing when I saw this comment 🤣🤣

[@barniyamum]

guess he immunizes himself^^

[@buffdelcampo]

Hi, cooling system shop tips: 1) Before removing the radiator cap when the engine is warm, squeeze the upper radiator hose to determine the pressure in the system. 2) Drill the 1/8-inch hole in the thermostat so all the air will bleed out as soon as the engine is started. It's unlikely the tiny hole will affect running temperature, especially in the southwest US. 3) Use a kiddy pool to catch coolant when draining the system. They are cheap and they are big enough that the coolant will usually not end up on the floor. Great video ! Thanks.

[@angeldelarosa89]

" I got other plans to keep this car safe" ..." clocks shotgun on the background 😄😄

[@Czechbound]

Top Tip : Always put a rag over the radiator filler cap when opening it. If it does explode, there is less chance of you getting scalded. And you don't want that ( my friend's dad's face was badly mottled when, as a youth, he stood over a hot radiator when opening the cap ... )

[@Dowlphin]

1) Did the skin heal fully at some point? 2) How do you even open a radiator filler cap without a cloth? Isn't that thing expectedly damn hot anyway so that you would instinctively use one? 3) I remember a case where a dad was doing BBQ evening and when his very beautiful blond maybe 7 yo daughter stood in front of the grill he poured ethanol onto the glowing coals as a firestarter. 🤦😤 When she returned to school she looked quite mottled, too, and some hair missing.

[@stephenmitchell7915]

I stood over a 64 Dodge radiator and opened the cap to let the pressure off. Apparently most of the pressure was waiting for me to look into the filler neck when the water flashed to steam and knocked my glasses off my face. I had Silvadene on my face for a couple weeks, and was lucky that was all that happened to me! Sometimes it takes a few seconds for all that water to finish turning to steam!

[@taunuslunatic404]

Don't open a radiator when hot. Period.

[@Dowlphin]

@Taunuslunatic - I find a hot woman opening a radiator quite recommendable, though.

[@sc1338]

Dowlphwin I did that last year. Severe pain and my skin began peeling off my face. No permanent damage though. I guess I was lucky

[@zaineridling]

Amazed at your patience. Projects like this just piss me off when things go south. You seem to treat it like a mystery or investigation to set about fixing one thing at a time. 💯👍👍👍💯

[@dougstubbs9637]

A Thermostat welded open is an indication the engine has been cooked. Orange coolant, not rust, that orange is what happens when Barrs Leaks, which comes from the bottle green, mixes with coolant and remains in too long in the system. Don’t be too surprised if head gaskets are up the shit, valley cover leaks, noisy water pump when cold. Removing Thermostat is also common here in Australia, but is dumb. Why would the Engineers put it there in the first place?

[@ffarmchicken]

Doug Stubbs Ah, thanks for the tips.

[@edwardh6620]

Excited to see this dream car be brought back to its former glory

[@iridium3342]

Agreed!

[@adamnarbeaux5898]

Thank you for this. The Firebird Formula was also one of my dream cars! Especially the 350 but that’s only available in automatic. Following your rebuild. Much props to you for being capable of completing the project by yourself! So jealous!!!

[@willr69420]

I thoroughly enjoy everything you guys do!

[@ScottPilgrimspayaccount]

Insert a joke about just the tip

[@ScottPilgrimspayaccount]

@@lost_poet_ And he's reading your hurtful comment probably. Did you really have to say it? Feelsbadman.

[@lost_poet_]

@@ScottPilgrimspayaccount Lol, he's got a thick skin. A comment like that wont affect him, especially given the fact that he puts up with all sorts of vile abuse from the Chinese nationalists on his channel.

[@ItsTimePictures]

I love the longform video format. Perhaps I’m showing my age. And perhaps, just perhaps that car had an odometer rollback.

[@PatrickSmithPhD]

Love this series and this channel. For any who are new here, you owe it to yourselves to check out their other channels: ADV China, laowhy86, and serpentza.

