T2K-CAR

[85lebaront2]

Looking good, Bill. It is taking shape!

I installed the left side B post trim to see how it will look with the screws and gap between the rear interior trim and quarter panel closed. The top of the interior trim is capped with a chrome section that starts just outside of the pinchweld and goes all the way to behind the top of the rear seat cushion.

[Gary Lewis]

I installed the left side B post trim to see how it will look with the screws and gap between the rear interior trim and quarter panel closed. The top of the interior trim is capped with a chrome section that starts just outside of the pinchweld and goes all the way to behind the top of the rear seat cushion.

Looks like it all fits correctly, Bill. You'll have this thing driving in no time!

[85lebaront2]

Looks like it all fits correctly, Bill. You'll have this thing driving in no time!

I ran into an interesting issue recently, went to start the car and move it and it acted like no fuel. Gauge was showing 1/2 tank so should be enough, right? Decided to check pressure, didn't want to bring the pressure up and the pump was noisier than normal. Took the return line loose and checked flow, lots of bubbles. Got a spare sender that has a bad ground rivet and used it with a ground to the hanger and checked that the gauge went E 1/4 1/2 3/4 F as it should. Time to look in the tank.

Chrysler did a real slick trick on the fuel tanks on these cars. The original K-cars in 1981 were all carbureted so had a pickup, return for hot fuel and the gauge sender inserted in the rear of the top half of the tank. When they introduced a TBI system on the high line cars in 1983, they simply added a second, larger opening for the electric pump. The inside of the tank has a "cup" the pump sits in and the returning fuel goes through a check valve and creates a siphon to keep the cup full as the level goes down. The return line is still in the sender assembly, but now has an inside the tank hose to the check valve, The carbureted pickup tube is left in sans strainer so it can be used to drain the tank. The fitting is capped and early EFI pump units have a return tube that supports the pump assembly and is also capped.

My though was the return hose may have been improperly positioned and was fouling the float. After raising the back and lowering the tank partially, I siphoned the level down until it drew air. I then removed the pump assembly so I could look in and see if the level sensor float was hitting the return hose. No, it wasn't. Removed the sender and found it was jammed and the float was arm was rotating inside the wiper shaft (hollow). Opened it and found the resistor had partially melted the plastic. Since I was going to need the other sender, I first tried restaking the ground pin, and when that didn't work, due to the insulator being plastic, I added a ground wire by soldering it to the side of the carbureted suction tube outside of the tank and after reinstalling everything grounding it to the body with a self tapping screw.

It now works correctly and after adding a bit over 5 gals. of ethanol free premium it reads about 3/4 with what was still in there.

[Gary Lewis]

I ran into an interesting issue recently, went to start the car and move it and it acted like no fuel. Gauge was showing 1/2 tank so should be enough, right? Decided to check pressure, didn't want to bring the pressure up and the pump was noisier than normal. Took the return line loose and checked flow, lots of bubbles. Got a spare sender that has a bad ground rivet and used it with a ground to the hanger and checked that the gauge went E 1/4 1/2 3/4 F as it should. Time to look in the tank.

Chrysler did a real slick trick on the fuel tanks on these cars. The original K-cars in 1981 were all carbureted so had a pickup, return for hot fuel and the gauge sender inserted in the rear of the top half of the tank. When they introduced a TBI system on the high line cars in 1983, they simply added a second, larger opening for the electric pump. The inside of the tank has a "cup" the pump sits in and the returning fuel goes through a check valve and creates a siphon to keep the cup full as the level goes down. The return line is still in the sender assembly, but now has an inside the tank hose to the check valve, The carbureted pickup tube is left in sans strainer so it can be used to drain the tank. The fitting is capped and early EFI pump units have a return tube that supports the pump assembly and is also capped.

My though was the return hose may have been improperly positioned and was fouling the float. After raising the back and lowering the tank partially, I siphoned the level down until it drew air. I then removed the pump assembly so I could look in and see if the level sensor float was hitting the return hose. No, it wasn't. Removed the sender and found it was jammed and the float was arm was rotating inside the wiper shaft (hollow). Opened it and found the resistor had partially melted the plastic. Since I was going to need the other sender, I first tried restaking the ground pin, and when that didn't work, due to the insulator being plastic, I added a ground wire by soldering it to the side of the carbureted suction tube outside of the tank and after reinstalling everything grounding it to the body with a self tapping screw.

