** Disclaimer: The author makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of this document. Any mishaps or misfortunes as a result of using this document as a guide are not the fault of the author.

This article is written with the shade tree mechanic in mind. With common hand tools, you should be able to remove and install a fresh upgraded fuel pump (mine was a Walbro 307) in your Turbo Regal. I replaced mine in my garage without the aid of a lift or any tools that an ordinary home mechanic wouldn’t have. With this in mind, read on.

Tools required:

Socket wrench A can of compressed air (for cleaning computers) Slip pliers Screwdriver 13mm socket 15mm socket aluminum chisel, not sharp

a piece of plywood, probably 2’x2’ a hydraulic jack safety goggles or glasses 4’ rubber hose suitable gas storage container (optional; if you want to drain your tank) penetrating oil

 The Procedure

1. Get your tank as close to empty as you can by driving around. You wanted to show of your Turbo Regal anyway, didn’t you?
2. Drain the rest of the gas by first relieving the pressure. You can either disconnect the fuel pump power at the drivers side rear of the tank and run the car until it dies or you can press on the schrader valve if it is still installed. Remove the schrader valve with a removal tool which you can get at any auto parts store in the tire section.
3. Attach your rubber hose snugly over the test port and put the other end of the tube in the gas storage container. I used a five gallon plastic container for my installation.
4. Since my pump was hot wired, I simply unhooked the power wire from the 30 amp relay I mounted in the trunk and applied this directly to the pump power wire. This ran the pump continuously and my tank was drained in a few minutes. I was actually surprised at how much gas was in there compared to what my fuel gauge showed. You are going to want the tank empty, believe me. When it comes time to reinstall the tank, you will see why.
5. Once you are satisfied you aren’t going to get any more fuel out of the tank, remove power from the pump and disconnect your battery for safety. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be safe on this project since you are dealing with gas. I did mine in my garage with the doors open to make sure it was well ventilated.
6. Unplug the fuel pump weatherpack connector under the rear bumper on the driver’s side.
7. Jack up the rear of the car just a little bit and place jackstands underneath it. Don’t go too high because your hydraulic jack won’t help you much if it can’t reach the tank with it later on.
8. It’s time to get dirty. Put your safety glasses on since you will have rust, dirt, and gas droplets falling on you as you are under the car. Crawl under the rear of the car and look for a metal heat shield above the differential. Remove this heat shield to gain access to the three fuel related rubber lines.
9. First, remove the line going to the vapor canister by using a pair of pliers to relive pressure on the spring clamp. Then, loosen the hose clamps holding the feed and return lines on.
10. Next, you have to divorce the rubber line from the steel line. This was a major pain for me and it took some wiggling and gentle twisting before I was able to wrestle each one loose. This was very frustrating at first, so take a break if you can’t get it right away. I used two surgical gloves on each hand to ensure I wouldn’t be getting gas on my skin. I was also VERY glad I had safety goggles on since I had a few droplets catch me right on the lense. Yikes.
11. Remove the bracket holding the lines to the frame with a 13mm socket.
12. Once these lines are free, it is time to remove the tank. Take the piece of plywood and center it underneath the tank making sure it doesn’t block the holding straps from dropping out of place.
13. Next, use the hydraulic jack and raise it to meet the plywood very gently. The tank should look like it is resting on the plywood.
14. Crawl under the car armed with some penetrating oil. Liberally spray the two bolts holding the straps to the frame of the car. They are on either side of the stock muffler. Let it sit for a while, otherwise you will mangle the bolt badly since it is bound to be rusty.
15. After five minutes or so, enough time to get a quick sandwich and a soda, crawl under the car and use the socket wrench and a 15mm socket to remove each of these bolts. Make sure you have safety glasses on since rust and dirt will be fallling down on you. Be aware that the strap is all that is holding the tank above you, so be mindful of your surroundings. It is great to have a partner to help you, but I didn’t have one until installation.
16. Lower the straps and move them out of the way.
17. Slowly relieve pressure in the hydraulic jack and lower the tank ever so slightly, making sure that the filler neck clears the inner portion of the bumper. You may have to move the tank toward the front of the car a bit.
18. Roll the tank out from under the car. What seemed like the impossible has now come true. Your tank sits before you ready to be cracked open.
19. Use the can of compressed air to blow the rust and dirt particles from around the fuel pump opening. You don’t want any of that in your tank!
20. Using a brass or aluminum object (I used an aluminum chisel like tool), remove the retaining ring by tapping it counter-clockwise. You want something like brass or aluminum to avoid any sparking. Remember, we are dealing with gas fumes here. I was doing this outside in my driveway in fresh breezy air.
21. Once the retaining ring is loose, remove the pump assembly by turning it as necessary to clear the sock and the sending unit float.
22. To remove the pump from the hanger, simply loosen the hose clamp at the top of the pump, remove the old sock, disconnect the electrical connector, and then slightly bend the bottom portion of the hanger down for pump removal.
23. Next, take your new pump and prepare it. I used a Walbro 307 pump in my car, so I attached the 3/8" rubber fuel line and clamped it securely. I also used the rubber jacket that surrounds the entire fuel pump just for the heck of it. Attach the rubber insulator to the bottom of the pump and then insert it into the hanger. Slightly bend the bottom of the hanger assembly up so the pump is securely in place.
24. Next, attach the fuel sock. It points toward the passenger side.
25. Attach your power wire. I almost forgot to do this. That surely would have made for some less than desirable results.
26. Put your new rubber o-ring gasket on the tank opening.
27. Carefully lower the unit into the tank making sure you keep on eye on the sock to make sure it still points directly to the passenger side, parallel with the back of the tank, if you will.
28. Install the retainer ring by knocking it clockwise until it is securely snapped in place. No sparks, please.
29. Now it is time for the hard part. Up until now I was doing all of this by myself, but a partner was now employed for the installation.
30. We are now ready to reinstall the tank.
31. Set the tank on top of the jack/plywood and roll it under the car.
32. Jack up the tank very slowly and make sure the filler neck gets to its home. You really need two people for this next step.
33. Have a partner balance the tank and position it while you secure the straps with the socket wrench and 15mm socket. Be very careful not to force these because if you strip them, you will be in for trouble. I almost did, but I was able to clean up the threads by removing the bolt and nut clamp, then driving the bolt through the opposite direction on a bench vise. It worked like a charm
34. After the tank is wrestled into place and the straps are secure, hook up your rubber lines and secure them very well. Remember, these are high pressure lines and they are right by the muffler, so leak free installation is an absolute must. It is a pain, but if you wrestle enough with them, the fuel line will slip back on the steel line. I had to speak harshly with my lines before they would comply with my wishes.
35. Reinstall the heat shield.
36. Button up the fuel system. Install your schrader valve and make sure everything is ready to go.
37. Refuel your car. If you energize the pump with no gas in the tank, you risk damage.
38. Start up the car and look for leaks everywhere you have been. If you use a light for this project, please use a fluorescent trouble light as incandescent bulbs get hot and can start fires.
39. Go out and road test. .

