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Camino still in the shop

4K views 31 replies 16 participants last post by  5spdCab 
#1 ·
There are a number of nice things about growing up and living around Key West , Florida but one that is not , is when your ride needs repair . The hydraulic clutch actuator started leaking on my 87 Camino with a Tremec TKO 5 speed about 5 months ago . Four years ago 464elky was able to rebuild it but it has gotten to the point that it cannot be rebuilt again . Keisler Engineering , where I originlly purchased the kit from is out of business but was able to purchase a new system from Silver Sport Trans that bought them out . The old style actuator is no longer available and has been replaced with a Wilwood system that looks good . Unfortunately , the size and install is more involved than the original . After a couple of shops had it for weeks I found another willing to work on it . They have been able to get the Wilwood actuator mounted to the firewall but the new style lines require pulling the trans . Now that the Keys have opened back up , it seems that everyone now needs their vehicles worked on so it is now sitting out in the sun waiting to be finished . This shop has had it for at least 6 weeks . With this pandemic , I know that many others have much more serious problems to deal with and I need to be patient but being without my Camino sure is a bummer :(
 
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#2 ·
That's pretty tough, Lenny. It's very cool that you were able to the parts through the connections to get it very close to what you had before. It would be nice if these shops could their ducks lined up and get it together. Takes a lot of patience.
 
#3 ·
are you not a paying customer? i could be wrong but feel like dropping the trans and installing new parts shouldn't take 6 weeks. probably a couple hour job for a shop but maybe a day tops. i feel like there must be something else going on. i know even my buddy and i was able to do a transmission swap on his truck in 1.5 day in his driveway. if we had proper tools like a shop would have likely been done quicker. i know our biggest struggle was just getting the transfer case off the ground once we got it under his truck. i swear that transfer case weighed more than the transmission in that truck.
 

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#7 ·
You are right Crazywolf . I called yesterday and asked that I be put back on the front burner . They said they would try to get it back in this weekend . Keeping my fingers crossed . Chuck you are correct and Joan last week suggested I go up to the mainland from the Keys and visit my El Camino friends to get out of her hair for a few days . I was able to take care of a few of my sisters affairs and visit with her close friends . Wasn`t as much fun with the 87 still in the shop for the hydraulic clutch , friends out of town and others still laying low but glad I went . I was there when the weather was being pulled up from Cuba and the Caribbean . For a few days , the sky was black with some heavy lightning displays and copious amounts of pounding rain . Hopefully things will change for the better . I sure miss my friends and attending one of our numerous get togethers .
 
#8 ·
I did the same thing! Ratchet straps to get it off the ground high enough for my jack! I can't bench press transmissions anymore! Back in my younger days I would just shove the trans up in place and while the alighnment pins helped me out, I would hold the trans with one hand and start a top bolt with the other, once that one was threaded deep enough I could relax a bit! I miss the days of being bullet-proof!

Joe
 
#10 ·
hopefully they get it moving soon. i could understand it being slow if it was a friend helping you out in his free time but a shop should be wanting to get things in and out so they can get paid

hahaha we were using the ratchet strap to support it while we added more blocks to lift things higher. those are 37" tires on it so transmission was at least 2ft off the ground with about another 6 or so inches to go. this is where a hoist and proper tools would have made the job a lot quicker and easier but as usual we just make do with what we got and get the job done
 
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#5 ·
To my long time buddy in traveling and Bench Racing, here we both sit now, with our most favorite rides not working do to people and parts, yours seam to be people an mine is parts that have caused people to give great delays. Lenny is a patient guy, well it seams Jay has learned to be OK with being feed BS when its really unorganized business methods. Lets hope we both get things put back together soon or is that sooner than latter.
 
#9 ·
I work weekends for a parts store, usually delivering parts, and for awhile all the shops were laying off mechanics. They finally started bringing 'em back about 3-4 weeks ago but I can tell when I drop off parts that some shops are hurting for business because the shop bays are empty. When I had some insurance body work done 8 weeks ago, the rep (who we know) said they usually do 330k in April, they had barely grossed 130k this May and that was even after waiving customers payments for their own part of the coverage. I saved $1000 when they did it.

When shelter-in-place was lifted 4 weeks ago, the shops started getting slammed and had to bring back mechanics, but some had already moved on elsewhere. It's tough all around.
 
#11 ·
Sorry Lenny about the issues with your repair shop. Honestly you'd likely not fair any better up here on the mainland!! It is getting harder and harder to get shops both competent and reliable. And like others have noted as we all age we are not physically able to do repairs we could easily accomplish in our younger days. Hopefully you will be on the road again soon!
 