[@WorthlessWhips]

Thanks mate!

[@alexandercarder2281]

Amen to that. People don’t know what they are missing.

[@theamazingfreak]

Hi Winston. I have a disagreement on your advice to use a razor blade as a scraper on Aluminium based alloy manifold parts. The razor is a harder metal, and it is easy to damage the mating surface if you are not aware of what you are doing. My background is aircraft maintenance. May I suggest some alternatives? If you have access to a piece of flat perspex, ad can cut it to a scraper shape, grind or file one edge to about a 30 degree incline, that is perfect. If you don't have access to perspex, some alternatives that will make very small scrapers are, your old toothbrush handle, plastic, or wood, or bamboo chopsticks. When your scraper is dull, use some 300 to 600 grit carborundum paper on a flat surface, and rub your scraper to sharpen the edge. There are many things you can use. The important takeaway is - make sure your scraper is softer material than what you are scraping against. Thanks Winston for another great video, and best wishes to you, your family, and of course the C-milk clan.

[@Tux.Penguin]

This video brings back memories of the hours I spent fixing my old Jeep years ago. It’s cool that you enjoy fixing cars, but I’m glad I don’t deal with that anymore. It can be such a headache!

[@Flastew]

When it is a car you love you will fix it instead of getting rid of it. But a plus is you now know what is in it and you trust what you did. Loving this series.

[@MrSiestaFiesta]

Pro Tip: Take out your thermostat when flushing. It lets it flow freely.

[@i4long]

The last one about batteries was a great help, I do a lot of golfing and bought a 2006 EZ-GO golf cart TXT. I was told that the cart wouldn't move. I bought it for $450.00 cleaned up all 6 batteries, they took a charge and the cart runs. You might look around for a used golf carts, restore it and sell it. Might be an interesting show.

[@Lykoloo]

Not to mention the demand for them and how well they hold their value. That TXT could prolly go for 1500 dollars running where I am.

[@codysoper6]

It's so cool seeing how into automotive stuff you are. I found your main channel because of your video about chinese cars and didn't think you were too much of a gearhead but I was proven wrong! Love the videos!

[@preban336]

I turned 16 in 87. Made a point to go to dealerships during the late 80's and drive these car. Plus it did not hurt that I owned an 84 Firebird. I drove a new 87 Formula 350, an new 89 Formula with 305 TPI with 5-speed and a new 90 Formula with 305 TBI just like yours. They all were nice and fast for the day but the 350 Formula was the fastest and my dream car when in high school. The sale person would NOT let me drive an 87 Grand National or a Corvette without my father!! But I sure as hell tried. The formula was a cool car in the late 80's and could out handle and out brake a fox body Mustang. When we raced Mustangs back then, we made sure were had curves to contend with. Beautiful car! Enjoy it. It is a labor of love. Gen X remembers how cool these cars were. Remember, most kids had 90 horsepower Ford Escorts and crap like that to drive. When were saw a new 80's muscle car it was no different than seeing a 70 440/426 Cuda in the early 70's. Enjoy brother!!!

[@Audio_Simon]

Torque until you hear the crack, then back a quarter turn :) - Master AvE

[@Nightfall4.3]

Keep updating on the Formula. It's awesome watching you work on it. I find it relatable the way you work on your car as I'm not an expert mechanic but the way you work on it and look into this reminds me of how I go about fixing thing on my own car. Really excited to see how you fix up this beautiful car

[@zzazc2929]

idk why, but watching you fix this car is soothing.

[@captschark]

"In theory" is one of my favorite and most used sayings. My wife may call it my #1. WD-40 on the other hand is 1950's missile maintenance water displacement, revision formula #40, fluid... I won't judge.

[@B2091]

This is a great channel! No BS, arrogance or pretentiousness going on. Just a couple of guys who love their cars. I’ve been working my way through your videos and loved all the content. Lovely firebird as well. It looks great in white. Keep up the good work 👌

[@WorthlessWhips]

Thanks mate!