The article below details turbocharger removal and replacement on a 1987 Turbo Regal. This is meant as a general guideline and it is not a textbook how-to. Try this at your own risk.

Tools needed:
Sockets and socket wrenches
7/16 open end wrench
thread sealer/paste
screwdriver
Liquid Wrench or equivalent
Tray to organize bolts/nuts

Tools recommended:
oxygen sensor
Mechanixwear gloves

Removal of the turbocharger

1. Remove the heat shield to turbo.
2. Remove MAF pipe and set it aside.
3. Remove intercooler hose going to the intercooler neck.
4. Spray Liquid Wrench on the two bolts holding the down-pipe to the exhaust housing. Let them soak for a few minutes.
5. Remove two bolts holding down-pipe to exhaust housing.  These are the bolts with the tension springs.  Put these and remaining bolts in a tray.  I like use a small plastic bait box to organize bolts and nuts in compartments.  There should be a lead doughnut gasket between the pipe and exhaust housing.  Save it because you will need it to re-install. Mine was toast, so I bought a new one at NAPA. The part number is #31511 ... $12.
6. Disconnect vacuum hose that runs from the boost solenoid to the wastegate actuator.
7. There is a bracket that holds the turbo to the block, as shown below.  Remove the two bolts.  I found that going in from the front with an extension is easiest, especially on the bottom bolt.  There isn't room from above to use an open end wrench.  Note the bottom bolt has a ground strap on it.  Now is a good time to clean this contact to ensure good ground.
   
   Click to enlarge
8. Remove the three bolts that connect the turbo to the header.  These are tough, so use Liquid Wrench.  Don't worry about damaging them since the rebuilder should put in new studs for you.
9. Unbolt the oil return line, which has two bolts holding it to the turbocharger. It will probably be tough to break the hold on the gasket once the bolts are out.  My rebuilder shipped the turbo back with a new gasket.
   
   Click to enlarge
10. The turbo should now lift out.  Remove the bracket (step 7) from the turbo housing prior to shipping. Also, remove the brass vacuum fitting and keep it for installation on the new turbo.
11. If you are replacing the oil feed line, which you should, remove it now. You will need a 7/16 wrench and thread sealer for the reinstall.  This is a real pain, but you should be able to get at it from above with a long wrench or from the front by moving the radiator hose out of the way.

