'86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

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Chris H.

'86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by Chris H. »

I drove around my friends car on Sunday…he's selling it for about $800…and while I drove it, I noticed a few things…

I quoted it so as to not take up too much space.
-Rough idle, acceleration issues
  • -Throttle cable replacement?
    -Turbo lag?
    -Needs tune up?
    -Spark plugs?


-Steam visible while going over bumps

  • -Damaged thermostat?


-Exhaust smell

  • -Leaking exhaust system?


-Windshield fluid issues

  • -Clogged lines?
    -Clogged sprayers?


-Power Lock/Window issues; Power Mirror issues

  • -Mirror switch dead?
    -Driver side window crank broken?


-Gauge Cluster

  • -Not original? 57k miles
    -1986 LeBaron's had silver cluster, not black?
    -Fuel gauge shaky?
    -Voltmeter failed/failing?


Anybody have any ideas?

This car will eventually be a project car…sort of…and I'm wondering if the stock turbo - which has a coolant line and an oil line..and is limited to 7 lbs. boost - is replaceable with an aftermarket turbo of similar size.

Any ideas on a manual transmission donor?
Last edited by Chris H. on Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:25 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by AHTOXA »

It has running issues, cooling issues and electrical issues? In a Chrysler?

Are you a glutton for punishment?

I wouldn't go with that car. There are cars here sold that run good for the same money. No work needed. Especially automatics.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by Chris H. »

AHTOXA wrote:It has running issues, cooling issues and electrical issues? In a Chrysler?

Are you a glutton for punishment?

I wouldn't go with that car. There are cars here sold that run good for the same money. No work needed. Especially automatics.
It runs fine. I don't know about cooling though…the damn gauge might be broken. And as far as electrical goes, the power mirror switch is dead. Everything else runs fine. So here's to update that list…

And I have no problems fixing my own car.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by wannabe »

but tony - he can learn valuable lessons fixing the car up.

and if this is the only car he can get...i'd say go for it...
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by six »

Rough idle + acceleration issues [together] usually point to clogged fuel injectors (carb?, don't know much about Chryslers back then), clogged fuel filter, bad plugs/distributor, vacuum leak, failing fuel pump, and/or all of the above. Given the "shaky" fuel gauge, it's most likely a fuel pump problem or a vacuum leak (or just a bad fuel sensor mechanism).
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by Chris H. »

six wrote:Rough idle + acceleration issues [together] usually point to clogged fuel injectors (carb?, don't know much about Chryslers back then), clogged fuel filter, bad plugs/distributor, vacuum leak, failing fuel pump, and/or all of the above. Given the "shaky" fuel gauge, it's most likely a fuel pump problem or a vacuum leak (or just a bad fuel sensor mechanism).
It does have a turbo (lag maybe?)…and it has SFI.

When my friend had the oil changed last October, the guy who changed the oil also said the turbo was broken. It seemed like it was working fine to me when I drove the car.
Last edited by Chris H. on Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by theholycow »

That's a $300 car, not $800.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by six »

Chris H. wrote:It does have a turbo (lag maybe?)…and it has SFI.

When my friend had the oil changed last October, the guy who changed the oil also said the turbo was broken. It seemed like it was working fine to me when I drove the car.
A turbo, whether it's working or not, should not cause rough idle. Acceleration issues shouldn't be more than sluggishness if the turbo is broken. If you are noticing more than sluggishness, it's something other than the turbo (although having a leaky turbo can cause your exhaust smell issue).
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by Chris H. »

six wrote:
Chris H. wrote:It does have a turbo (lag maybe?)…and it has SFI.

When my friend had the oil changed last October, the guy who changed the oil also said the turbo was broken. It seemed like it was working fine to me when I drove the car.
A turbo, whether it's working or not, should not cause rough idle. Acceleration issues shouldn't be more than sluggishness if the turbo is broken. If you are noticing more than sluggishness, it's something other than the turbo (although having a leaky turbo can cause your exhaust smell issue).
Well…we drove it at 55 mph, pulled into an isolated high-end neighborhood and turned around. It wasn't until about thirty minutes after driving at 55 mph that the smell came into the cabin…although the recirculation was supposedly on, and the fan off. It only lasted for maybe a minute and then we didn't notice it again.

Getting up to residential speeds wasn't a huge issue. But getting the car past 30-35 mph required a degree of WOT until it hit at least 30 mph…afterwards I'd let off a little bit and the car would get up to the speed limit (most roads we drove on had 40-55 mph speed limit). According to some of what I've read on these cars, 0-60mph happens in like the low 11 second range. I don't know. Without a tachometer or a boost meter, I really don't know what the turbo, or the engine is doing. I can only feel what the engine is doing. And at idle, it seemed a bit high and a little rough (it was a 45 degree day). I'm beginning to think that the thermostat is the reason why the temperature gauge stayed around "C" the entire drive (which was roughly two hours)…but would that explain why the cooling fan was screaming?


Okay…did some internet reading…

The thermostat has to be working properly if the cooling fan is screaming…unless I'm missing something here.

When going over speed bumps though, steam comes out from under the hood. Any clues as to where in the cooling system (radiator, thermostat, turbo, radiator cap, boil-over…) this might be coming from? I don't think the car would've continued to run at 45*F after two hours of driving it (at times, 55 mph for half an hour) if there was a leak anywhere.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by AHTOXA »

I'm just saying that for the same money you can find a car that will have less problems, yet chris will still be able to work on it, learn on it and maintain it. I didn't say it would be trouble free, I just said that it could be much less pain in the ass.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by six »

To determine where the radiator leak is coming from, you could setup your own mock speedbumps with 2x4s or something in your driveway or in front of your house. Run the car until it's hot, then go back home, take off the hood, have someone drive over your mock speedbumps while you look to see where the steam is coming from.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by watkins »

DO NOT BUY! Newer Crisislers are bad enough. Old ones are just asking for trouble, especially when you put something (turbo) that American car companies have no idea how to properly use. You want an older turbo, stick to European cars.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by theholycow »

watkins wrote:European cars.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Slushbox turbos from that time period had boost delay until 8 or 10 mph, to avoid damage to trans/differential/torque converter from brake-torqueing to get a harder launch.

Steam/Smoke - Could be coolant splashing out of overflow bottle when going over bumps, or oil dripping on exhaust manifold.

Compression test and see how the cylinders are doing? Check the spark plugs while you are there. There were issues with head gasket failures back then. Check the oil on the dipstick - if it looks like chocolate milk, there is coolant or water in the oil.
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Re: '86 LeBaron "Liz"…Questions

Post by watkins »

theholycow wrote:
watkins wrote:European cars.
Image Out of the frying pan and into the fire?
Saab, and to a lesser part Volvo, perfected the use of turbos in automotive applications before Americans had ever heard of them
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