Gran Damn

[ericjon262]

well, I did the adult thing and bought a reasonable car to drive regularly that isn't a huge truck that gets 10 MPG...





it's a 2003 Pontiac Grand AM, currently with a 3400 and an Automatic. I currently have 0 plans to do much beyond basic repairs, but I am finding that parts are stupid cheap compared to the rest of my fleet, brake pads and rotors for all four corners, and new front wheel bearings is 350 shipped from RA. just one hub for my truck is almost that much...

I am going to continue to look for, and acquire parts to install a manual transmission into it. originally, I was going to put an F23 in and roll with that, but the AWD F40 is beginning to call my name...

If the LIM gaskets go, I have multiple sets of LX9 heads around here, so I'll probably swap them on with a spring upgrade

[Shaun41178(2)]

Just fucking drive it. Dont swap shit. Not everything needs to be a project. You have about 5 now and none are done

1. House. Biggest investment of time. Worth it.
2. Fiero.
3 pig rig
4. Motorcycle
5, race car open wheelster ls engine. Cant remember specifics
6. Home casting metal with bunson burner stove
Etc
Etc

[Emc209i]

Shaun, that's the wisest thing you've said in literally 20 years of reading your posts. Can you also CC Will on that message?

Eric, drive the wheels off that thing. Once you start upgrading it the entire point of having a beater is defeated. "If it aint broke..."

[ericjon262]

For sure, when I say five speed swap, it wasnt meant that I was going to rip the car apart and do it now. My current intention is to collect parts and have everything ready, and then if I have some reason to pull the powertrain for a repair, then I'll swap it. For the time being, it will be driven and repaired only

[The Dark Side of Will]

Can confirm that having a trouble-free DD after years of project vehicles is v.v. nice.

I snagged an '05 Benz W211 E320 CDI back in 2019. When I bought it, it had an underboost code, so I picked it up cheap. It was still driveable with that, just not fast. I fixed it for free by freeing up the seized joint in the link rod between the VNT actuator and the turbine housing. I've had to put tires on it, replace the accessory belt and replace the HVAC blower motor. It currently needs a glow plug controller. Beyond that, it's been a completely trouble-free DD for 34,000 miles, currently showing 202k. Change oil, fill tank, drive the hell out of it.

Not saying a '03 GA will be trouble free, but at least the powertrain is pretty solid and it's cheap to fix.

[ericjon262]

Not saying a '03 GA will be trouble free, but at least the powertrain is pretty solid and it's cheap to fix.

I don't anticipate it will be 100% trouble free, but, for the most part, the curve it can throw me are things I already have experience fixing, and should be able to swiftly handle. it's also a really cheap vehicle to fix/repair/operate. when I get off work, I'm going to try and charge the AC and see if it blows cold for a while, and in the fall/winter, I'll splurge on the $200 overhaul kit from rock auto and make sure it works for the long haul.

Fedex has the wheel bearing and brakes still... I really hate having anything shipped through fedex, they never deliver on time, and their tracking is a joke. USPS is about 100x better, and UPS seems to be hands down, the most reliable.

[ericjon262]

been driving the Gran Damn for the past week, it drives nice for a 18 year old GM car. so far, my only complaint is that the rear speakers are blown. I'm going to shop around for some replacements just in time for the fronts to blow... lol!

The wheel bearings and brake parts showed up yesterday, and I'm debating on whether I install them, or just drop it off and have new tires put on while it's at a shop, I just have a very low confidence level in most of the shops around here.

I've managed to find a few 5 speed swap parts here and there, that I'm going to try and stockpile until I have everything to put one in, AND I have a reason to pull the engine or transmission out for maintenance or repairs. If any of you happen to see a 5 speed Grand Am or Alero in a junkyard, the pedal assembly, pedal cover that goes under the dash, and the shifter trim are on my list and I would more than happily pay you for your time to yank them for me and send them my way.

[The Dark Side of Will]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Vss7W ... wWayTrucks

[ericjon262]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2Vss7W ... wWayTrucks

the poor tech who had to remove bits of (not so)Grand Am from that garbage truck after the publicity stunt...

