A bigger hammer did the trick. 4th blow with the 8 lb sledge and it came loose. The other side came apart with just a tap. Just came back from a road test - it's all good. Thanks for the comments!

Thanks - one of the things I did was to put a few washers between the hub and the knuckle and snugged the hub bolts down to hold the hub firm and to give the axle some room if it actually came loose. I've got an 8 lb sledge out in the shed that I'll try tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I guess I'll ...

My hubs are shot so I picked up a pair of Moog units and attempted to get the old ones off. All of the hardware came off without a problem and the hub fell out of the knuckle but I can't get the axle shaft out of the hub, I've tried everything - PBblaster, slide hammer, 3-jaw puller, heating the hub ...

Well, I replaced my coolant elbow with the "help" component and figured I'd change the o-rings for the heater hose fittings while I was at it - wrong! These don't appear to be a standard size - I've been to several auto parts stores and one size will leak (too small) and the next size up won't fit ...

Thanks for the replies. The picture showing the heater pipe adapters is what I need. The top one has (had, in my case) some kind of a valve or restrictor in it.

Thanks again,
Jim

Hi folks - I replaced the upper plenum and LIM gaskets about 40,000 miles ago using the good information on this site. Last night, I smelled anti-freeze when I pulled the car into the garage. After checking it out, I saw that it was coming from the coolant elbow between the tensioner casting and the ...

Well, I've got about 300 miles on the Generals. It's been a good week for evaluation, everything from dry roads to heavy rain and light snow this morning. At this point in time they get a thumbs up from me - I'm pleased with how they perform. I put Sensatrac struts in the car last month and the ...

Well, I went with the General Altimax RT. I don't drive in the snow very often (2x so far this year), so these seemed like a good tire at a pretty reasonable price - $375 mounted and balanced. I've had a couple of sets of Generals over the years with decent results. I'm getting them put on tomorrow ...

I'm a little leery of Goodyear - I've had two sets on two different cars over the years and didn't get very good wear out of them. Anyone running BFGoodrich tires?

Hi - I'm looking for some tire recommendations for my 96 LSS. It currently has 225/60-16 Kelly Springfield Chargers on it and I've never really been too happy with them. Basically, I'm looking for an all weather tire that will last about 50,000 miles.

Thanks,
Jim

Yep - took care of it this morning. Code P0507 - vacuum leak. Had it cleared and then put about 70 miles on it without a problem.

Jim

Just finished installing my new APN UIM and GM's improved LIM gaskets. I got a CEL after about 10 miles of driving which made me take another look at the intstall instructions - I committed a rookie mistake by leaving the PCV valve out of the new intake. Anyhow, I installed the valve and ...

After putting it off longer than I should have, I removed the UIM & LIM off my '96 LSS N/A 3800 (excellent instructions in the Techinfo section, BTW). The car had just passed the 100,000 mark, was leaking oil and starting to consume anti-freeze. The previous owner had the UIM changed by a dealership ...

Just found one on e-Bay - much better price, too!

Jim

I'm having a heck of a time finding a part to complete the installation of my new struts. The car is a '96 LSS with the F41 suspension and rear level control. I bought new sensatracs and strut mounts based upon some recommendations here. When I disassembled one of the front struts, the strut bumper ...

Thanks for the info!

Jim

Does anyone know the GM aluminum framed LIM gasket P/N for a '96 normally aspirated 3800? Just want to make sure I get the right one from the dealership.
Thanks,
Jim

I posted previously on some problems I encountered when I installed an aftermarket radio. Specifically, I've lost the dimmer function on the HVAC display (96 Olds LSS). After some investigation, I've found that a violet/white wire controls the dimming of the HVAC display when the factory radio is ...

Anyone know if the wiring diagrams are posted on line anywhere? I guess I could open up the old radio and see if it's obvious which circuits the unused wires supported.

Thanks,
Jim

I was just checking out the Monroe website. Sensa Tracs are compatible with the air ride suspension - I'm leaning towards those. The back of the car is always about an inch higher than the front. Is the ride level sensor easily adjustable?

Thanks,
Jim