82 Owners cold startup?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
82 Owners cold startup?
As long as there is no snow on the ground I will continue to drive my 82 but the last couple of times it's been real cold out and this car is very cold blodded and should not be since it's fuel injected. If you take off it bogs and sounds like it's loading up especaially after you get off the gas. You can even hear it. After it goes into open loop then it's fine. I could let it warm up but it seems to take a good 5 minutes before the idle comes down and I get alot of black crap coming out of the tailpipes when it's in closed loop so I have to use a piece of cardboard under there. Otherwise I've got two big black puddles staining the concrete. My 02 is a heated unit and I'm not running a cat. Thought maybe that might be part of the problem???
Last edited by alconk; Dec 13, 2014 at 07:01 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
As long as there is no snow on the ground I will continue to drive my 82 but the last couple of times it's been real cold out and this car is very cold blodded and should not be since it's fuel injected. If you take off it bogs and sounds like it's loading up especaially after you get off the gas. You can even hear it. After it goes into open loop then it's fine. I could let it warm up but it seems to take a good 5 minutes before the idle comes down and I get alot of black crap coming out of the tailpipes when it's in closed loop so I have to use a piece of cardboard under there. Otherwise I've got two big black puddles staining the concrete. My 02 is a heated unit and I'm not running a cat. Thought maybe that might be part of the problem???
My 79 L-82 with headers and no CAT runs cold as a witches chest in winter. With electric choke it can take 10 or 15 minutes to kick down out of high idle. The puddles sound more troublesome. Have you checked to see if coolant is getting in to the crankcase and mixing with the oil.... fluid out of the tailpipe is a classic symptom of this... but usually the exhaust will be white or grey in color not black if this is happening.....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 938
Likes: 15
From: Valdosta Georgia
Mine is cold natured as well. And it really doesn't get that cold here. I'm running a 180 degree thermostat and have been thinking about going higher. The engine temp never gets above 180 anyway. I barely get out of open loop by the time I get to work most days. As for the black deposits, that's because it's running rich in open loop. You can dial back your fuel pressure and it should help with that. Could it be that our aluminum heads shed heat faster?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
My 79 L-82 with headers and no CAT runs cold as a witches chest in winter. With electric choke it can take 10 or 15 minutes to kick down out of high idle. The puddles sound more troublesome. Have you checked to see if coolant is getting in to the crankcase and mixing with the oil.... fluid out of the tailpipe is a classic symptom of this... but usually the exhaust will be white or grey in color not black if this is happening.....
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
Mine is cold natured as well. And it really doesn't get that cold here. I'm running a 180 degree thermostat and have been thinking about going higher. The engine temp never gets above 180 anyway. I barely get out of open loop by the time I get to work most days. As for the black deposits, that's because it's running rich in open loop. You can dial back your fuel pressure and it should help with that. Could it be that our aluminum heads shed heat faster?
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
Technically...you do not want to 'dial back' fuel pressure. If anything...you want as high as you can get up to like 14 PSI. Lower fuel pressure is NOT good.
And for the record....when you crank the engine and it is COLD...it is in OPEN LOOP....and when the O2 sensor gets hot enough...it then puts the computer in CLOSED LOOP.
SO,...a computer that goes into CLOSED LOOP...and then goes back into OPEN LOOP...and then CLOSED LOOP again and then OPEN LOOP...I would be looking at fuel pressure and exhaust leaks in front of the O2 sensor....just as a start.
DUB
And for the record....when you crank the engine and it is COLD...it is in OPEN LOOP....and when the O2 sensor gets hot enough...it then puts the computer in CLOSED LOOP.
SO,...a computer that goes into CLOSED LOOP...and then goes back into OPEN LOOP...and then CLOSED LOOP again and then OPEN LOOP...I would be looking at fuel pressure and exhaust leaks in front of the O2 sensor....just as a start.
DUB
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
Technically...you do not want to 'dial back' fuel pressure. If anything...you want as high as you can get up to like 14 PSI. Lower fuel pressure is NOT good.
And for the record....when you crank the engine and it is COLD...it is in OPEN LOOP....and when the O2 sensor gets hot enough...it then puts the computer in CLOSED LOOP.