[@echarlto]

Really enjoyable. I'm not a car guy. But, Winston your teaching skill keeps me coming back.

[@michael8590]

Every firebird has serious problems 🤣🤣🤣

[@ffarmchicken]

Michael Hallak Ha, so true. And the coolant over flow repair is typical Firebird owner. Retard mechanical abilities.

[@rubyrodriguez237]

I own a 1990 pontiac firebird as well. Been having issues with it. It was the fuel pump. I have the car manual book but no mechanic was able to figure it out. I am not a mechanic but I figured it out by reading the book. I finally found a shop that is currently fixing it finally! I'm watching this video hopefully I can learn a thing or two from you so I can be able to do my self in the future👍

[@NeverMetTheGuy]

Quick aside - If you MIX the two types of coolant it can cause the liquid to gel and therefore clog the thermostat and lead to ejecto hose- o, cuz. However, if you're flushing and putting in 100% fresh coolant, you can get away with whatever you want.

[@GilBatesLovesyou]

That's right, actually. This is especially prevalent on Volkswagen and other German vehicles, and one reason they die. People will top off with green stuff and then it doesn't mix well with the German fancy stuff, and yeah. Some coolants like Toyota/etc cooperate a bit better, but still, it's better to not mix them.

[@davidgoff5883]

I really like your positive approach re: fault finding and repair Winston! This is definitely going to be a very popular channel!

[@michaelpowers9259]

Very interesting. I wish that the cars manufactured today could be maintained at home like we used to do in the 60's and 70's (my era). Of course the car manufacturers don't make money on diagnostic repairs. But I loved working on my Mustang and Thunderbird back in the day! Good video., Winston. Thanks,

[@ronb113]

These videos have been great, I love projects like this!

[@blackwolf9748]

This is awesome Winston. I love to see the passion you have for doing this. Keep up the good work and stay awesome!

[@alexandercarder2281]

I love listening to Winston and his love of cars is contagious 😷 😝 no seriously it really is and makes me want to check my car over. Now I am learning new things.

[@jond1965]

My 89 formula 350 has 92k on it. Original owner here too. Love these cars and yours is really nice.

[@ChrisLincolnHomes]

25yrs ago on my 1988 Formula 350 the wires from the distributor to the ignition module had corroded to the point where they fell apart. I fixed those and after a tune up (broke a plug off in the head, had to remove it and the TPI and found a bad head gasket, replaced the valve seals too-all in a 40 degree F garage) the car ran great.

[@thinkabout602]

I could watch this allllll day. Staying AWESOME ! 👍 🏆 💯%

[@dj_paultuk7052]

Its worth checking the base ignition timing as well. It should be on one of the under bonnet GM stickers. Been a while since i had a 3rd Gen, but think its like 6 degrees BTDC at Idle or something.

[@chegvra]

All that gentle love and care and then take through an automated carwash?

[@tonychambers9228]

Can't wait to see the real progress on this car. I dont own a firebird but I own a 96 Volvo 850r and i've been restoring it. So hard to find one in good condition. Currently getting the trans rebuilt as we speak. You are gonna spend a ton of money man since you love that car!

[@y87_99Firebird]

An old school trick (that’s up to you to try), is running 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar in the cooling system for a day or two can clear ALOT of that rust out. I did it on my old 95 3.4 Firebird (iron block and head) and it saved me having to get a new radiator. Ran at 185* cruising and it was happy at 185k miles

[@textilewolf]

Love the aesthetic of the intro!

[@mistercidman]

So glad y’all made this series! Keep up all your hard work!

[@rizz0d]

this car is mint, dude! all the thirdgens around here are completely rotted out. these videos are a pleasure to watch.

