GeneralDisorder

Nope - never use a special tool. Actually I'm contemplating getting one of these since I do sooooo many of these flippin belts! http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/IS/Product.aspx-am_en-36545 180 Ft/lb right-angle impact with a head height under 2" Too bad they are ~$275 Purchase of that little gem is not far off I think..... GD

OEM parts FTW . GD

I use a 12pt, 14mm 1/2" drive Craftsman socket all the time for head bolts. Never given me a problem. . Maybe I shouldn't be classifiying the Craftsman stuff in the super-cheap Harbor Freight socket catagory but it's no Snap-On I'll tell you that. . If I could afford to run all Snap-On tools I would - but sadly I can only afford a select few (such as ratchets). Entire socket sets are rediculously expensive. I do, however, use a Snap-On torque wrench now for my head bolts . GD

Yeah - a shop will charge a ton for head gaskets. Just the nature of the job. You could do it yourself (including renting a cherry picker to pull the engine out) for about $500 in parts and machine work (The DOHC heads are expensive to have worked on - runs me $425 to have a set fully rebuilt). Timing belt, water pump, etc should all be replaced at the same time. It's basically one step less than a full engine overhaul on your engine. Compression test won't tell you anything useful. A hydrocarbon test of the coolant will tell you if the head gaskets are leaking into the cooling system. GD

They are not reversed - that is the normal GM offset. GD

Chevy 15" 6 lug trailer rims. Redrilled to 4 lug. GD

Yes - GL/DL - but not a hatchback. The hatchback tanks are smaller. GD

Actually you could get digi's on GL's as well. My '84 GL wagon had every option you could get except 4WD (I mean ALL of them - digi, factory sunroof, velour interior, AC, cruise, power everything, etc) and it still is just a GL. No one can really figure it out other than it was a heavily optioned car - possibly a special order. The GL-10 was a "factory option package" that included a list options which changed from year to year. There is no set list of what a GL-10 included since it changed basically every year. And having a GL-10 does not indicate that the car has *more* options than a regular GL - the regular GL might be fully optioned as well. So really it just means it's more high-end than *most* GL's. Way back they also made GL-5's and even a DL-5 I beleive. In 80-82 we got GLF coupe's..... I've even seen pictures of a JDM EA81 coupe with a GFT-5 badge GD

It can't be inspected without a complete tear-down. And with that much overheating going on I wouldn't even consider using it without a full rebuild. GD

If you get an OEM thermostat it will only go in one way. The spring side should always point to the engine. So spring down for you. GD

If you raise the front using the strut spring perch adjusters (if it still has them - many have been replaced with non-stock struts) it should only be done for off-road as it will create a positive camber situation and will rapidly wear out your front tires on the road (outer edge wear - especially on turns). The rear adjust is safe to use anytime but the front should be left fully down unless you are not on the pavement. EA81's already have a tendancy to wear the outer edge of the tires in turns - jacking up the struts will just make it that much worse. If you want to level it a 1" lift on the front only would come pretty close to doing that but with such a small lift camber correction is not easily done. GD

Hhhmmm - my experience has been that they almost never leak - even when dissasembled and reassembled over and over and over...... So something is seriously wrong with your config.... and the fact that your car is so new and here in the NW (land of no rust) adds to the mystery - I see plenty of those that are 20+ years old and don't leak a bit. Strange things are afoot at the circle-k. Pics? GD

It happened twice that I remember - once on the freeway and another time pulling out from that ugly left off of 8th Ave. when you are leaving my place to get on the freeway. After that I didn't let it get much under 1/3 of a tank for fear that I would be crushed as a result of not getting out of the way of some rich guy's lifted Excursion (common in my neighborhood ). GD

Double check the temp with an infrared temp gun - check the temp behind the upper radiator hose on the *bottom* of the thermostat housing. It might be that your gauge is not accurate (common) and you have a partially clogged heater core. OEM thermostat's are 192*F and you should see about 185* to 200* on the thermostat housing with the temp gun and the engine warmed up - watch for the fan to cycle on and back off again before checking it - make sure that neither the AC or defrost are selected so the fan will not run unless tripped by the thermo-switch in the radiator. GD

Yep - tranny is junk. GD

I got it to troll Craigslist when I'm not home. . It's how I eat these days. Got to snatch the deals before the rabble moves in. GD

I just got a new phone with an 8 M-pixel unit in it. Technology is freakin amazing. I'm also currently posting from said phone. GD

Sounds hosed from your description. If the cylinders will hone out then likely you could change the main and rod bearings and be ok. Pics? How deep is the damage? GD

I agree - dealer only on the flex-joint donuts. Get both sides VERY clean then assemble and the bolts should be run down clear to the shoulder so the springs are fully compressed. GD

Exactly - use that temp gun to check the coolant cross-over temp right behind the upper radiator hose. Should be in the 170* to 190* range once fully warm. GD

Did it get overheated severely? GD

That's a little high on the resurface charge (the two shops I use charge $30 per and $40 per depending on which I take them to). So you are going to do the valve adjust yourself without actually doing a grind I take it? GD

They say an active mind can ward off Alzheimer's.... at least for a short time . GD

My Brat would die on hard corners under 1/4 tank. Depending on your driving style and if you typically run your tank half-full or half-empty it can and will suck air and kill the engine with a non-baffled tank. GD

Yeah - I totally missed those . Got me good on that one Ken GD