Power Loss
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 659
Likes: 0
From: Woodland Ca
Power Loss
On a 20 minutes drives yesterday I lost my power. I was only able to obtain 72 mph and then it gradually went down to 35. At that point it was no longer safe to drive on the freeway so I called a tow truck.
Being that I had replaced the fuel pump last March and replaced 4 fuel injectors within the last 3 months, I opted for replacing the fuel filter.
When I went for a test drive there after, I was barely able to turn around down the street from where I live. When I give it some gas, it acts like it wants to die. Also it run rough.
I am hearing what I think is a air leak behind the front pass. wheel from under the car.
What should I be looking at?
How do I test for it?
Thanks!!!
Being that I had replaced the fuel pump last March and replaced 4 fuel injectors within the last 3 months, I opted for replacing the fuel filter.
When I went for a test drive there after, I was barely able to turn around down the street from where I live. When I give it some gas, it acts like it wants to die. Also it run rough.
I am hearing what I think is a air leak behind the front pass. wheel from under the car.
What should I be looking at?
How do I test for it?
Thanks!!!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 659
Likes: 0
From: Woodland Ca
I was thinking pre-cat, but I guess that it could be the main one also.
How do I test for it other than taking it in and paying for it?
I think that I saw the replacement for this in Mid America. The pre-cats and the main cat are replaced with just a larger main cat, and is a bolt on?
What should I look for in a replacement?
Thanks again!
How do I test for it other than taking it in and paying for it?
I think that I saw the replacement for this in Mid America. The pre-cats and the main cat are replaced with just a larger main cat, and is a bolt on?
What should I look for in a replacement?
Thanks again!
Last edited by BIG K; Feb 4, 2007 at 10:36 PM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,691
Likes: 71
From: Phoenix Arizona
Usually the front cat will disintegrate and plug the rear one. You can get by with either the fronts or the rear, but you may want to see if they have visual inspections in Ca.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 659
Likes: 0
From: Woodland Ca
The reason I said air leak, was that when I looked from underneigh behind the pass. tire the sound seemed to be the loudest.
If you suspected a broken vac hose, where would you start your search? If this is something that I can do, I would rather do it myself.
Thanks
If you suspected a broken vac hose, where would you start your search? If this is something that I can do, I would rather do it myself.
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 10,691
Likes: 71
From: Phoenix Arizona
Can't think of anything over there that would cause such a loss of power, unless you're hearing exhaust backing up from the air injection tube from the cat. Really sounds like you should take it in somewhere. Sometimes it's cheaper in the long run to pay a pro, at least for diagnosis. JMO
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 6,564
Likes: 6
From: Woodstock Georgia
Can't think of anything over there that would cause such a loss of power, unless you're hearing exhaust backing up from the air injection tube from the cat. Really sounds like you should take it in somewhere. Sometimes it's cheaper in the long run to pay a pro, at least for diagnosis. JMO
I know I said check for a vac leak, but considering the area you are hearing it coming from, plus the 'extreme' power loss, a vac leak is not the likely cause. Plugged cat is much more likely.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 659
Likes: 0
From: Woodland Ca
As you may already know by my two other threads, it looks like I have found my problem. A shop drilled holes in my cats, and there was improved performance.
I am looking for what to do next. I need the car for transportation now, and I'm not ready to put the kind of money that it will take to fix it. I was told anywhere from $750 in just parts to $450 for them to cut out the cats (all three) and weld in new ones.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
I am looking for what to do next. I need the car for transportation now, and I'm not ready to put the kind of money that it will take to fix it. I was told anywhere from $750 in just parts to $450 for them to cut out the cats (all three) and weld in new ones.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 8,183
Likes: 3
From: Santa Maria, CA
Too bad you are so far away, I have a complete front 89 Y pipe assembly.
It has the pre-cats and a clamped on main cat. Very low miles on them. Maybe around 2K miles at very most. I bought it from Jaime at J&D Corvette in Bellflower. I just used a very short while and took it off to go racing. I'd let it go for $150.00. You wouldn't have to do much welding if at all. Just bolt the catback system up to it and good to go.
I would suggest you start squirting PB Blaster onto your exhaust manifold studs now. The studs where the front Y-pipe bolts to the header flange. Those nuts should be rusted pretty good by now. By the time you swap the parts, the PB Blaster will have had time to soak and penetrate.
If I were headed up North anytime soon, I'd throw it in the back of my silverado and take it as far north as Fremont, but no trips planned right now.
My stocker cats clogged up one day and had the exact same symptoms you describe. Car had around 80k miles on it at the time.
It has the pre-cats and a clamped on main cat. Very low miles on them. Maybe around 2K miles at very most. I bought it from Jaime at J&D Corvette in Bellflower. I just used a very short while and took it off to go racing. I'd let it go for $150.00. You wouldn't have to do much welding if at all. Just bolt the catback system up to it and good to go.
I would suggest you start squirting PB Blaster onto your exhaust manifold studs now. The studs where the front Y-pipe bolts to the header flange. Those nuts should be rusted pretty good by now. By the time you swap the parts, the PB Blaster will have had time to soak and penetrate.
If I were headed up North anytime soon, I'd throw it in the back of my silverado and take it as far north as Fremont, but no trips planned right now.
My stocker cats clogged up one day and had the exact same symptoms you describe. Car had around 80k miles on it at the time.
Last edited by pablocruise; Feb 9, 2007 at 05:48 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 9,884
Likes: 3
From: Magnolia Mississippi
St. Jude '03-'04-'05-'06-'07
Too bad you are so far away, I have a complete front 89 Y pipe assembly.
It has the pre-cats and a clamped on main cat. Very low miles on them. Maybe around 2K miles at very most. I bought it from Jaime at J&D Corvette in Bellflower. I just used a very short while and took it off to go racing. I'd let it go for $150.00. You wouldn't have to do much welding if at all. Just bolt the catback system up to it and good to go.
I would suggest you start squirting PB Blaster onto your exhaust manifold studs now. The studs where the front Y-pipe bolts to the header flange. Those nuts should be rusted pretty good by now. By the time you swap the parts, the PB Blaster will have had time to soak and penetrate.
If I were headed up North anytime soon, I'd throw it in the back of my silverado and take it as far north as Fremont, but no trips planned right now.
My stocker cats clogged up one day and had the exact same symptoms you describe. Car had around 80k miles on it at the time.
It has the pre-cats and a clamped on main cat. Very low miles on them. Maybe around 2K miles at very most. I bought it from Jaime at J&D Corvette in Bellflower. I just used a very short while and took it off to go racing. I'd let it go for $150.00. You wouldn't have to do much welding if at all. Just bolt the catback system up to it and good to go.
I would suggest you start squirting PB Blaster onto your exhaust manifold studs now. The studs where the front Y-pipe bolts to the header flange. Those nuts should be rusted pretty good by now. By the time you swap the parts, the PB Blaster will have had time to soak and penetrate.
If I were headed up North anytime soon, I'd throw it in the back of my silverado and take it as far north as Fremont, but no trips planned right now.
My stocker cats clogged up one day and had the exact same symptoms you describe. Car had around 80k miles on it at the time.
that would just be a plug and play answer...