 

Installation of new turbo

1. Set the turbo in place on the exhaust header by lining up the three studs and placing them in the proper holes.  I used a gasket to ensure a leak free install.  The bolts are metric fine thread.
2. Snug the above bolts.  Use copper anti-seize compound if you want.
3. Connect the oil return line with the two bolts as seen here.  Don't forget to use a gasket.  You will probably need a new one since the old one is likely to break apart upon removal. These bolts are quite a pain to get started, which is why you wait to connect the turbo bracket.
4. You will probably need to re-clock the turbo to line up the outlet to the intercooler inlet neck.  As you can see, my turbo was a bit off.   To do this loosen the six bolts with an open end wrench as shown here.  Rotate the housing until the outlets line up and retighten the bolts in a star pattern.
5. Connect the oil feed line.  Use thread sealer on this one.
6. Connect the turbo bracket to the head/block using the two bolts.  Don't forget to attach the ground wire to the bottom bolt.  Also, attach the two nuts that hold the bracket to the turbo housing.
7. Connect the downpipe to the exhaust housing using the two long bolts (with spring tensioners).  Don't forget to install the lead doughnut gasket.  It has a ringed top and wedged bottom.  The ring goes into the exhaust housing.  If you break it, like I did, it can be had at NAPA under part # 31511.  $12.00.
8. Make any other plumbing connections, i.e. boost lines.
9. Connect the MAF pipe to the turbo.
10. Connect the wastegate actuator to the flapper arm.
11. Connect the intercooler hose to the turbo outlet.  
12. Fire it up and let fresh oil circulate.  Check things over and go easy on the turbo for a while to let it break in.  Make sure to check for leaks around the exhaust housing.  I had to adjust this connection a few times to get it to seal up. That's just a matter of loosening the blots, wiggling the downpipe and re-tightening equally.

Tools Needed:
3/16 hex bit
Fluid pump (I bought a fluid pump for $3 that is designed to fit on a gallon bottle of gear oil to pump it into a differential. I just took the pump and inserted the tube into the fill hole and pumped it out very quickly.)
Small rubber hose

Parts to Buy:
Two bottles of General Motors supercharger oil. part # 12345982 ($10/bottle at the GM dealer)

Procedure:

1. Unscrew the supercharger oil inspection plug, which is the black plug at the front of the unit using the hex bit.
2. Insert the tube from the fluid pump into the fill hole. Pump the fluid out into a plastic cup. It stinks like nothing else on earth, so be ready.
3. The new oil comes in a small squeeze bottle, so attach a hose to the nipple of the squeeze bottle. Insert the hose into the fill hole and squeeze away. You should fill until the oil gets to the bottom threads of the fill hole. You should use most of the contents of the two bottles
4. Tighten the black plug being careful not to over tighten it. 10ft/lbs is plenty.
5. Drive the car for a few days and then check the level again. Add as needed.
   

Introduction:

This article deals with removing and reinstalling your fuel injectors. This can be a great addition to your Turbo Regal since your existing injectors might be unable to provide sufficient volume . Bear in mind that I always recommend a fuel pump, adjustable fuel pressure regulator and a hotwire kit for anyone upgrading their Turbo Regal. You need to ensure adequate volume if you plan on turning up the wick with more boost.

Project Time:
About an hour.

Required tools:
10mm socket
15mm socket
Socket wrench
large flat blade screwdriver

1. Disconnect the battery.
2. Disconnect power to the fuel pump and start the car to relieve fuel pressure. The car will run for a bit and die.
3. Take a soup can and depress the schrader valve in the fuel rail to relieve the remaining fuel pressure.
4. Remove the coil pack assembly by using the 10mm socket on the bolt in the back of the pack. Then, remove the two 15mm bolts attaching the unit to the fuel rail
5. Remove the fuel inlet line.
6. Remove the fuel pressure regulator and set it aside.
7. Remove any associated vacuum hoses
8. Disconnect the fuel injector harness down by the coil pack mounting bay.
9. Remove the four bolts holding the fuel rail in place.
10. Remove throttle body linkages for the TV cable and throttle cable.
11. Remove the injectors from the ports in the intake. It will take some wiggling and tugging, but the fuel rail and injectors should pop right out. You can use a large flat blade screwdriver to help pry them out.
12. Lay the fuel rail down with the injectors pointing up. Remove the black clip and pull the electrical connector off of the injector
13. Pop the injector out of the fuel rail.
14. Repeat for the remaining five injectors.
15. Lubricate the new injector's o-rings with clean engine oil to aid in seating them.
16. Pop the injectors into the fuel rail. Clip them in place with the clips you removed in step 12.
17. Take the completed assembly to the car and set the fuel rail in place.
18. Push each injector into the associated port on the intake making sure you get a nice clean install.
19. Reattach the fuel rail bolts, throttle body linkages, vacuum hoses.
20. Connect fuel injection wiring harness you removed in step 8.
21. Mount the fuel line, fuel pressure regulator and coil pack assembly.
22. Be very careful threading the inlet line into the fuel pressure regulator. If you cross thread this, you will be replacing the fuel line on the front of the engine and it is no fun. Ask me how I know this.
23. Reconnect the battery.
24. Turn the key to RUN and let the fuel pump pressurize the system. Check for leaks.
25. Keep an eye on your fuel pressure regulator. If the pressure drops quickly, you might have pinched an o-ring.
    