SO,...a computer that goes into CLOSED LOOP...and then goes back into OPEN LOOP...and then CLOSED LOOP again and then OPEN LOOP...I would be looking at fuel pressure and exhaust leaks in front of the O2 sensor....just as a start.
DUB
And for the record....when you crank the engine and it is COLD...it is in OPEN LOOP....and when the O2 sensor gets hot enough...it then puts the computer in CLOSED LOOP.
SO,...a computer that goes into CLOSED LOOP...and then goes back into OPEN LOOP...and then CLOSED LOOP again and then OPEN LOOP...I would be looking at fuel pressure and exhaust leaks in front of the O2 sensor....just as a start.
DUB
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,248
Likes: 67
From: Warrington PA
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
I have learned that with my 82 which has true dual exhaust with a h-pipe and no cat, is to let it warm-up 3, 4, or 5 minutes after first cold start-up, and you should not have any problems.
I use to start-up wait a few seconds and drive off, sometimes stalling and running rough. Now that I wait until the idle comes down to normal, I don't have any problems at all. It makes a big difference and as most of you know, mine is a "dd".
And my high cold idle is between 1300 & 1500 r's and it comes down all by itself......and then I drive off......
I use to start-up wait a few seconds and drive off, sometimes stalling and running rough. Now that I wait until the idle comes down to normal, I don't have any problems at all. It makes a big difference and as most of you know, mine is a "dd".
And my high cold idle is between 1300 & 1500 r's and it comes down all by itself......and then I drive off......
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Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
I have learned that with my 82 which has true dual exhaust with a h-pipe and no cat, is to let it warm-up 3, 4, or 5 minutes after first cold start-up, and you should not have any problems.
I use to start-up wait a few seconds and drive off, sometimes stalling and running rough. Now that I wait until the idle comes down to normal, I don't have any problems at all. It makes a big difference and as most of you know, mine is a "dd".
And my high cold idle is between 1300 & 1500 r's and it comes down all by itself......and then I drive off......
I use to start-up wait a few seconds and drive off, sometimes stalling and running rough. Now that I wait until the idle comes down to normal, I don't have any problems at all. It makes a big difference and as most of you know, mine is a "dd".
And my high cold idle is between 1300 & 1500 r's and it comes down all by itself......and then I drive off......
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,248
Likes: 67
From: Warrington PA
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Unmodified
I don't see any black smoke coming out or black marks on the driveway surface, only marks from the condensation out of the exhaust. But the exhaust does smell a tad on the "rich" side, but doesn't bother me at all...............Tom
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
For whatever it is worth. I do not lower the value of a thermostat. If it came with a 195 degree that is what it gets. MAIN REASON...I still want the engine to get hot enough to aid in getting the moisture out of the oil and aid in piston ring life. I work on the newer Corvettes where the cooling fans come on at 226-228 degrees. In many cases...the cooling fans never come on when driving...and these engines have a 195 degree thermostat in them.
To each his/her own...do as you like.
And not that this matterr...I have installed heated O2 sensors and have had very good success due to the original O2 is so far back.
DUB
To each his/her own...do as you like.
And not that this matterr...I have installed heated O2 sensors and have had very good success due to the original O2 is so far back.
DUB
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,652
Likes: 49
From: Bridgewater nj
That's odd, my 82 is very snappy and has very good acceleration when cool. Actually too good, to the point I get nervous reving a cold motor that high. If you are loading up, the first thing I would do is bump the timing up a few degrees. These cars had their timing to far retarded from the factory. Add In timing chain stretch and hormonic balancer shift over the past few decades, you have to play with the timing and the butt dyno 
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
That's odd, my 82 is very snappy and has very good acceleration when cool. Actually too good, to the point I get nervous reving a cold motor that high. If you are loading up, the first thing I would do is bump the timing up a few degrees. These cars had their timing to far retarded from the factory. Add In timing chain stretch and hormonic balancer shift over the past few decades, you have to play with the timing and the butt dyno
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
Do you still have the factory clutch fan???
And from reading your other post...your harmonic balancer is NEW..CORRECT????
DUB
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
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One question, I removed the 180 deg. t-stat to replace w/a 195 and when I popped the housing I had what looked like concentrated mud in the stat. When I removed the stat itself the intake had a slight muddy residue which makes me wonder how since I removed the engine and mounted on a stand. It was completely empty of fluids and even flushed the block with a garden hose until clear. Now the coolant that I drained was still as green as I poured it in and wondering where this came from unless it came from the heater core?? I never flushed that. So now that it's cold out I have no way of flushing the system so am I getting carried away here or is that acceptable??