[@timothyballinger6280]

I know a lot of people may disagree with me but what I do is put a half a cup of the works toilet bowl cleaner in the radiator and run it about 10 minutes then flush it with a garden hose as you did in the video. It does an amazing job with rinsing out all the junk in your cooling system and it looks almost new again

[@hejasverigeee]

Love it 😎 Looking forward to good summer weather here in the Nordics so that I can enjoy some outdoor wrenching this summer. Greetings from Stockholm Sweden Europe

[@romeozulu4424]

These classic cars do require a bit of TLC, but it’s a labor of love. Good luck!

[@bryanmchugh1307]

I had a white 1992 Formula with the same boat anchor TBI 305. That thing was slow as a boat BUT was still reliable as a hammer. I got ate by every 5.0 Mustang in town. That being said it was actually a nice car. It had handling and brakes for days. I got to drive a Camaro of the same year that had a 5 speed. That thing was a rocket.

[@mschrar]

those smaller jackstands fit perfectly next to the ball joint on the A-arm on 3rd gen F-bodies. Also I use big low profile rubbermaid household storage bins to do coolant drops.

[@GenaF]

I love you working on the cars, so knowledgeable

[@gaviekrayfish]

One thing that may have already been mentioned, the orange coolant is called DexCool. DexCool has a bad reputation because there’s stuff in it that reacts to minerals in tap water that cause it to create solids in the cooling system that block lines and ruins your entire cooling system. Whenever topping up the coolant on a motor with DexCool in it, either replace it with either DexCool or distilled water, never tap water. Distilled water won’t create the solids because there aren’t minerals to react with the coolant and you won’t have any issues. Or just use regular green coolant and never have to worry!

[@josemontano7767]

I’m enjoying these firebird videos.

[@rahrah5091]

Winston , when I was a kid ( teenager 500 years ago) My father and grandfather rolled back a odometer. I was to young to fully understand By by going through the cruse control you could roll it back manually if it was one of the non digital ones. took em a day to do it.

[@treetheodore6906]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. Time lapse is riveting!

[@macf1040]

Hi Winston, I don’t know US cars at all, but usually the engine block has drain screw. From there you can drain very well and get everything out of the engine.

[@Mrbfgray]

Heavy glove and good size rag over hot radiator cap and open slowly works fine too usually (know your own machines), if too much coolant starts to escape you can quickly re-tighten or let it slowly bleed off. I do it a lot on some old engines even at full operating temp. Running an engine cold will wear it out much faster.

[@Samsons121]

Good to see you working on your dream car, it’s going to be a blast to drive and an object of envy once you get it in top condition!

[@abraxsmith01]

I believe that once you change to synthetic you cannot change back. As for the motor flush I wouldn't use it. Safer to change the oil and filter multiple times until it comes clean. Oil changes are inexpensive when compared to potential engine damage. Nice car BTW!

[@rb30e]

Non synthetic oil can block up small leaks, the cleaning effect synthetic has can clean off the blockages and start oil leaks. You probably need a high zinc oil for that older tech engine and not being sure about it's history.

[@nekozenji9820]

With some love (well, a lot of), this Firebird will roar and shine again. It was adopted by a worthy owner. I'm not sure I'd be ready to put as much passion and work into a car.

[@dariofabijancic9863]

I really like that front part of the chasis, in front of the engine, it's pretty useful for keeping your tools and wd-40 at arms length, great design :D

[@borninthewrongtime6449]

HI guys!! Don't know how I missed a few of these!! Winston, this is YOUR car, right?? You do get $$ off your insurance with an alarm, will u be putting another in? Great info on the "sweetness" of radiator fluid. Poisoning for Dogs & kids is a real horrible fate, never knew about the bees!! You REALLY must have missed this, while in China, it's 2nd nature to you!! Thanks for editing, Matt!!🎬📽📹, we appreciate you, even if you aren't in the video!! Stay healthy, Stay Awesome, 😎💕

[@bumtracksNew]

you get moisture in your oil and if not warmed up long enough to clear that moisture and the crankcase isnt vented properly or vacuumed properly, for some reason it vents some of that oil moisture into the distributor - kind of popular problem in humid climates on cars not often driven. Also if you add oil coolers and cheap out on adding a thermostat, then the oil never gets warm enough to remove the crankcase moisture.