Introduction:

Once your headliner sags or retains dents, it cannot be glued or fixed in the car. The foam has released from the fabric and turned into a powdery goo ... you won't be able to revive it. Your only options are to re-cover your board or get a new pre-covered board. I always recommend a pre-covered ABS board! This article only covers replacement with a new unit, so I was not all that careful in the removal process.

This document describes how to remove and replace your hardtop Regal headliner with a high quality ABS piece. Mine came from Mike's Montes and it was a perfect match to the maroon interior. Expect a few hours if this is your first time.

Project Time:
About two hours if it is your first time.

Project Cost:
My prefabricated headliner was around $150 shipped.

Tools needed:
T50 Torx bit and ratchet
Philips screw driver
Needle nose pliers
X-acto knife
(3) Rear headliner clips (not required, but I can almost guarantee you will break them in removal)

1. Pull all trim loose from around the headliner. Start on the passenger side working your way around. The A-pillar will have to come first.
2. To remove the metal trim above the doors, you have to stand outside of the car. The metal trim is held on by three clips per side. The clips have an inside tab and an outside tab. To remove the metal trim from these clips, grasp the trim with palms up and pull it toward your body at a downward angle. The metal piece will pop off the outside tabs and it will hang down a bit. Then, push the piece toward the inside of the car to pop the metal trim off the inside tabs. Don't break the clips because they are not easy to find anywhere. Remove the three clips on each side with a philips screwdriver.
3. Remove the seatbelt mount by popping off the cover and using a T50 Torx bit.
4. Remove the B-pillar window trim and door trim.
5. To remove the metal trim from above the rear window, you will need two flat blade screwdrivers. You can try pliers, but two screwdrivers are easiest. Remove the two Philips screws, one on either end of the molding. Pry the metal trim down a bit until you can see the three plastic clips. They have a triangular plastic piece that inserts into a slot in the roof. Use two flat blade screwdrivers and squeeze the bottoms of the triangle together while having a partner pull down on the trim. It should either pop out or the clip will break.
6. Unbolt the sunvisors.
7. Pop the cover on the interior light in the center of the headliner. Use needle nose pliers to remove the two fasteners on the studs and drop the dome light down. Let the light hang by the wires for now.
8. The board needs to be removed. I didn't care much because mine was going in the trash, but you can easily ruin your factory board by not being careful.
9. Leave the front metal trim along the windshield IN the car. This one is a bear to get out and you are better off not messing with it in my opinion. You can slide the headliner back and down to get if out of this trim piece.
10. Now, it is time to remove the headliner from the car.
11. Slide your seats all the way back, and recline them as far as you can.
12. Tilt your wheel all the way up.
13. Have both doors open and see if you can get a friend to help you maneuver the board out of the car. You must take it out the passenger side, it won't clear the wheel on the driver side.
14. Drop the front of the board down a little and rotate the front so it comes out first. You will want the passenger side up against the roof and the driver side against the floor.
15. Make sure the board goes over the shifter not under it or it will bind.
16. Play with it a little and it should come right out.
17. Here is my old headliner compared to the new one. Notice how the old one retains the form of hands and feet. The foam was so old, it compressed and didn't pop back to shape. As a side note, my headliner was not as bad looking while it was in the car. This picture was after I was kneeling on it and my four year old son walked across it.
    
    Click to enlarge
    
    
18. Now that the headliner is out, the interior is pretty bare up top.
    
    Click to enlarge
    
    
19. When this is all done you can reverse your process and reinstall the headliner. You may have to cut holes for your dome light and sun visors. I cut my dome light hole with an Exacto knife while it was out of the car. Don't try to cut the sun visor holes out of the car. Just wait until you have the headliner installed and this will be your last step.
20. Roll your headliner a bit to get it into the passenger side of the car. It is fine to roll an ABS liner since it is tough and will return to shape. Do NOT attempt if you are re-using your styrofoam one. Use masking tape to tape the wire to the dome light so you can easily locate it to pull it back through.
21. Slide the headliner into the metal trim above the windshield. It is helpful to have a friend, but I used my head to hold it up.
22. Attach the three plastic tabs to the passenger side and driver side to hold the headliner up. Remember, these were the tabs that were above the metal trim in step 2.
23. Pull the dome light through and let it hang.
24. Install the A-pillar moldings and the B-pillar window trim.
25. Snap the metal trim in place above the doors ... you know, the ones you swore at in step 2.
26. Install the metal trim above the rear window. Position the triangular clips in the metal molding first and then position it in place so the clips line up with the slots in the roof. Pop them in place with a few pounds of the fist. Insert the two screws, one in either end of the trim.
27. Push the headliner up by the dome light hole to reveal the mounting studs. Mount the dome light and secure it with the little metal rings you removed in step 7.
28. You are almost there. It is now time to mount your standard sun visors. Use your finger to locate the hole in the roof. It will be easy to find. Trim the hole out with an Exacto knife.
29. Use your finger to find the three screw holes in the metal roof. Use a sharp punch to poke a hole through the headliner for the screws.
30. Mount the sun visors.
31. Step back and enjoy your work.
    

