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Gold Dust GLHT Build

19K views 257 replies 16 participants last post by  GLHS0815 
#1 ·
What's up Fellas!

So ive decided to jump back into TDs. I want to make some quality youtube content and really show the world what we are all about.

Now introducing... My new 1985 Omni GLHT! Gold dust with a red interior swap. Mostly stock. 109k miles. Little rust. Shitty paint. And a lot of charm. Hasnt run in 4+ years, but thatll be solved soon.

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#2 ·
So my adventure started with an eBay which was showcased on Barnfinds... Interesting!


Lets see how long that link stays alive.

The weekend after Thanksgiving, my wife and i made a 1900mile, 2 day round trip run from Orlando to Annapolis to pick it up. A total adventure well put of our wheel house.

She was looking a bit worse for wear (the car) but i am still completely infatuated. Since i wanted the first youtube video to capture the dust, dirt, and grime, i didnt wash her until last week. I was pleasantly surprised with what i found under the grime.
 
#3 ·
Down to the meat!

The omni is a no start. Supposedly has a 14psi computer, walbro 255, brand new gas tank (5 years?), msd coil/resistor,and battery box in the hatch. Previous owner thought the pump took a poop.

I made the extravagant claims that id have her running in an hour... Cocky since this is TD #4 in my time... Here's the short and sweet:

1)Jumper diagnostic port to get fuel pump, coil and injectors. 53psi at the rail, woot!
2) it must be the HEP! Swap it. No start still
3) Do i gots sparks?? No?? Swap that coil! NAJ probably gagged at that moment... Still no start
4) alright, lets do this.. Get the the Chrysler service manuals and a multimeter. Take so measures. Why are the HEP voltages all over?? 8.31v 7.82v and 7.13v? Who knows!$
5) probe the logic module to find same measures at the module... Start to think its time to diagnose the "no power loss light" condition cuz i need some codes for help. I found that the Power Loss signal at the module has all 12v... So the circuit and lamp is good...i even pulled the connector from the LM and put a ground to the Power Loss signal to find a shining lamp on the dash!!
6) what?
7) The grounds must be bad!! Obvious the LM doesnt have a ground to give the Power Loss light and the ASD alike! Makes sense with the battery relocation!... Each signal ground at the LM has .1ohm to ground....
8)wtf is wrong with this LM?? I pulled the LM out of the car and gave her the nostril test. Yep, she's smoked.... Dammit.

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#7 ·
Hows it going arthur?

So my immediate build plan:
1) Get running to prove thar motor and sensors are all functional
2) pull motor and drop in some stock T2 rods and pistons with new bearings and oil pump (all is sitting on the shelf so its only work...)
3) swap in the a568 tranny thats been on the floor for 15 years...
4) prove that everything is still running well
5) fab an intercooler
6) swap to Megasquirt MS3 which has been on the shelf for 3 years...
7) build a g-head (shelf) 2-piece intake (shelf) tbi header (shelf) cam (need) garrett gt3071r (need) setup to fulfill my 8v desires
8) finish the 16v hybrid(shelf) with Holset hx35 (shelf)

You see why i needed to go get a car... I needed somewhere to store my parts LOL.

Thanks all,
Mark
 
#6 ·
Hows it going Turismo. Long time no chat. My previous screen name was Goforthz28 but i lost the account when i forgot my login and linked email was bum... Oh well..

I did get a donor board plus i found the original board for the car. Curiously, i has similar burning of the board in the same spot... But no failures yet.

But on to the chip, it was one of the 4289473s about 3" under the blue connector. It seems all boards have a pair so im scabbing off of a tbi board. I did try to find them separately hoping that it was a bin part... Do you have individuals? Where did u get them?

Thank you,
Mark
 
#8 ·
So i got swapped on some better looking pizza wheels. I had a set that are skinned in brand new BFG KDW 2s that i purchase in 2005... I spent as much time cleaning the fossilized tire mounting lube as i did cleaning the wheel. A lil before and after comparison...

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After airing up, it turns out the tires are as hard as a rock! Who would have guessed!? Ive handled bowling balls with more spring in them.
 
#11 ·
Heads up, there is an update on my car.

The L-body steering knuckles on my car that me and my dad got in from the junkyard in Iowa are not right for making a GLH because they are too thin. The K-car bearings that my dad slapped on are right but too wide, it goes in OK but sticks out too far. My dad is looking for K-car bearings from 1985 or older, for now what we have will work until he can find 85 or older K-car bearings.
 
#12 ·
I almost got the car running last night....almost.

