Hey folks,
I'm trying to get active on this board again. With the job and commute and crap it's been kinda hard to find motivation to do much of anything lately. (3 feet of snow on the ground doesn't help - does it, Neil?)
But I really wanted to let everyone know that the good ol' Viper is FINALLY better off now than it was the day I bought it!
I managed some time over the winter - and finishing up last weekend - to address another check-engine light issue. After sinking $400 into the problem last summer (which is honestly petty cash as us Mopar owners know!) I was afraid the problem had returned. The problem had been slow 02 sensor heating due to relocation with the aftermarket headers. The headers had also melted a plug wire. New plugs, wires and special O2's later, the light went out... ...for about 3 months. I ignored it because I was tired of messing with it.
So after pulling some codes, I learned it was a new problem - fuel system leak detection pump. Luckily, the $180 pump I expected to replace ended up being an $8 vacuum hose that fell victim to those vicious headers again. (I tried yelling at them to stop burnin' my sh!t but they refused to listen...) Check engine light fixed.
Lastly I had to address the fact that since day one, the parking brake barely held. Even Neil noticed at Carlisle last year that the handle nearly touched the ceiling before holding, and even then the car would still roll on any decent incline. Fault here belongs to the aftermarket "SnakeOyl" parking brake calipers, made necessary by the Baer Alcon 6-pot aftermarket brake calipers out back. After some calls to SnakeOyl and even "The Viper Wizard" Chuck Tator out in New York, I figured out how to adjust them and made them... ...better. Still not great, but better. Should pass MD inspection.
So, with expired tags, I took it out for a short shake-down last weekend, and she performed flawlessly. I'm sure warm weather will bring back some of the squeaks out back, but with my own garage now (and a nice new floor jack) it should be much easier to work on the thing.
I hope this note finds everyone well. Did you guys ever do another Calendar? Another e-body is still on my shopping list, but the wife and I
seriously need to replace our daily drivers and SOON. I want the new Camaro (yeah yeah yeah - save it!) but SHE really wants a new PCP Challenger! Unfortunately she really wants a convertible, and Mr. Norms is a little too steep for us...
Anyhoo, that's all for me. I'll be at Carlisle this year (as always!) and I sure as all he!! won't be hanging out at the "Smugs-R-Us" Viper tent!
Jeff