 

Introduction:

This article describes how to remove your Powermaster system, replacing it with Hydroboost. Hydroboost, which runs off of the power steering pump, offers superior line pressure and holding power when compared to vacuum and Powermaster setups. I won't get into the Powermaster vs vacuum vs Hydroboost debate, but there is a reason that many turbocharged cars/diesel trucks come with Hydroboost or some modern derivative of it. Any TR owner knows that the Powermaster is a ticking bomb.

We will be using a booster, master cylinder and hoses for 1983-1985 Turbo Regals which comes in the form of remanufactured parts by Cardone. You do have many options for systems, including Chevy Astro and GMC Safari vans. Shop around since prices on each component seem to vary widely. If you decide to go with a prepackaged system, there are kits available from sources like Powerbrake-Drivetrain. These include everything you need, sans fluid, so you don't have to run around to parts stores.

Just a word of caution. Realize you are working on components that are likely original. Be prepared to break things. I had to replace the rear wheel cylinders because the bleeders were either stuck or rounded off.

Project time:
This took me about eight hours, but I also ran into difficulties with rounded off bleeders, replacing wheel cylinders and a few other minor things.

Project cost:
Roughly $250 plus around $30 for miscellaneous parts like hose clamps, fluid, etc.
I probably have $300 in mine since I bought speed bleeders for all four wheels and new wheel cylinders.

Parts Needed:
You will need the following replacement parts from your favorite parts depot. I used Advance Auto, but the part numbers listed can be used with other parts houses like Auto Zone or Rockauto.com.

Click to enlarge

1. Cardone Power Brake Booster
   Part No. 52-7211
2. Cardone Brake Master Cylinder
   Part No: 10-1984
3. Powercraft Power Steering Pressure Hose
   Part No: 91660
4. Powercraft Power Steering Pressure Hose
   Part No: 71187
5. 3/8" brass T connector
6. 3/8" return hose (transmission cooler hose): (5 feet)
7. 3/8" hose clamps : qty (4)
8. a few quarts of Dot 3 brake fluid
9. power steering fluid
10. 3/16" clear tubing
11. port adapters to bench bleed the master cylinder. Cardone MC units come with the right port adapters.
    

Optional Parts/Tools needed:

1. brake bleeding kit (I use a Mityvac Brake Bleeder kit.)
2. Speed bleeders ... highly recommended!
   Russell Speed Bleeder
   Fronts are PN 639580 - 10mm
   Rears are PN 639520 - 8mm
3. Sliding jaw clamp, c-clamp or similar device to keep the proportioning valve depressed while bleeding.
4. Engine paint or Krylon Rust Tough Ceramic paint. The cast iron master cylinder WILL rust over a short period of time, so paint it with color or clear before installation. You could choose to oil it regularly with gun oil or something similar. I painted mine black post installation with some careful masking.

Removal of Powermaster and Preparation for Hydroboost:

Existing Powermaster	Ready for work, protected from drips of brake fluid.	Alternator, MAF pipe and tensioner pulley removed

1. Remove the alternator and belt tensioner.
2. You can either remove the AC compressor for more room or leave it in. I left mine in place and I was fine.
3. You should now have good access to the power steering pump and reservoir. You will need room since the new pressure hoses need to be connected.
4. Pump down the pressure in the Powermaster system. With the key off, pump the pedal fifteen times.
   DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS STEP! I'd advise you to cover painted surfaces just to be safe.
5. Remove the brake fluid from the reservoir with a fluid pump or baster. I used a Mity-Vac for this.
6. Disconnect the electrical connections to the Powermaster pump.
7. Disconnect the brake lines from the Powermaster unit.
8. Get inside the car. Remove the four 15mm nuts and remove the locking pin that holds the actuator rod from the PM to the brake pedal. You will definitely need socket extensions and a universal joint for this since these nuts are hard to get to. I also used a magnetic pickup tool to make sure I didn't drop the nuts after removing them with my fingers.
9. Remove the actuator rod from the pedal and leave the pedal in the car. You will need a partner to hold the Powermaster unit angled up and toward the passenger side to get the pedal disconnected. It can be a bear, so take your time.
10. Remove the Powermaster unit as a whole. There is no reason to remove the accumulator bowl, so leave it on.
11. Pump out the power steering fluid from the reservoir using a Mity-Vac, baster, etc.

