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my first corvette, i have a few questions on tune up parts, am i better just going to dealership let them tune up with plugs, cap rotor ,coil, wires, and gas filters and set timing, and adjust carb. or should i buy all msd parts and e3 plugs and better than standard wires , will it increase hp and power, i no its one of the lowest hp of the corvettes and it automatic trans, it not a race car i no just like to boost it what i can could use help what to do thanks craig
I'd rather perform my own tune-up. Once GM switched from points-style distributor after 1973, it reduced the repair to simple hand tools (sockets, wrench, screw drivers).
Feels good spending $100 on parts and $0 labor. You may discover you need some new tools
Indiana DMV website should list any emissions/inspection requirements. Since you are in a state like Indiana in the Midwest, my guess is that the ridiculous East Coast/West Coast emissions/inspection requirements are much more reasonable or even non existent, hopefully.
With proper tune-up parts installed, setting the timing correctly (look on this forum for the Lars method) will make a huge difference for a small investment. Plus, you'll have an excuse to buy a timing light, and a handheld vacuum pump with a gauge (get the nice metal Mityvac, not the cheap plastic one). You'll probably need a distributor wrench, too.
There are only a few counties in Indiana that have emissions tests/inspections. Those are the few counties up around Chicago.
Cap, rotor, plugs, and wires are something you can do with simple hand tools. It's really not that hard to do. Buy a repair manual for the car. To adjust/reset the timing, you will need a timing light. Sort all of that out and see how it runs. You won't gain any horsepower, but it might run better.
If it still runs poorly, then you can look a the carb. It may need rebuilt. Lars here on this forum seems to have a very good reputation for doing this.
When I bought my 76 it had stock exhaust manifolds on it but had a true dual exhaust pipes with no cats on it. I got a killer deal on a set of hooker headers and side pipes so I switched them out. I don't think it gave me any more power, but I did notice I had more low end torque. I could actually chirp the tires off the line where before I couldn't. Torque is what I was more interested anyway as I autocross the car and need to get off the corners rather than have high straightaway speeds.
"You can test your catalytic converter efficiency using a suitable kitchen thermometer, or better yet, an infrared thermometer like this one (recommended).
Start the engine and let it idle for about 20 minutes to bring it up to operating temperature. Or take your car to the highway and then come back home.
Park your car on a flat surface, set your transmission to Park (automatic) or Neutral (manual).
If you don't have easy access to the front or rear of the catalytic converter, raise your vehicle using a floor jack and safely support it on jack stands.
Take a temperature reading of the inlet pipe that connects to the front of the catalytic converter, and take a note of the reading.
Then, take a temperature reading of the outlet pipe that connects to the rear of the catalytic converter and take a note of the reading.
If the catalyst has stopped working, the front temperature will be about the same as or higher than the rear temperature.
In a good catalytic converter, the rear of the converter will be 20 F degrees or more hotter than the front."
I have one of the infrared thermometers and they are neat for testing a lot of things - like header heat each cylinder at the exhaust to checking temp of a/c in car and a/c registers through out your house.
My cat tests according to the test above, so I know there is no reason to do anything to it. A working cat will only result in less than a 5% loss in air flow. Also, apparent "rattleing" can also be a cat heat shield that is loose. Don't be fooled until you check the security of the heat shield.
when you can see thru the cat you have gutted it out .use a broom handle or any thing that will break up the mess that is inside .you will see why the old cats were so bad for flow.
i got the converter off today and gutted it out your right a lot of crap came out, and now see straight thru it now just like empty pipe. i bet it will run better, thinking about different mufflers, can you recommend what muffers to use with out spending $800 for magnaflow, dont want real loud but a nice deep tone
thrush turbo mufflers are under $30.00 each.you need to check how much room you have .if the mufflers are more than 11 inch wide they may not fit .every one has a idea of what sounds good to them.so many choices .with the cat being open its going to be louder now.
when you can see thru the cat you have gutted it out .use a broom handle or any thing that will break up the mess that is inside .you will see why the old cats were so bad for flow.
as i said got the converter gutted the heat tube on the side of converter is snapped of at converter, can it be welded back on or soder , or should just close the hole up with plate?? if i dont do anything and leave it just an open hole will it be loud and sound bad when it leaks before i gutted didnt hear any leak noise . or do they make a repair kit for the tube?
The '81 still had the pan converter on it (assuming it is original) and the inlet and outlet don't really line up so seeing through may not be really possible. I know back in the day, once they started to clog, I never could get the pellets out. The monolithic converter is a much easier matter.
It's probably worth giving it a try however...
Ecklers has a replacement converter available for the 1976-1981, it appears to be the monolith. It's available for $148 and they're having a 10%-15% sale if you spend $150 or more... https://www.ecklerscorvette.com/?utm...23764359192841
i have called almost every place to call for converters and the ones you have suggested no one can tell me if its monolithic they might say highflow thats it, i got the converter off the other day and gutted it no bo problem nice piece of heavy duty pipe i use for breaker bar a a good hammer well can look straight thru it clean as a whistle ended up with grocery bag of crap that came out of it, no wonder you lose power and engine cant breath lol so now i have a test pipe for free that looks like a converter . now have to find a welder to connect the heat pipe back to converter and put it back on the car
Any reason that you won't just buy the proper replacement?
Why are you trying to Bubba up your Corvette?
let me ask you have you ever gutted a converter? you will see why the engine cant breath a runs bad and smells. try it some time with any converter. and i for sure dont call it bubba upping a corvette, same part same converter without the guts and will let the engine breath better and run better and didnt cost me anything, i am 71 years old when back in the day we made the cars run better than from the factory and made more hp , thanks for asking hope it answers your question without hurting your feelings or what you believe in,
i would take off old cat .gut it out with a long rod.then put it back on .you will know what it runs like with a test pipe or a new better flowing cat.cost is nothing.
can i just weld the heat pipe that broke off and close the hole completely on the converter so it doesn't leak.?
weld or plug the hole.but you have to look where the line goes .its all the way up to exhaust manifolds.passenger side.that needs to be plugged off also.
weld or plug the hole.but you have to look where the line goes .its all the way up to exhaust manifolds.passenger side.that needs to be plugged off also.
ok thanks but can i plug it where it broke of the converter in case i cant plug it up by manifold?
weld or plug the hole.but you have to look where the line goes .its all the way up to exhaust manifolds.passenger side.that needs to be plugged off also.
ok the pipe that went to side of the converter and up to engine compartment was screwed to a valve then from valve a hose to smog pump so i put a 3/8 x 2 inch in the rubber hose that went to smog pump and clamped the bolt in the hose, the converter was welded no heat pipe opening
02-20-2018, 02:34 PM