#12 ·
Sorry to hear that things in Miami are also a little out of whack . I had a nice talk with the shop guy yesterday and he said they are hoping to have it on the rack the middle of next week . Said they unfortunately took on work that started as a smaller job that became a total engine replacement job on a 2 or 350 diesel truck . One of his mechanics is hospitalized ( non covid ) , and sadly may not come home . Building has started back up in the Keys and the other mechanic/carpenter was offered so much money that he left for construction work . He also said that just getting parts has become a hassle . They used to get next day deliveries and now it is several days or the week and it seems that so many wrong parts seem to another problem . I assume it is like this in other places . Many businesses have not reopened or workers are changing jobs . Except for Covid concerns , it is a great time to see K.W. without too many tourists and cruise ships . My wife works at a very popular/successful resturant in Key West that closed for some time due to Covid concerns . After successfully reopening , they are thinking about another closure as people keep causing problems for the wait staff , refusing to wear a mask or social distancing ( when not eating or drinking ) , and are so argumentative about the City of Key West/ State Of Florida requirements . Rude , obnoxious , lying behavior seems to have infected so many of them . Hopefully something will change soon . I wonder how things are in other places .
 
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#14 ·
Hope it speeds up for ya. I just made the hard decision today to scrap a 2 week trip to key west next month. Hoping by May things have calmed down. We usually spend 2-3 weeks over Memorial Day and 2-3 weeks around Labor Day at the Galleon. What restaurant does your wife work at?
 
#16 ·
Yahoooo , Got my 87 back from the shop after it spent 9 weeks having the hydraulic clutch system replaced ! Took it for a ride several times and all looks good . Will put it up on the lift soon but fluid level has remained steady and it shifts fine . Rather than using some different fittings for the new lines , the shop ordered a new slave cylinder for inside the bell housing to go along with the new clutch actuator that mounts to the firewall . The Wilwood system is a step up from what I originally purchased from Keisler Engineering . If anyone wants to check them out , Google the new owners , Silver Sport Engineering in Tennessee . Woodsy , my wife works in the office for Blue Heaven Restaurant in old town Key West . The food ; especially , the brunch is excellent . It`s kind of a laid back ( mostly outside ) , place where a few feral chickens roam around . She also oversees a restaurant ( with a different menu ) , for the same owners on Higgs Beach ( ocean side ) , called Salute . Nice place for a sunset dinner . The Galleon is in a great location to enjoy the old town area . The ride around Key West was fun and sorry for the loss of business but is like it used to be years ago before K.W. got too popular . It has been pretty good so far with the lower number of Covid cases and we were lucky enough to be missed by Hurricane / Tropical Storm Isaisas that is going up the east coast of the U.S. now .
 
#20 ·
Thanks to all of you for the good wishes on getting the hydraulic clutch replaced . Did not fully realize how much I missed it until I got to drive it again . Drove around the Lower Florida Keys and Key West for several hours enjoying and making sure it worked properly . My left leg was tired when I got home . I did not bang the gears hard but shifting was smooth . It was especially nice with so few tourists packing the streets , no cruise ships and countless mopeds constantly beep beeping their horns . People were casual and enjoying wandering around . Several would stop me to talk about the Camino , take photos and take a NECOA flyer back to their friends that owned one . Still need to get it on the rack for a good check but so far , so good ;)
 
#19 ·
Great as I said on the phone and better now that you have driven it. 9 weeks that's easy I am 11 months and 20 days on the rebuild of mine and still months left on my end to go.
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the well wishes . It has been almost a month that the hydraulic clutch was replaced and my numerous test drives have gone well . It ended up that the shop also replaced the slave cylinder in the bellhousing , the hydraulic lines and the clutch actuator on the firewall so I have a complete new system . Hoping to do my first road trip up to Palm Beach within in the next week or two . From my house in the lower Fl. Keys it takes about 5 hours driving one way . Unless the weather is contrary , it is a beautiful ride with lots of cool places to stop . One of my favorites is Robbie`s marina in Islamorada where you can but a bag of bait and hand feed the many large Tarpon ( gamefish ) swimming free in the area . The drive along US 1 with its 42 bridges has been designated as a national scenic route and a You Tube search might be enjoyable for you .
 
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#30 ·
Hey Chuck , Sorry I did not see your post before driving up to Palm Beach . It would have been fun to also join you guys at Flanagns on Sunday . I did some things with Larry on Sunday and had to hit the road early Monday morning before the rain moved in again . Man , I dislike having to use my wipers . Been wondering how things are with your cabin . Did any of the passing storms flood the area ? When I got home , I could see the high water mark left behind by all the rain . With all the rain , parts of the Key West streets were flooded . Some to the point that you could not ride a bike through all the standing water . I missed the fun where people went out to the southernmost point , where the southernmost point is at on the ocean side of Whitehead street and the White Street Pier where the waves were crashing over the pier .
 
#24 ·
Flanigans is serving limited seating indoor again. Had a burger Friday after I got home Thursday night.
Lets do it! Will be good to see all of you again.
 
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#31 ·
I agree that not having the ability to drive your Elky is depressing. It took me 6wks also to do the heat only to AC airbox, and interior vents and dash conversion, when I expected that I would only need 2 weekends. I still need more time to finish under the hood for my AC conversion, but at least I can finally drive it again.
Good luck to you, hope you get it back soon.
 
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