It now works correctly and after adding a bit over 5 gals. of ethanol free premium it reads about 3/4 with what was still in there.

Sounds like a complex system, Bill. But you have it figured out and, in this case, repaired.

But why had the resistor gotten hot enough to melt the plastic? That sounds dangerous.

[85lebaront2]

Sounds like a complex system, Bill. But you have it figured out and, in this case, repaired.

But why had the resistor gotten hot enough to melt the plastic? That sounds dangerous.

I have no idea what, but it may have been that way before I installed it. I had used that sender as it (a) seemed in better condition and (b) the resistance from the ground pin to the frame of the sender was very near 0 ohms, somewhere around 0.3. The other was 150 ohms pin to frame so I added a ground wire soldered to the dummy suction tube and then grounded to the body with a screw.

Analog cluster gauges seem accurate until I turn on the lights, then they get interesting, even moving with the key off. I have another interesting issue, the right front window wasn't all the way up when I got the car, probably about 1" low. I was doing some adjusting of the 4 windows over the weekend and found I can't get that window to go all the way up, the regulator hits a hard stop where the end of the large sector gear ends with a partial tooth. the motor pinion hits that and stops. The sector gear and arm are originally separate pieces so one may have shifted. If I take the motor off the regulator, I can manually raise the window all the way up. The two most likely possibilities are (1) sector gear and lift arm have come partially separated (2) the lift channel on the glass is wrong or damaged. Since I do have the innards of the 1985 doors including the glass, I just have to find the causative part and replace it. Regulator and it's inner brace still had the original rivets holding them to the door.

[85lebaront2]

I have no idea what, but it may have been that way before I installed it. I had used that sender as it (a) seemed in better condition and (b) the resistance from the ground pin to the frame of the sender was very near 0 ohms, somewhere around 0.3. The other was 150 ohms pin to frame so I added a ground wire soldered to the dummy suction tube and then grounded to the body with a screw.

Analog cluster gauges seem accurate until I turn on the lights, then they get interesting, even moving with the key off. I have another interesting issue, the right front window wasn't all the way up when I got the car, probably about 1" low. I was doing some adjusting of the 4 windows over the weekend and found I can't get that window to go all the way up, the regulator hits a hard stop where the end of the large sector gear ends with a partial tooth. the motor pinion hits that and stops. The sector gear and arm are originally separate pieces so one may have shifted. If I take the motor off the regulator, I can manually raise the window all the way up. The two most likely possibilities are (1) sector gear and lift arm have come partially separated (2) the lift channel on the glass is wrong or damaged. Since I do have the innards of the 1985 doors including the glass, I just have to find the causative part and replace it. Regulator and it's inner brace still had the original rivets holding them to the door.

Window issue resolved as being way out of adjustment. On to the next item. I found a fellow who is scrapping a 1989 LeBaron convertible. Body is totally different, but, I had him send me the heated rear window glass and found that it may work. He also sent me the switch panel from the center console. This contains 4 power window switches, top switch and rear window defroster switch. Unfortunately it is not the same as the coupe in being wider. The console is supposed to be delivered today along with the remotely located rear window defroster relay.

In discovering this, I determined that the nice little panel I made will be somewhat redundant so I looked at what I had in it and a solution for those items. They were (a) panel dimmer control and courtesy lights (b) hazard flasher switch © rear window defroster switch and relay (d) 12v power point/lighter. Power point location will be determined once the console is here, rear window defroster remote relay is enroute, Hazard flasher and turn signals have been rewired to emulate a 2001 system, but keeping the 1989 turn signal and hazard flasher to control it and I have a Novita LM470 LED flasher from Diode Dynamics to work the lights (the standard one I had with the 2001 Sebring combination switch will work with resistors or incandescent bulbs) and the panel dimmer/courtesy light control is now mounted in the lower driver's side dash panel.

With those relocated, I now have a place (where they used to sit) that will be open. The 1989 cars had a pull-out cup holder, but the 1986 shifter sits too close to there so you would need to empty it to go forward of neutral (Reverse and Park) so it will leave me and empty spot under the radio. I am working on a mount for one of these:

A four disc CD player. They are a bit strange in loading/unloading as the mode and slot have to be selected in the control head (radio). With no CD player present the buttons do nothing, but once one is detected the functions work. I have two of these, one I had previously verified as working, the other is still an unknown and looks like it might have been wet at some point.