[@silverrider918]

I had a 95 Formula and really liked it.

[@FiscalRangersFlorida]

Great video. That wire hose clamp is probably the original clamp.

[@jared6072]

i agree that its not likely only 20000 mile car. the gauge clusters can be easily changed out for one that has less miles on the odometer. theres no special programming that needs to be done. i had a 92 that had a bad tachometer and i went to a local pick and pull and got a new gauge cluster to replace it. i wanted the odometer to match the old one that came out. i remember taking off a plastic lock mechanism on the rollers for the odometer and carefully moved them to read the same as the old one. popped the lock ring back on and installed the gauges. in my state, the inspection include documenting milage for their records making it hard to tamper with the odometer and get away with it.

[@blatherama]

Come for the car repair tips, stay for the tips on how to poison your spouse.

[@v4thjhr]

the blinding blue light is the backup security system

[@sharifsircar]

Ya know, channels like mighty car mods and engineering explains rocks regular thumbnails while still having a loyal fan base over the years, when they were first growing too

[@elfenmagix8173]

That car is showing signs of it not being what it was advertised. I think that odometer has been turned back. It is a wreck of a beast but you will get it going again!

[@WorthlessWhips]

The speedometer was obviously disconnected for a long time as the speed sensor was faulty

[@watchingitallhere]

I'm a fan of motor medic oil flush. You only run it for like 10 minutes it does no damage and really helps the old dirty oil drain better.

[@chompnormski]

A good way to possibly tell the mileage on a car is the wear on the brake / clutch pedals

[@GTVAlfaMan]

Love this new channel but I see so many errors. 1. The heater fan can be set to low or medium setting with the heat slider lever set to hot. The fan has nothing to do with it. Drain the old coolant out and refill system with regular water. Drive the car a bit to get it warm again and drain it. Repeat filling with water and draining it out until perfectly clear and then refill with new coolant. Scotty Kilmer has an excellent video showing how to flush the cooling system including the heater core using a garden hose. 2. That car has 120,000 miles on it. 3. Slip a small tube or hose over the radiator drain petcock and direct it into the drain pan to prevent making a mess like he did. 4. Don’t use that motor flush, you’ll be sorry.

[@seanwieland9763]

We have the exact same used motor oil container. However for coolant you do need a regular oil bucket (as you discovered), and never use the radiator petcock (even though that’s supposedly what it’s for). Just remove the lower hose.

[@beezertwelvewashingbeard8703]

I think full synthetic oil is just fine in old cars. Mine's a 1988 with close to 400,000 miles. I had the oil pan gasket replaced before switching to synthetic. Hasn't leaked in the 7 years since.

[@Ahmera]

Oh boi here we goooooooo

[@RJ-vb7gh]

In certain cars the bolts that hold the thermostat on are actually doing double duty and are also Manifold hold down bolts... you might want to torque those to correct specs for the sake of the intake manifold gasket.

[@GilBatesLovesyou]

For sludge, you could just pop a valve cover off and take a look first, before running "Motor Flush" type stuff. Honestly a better strategy is do a few 1500-2000 mile oil changes with normal oil if it's not really that bad.

[@fkflintstone]

I thought I recognized your voices. Good video guys.

[@stevenplaskett7728]

I have a 87 Trans am and it has a newer vortec 350 with the 5 speed and it's a beast.

[@vincentfisher4748]

The rust and corrosion in the distributor is from water leaking from the hood scoop dripping into the top of the distributor. if distributor cap is old and cracked condensation will build up inside and cause a misfire or a no start situation, had same problem with my 87 I replaced cap then put a bead of clear silicone on bottom side of hood scoop to keep the water out ..problem solved. The 82-84 models with the functional scoop had a water catch below the scoop above the distributor to draw moisture away from it.

