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Fellow 82 owner checking-in. First off, gorgeous car!
Second, definitely check with an IR gun on the thermostat housing as that will definitely be much more accurate than the gauge in the dash.
Third, there are some guides to check the sending unit on the engine (between first and third cylinders). The sending units are tricky. I found an AC Delco sending unit and it started showing correct temperature. Previously it was reading way too hot.
Fourth, there is a USB to ALDL connector that you can use with software like WinALDL to get real-time data on the coolant temp (provided that the coolant temp sensor - separate from the temp sender). This helped me verify that everything was reading properly all around.
It's entirely possible that thermostat is stuck open. I recently had an issue where the car wouldn't get over 160 degrees even after driving it around for 30 minutes. Popped out the thermostat and found that it was stuck open. Replaced with a 195 (OEM for the 82). After about 20 minutes of letting it idle it was fully up to temp. On cold days it will definitely take longer if just letting it idle.
Last, I noticed that the arm rest had a cushion, does anyone know if it was stock? I don't have one in mine but kind of want one now!
Fellow 82 owner checking-in. First off, gorgeous car!
Second, definitely check with an IR gun on the thermostat housing as that will definitely be much more accurate than the gauge in the dash.
Third, there are some guides to check the sending unit on the engine (between first and third cylinders). The sending units are tricky. I found an AC Delco sending unit and it started showing correct temperature. Previously it was reading way too hot.
Fourth, there is a USB to ALDL connector that you can use with software like WinALDL to get real-time data on the coolant temp (provided that the coolant temp sensor - separate from the temp sender). This helped me verify that everything was reading properly all around.
It's entirely possible that thermostat is stuck open. I recently had an issue where the car wouldn't get over 160 degrees even after driving it around for 30 minutes. Popped out the thermostat and found that it was stuck open. Replaced with a 195 (OEM for the 82). After about 20 minutes of letting it idle it was fully up to temp. On cold days it will definitely take longer if just letting it idle.
Last, I noticed that the arm rest had a cushion, does anyone know if it was stock? I don't have one in mine but kind of want one now!
thanks so much and not sure if that arm cushion is stock or not, came with the car.
as for the temp guages I took the car out last Saturday and guages work, just stays colder for a while... the car definitely doesnt run its best, feels like a skip so im about to track down what ever the reason, ive ordered a nanometer, service manual plugs, cap, rotar and gonna start with the obvious stuff first, add some fresh gas as the gas in the car is 6 months old, change rotar, cap and plugs this weekend, the injectors look good vusually... good cone spray pulse so right now hoping it's a simple solution but not worried... I do love the car.
thanks so much and not sure if that arm cushion is stock or not, came with the car.
as for the temp guages I took the car out last Saturday and guages work, just stays colder for a while... the car definitely doesnt run its best, feels like a skip so im about to track down what ever the reason, ive ordered a nanometer, service manual plugs, cap, rotar and gonna start with the obvious stuff first, add some fresh gas as the gas in the car is 6 months old, change rotar, cap and plugs this weekend, the injectors look good vusually... good cone spray pulse so right now hoping it's a simple solution but not worried... I do love the car.
nanometer? By chance did you mean manometer?
Given the low miles its a good chance those plugs and wires are still stock. If you're getting a manometer I'd first check to see if the throttle bodies have been messed with. There's a good chance that it hasn't been and with the low miles I'd throw out my two cents that it probably doesn't need to be balanced. A timing light would be the next thing I'd check along with all the vacuum hoses. A vacuum leak could be what's causing the skip. The top intake gasket should still be good but if it's original there's a possibility that a leak could be present. For reference, mine had 70k miles when I acquired it and the top plate gasket was mostly intact but had enough of a leak to cause some shaking.
One thing that I did to track down the vacuum issues on mine was to disconnect the accessories vacuum. At the rear of the intake there is a port (not on the throttle body) that may have two hoses connected. One should go to the transducer due to the cruise control and another goes to the headlights and air conditioning. Provided that the air conditioning blows air out of the correct vents when the setting is changed and the headlights pop up relatively quickly, those should not be cause for concern, however, it's still a possibility. Another way you can check for vacuum leak is to either use propane around any gaskets or vacuum sources to see if the idle changes. Or a smoke test.