I slapped the original logic module in and keyed on to find the Power Loss light is working. WIN!
I decided to crank it over and she coughed and stumbled for a few rotations. This was the best she could do. So i pumped the 5year old fuel out and put in 7Gallons of 93.
She still cough only muster a cough and a wheeze....
So i pulled the plugs and brushed them up and cleaned with contact cleaner. I pulled the distributor cap and reset base timing. It was about a 1/2 rotor width too advanced but nothing crazy. Then upon inspecting the plug wires into the cap, they were hardly pushed in deep enough. Fixed that....
She still only coughs and stumbles.
Verify cam timing. no problem there.
Check the plugs again, and 3/4 are wet while 1/2 dry. Okay, bank 1 is pissed....break out the multimeter...everything looks legit...
So i pulled the fuel rail and put the injectors into water bottles to prove fueling... as expected, bank 1 does nothing. Bank 2 looks good.
So i swap 2 more T1 injectors into bank 1... same result....wtf
switch bank 1 to bank 2 for funsies, and low and behold, Bank 1 is now squirting....swap the last 2 T1 injectors i have to find that they are buggered as well.
Bottom line, i own (8) T1 injectors and (6) of them are gummed. I mailed out 5 of them to FuelInjectorClinic today for cleaning and repair.

Almost there.... I have confidence that she will fire this week...

I did try to slap know good T2 injectors in just to start it, but yall probably know that the butt length is longer and they shot right out lol....

Good times.
 
#16 ·
Thank you much. I saw that GLHT "mild restoration" thread. What an understatement lol. I hope to produce 70% of what you achieved with the exterior of your car. Im going for 1980s outside and inside with beast under the hood. Updates to come today!
 
#18 ·
This weekend was a pivotal moment for the project. She fired up pretty quickly after swapping the freshly cleaned/rebuilt injectors in. Even with all of the vacuum lines taped up where they all yielded to the lightest of pressure from my palm, the car idled pretty smoothly. Thursday night, i backed her into the garage under her own power, which was awesome. Then on Saturday, I actually took her around the neighborhood just out of irresponsible excitement. I discovered that the heater bypass valve has a small leak, otherwise the only other known problem is the vacuums... More to come! Ill try and post one of the vids of her first start.

More to come this week!
 
#22 ·
Good that you got these rebuilt. Next time you get any Chrysler TD injectors cleaned and flowbenched, tell them to flowbench at 55 PSI and not 43.5 PSI. Your vehicle runs at 55 PSI not 43.5 PSI. Now you will need to calculate the flow to get a true reading what they flow for your application. It is a simple adjustment on their flowbench to crank up the pressure.
 
#24 ·
How is everyone doing? I hope the pandemic is treating yall projects well. I know the time off has helped mine!

So since getting the car running. I have moved on to rebuilding the suspension and brakes. I am completely disassembling, installing new poly bushings, ball joints, tie rods ends, struts, strut bearing plates, rotors, wheel bearings, axle seals, and caliper seals.... I think thats it. The car came with minivan KH brakes and braided lines so i had to source rebuild appropriately. Also, everything was cleaned and coated with KBS rust sealer paint.

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#26 ·
While in there i got to inspect the signs of rust in the wheel well. This is where my other omni gave up the ghost. I hit everything with a wire wheel and was pleased with the minimal rust. I ospho'd what i found and will get it all KBS'd as well when its time for paint.
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#28 ·
There were some miscellaneous items that ive found that i need such as sway bar bushings (ordered. Also i installed the first axle seal at the back of the knuckle backwards so i smashed that when i torqued the axle nut. Also.. I didnt even know that the "wear sleeve" on the axle shaft that mates to the seal in the knuckle was is a thing. I didnt know it was replaceable... And only one of my seals came with one! So i had to order 2 more seal sets....

The things you think you know.

My last accomplishment was that i got to replace my shelving unit plywoods. The particle board was sagging from 15 years of oil and weight. So i ripped new shelves and got to reorganize all of my TD parts....

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Thats what i got for now! I hope to have rear brake updates within the week. Thanks for tuning in!

~Mark
 
#29 ·
So i got the drivers side rear corner coated last weekend and then reassembled today. All went well, minus the fact that i put the lower shoe spring in the wrong spot, i didnt notice this til i got to disassembling the other side... So i gotta but another spring kit cuz im sure i stretched that bitch out by doin it wrong...

Curiously, once the shoes were properly adjusted, and the system bled, i was still able to spin the drum when my buddy was at "full push" on the pedal. However, the parking brake locked it up tight.... Once i got to disassembling the passenger side, i noticed no fluid dripping once i removed the cylinder. I had to put a lot of vacuum on it (with reservoir cap off) before it finally pulled black coffee looking fluid. Im thinking when the braided lines were installed, the passenger side didnt get bled properly. Hopefully both drum will work tip-top once the passenger side is rebuilt and bled.

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