Installation of the Hydroboost unit:

Powermaster removed from the car	Hydroboost booster set in place	Bleeding the master cylinder on the car with port adapters and aquarium tubing	System bled and ready for power steering hoses.

1. Have a helper position the booster unit in the car. They will need to reposition it a bit to give you a good angle to reattach the actuator rod to the brake pedal.
2. Get back inside the car and hook up the actuator rod from the pedal to the booster. Again, have a partner angle the booster unit up and toward the passenger side of the car to get the pedal connected. It's a pain.
3. Use the four 15mm nuts (removed in step 8 above) to secure the booster in place. Again, a variety of extensions and a universal joint will be needed for your socket wrench.
4. Attach the master cylinder to the booster. You can reuse the nuts that attach the Powermaster to the firewall adapter plate.
5. Now, you must bleed the master cylinder. You can do it on the car if you want, but you will need to jack up the rear end so that the MC is level, otherwise you will have trapped air.
6. Using the port adapters, screw them into the ports and connect the clear 3/16" hose. The port adapters should come with the Cardone master cylinder, but the hose will not. The hose should go to the respective port on the MC. Make sure you have enough length to reach the bottom of the MC reservoir and zip tie the hoses in place so they don't pop out.
7. Next, fill the reservoirs about 3/4 full with new brake fluid. The hoses MUST be submerged in brake fluid otherwise you will just be sucking air back into the master cylinder. Again, make sure the lines reach the bottom of the reservoir and that you have filled them 3/4 full.
8. With the hoses in place, you can sit in the car and bleed the master cylinder.
9. Slowly press the brake pedal and keep an eye on the master cylinder. You will see the air bubbles being pumped through the hoses and into the master cylinder. Take care to release the pedal in a controlled manner so you can let the air bubbles settle at the top of the tube. That way, they will be expelled on the next depress.
10. Repeat this until there are no air bubbles passing through the hoses to the master cylinder. This can take a LONG time.
11. Once you are sure there is no air in the master cylinder, connect the steel brake lines to the booster. With the HB master cylinder, the brake lines are the opposite of the Powermaster orientation. Connect the large line to the back port and the skinnier line to the front port on the master cylinder. Note picture 4 in this section. You can't get this wrong because if you look at it on your car, there is no way the larger line will make it to the front port on the MC.

Bleeding your Brakes:

Clamping the proportioning valve. A slide jaw clamp is recommended.	Tom leisurely keeps an eye on the bleeding process.	These are a must buy unless you like torturing yourself.

1. Next, you will have to bleed/flush the entire system. You definitely need a partner to expedite the process unless you have speed bleeders, which I HIGHLY recommend. Be very careful with the rear bleeders. If you round them off, you will be replacing the wheel cylinders. Ask me how I know this. I ended up putting in new cylinders and buying four speed bleeders to be done with it.
2. Fill the master cylinder with new brake fluid.
3. Jack up the car, place it on jack stands and remove the wheels.
4. Take the rubber cap off of the proportioning valve poppet. Use a slide jaw clamp or wire on the proportioning valve shown above. Clamp the valve IN otherwise you will not get anything to the back brakes.. The valve is located on the frame rail below the master cylinder. Leave it clamped until you are completely done bleeding.
5. Start at the rear passenger side. Loosen the bleed screw with a deep well 8mm socket and attach a hose to it. Put the hose in a cup of brake fluid.
6. Depress the brake pedal slowly one time and hold. Loosen the bleeder valve to purge the air from the cylinder. Tighten bleeder screw and slowly release pedal. Wait 15 seconds. Repeat the sequence, including the 15 second wait until all air is removed. It may be necessary to repeat the sequence 10 or more times to remove all the air. Rapid pumping of the brake pedal is NOT recommended because it pushes the master cylinder piston down the bore in a manner that makes it difficult to bleed the system. You will have to pump at least 20 times to get a thorough flush but always keep an eye on the hose to see if bubbles are coming out.
7. Keep an eye on the brake fluid level because if you run dry you will have to start over! We actually used three people when bleeding. One at the bleeder, one at the pedal and one watching the MC fluid level.
8. Move to the driver's rear, passenger front and then driver's front using the same method in step 6. You will need a 10mm wrench for the front bleeders.

I highly recommend that you buy the Russell speed bleeders (part numbers mentioned in Optional Parts needed above). They have a check valve so you just pop them open, attach a hose and pump away. They won't let air back in, so this eliminates the constant open and closing with regular bleeders. Basically, in step six above, eliminate the tightening of the screw. Just wait 15 seconds and pump again. Close the bleeder when you are completely done and put the rubber dust cap on it.