[ericjon262]

I was at the junkyard the other day, not specifically looking for Grand Am parts, but I was keeping my eyes open for 5 speed swap stuff while I was there. I decided to rip apart the console in a Cobalt and see if it's shifter would be compatible with the Grand Am, and unfortunately, even though the design of the shifters are almost identical the mounting points are different. moving on, I checked a few other cars for similar parts, and while looking at a tahoe, I noticed the XFE badge on the cobalt I had just been tearing into for the shifter. from the get-go, I wanted an XFE trans for this car, so the next morning, I came back more well prepared.



Today, was maintenance catch-up day, I started with an oil change, and then moved on to the wheel bearings and brakes.

These are the front brake pads, on top, are the left front, on bottom are the right front



The circle was from using a C clamp to compress the piston back into the caliper, other than that, see a problem?

both inner pads were installed on one side, and both outers on the other, the wear indicators were also facing the wrong way, and the front tires were mounted backwards... I'm begining to have very little confidence in the previous owner of this car...note the tang on the top of each brake pad, how the inner pads have a much taller tang? this keeps you from installing them wrong, this guy must have gone through hell to make that happen...

the new hotness I hope fieroguru doesn't sue me for copyright violations... lol!



I have no idea why the hardware included with the wheel bearings was blue, but it's all back together with no annoying ABS/traction control lights



20 minutes later:



F*$K. I guess LIM gaskets will happen sooner than I wanted...I hope it's not the LIM gaskets, but I know these engines well enough to not get my hopes up. Thankfully, it's not a terrible job, I was hoping to have a set of LX9 heads cleaned up to throw on before they were a problem, as I have several sets of heads and intakes to choose from, but oh well.

[Emc209i]

I had my eyes peeled for you when I was at the yard last week. Looking good man. Lol at the blue brake hardware and wrongly installed parts.

[ericjon262]

I had my eyes peeled for you when I was at the yard last week. Looking good man. Lol at the blue brake hardware and wrongly installed parts.

Thanks, I really appreciate that! The big ticket item right now is a clutch pedal assembly, I'm fairly certain it's the last hard to find part I need to track down, otherwise, there's a trans with the correct bellhousing on the shelf an hour away for $110, and I can pick up axles at the parts store if I have to.

I was able to snag a set of NOS shift and select cables, and a clutch pedal start switch.



I have a NOS shifter on order, but got an email that suggests that shouldn't hold my breath... I do have the cobalt shifter though, and could make an adapter to fit it if absolutely necessary. the shifter design is identical, but the mounting is different.

[Emc209i]

"Made in Germany", you just added a lot of value to that car. Pedals and shifter left to go.

[The Dark Side of Will]

The F23 is a Getrag design, right? Were they built in Germany?

[ericjon262]

My understanding, is that most of the five speed parts are sourced from Opel, but I can't confirm that.

I topped off the coolant with distilled water, and haven't noticed any puddles and the oil is still clean, so any coolant leak has to be slow, and somewhere I can't see it, and evaporating.

[The Dark Side of Will]

You can get cooling system dye just like A/C system dye.

[ericjon262]

You can get cooling system dye just like A/C system dye.

I was planning on it, we have a bottle of it at work, I may try and skim a little off...

[Emc209i]

The F23 is a Getrag design, right? Were they built in Germany?

Italy.

[ericjon262]

another very important part came in the mail today,



Brand new, and like the shift cables, Made in Germany, This car will be the classiest ride in my fleet before too much longer.

not that it's terribly important, but I might make adapter plated to allow a Cobalt shifter to be installed in a GA, the physical shifter is almost identical, but the base and mounting flange is different. I have a tool on the way which could make these quick/easy to produce, and could make me a few easy $$$ if it will work.

I had found pictures online of the GA shifter, and noticed the same mold number/part number/random GM number on the base of it and the cobalt shifter which was the only reason I picked up the cobalt part, because I thought it was probably the same part... should have looked a little closer.









The GA shifter has a reverse lockout, the cobalt does not.




The grand am also has what appears to be a theft prevention lockout, or skipshift mechanism, there is a pawl under the shifter which looks like it would keep the shifter from getting into 1st, 3rd, or 5th. the lever pictured actuates the pawl.

[Emc209i]

Probably not possible, but could you move all the stuff over from the Cobalt shifter to the GA shifter base?
Let me know if you have any questions switching the 60* bellhousing over the XFE F23. I'm curious how the transmission mounts will be compatible. If you tear this car apart and don't have it back together in a WEEK, you're hopelessly lost in projects.