Went to look at a GL which I didn't buy but have questions

[lostinthe202]

It's an '87 GL Wagon, 240k on the body supposedly less then 100k on the engine with a new carb, supposedly an XT 5spd mileage unknown.

 

Car started fine, but the idle loped a lot like it was running on three cylinders ( I was prepared for this, he mentioned it in the ad) but it smoothed out at higher rpms so probably just a vacuum leak or maybe timing?

 

Anyway, the reason it's still sitting where I found it is, when I test drove it down the street, there was a grinding noise coming from the front (I think driver's side) and I couldn't get the car above about 35mph and the rattle in the steering wheel was pretty bad and as soon as I let my foot of the accelerator, the car slowed down as if I had the breaks on. I swung back into his driveway and popped the hubcaps off. The wheel nut on the driver's side front had no cotterpin and was only hand tight:eek: but the safety brake did seem to be free on both sides.

 

We pulled it into his garage and lifted the car up in front, tightened the nut and put another pin in. The axle boot was torn but both front wheels spun freely. I tried for another test drive and the noise was still there as well as the lack of being able to get it above 35mph and the severe slowdown. Pulled back into the garage and lifted the rear. The rear driver's side wheel rocked a good bit but the axle/lug nuts where tight and both sides spun freely.

 

Here's the thing, the 4wd light was not on and I hadn't engaged it yet since the road test went so badly. I thought maybe the car was in 4 high and the light was burned out or something and that's why I was having such problems on the street. But when we pulled it into the garage the second time to jack up the rear, the rear wheels spun independently of each other. We jacked the front back up and the front wheels were not spinning independent (ie turn one wheel and the other spun the opposite way) which I expected since it's FWD when it's not 4WD but when my buddy stopped one wheel the other wouldn't turn no matter how hard I tried. If the diff is doing what's its supposed to, I should've been able to spin one while holding the other correct?

 

Is this normal for the front diff in this era of car?

 

Given that the wheels were spinning freely so stuck brakes is not likely, what would cause the resistance to motion? Can really bad-dry axles do this? I didn't hear any noise, but wheel bearings?

 

I might be able to talk him down in price, but I'd have to trailer it. I don't care about the crappy running motor 'cause I'm just going to pull it out, I'm mostly interested in the drive train so if these symptoms are signs of a trans that's going to grenade on me... well not worth the time.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks!!

[4x4_Welder]

Here's the thing, the 4wd light was not on and I hadn't engaged it yet since the road test went so badly. I thought maybe the car was in 4 high and the light was burned out or something and that's why I was having such problems on the street. But when we pulled it into the garage the second time to jack up the rear, the rear wheels spun independently of each other. We jacked the front back up and the front wheels were not spinning independent (ie turn one wheel and the other spun the opposite way) which I expected since it's FWD when it's not 4WD but when my buddy stopped one wheel the other wouldn't turn no matter how hard I tried. If the diff is doing what's its supposed to, I should've been able to spin one while holding the other correct?

 

Is this normal for the front diff in this era of car?

 

 

If it was in gear, yes that's normal. The noise most likely is wheel bearings, or if the wheels were moving a lot, it could be the rotors hitting the caliper brackets.

[Frank B]

My vote is on the wheel bearing. If that nut is loose there's enough slop there to create a bad sealing surface and allow dirt and water into the bearings.

[idosubaru]

cool will, so you just want this thing for parts basically? unless you can definitively figure something out i'd just move on. i can't imagine it would be hard to find something else for parts and cheap.

[lostinthe202]

Thanks for the replies everyone. yeah I'm thinking either wheel bearings or axles, most likely both. Either way, there was no way I was driving it home. He told me it drove find just had a "miss" at idle. If that is what he considers driving fine, man I don't want be on the freeway behind any of his vehicles!

 

Gary, yeah I'm interested in the body and drive train only, don't care about the motor. I was into it 'cause the under side had NO rust anywhere, something I don't need to tell you is hard to come by around here. If the trans was acting normal and it's just bad bearings and axles what not, I'll see if he'll drop a $150 or so off the price and trailer it home I was figuring to have to replace some of those items anyway.

 

Thanks!

 

Will-

[Quidam]

Thanks for the replies everyone. yeah I'm thinking either wheel bearings or axles, most likely both. Either way, there was no way I was driving it home. He told me it drove find just had a "miss" at idle. If that is what he considers driving fine, man I don't want be on the freeway behind any of his vehicles!

 

Gary, yeah I'm interested in the body and drive train only, don't care about the motor. I was into it 'cause the under side had NO rust anywhere, something I don't need to tell you is hard to come by around here. If the trans was acting normal and it's just bad bearings and axles what not, I'll see if he'll drop a $150 or so off the price and trailer it home I was figuring to have to replace some of those items anyway.

 

Thanks!

 

Will-

 

I'm like 99% sure on this. Buy it. Replace the hub/bearings/seals, whatever. I had one do this. When I took one side apart, the axel was snapped into.

 

No rust. New carb, sell it and recoup some money. So on and so forth.

 

Or not.

 

hth

 

Doug

[idosubaru]

Gary, yeah I'm interested in the body and drive train only, don't care about the motor.

i forget what you're trying to do? if it's a gas mileage project i can't go without mentioning how awesome XT's are for gas mileage. a MPFI XT FWD manual do you any good?

 

when i go to NASA/greenbelt, are you close to there? you work normal hours - like 9-5....guess we need to PM, maybe we could meet up.

[lostinthe202]

when i go to NASA/greenbelt, are you close to there? you work normal hours - like 9-5....guess we need to PM, maybe we could meet up.

 

PM sent

[MilesFox]

sounds like a bad wheel bearing.

 

i will bet the timing belts were improperly installed (wiht engine swap)

 

and the 4wd issue may be a vacuum line not connected to the motor. see if you heat selector works

[lostinthe202]

sounds like a bad wheel bearing.

 

So does a bad wheel bearing act like the brakes are on even though it will spin freely when the car is up in the air? I've dealt with bad bearings, but none that were that bad.

 

i will bet the timing belts were improperly installed (wiht engine swap)

 

yeah, that's a good guess, I didn't think of that.

 

and the 4wd issue may be a vacuum line not connected to the motor. see if you heat selector works

 

 

you mean like one hub was locked and one wasn't? If I go back I'll check it out.

 

Thanks Miles!