Installation of the new pressure hoses:

The T is placed in the return line pointing toward the firewall.	Put the hose in a vise and tweak it 30 degrees to the right.	The hose to the pump hooks up as shown

1. Remove the existing pressure hose from the power steering pump to the steering box itself.
2. Install pressure hose (Part No: 91660) into the passenger side port of the booster and then to the power steering pump. Since it is specified for a 1983/1984 hot air car, this hose has to be tweaked 30 degrees toward the passenger side to fit the intercooled 1986/1987 cars. See the second picture above. It was put in a bench vise and bent 30 degrees to the right. You will also need to remove the return line from the pump to the reservoir to get more room to work.
3. Install pressure hose (Part No: 71187) from the driver side port on the booster to the vacant port on the steering gearbox.
4. Install the 3/8"return hose. You will have to cut to size. Route the return hose from the return port on the booster down toward the steering gearbox as shown in picture 1 above. You will need to tap into the existing return hose with the T. You can cut the return hose down by the gearbox and install the T if you like. Use the hose clamps to secure these connections.

Final steps and the road test:

1. Reinstall the alternator, tensioner and A/C compressor (if necessary).
2. Reinstall the MAF and associated piping.
3. Disconnect the orange wire to the ECM so the car doesn't start.
4. Fill the master cylinder to spec with new brake fluid.
5. Fill the power steering reservoir with new power steering fluid.
6. Crank the car for several seconds to fill and prime the hydroboost booster then check the power steering fluid level. Fill as needed.
7. Reconnect the orange ECM wire and start the car.
8. Flush air out of the system by turning the steering wheel from stop to stop twice.
9. Shut off the car.
10. Relieve system pressure by depressing the pedal five times.
11. Check the power steering fluid level and fill as needed.
12. Repeat steps 5-8 two times.

At this point, you are almost done.

If the pedal feels good, carefully road test the car. The line pressure of the Hydroboost system should be immediately evident and you should be able to lock the brakes instantly.

The power steering pump might whine a bit at first, but it will mellow out with driving. The Hydroboost is a self purging system, meaning it will rid itself of air over time.

Completed project from the driver's side	Completed project from front of car	Our young Speedlab tech, Jason.

Thanks to Todd Fitzpatrick, Turbonut85 from Turbobuick.com, Thomas Rasmussen and Jason Rasmussen.

PROJECT UPDATE - 7/28/2010

The master cylinder rusted after just a few weeks on the car, so the "protective coating" over the cast iron didn't do the job. I didn't want to oil it, so I painted it black and freshened up the p/s cap and windshield wiper fluid cap with a white enamel paint marker. I like the results.

Completed project from the driver's side, now black.	Completed project with painted hold down straps	Full engine bay showing completed project

 

Troubleshooting:

My pedal gets stuck at the bottom and will not return unless I lift the pedal up manually.

Make sure the T is installed right and that your master cylinder is correct. Sometimes the MC comes with an incorrect snap ring It should be a regular C snap ring, not a dog-eared snap ring. The other possibility is that the booster itelf is bad, but check the T and snap ring first.

The brake pedal feels really spongy and requires excess travel.

You have air in the lines. Bleed them again. Air compresses and the fluid doesn't, which is why the pedal feels like mush.

I have pump whine now. How come?

There is probably air in the power steering system or the ps fluid level is low. You will need to check the level a few times after driving around. Hydroboost is self purging for the most part, but as the air is purged, you will need to add fluid to replace it. Check it several times and it will get quieter as you drive around. Make sure you have no kinks or bad bends in your 3/8" return hose causing starvation to the pump.

I rounded off the bleeders in the rear. What do I do now?

You will need to replace the wheel cylinders. It isn't a tough job at all. Take a picture of the spring orientation. Remove all of the springs and separate the brake shoes. Loosen the brake line and pop the retaining clip off of the wheel cylinder with a punch. Pop the wheel cylinder out. Install the new one and slip the new retaining clip over the brake line and attach the brake line. Pop the retaining clip in place. You will need two punches to pop this in. Align the brake shoes and reattach the springs using your picture as reference.

Why isn't there any fluid coming out of the back brake bleeders?

If you have replaced the wheel cylinders, you must put a c-clamp on the proportioning valve as described above. In fact, it is good practice to do this anyway. The valve must be IN during normal operation anyway. That valve must remain IN while bleeding.

Introduction:

This article walks you through replacing a heater core in your Turbo Regal or same era G-Body car.

