testing all the systems

[roccit_53 at scirocco.cs.uoguelph.ca (C Boyko)]

On 10:21:14 am 05/04/06 "Matt Gregory" <vdub.grego@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm sure I'm going to jinx myself by stating this in a public forum,
> but my '86 8v w/ 210K original miles has been running quite reliably
> as a daily driver for the couple of years I've had it now.  So I
> think I'd like to see if I can make the leap from "reliably" to
> "well."  I wouldn't call myself a mechanic, but I'm certainly skilled
> enough to follow the instructions in the Bentley and understand
> what's going on.  What I think I should do is probably just go
> through the Bentley a system at a time performing all the tests.  But
> what I'm looking for advice on is what order I should go.  Is there a
> common practice on what order to test things in order to get
> everything up to par?
> Thanks,
>
> matt.
> _______________________________________________
Well, I've been doing that on my 8V for the past few years, in order to
diagnose a problem, but I see no reason why you couldn't do it anyway. I'd
pick a system and work through it maybe, and if you start pulling various
electrical connectors, be sure to do it without putting strain on the
wires, or you will end up with damaged insulation. 

I'd probably start with mechanical stuff like timing/compression. No harm
in doing it, and then you know that whatever else you do can only build on
a solid base. 

But what do I know, it's taken me two years to maybe figure out what was
wrong with mine...
Cathy