I'm also tracking down a possible timing gear/chain issue with mine. Doubtful that yours has the same issue given the low miles. Although not likely with yours, there is a possibility that the timing gear could be brittle and has a missing tooth. The timing gears were nylon coated. I would imagine that at this point the nylon would be very brittle though with the low hot/cold cycles yours has gone through I'd imagine that your gear would still be in pretty good condition.
I'd start with timing and vacuum. Hopefully you're able to identify the issue pretty quickly. The service manual definitely came in handy for me. I opted for a digital version as it makes it a little easier to search, though a paper version still has it's uses!
Given the low miles its a good chance those plugs and wires are still stock. If you're getting a manometer I'd first check to see if the throttle bodies have been messed with. There's a good chance that it hasn't been and with the low miles I'd throw out my two cents that it probably doesn't need to be balanced. A timing light would be the next thing I'd check along with all the vacuum hoses. A vacuum leak could be what's causing the skip. The top intake gasket should still be good but if it's original there's a possibility that a leak could be present. For reference, mine had 70k miles when I acquired it and the top plate gasket was mostly intact but had enough of a leak to cause some shaking.
One thing that I did to track down the vacuum issues on mine was to disconnect the accessories vacuum. At the rear of the intake there is a port (not on the throttle body) that may have two hoses connected. One should go to the transducer due to the cruise control and another goes to the headlights and air conditioning. Provided that the air conditioning blows air out of the correct vents when the setting is changed and the headlights pop up relatively quickly, those should not be cause for concern, however, it's still a possibility. Another way you can check for vacuum leak is to either use propane around any gaskets or vacuum sources to see if the idle changes. Or a smoke test.
I'm also tracking down a possible timing gear/chain issue with mine. Doubtful that yours has the same issue given the low miles. Although not likely with yours, there is a possibility that the timing gear could be brittle and has a missing tooth. The timing gears were nylon coated. I would imagine that at this point the nylon would be very brittle though with the low hot/cold cycles yours has gone through I'd imagine that your gear would still be in pretty good condition.
I'd start with timing and vacuum. Hopefully you're able to identify the issue pretty quickly. The service manual definitely came in handy for me. I opted for a digital version as it makes it a little easier to search, though a paper version still has it's uses!
thanks and I did mean and typed "manometer" but auto correct changed it... I did as much vacuum leak testing with carb cleaner as I could around the intake and no fluctuations... I will spread out further in vacuum lines if plugs, rotar and cap doesn't do it... then move on to timing etc, will know more aftert he weekend, thank you again
As for WinALDL being difficult on modern computers, I disagree. I have a laptop with Windows 11 and was able to get it to work right away. There are a few things that need to be done to set it up but they're small potatoes in my opinion. WinALDL does not know which port the ALDL cable is plugged into so you have to tell it which port to look for, but once that is configured, as long as you plug it in to the same port each time it will work. Sure it's not the absolute best software out there, but it works for what I need and what the ECM is able to provide.
Thanks for asking about ALDL readers. I’m also deciding which device I want to get. I like the idea of the ALDL to USB cables I see for sale, or the old school serial port versions. I’m all into MacBook Pro laptops so I need a PC laptop…I do have a giant HP Omen pc but not thrilled about moving that to the shop. I think I’ll find a cheap old PC laptop with Windows 7 on it. I always found Windows 7 played well with programs like these.
BUT, after seeing that cool peerless unit I think that would be cool. I’m just looking to read spec numbers, temp, TPS volts, etc. That unit is cool.
Very nice '82 and great looking garage floor. I'm partial to the two-tones in blue though 😎!
Several years ago I chased a vacuum leak for what seemed like months. Turned out to be the plenum gasket near the EGR valve. I could just feel the leak with my hand. I put some silicone on it to test my theory and she ran perfect. Then I ordered parts for the fix and took my time doing the job; cleaning areas I'll likely (hopefully) never be able to reach again. Good luck chasing down your issue. She just fits in the garage with my latest hobby, laser engraving.
Very nice '82 and great looking garage floor. I'm partial to the two-tones in blue though 😎!