[Gary Lewis]

Window issue resolved as being way out of adjustment. On to the next item. I found a fellow who is scrapping a 1989 LeBaron convertible. Body is totally different, but, I had him send me the heated rear window glass and found that it may work. He also sent me the switch panel from the center console. This contains 4 power window switches, top switch and rear window defroster switch. Unfortunately it is not the same as the coupe in being wider. The console is supposed to be delivered today along with the remotely located rear window defroster relay.

In discovering this, I determined that the nice little panel I made will be somewhat redundant so I looked at what I had in it and a solution for those items. They were (a) panel dimmer control and courtesy lights (b) hazard flasher switch © rear window defroster switch and relay (d) 12v power point/lighter. Power point location will be determined once the console is here, rear window defroster remote relay is enroute, Hazard flasher and turn signals have been rewired to emulate a 2001 system, but keeping the 1989 turn signal and hazard flasher to control it and I have a Novita LM470 LED flasher from Diode Dynamics to work the lights (the standard one I had with the 2001 Sebring combination switch will work with resistors or incandescent bulbs) and the panel dimmer/courtesy light control is now mounted in the lower driver's side dash panel.

With those relocated, I now have a place (where they used to sit) that will be open. The 1989 cars had a pull-out cup holder, but the 1986 shifter sits too close to there so you would need to empty it to go forward of neutral (Reverse and Park) so it will leave me and empty spot under the radio. I am working on a mount for one of these:

A four disc CD player. They are a bit strange in loading/unloading as the mode and slot have to be selected in the control head (radio). With no CD player present the buttons do nothing, but once one is detected the functions work. I have two of these, one I had previously verified as working, the other is still an unknown and looks like it might have been wet at some point.

Good find, Bill! Incorporating later stuff should make it easier.

And now I understand what you bought from Diode Dynamics.

As for the CD controls, those do seem strange. But if you get used to it... But will the shifter hit if eject a CD when in Reverse or Park?

[85lebaront2]

Good find, Bill! Incorporating later stuff should make it easier.

And now I understand what you bought from Diode Dynamics.

As for the CD controls, those do seem strange. But if you get used to it... But will the shifter hit if eject a CD when in Reverse or Park?

What it does is do a system check, runs the CD stack and the player mechanism up and down to determine everything is functional. While it is doing that the load/eject and ready lights flash. When it is finished the ready light stays illuminated and the others go out. Load eject will return the ready light to blinking as it moves into position. Once in position the ready light is steady and the selected slot is also illuminated. When you insert the CD it pulls it in and loads it. The radios for it have on memory button 1 CD and an up arrow and memory 5 CD and a down arrow. you can also step up or down on tracks on the CD.

As far as hitting it with the shifter, not much chance of that it is below the knob.

[85lebaront2]

What it does is do a system check, runs the CD stack and the player mechanism up and down to determine everything is functional. While it is doing that the load/eject and ready lights flash. When it is finished the ready light stays illuminated and the others go out. Load eject will return the ready light to blinking as it moves into position. Once in position the ready light is steady and the selected slot is also illuminated. When you insert the CD it pulls it in and loads it. The radios for it have on memory button 1 CD and an up arrow and memory 5 CD and a down arrow. you can also step up or down on tracks on the CD.

As far as hitting it with the shifter, not much chance of that it is below the knob.

Here is what the center stack looks like with the CD changer added. I have to make a filler for under it as the trim piece came from a Chrysler 300M (FWD) and is curved in two directions, one to match the front of the CD changer and the other where it rolled under as the 300M dash doesn't go all the way to the console. I will also have to build a rear support as the CD changer is pretty heavy and (a) bouncing will cause issues with it and (b) the two small plastic tabs in front won't hold long like that. Radio is a snug slip fit at the back of it's slot so no rear support is used.

[Gary Lewis]

Here is what the center stack looks like with the CD changer added. I have to make a filler for under it as the trim piece came from a Chrysler 300M (FWD) and is curved in two directions, one to match the front of the CD changer and the other where it rolled under as the 300M dash doesn't go all the way to the console. I will also have to build a rear support as the CD changer is pretty heavy and (a) bouncing will cause issues with it and (b) the two small plastic tabs in front won't hold long like that. Radio is a snug slip fit at the back of it's slot so no rear support is used.

That looks great, Bill! I think it is a winner.