[@recl971]

Love this video,this a true labour of love

[@GilBatesLovesyou]

I think it's possible your running issues could be from a not so great ignition coil. It's likely why the guy had computer advance unplugged, he probably set static timing pretty advanced to compensate. I chased down a ton of problems on my car that came down to an old coil, it had orange-ish spark instead of bright blue/white. I'm at the point any old car I get, gets new plugs, wires, coil, and dizzy cap and rotor now. One way to check the coil, btw, is on a distributor car like that, if it runs well with a lot of timing advance but won't run ret4rded (algo) well at all, it's because with a bad coil, you end up with less cylinder pressure buildup before firing with more timing advance.

[@kaoticgames4946]

Love it! Makes me wanna go out and work on my vehicles

[@cpfpv6410]

you actually want your engine oil temp high enough to off gas any moisture in the oil. If you run a low engine coolant temp, your engine oil temp will also be lower and can invite moisture build up in the oil which can cause lubrication issues and corrosion or rust inside your engine.

[@SomeOne-mx2ro]

Great video thanks for the knowledge

[@Shukov]

I am liking this channel.

[@johnmilner7603]

When you flush your cooling system out it’s a good idea to remove the bolts on each side of the block to drain the water or else you will not have a true 50/50 mix. I buy 2 jugs of Prestone antifreeze and 2 huge jugs of demineralized water from the grocery store and make up my 50/50 mix. Usually a store bought of 50/50 mix is more money PLUS you are really only getting 1/2 of the jug with antifreeze. So 2 jugs of 50/50 is really equal to 1 jug of antifreeze. So your getting ripped off by being lazy and not mixing your own 50/50. I also like testing a new thermostat in boiling water with a laser temp reader.

[@nimmen]

I love wd-40 too. It's the best in cleaning oily crud and stuff off of metal. Step 2 is then to clean off the WD-40 with some brake cleaner if necessary

[@BimbusBucklenuts]

Have you ever tried using an ultrasonic cleaner for metal parts with buildup on it? We use one on ignition key cylinders at work when we're repairing them and cleaning them out.

[@frossato]

Engines are designed to run at the right temperatures because of the gaps between the part. If it runs too cold, parts and gaps run too cold causing premature wear.

[@MrSiestaFiesta]

So this video didn't show up in my subscriptions.... Why does KZbin suck so much? I just hit the bell for all notifications. Hopefully that will fix it.

[@jacklausch3517]

My guess the owner was abusive and did almost no maintenance except to top off fluids. Would love to see you flush & change the transmission filter... All this TLC will bring that Detroit muscle back to life... Great work

[@jakleo337]

Rust-A-Roni......the General Motors treat.

[@americanlawdawg3609]

Yeah, you unplug that brown wire with the connector to set your timing to 10 deg btdc. As much advanced timing as you can manage without the engine pinging.

[@chazbaz1496]

Fav words are "what not" and "crap" This is fun and interesting.

[@anthonyc417]

Dex-cool is biodegradable pet friendly coolant but it coagulates in contact with air when it is warm. I just use green coolant even when it calls for Dex-cool.

[@ryannakamura6906]

You can purchase an early code scanner for these cars. OBD 1 type. They probably make a bluetooth plug in... ebay has the bluetooth module and download code reader apps online. Or they should have cheap readers at autozone or oreileys.

[@flycatchful]

I have been looking at two 1966 Ford Mustang Fastbacks. One has been restored to Concours condition and the other to Street Show condition. It appears you purchased the Street Show Condition. The difference in price is 82K.

[@AngeredKabar]

I use WD40 to clean stuff at work. Granted it's a machine shop, but it does a good job cutting through grime and old grease.

[@a51mj12]

Winston, you can fix a bit the audio levels, so when it cuts to music it isnt much louder than the talking part.

[@CR-vu1rt]

Any cheap coolant/antifreeze contains ethelyne glycol, which is corrosive. I’ve since converted one of my daily drivers to Evans waterless coolant and will convert all of my vehicles accordingly.