C4 parts must be more plentiful around here I know of 3 c4 specialists in a 30 mile trip. Pete look at atlanta CL, parts, then corvette in the search bar,woodstock,kennesaw, acworth, all in a row, jus down da road. not much special in 84-6 except for TBI 84's got 2,not really Bad...newer inj is better.
Day-21(2.5-hours):
I finished rebuilding the RR caliper and buttoned up the brakes on that side.
Then I went to the LR corner, pulled the fender liner...and was surprised to find only one tiny wasp nest. I installed the brakes on this side too - shiny! 
I went up to the engine and tried one more time to remove the partially hidden a/c compressor bolt. Here's the bastard.
I bought a new 1/2" wrench the other night and tried grinding down the box end to fit, but even ground down this far it wasn't enough. 
At this point I think I'll pick up a decent set of long standard Allen keys & see if I can get it broken loose with that - I'm not optimistic though.
I brought back my white-board over Xmas, so I hung it on the wall today & started a to-do list. I'm horrible about following lists, or even remembering to look at them, so this will probably end up with doodles more than anything.
In reply to GTXVette:
I'll check it out! Not sure I'd be able to make the drive to pick up anything, but it's worth checking out.
petegossett wrote: I went up to the engine and tried one more time to remove the partially hidden a/c compressor bolt. Here's the bastard.
That looks like a Torx socket. If I were to hazard a guess, a T40. Why not use one of those? They make long-reach versions.
In reply to Ian F:
It didn't feel like Torx, but looking at that pic full-size on my PC now it sure does look like it. I'll give that a try tomorrow!
Ian F wrote: That looks like a Torx socket. If I were to hazard a guess, a T40. Why not use one of those? They make long-reach versions.
Agree 100%. I do not believe I've ever seen an internal hex (aka Allen) bolt on a GM car.
petegossett wrote: In reply to Ian F: It didn't *feel* like Torx, but looking at that pic full-size on my PC now it sure does look like it. I'll give that a try tomorrow!
Might I suggest using an impact-driver if you have the room? If you don't have the room, at least clean it out and tap the bit in before applying any torque. Torx arent known for being robust.
Whatever wrench you use, make sure you clean out that bolt REALLY well before trying to loosen it. If the wrench doesn't seat fully in the hole it will strip out and ruin your day.
stuart in mn wrote: Whatever wrench you use, make sure you clean out that bolt REALLY well before trying to loosen it. If the wrench doesn't seat fully in the hole it will strip out and ruin your day.
I always hammer them in if the bolt is rusty, then pull it out, pick most of the crud out, and hammer it back in if it was really bad, hasn't failed me yet. As a bonus the hammering helps break the bolt loose.
Great ideas! I'm not sure I'll have access for either a hammer or impact wrench, but I can clean it out with a toothpick before I attack it. I'm not sure if my Torx bit is long enough to clear the pulley and engage the bolt straight. If not I'll probably pick up some Torx keys and try that.
In reply to petegossett:You see something here you need we can help get it there. My Grandson works in Olive Branch (N.Miss.) and comes home here entirely too much. the engine from my 84 is sittin in the shed I'll check that bolt ASAP.
This really "feels" like there is something else going on with this bolt. Like it is somehow captured or something. Is it possible that this is one of those times you need to remove a nut from the other end and this doesn't turn.
In reply to GTXVette:
Thanks for the offer, I'll let you know if I find something!
In reply to wvumtnbkr:
Not according to the diagram a page or two back. Also, in the pic above you can see how the shoulder of the bolt is missing on the right side - after it's loose, you need to turn it so the flat is up in order to clear the pulley.
petegossett wrote: Great ideas! I'm not sure I'll have access for either a hammer or impact wrench, but I can clean it out with a toothpick before I attack it. I'm not sure if my Torx bit is long enough to clear the pulley and engage the bolt straight. If not I'll probably pick up some Torx keys and try that.
You can look for something like these. Or maybe a 1/4" hex bit and use extensions.
I agree about picking the crud out before attempting and torque on it.
Some brake cleaner and a long plastic nozzle to flush out the crud would help. I made a long adjustable nozzle once using some really small diameter rubber hose. I took about 12" of it and stuck a hard plastic nozzle in each end and wrapped wire around the rubber ends to trap the nozzles. It works great for spraying cleaner into tight spaces
Toothpick? Psh.
Harbor freight sells a great 'get-the-crud-outta-that-socket-head-bolt' kit for $2.
http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html
I missed this somehow. I love the color combo. Has the engine freed up at all? I've had a couple 350s where the rings froze to the cylinders. I've had good luck filling the bores with ATF, and trying to rotate the crank back and forth every night. Check and top off the cylinders every night when you're done to make sure there's plenty of fluid trying to work it's way down. It can take a while and you may only pick up a couple degrees of rotation at a time but once I got them free they ran fine aside from a bit of smoke at start up.
In reply to Wall-e:
Thanks Wally! No luck on freeing the engine yet, slowly working toward pulling the valve covers, probably the heads too, and draining the oil. Then I'll know whether it needs to come all the way out or not - though honestly I'm leaning that direction regardless. For the $85 kit with new rings/bearings/gaskets it would be worth it, this thing has been leaking like a Chevy for quite a while, so I might as well take care of that now.
In reply to RedGT:
Hah, the last thing I need is an excuse to stop by Harbor Freight - that ends up costing me $50-$100 each time!
Pretty sure others are correct and you need a star or Torx to remove the bolt in question. It isn't really a hex on the outside, either. It is flat on 2 sides and rounded on the ends, kind of a rectangle with rounded ends instead of flat with 90*. I dealt with this setup recently replacing the chicken legs on the Saab wagon's front sway bar.
RedGT wrote: Toothpick? Psh. Harbor freight sells a great 'get-the-crud-outta-that-socket-head-bolt' kit for $2. http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-pick-and-hook-set-66836.html
I thought these were standard issue? With my fat fingers I have to use these a lot to pop the clips on electrical connectors.
In reply to Ian F:
I owe you a beverage of your choice sir - it was indeed a T40 Torx...and is now out, along with the compressor! 
Day-22(2.5-hours):
The a/c compressor is moved safely out of the way.
And after a trip to Harbor Freight to grab a set of $1.99 picks(thanks RedGT!) to remove the injector plug clips, I got the passenger side valve cover removed.
Nothing odd there, except an overexhuberant use of RTV... I also drained the oil, it was old and sludged up but I didn't see any metal in it.
She can be saved ...
I like your white board list. It's a good way to organize the tasks and keep making progress. I may try doing this.
In reply to YoloRX7:
Thanks! I'm truly horrible at actually following lists, but if nothing else when I'm in the garage and think of something else to add to it, I'll have a place to jot it down.
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