Project Time:
About one hour

Project Cost:
A new heater core can range from $25 to $100 depending on whether it is aftermarket or NOS (new old stock)

Parts Needed:

• 7mm, 10mm, 12mm and 1/4 sockets
• socket wrench and screwdriver
• a fine punch or something similar (to remove windshield wiper arms)
• 3M strip caulk or Metro "Super soft" ribbon sealer (this is to seal the box back up)
• A heater core. The best fitting one seems to be at gbodyparts.com

Removal:

1. Disconnect underhood light.
2. Remove the rubber seal that runs across the top of the firewall. This should come off easily.
3. Remove A/C solenoid from top section of heater box cover.
4. Disconnect electrical connector on A/C drier.
5. Disconnect 3 electrical connections on the blower motor and remove the rubber tube.
6. Remove wiper arms. To do this, take a punch and pry the clip up at the base of the arm where it attaches. Once you swing the clip up, the arm will lift off the mount.
7. Remove the windshield trim piece and plastic wiper rests. (5) 7mm screws
8. Remove blower motor. (5) 1/4" screws and (1) 7mm screw for ground tab.
9. Remove cowl vent. This is the part with the screen on it that sits on top of the heater box cover (6-7mm screws)
10. Remove lower trim supports. (4) 12mm nuts. Be careful not to lose these.
11. Remove upper heater box cover. (4) 10mm screws and (10) 1/4 screws. Be very careful to make sure you have all screws out. Some will be hiding under the sealant goo. If you try to pry the heater box cover off, it will break and they are expensive to replace since they are turbo Regal specific. Also, there is a metal shield to the right of the heater core that must be moved toward the driver's side to get the heater box out. Be patient.
12. If the sealant against the firewall has hardened, you will want to chip it loose with a screwdriver or similar tool to break it free.
13. The heater core is now easy to remove. Disconnect the ground wire to it as well as the inlet and outlet hoses. The core should lift right out.
    
    

Installation:

1. Drop in the new heater core and connect the ground wire.
2. Connect the heater hoses.
3. If desired, use rope caulk to seal the box in place as you set the cover back in. You might have to push the metal shield to the right of the heater core out of the way to get the box to drop back in.
4. Attach the rest of the screws and mounts in reverse of the Removal instructions.
5. Before attaching the windshield trim, use 3m Rope Caulk to seal the top of the heater box to the firewall. If you don't do this, rain water will leak into the car.

Notes:

Do NOT use adhesive sealant to seal the box in place. I guarantee you or the next owner of the car will break the heater box cover trying to get it out. They are Turbo Regal specific and very hard to come by. If you do try and get one from another G-Body car, it will fit with slight modification. You will have to drill screw holes here and there to get it to fit. You will also need to get the proper emissions and AC sticker since both are specific to the Turbo Regal. They can be found at Russell Selkirk's website.

Mine is a Canadian model, so I had to have Russell make a custom sticker for me.

You can get 3M rope caulk or Metro ribbon sealer in the body section of your auto parts store.

Thanks to 87NASHIONAL on turbobuick.com for selling me a replacement cover. Did I mention mine broke while removing it? Darn adhesive sealant. :)

Credit to Scott Keller at gnttype.org for providing base instructions.

Preparing a car for winter storage can be quite a chore, but the steps you take now will ensure an easy process taking it out of storage in the spring. I have listed my recipe below. It might not cover everything you need to do and some guys certainly do more than this, but this recipe has served me well and my cars have thanked me by being ready to go when spring fever hits.

1. Wash and detail the car making sure to get every bit of dirt off of the paint and undercarriage if possible. Months of storage will cause the dirt to absorb moisture and corrode metal. Basically, prepare the car as if you were going to a car show.
2. Clean up the interior of the car making sure to vacuum and dust everything. Lubricate the door/window seals with silicone.
3. Fill up the gas tank. It will prevent oxidation and displace any water. Add fuel system stabilizer and drive the car around for a few miles to ensure the stabilizer is mixed and dispersed throughout the fuel system.
4. Change the oil and filter, preferably at the storage facility. Oil starts accumulating moisture as soon as your new oil begins to circulate, so you want to eliminate this possibility.
5. Lay down a plastic vapor barrier in your storage facility. Concrete can transfer moisture to your car, so buy a sheet a little bigger than your car and drive right onto it. Don't set your parking brake! This could cause your rear brakes to fuse.
6. Place a desiccant silica pack in the interior and in the trunk. I have used DampRid, available at Home Depot. This will absorb moisture and smells, preventing mold in the process.
7. I do not put my car on jack stands. It is a hassle and I don't think it is worth it for the five months it will sit. I have never had any adverse effects.
8. Put steel wool in the tailpipes to prevent rodents from making it a home.
9. Remove the battery and take it home.
10. Cover the car with a quality car cover and say goodbye for the winter. I never start mine during storage time ... I just let it sit. Starting it does more harm than good in my opinion.

Thanks to the guys on TurboBuick.com for some of the tips I have mentioned. Owning collectible cars is always a learning process.