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
Likes: 2,753
From: Charlotte NC
Yes I still have the fan clutch and is new, the balancer however is not but I did buy a new one and compared the two and were identical in all positions so I sent it back to save me a hundred bucks. (not like the deer)
One question, I removed the 180 deg. t-stat to replace w/a 195 and when I popped the housing I had what looked like concentrated mud in the stat. When I removed the stat itself the intake had a slight muddy residue which makes me wonder how since I removed the engine and mounted on a stand. It was completely empty of fluids and even flushed the block with a garden hose until clear. Now the coolant that I drained was still as green as I poured it in and wondering where this came from unless it came from the heater core?? I never flushed that. So now that it's cold out I have no way of flushing the system so am I getting carried away here or is that acceptable??
One question, I removed the 180 deg. t-stat to replace w/a 195 and when I popped the housing I had what looked like concentrated mud in the stat. When I removed the stat itself the intake had a slight muddy residue which makes me wonder how since I removed the engine and mounted on a stand. It was completely empty of fluids and even flushed the block with a garden hose until clear. Now the coolant that I drained was still as green as I poured it in and wondering where this came from unless it came from the heater core?? I never flushed that. So now that it's cold out I have no way of flushing the system so am I getting carried away here or is that acceptable??
SO the balancer groove where it would go onto the woodruff key in the crank and the timing notch were BOTH the same. GREAT!
I KNOW you wrote the engine was COMPLETELY emptied of all fluids....but I still have to ask. Did you actually remove the block drain plugs on both sides of the engine????
Did you do anything with the radiator????
What did this residue feel like. Was it kinda 'jelly-like' or more like a blob of grease.
DUB
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
Thanks for the reply to my questions.
SO the balancer groove where it would go onto the woodruff key in the crank and the timing notch were BOTH the same. GREAT!
I KNOW you wrote the engine was COMPLETELY emptied of all fluids....but I still have to ask. Did you actually remove the block drain plugs on both sides of the engine????
Did you do anything with the radiator????
What did this residue feel like. Was it kinda 'jelly-like' or more like a blob of grease.
DUB
SO the balancer groove where it would go onto the woodruff key in the crank and the timing notch were BOTH the same. GREAT!
I KNOW you wrote the engine was COMPLETELY emptied of all fluids....but I still have to ask. Did you actually remove the block drain plugs on both sides of the engine????
Did you do anything with the radiator????
What did this residue feel like. Was it kinda 'jelly-like' or more like a blob of grease.
DUB
The residue was neither like you describe it just looked like very dirty coolant and felt like coolant.
I went ahead and wiped everything clean that I could get to and buttoned it up. I must have an air pocket cause the temp was going up and down on my drive today. Nothing bad though, it would go above 200 then back down to around 180. I never checked it when I came home due to it being hot and had to leave for work. I will check the level shortly.
Maybe it's the heater core since I never did flush it and if it had gunk in there then it would contaminate the rest of the system when started up. I'll wait till spring and do a complete coolant flush with the Prestone Flush product. Not sure what the life expectancy of a heater core is but my car has 95K miles and I don't know if it's original or not?? It still produces a great deal of heat though.
AL
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 19,294
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From: Charlotte NC
If your radiator cap is a 15 PSI CLOSED SYSTEM cap...and the hose from under the radiator cap that goes to your coolant overflow reservoir is good ....and you have coolant mix in the reservoir...IF the system builds up pressure....when it cools down..it will expel air and then draw in coolant to get the 'possible' air pocket to get out. This is why I drill a very small hole in the thermostat so the air can get out when filling up the system and avoid the 'air pocket' issue.
DUB
DUB
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,096
Likes: 15
If your radiator cap is a 15 PSI CLOSED SYSTEM cap...and the hose from under the radiator cap that goes to your coolant overflow reservoir is good ....and you have coolant mix in the reservoir...IF the system builds up pressure....when it cools down..it will expel air and then draw in coolant to get the 'possible' air pocket to get out. This is why I drill a very small hole in the thermostat so the air can get out when filling up the system and avoid the 'air pocket' issue.
DUB
DUB