i have a nasty water problem. i have been getting a constantly wet carpet on the drivers side. i was blaming it on snow being tracked in from my boots in the winter. well it hasnt snowed in a couple months but we have had allot of rain. i looked at the car today and the gunk GM used to seal the cowl behind the firewall has broken down cracked and is falling off. i started by cleaning that area up really good, i primed the area. im going to prime and paint the snot out of it and then im going to re-calk it. probably use something silicon based. the carpet is shot, i mean really really bad. im going to have to replace it. i didnt really want to go through the expense on my beater but im going to have to. the dirt and crap is getting underneath the carpet.... and we all know what that does; breaks the paint down and allow rust and in the climate i live in, rot to form. i live the pits... the worst place on the planet for cars... well the government uses massive amounts of salt that will ruin your car so this is the crap i gotta deal with. i would like to keep this car around for a while. it doesnt smoke, doesnt leak, doesnt knock.... i just think the good 'ol 2.2 TBI is one of the best little 4 cylinders GM ever came out with. they are truely economical to own and operate.
after working on this car and working on a third gen camaro floor..... i think these cavaliers had better floors. this floor is still in decent shape, seems like its made out of a little thicker steel then i third gen camaro floor. third gen camaro floors are junk, they are almost made out of tin. i was surprised that the floor on that little cavy is still as decent as it was considering how soaked the carpet is.
what am i getting myself into? how bad is the carpet removal? how bad is it to remove the center console?
my car probably has 210-220K miles on it, is that worn out for a 2.2? it has been taken car of, i have never skimped on oil changes, it does have allot of miles on it but it doesnt really seem tired. it does seem like the oil pressure isnt what it used to be, but i think the gauge might be lying. when the car is cold i get 50-60 lbs and when the engine is hot at idle its probably 20-25 lbs at idle 35-40 at highway speed.
As for replacing carpet it is not too bad really.I have done a honda accord and took me two days due to taking all the trim out required,seats,and center console.Most carpets sold are cut to fit,meaning while the fit is correct the sides,front and rear have to be trimmed for a EXACT fit.Take your time,and let the new carpet lay on floor indoors for a couple of days this helps for a good flat fit before install.Granted when I did the above I fixed and cleaned some areas and cleaned the seat tracks and regreased, alot of tlc things so,when done it was right.As for the oil pressure those #s are in the general point of where they should be cold/warm as would apply for any ride really.Tired after a 11 hr day so done.I bought my carpet from ACC automotive custom carpet and was around 120.00 shipd going on recall from 3yrs ago.
Check the cowl area ( wiper arm area), mine had previous repairs on both sides. ( Rusted out ) And make sure also the 2 drains on either side of the firewall are clean and not clogged with leaves and dirt as the cowl will fill with water and sit there. They have small rubber flaps that open when water pressure builds up behind them and it doesn't take much to clog them.
Doug in P.R.
92 Pontiac Sunbird LE, 2.0, AT, Red / Black with Grey 155K miles. Hurricane Maria Survivor ! ( It takes a licking and keeps on ticking ! ).....in Salinas, Puerto Rico!
I put 4 seasons of circle track racing on a 92- or 93 2.2. It had I think 208k miles when we started. My cousin drove it the last 2 seasons and never changed the oil. Toughest 4 cylinder ive seen. Constantly bounced off the rev limiter in low gear since it was an auto. Thing wasnt very fast but always ran. I owned a 91 VL with the tbi and it started rusting apart. Only had 115k miles, sold it to a local circle track racer. Ate 2 headgaskets, 3 alternators, a water pump, and a bunch of little things. Never left me stranded except when I put it in the ditch when it was icy. Car was great in the snow always started and awesome on gas. I miss her alot
