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1989 EA82T with electro-pneumatic suspension


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Hello!

 

After buying and checking this 1989 EA82T SuperStation I made the decision to fix and repair that car insted of the moving the engine to my old one.

 

So, I have two problem/questions:

 

1. There is loud ticking/clicking noise from the engine. is that the "tick of death" described in the online repair manual ot could that have another source/cause?

 

2. I have no idea of the electro-pneumatic suspension! Could anyone tell how the systems works, what could be damaged and how to check the system? Or are there any technical information available online?

 

Thanks for help!

 

Greetings from Germany

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1) Mechanic Stethiscope; every shade tree weekend warrior should have one. $5 at your local automotive parts/tool store. Use it to pinpoint all kinds of noises.

 

2) There is an airpump in your front left fender. It's an electric pump with a small resivour tank. Thats what pumps up your air struts via the switch in your cabin. Usually what fails are the rubber air bags themselves at the struts. They are quite expensive to replace with new ones and used ones almost always end up the same as the ones you replace. Most people switch to gas charged struts that came on models without pnuemantic suspension. A few people have stuck with the air struts; hopefully they can help you out in more detail.

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1. Very good idea! Thanks, I will buy such a thing in the next days...

But if it is really that tick of death, I want to change the oil pump + gasket (and the timing belt at this opportunity). So my question: Is the oil pump of EA82T identical with EA82 or is there a difference?

 

2. Thanks! I just have found in this message board two PDFs with detailed technical information about the pneumatic suspension. That will help me a lot for checking or if something goes bad.

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the air struts can last awhile if you keep the rust from the metal base from gouging them and rubbing holes in the rubber. i have a thread posted on cleaning them up and painting them to get the rust out of their way.

 

this is XT6 specific info, but the system lay out should be very similar:

 

give the air compressor 12 volts to make sure it comes on. in the XT6 compressor there is a valve located inside the compressor that has wires to it, check that solenoid valve, give it 12 volts and make sure it clicks. while yo'ure in messing with the compressor - replace all 5 o-rings at each air line fitting. (best bet is to make a tool to remove the airpipes without breaking the plastic tabs). any thin tubed object...think like a straw but a little thicker, the air line goes through it and it will push the tabs out of the way. replace those o-rings. the o-rings will leak (they are old you know!). there is also an oring between the drier and the compressor on the compressor assembly. i believe it's just one screw, one bolt and a clip that slides out and the drier comes off to replace that o-ring. (the drier is the part of the compressor assembly that the air line fittings are attached too.

 

there is one solenoid at each strut, the fronts are mounted in the engine bay and the rear solenoids are bolted directly to the strut. give them 12 volts and you should hear them click. at each air line fitting at the solenoids there is an o-ring as well. (same size as the ones at the compressor air line fittings). the rear solenoid bolts to the air strut and has orings as well. the one at the air line fitting is the same as the front orings, the one "inside" the strut is different i believe. just take them in any store that has o-rings and match them up. grease any new oring and install it.

 

there are specific test procedures in the FSM that are most helpful, i would get familiar with those as well. the computer should be under the drivers seat (it is in the XT6 anyway).

 

good luck,

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I will do the rust thing. And I should do that before winter comes... Ähm, do you have the link do your posted thread about the cleaning? I tried the search several times, but didn't find it...

 

Does anyone have an idea about the oilpump?

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I will do the rust thing. And I should do that before winter comes... Ähm, do you have the link do your posted thread about the cleaning? I tried the search several times, but didn't find it...

 

Does anyone have an idea about the oilpump?

 

As for the tick of death, i replaced the O ring in the bottom rear part of the head, where it goes to the block, and the oil pump gaskets *mickey mouse, large o, and small o* my tick is gone! from what i read about it, it seemed to do the trick!

 

Luigi

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