Several years ago I chased a vacuum leak for what seemed like months. Turned out to be the plenum gasket near the EGR valve. I could just feel the leak with my hand. I put some silicone on it to test my theory and she ran perfect. Then I ordered parts for the fix and took my time doing the job; cleaning areas I'll likely (hopefully) never be able to reach again. Good luck chasing down your issue. She just fits in the garage with my latest hobby, laser engraving.
thanks and yours looks like a beauty, I just returned home last night so will be on it today with plugs, rotar and cap, ive checked for vacuum leaks all around the intake focusing on the EGR area being the most common spot and cant find a leak, if "tune up" doesn't change anything I will be branching out... appears to run pretty smooth sitting still but feel the skip once I start driving.
Very possibly a spark plug or plug wire. If they are original, any wire with cracked insulation is liable to have spark "leaks" to a grounded area (block?) near the insulation break. If you put the car in your garage at night, lift the hood and fire it up, then turn out the lights, you might spot some spurious spark leaking on one or more plug wires. You can also hook up your [strobe] timing light to each plug wire and watch to see if you get steady light flashes or 'drop outs' every now and then.
Very possibly a spark plug or plug wire. If they are original, any wire with cracked insulation is liable to have spark "leaks" to a grounded area (block?) near the insulation break. If you put the car in your garage at night, lift the hood and fire it up, then turn out the lights, you might spot some spurious spark leaking on one or more plug wires. You can also hook up your [strobe] timing light to each plug wire and watch to see if you get steady light flashes or 'drop outs' every now and then.
thanks 7T1vette... I just finished plugs, rotar and cap and appears to run much better (no more skip) I am also ordering cut to fit wires and gonna rewire as well.
I also replaced the valve cover gaskets as they leaked a bit, I had to remove allot to remove valve covers including the TPS on drivers side as well as quite a few items on the passenger side, I hooked everything back up but now have a "check engine" light, I put the TPS as close to where it was as I could... I'm not too concerned and have an ALDL reader on the way.
Anyone... I have a full magnaflow no cat dual exhaust from CC I am going to install while up on jack stands... what do I do with the air tube line going back to the cat, I assume I need to leave it open?
I'm glad to hear that freshening up the distributor helped to resolve that skip!
As for the TPS, I definitely recommend getting a test harness by DIYing or find one from ebay or xfireperformence(though appears to be sold out at the moment) so you can set the TPS correctly. In my limited experience, even being half a degree off can be a big difference in terms of the voltage.The ALDL cable will certainly help as well. The correct voltage is supposed to be .525v +/-.005. WinALDL got it to read .52 but that's as much as it will show. However, should be enough to not cause any issues.
I'm glad to hear that freshening up the distributor helped to resolve that skip!
As for the TPS, I definitely recommend getting a test harness by DIYing or find one from ebay or xfireperformence(though appears to be sold out at the moment) so you can set the TPS correctly. In my limited experience, even being half a degree off can be a big difference in terms of the voltage.The ALDL cable will certainly help as well. The correct voltage is supposed to be .525v +/-.005. WinALDL got it to read .52 but that's as much as it will show. However, should be enough to not cause any issues.
thank you... I read up on it yesterday and ordered a weatherpack connector kit from Amazon, made the connector harness this morning... set the TPS to .525... runs excellent and no more check engine light, just removed old exhaust and installing true dual now, learning allot about the 82 CFI... will likely have it down off the stands next week to take it out for a ride but sure runs and idles smooth now.
thank you again
Anyone... I have a full magnaflow no cat dual exhaust from CC I am going to install while up on jack stands... what do I do with the air tube line going back to the cat, I assume I need to leave it open?
If you are not going to remove the rest of the air system, I'd just leave it open.
If you are not going to remove the rest of the air system, I'd just leave it open.
thanks Bill... I finished the exhaust yesterday, fired it up and let it run about 10-15 minutes... still on jack stands but sounds great and appears to run great, I blocked the end of the air tube going to the cat and strapped it back to the new exhaust... no CEL codes, as I understand it I need to take it out for a good drive after disconnecting the battery.
I believe removing that stuff is a good idea for me if I'm keeping the car and I plan on it, I'm looking at Summits ceramic mid length headers and will remove all smog at the same time, after hearing from a few of these guys and looking into it I believe it will be my direction.
I would like to drive it some miles to work out any other bugs that may come up first, I will adjust ride height Friday when I get back home and hope to take it for a good drive late Friday/early Saturday.
I really appreciate all the help and advice from you all on this 82 purchase.
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