Ok, I screwed something up!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
Ok, I screwed something up!
I just got the car back togther, a head gasket change and a cam swap back to my old cam, and took her out for a spin. Idling started out ok and then after it warmed up went bad. The car won't even let me put it in gear without having my foot on the gas to keep it from stalling out(auto). What could be causing this? It was running fine before I ripped it apart.
Could the valves need readjustment? I know I did the dot to dot with the cam so it shouldn't be off at all. When I was driving it seemed like I was getting a pulsating in the exhaust, not smooth like it used to be, but that could be all in my head since I haven't driven it in so long.
Please help! Thanks guys
Oh, I forgot to mention the A/F seemed to be running rich.
Could the valves need readjustment? I know I did the dot to dot with the cam so it shouldn't be off at all. When I was driving it seemed like I was getting a pulsating in the exhaust, not smooth like it used to be, but that could be all in my head since I haven't driven it in so long.
Please help! Thanks guys
Oh, I forgot to mention the A/F seemed to be running rich.
Last edited by mn_vette; Sep 15, 2004 at 09:19 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
Well, I checked for leaks or anything like that and I found the vaccume line just below the fpr one undone. But I wouldn't think that that would be a big enough hole to cause major problems like that.
I also checked the valves and I could shake about half of them, and I'm guessing the other half is in compression. I'm wondering if my lifters are shot. I tightened the rocker arms down and a few minutes later they would be loose again. Frustrating to say the least.
I also checked the valves and I could shake about half of them, and I'm guessing the other half is in compression. I'm wondering if my lifters are shot. I tightened the rocker arms down and a few minutes later they would be loose again. Frustrating to say the least.
Last edited by mn_vette; Sep 16, 2004 at 08:26 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
Guys I really need some help! I've got a big local track event Saturday! And If I overnight the parts today I can have them by tomarrow.
I took it for another sping this morning, it seemed to smoke excessivly on start up, but tapered off. There was some backfiring every once in a while probably from excessive fuel in the exhaust. It felt funny like one cylinder was missing or something like that, it had a definate pulsating with a missing beat or two in there. I need some kind of suggestions as to where to go from here. I'm not very good at diagnosis. PLEASE HELP!!
I took it for another sping this morning, it seemed to smoke excessivly on start up, but tapered off. There was some backfiring every once in a while probably from excessive fuel in the exhaust. It felt funny like one cylinder was missing or something like that, it had a definate pulsating with a missing beat or two in there. I need some kind of suggestions as to where to go from here. I'm not very good at diagnosis. PLEASE HELP!!
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
A pair of plug wires crossed? Sometimes the most vexing problems are the simplest things. You may want to readjust your valves. It sounds like you may have screwed up a perfectly good adjustment. I don't think this is the problem, but according to your report you've messed with something that didn't need fixing.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
OMW!!! CFI I owe you a beer!!! I just went out to the parking lot and tried it. I did have a pair of wires that my markers came off of and I checked the chilton manual as to how they went back on and it was the way chilton says. I started the car and pulled the two wires, and nothing sounded different, then tried to put them back on swapped and ZAP I got a shock. I was holding one wire and touched a coolant line or something and got one hell of a zap.
But after I put them back on it started right up. I didn't take if for a spin but it idled MUCH better. Thanks guys for all the suggestions. Now I can hopefully represent our corvette brothers with a 10sec pass this weekend. I love NOS
Oh yeah, if I did screw up the valve adjustment how long do I have to let them sit to re-spring back up to adjust them again? A few minutes or over night?
I just went out to the parking lot and tried it. I did have a pair of wires that my markers came off of and I checked the chilton manual as to how they went back on and it was the way chilton says. I started the car and pulled the two wires, and nothing sounded different, then tried to put them back on swapped and ZAP I got a shock. I was holding one wire and touched a coolant line or something and got one hell of a zap. But after I put them back on it started right up. I didn't take if for a spin but it idled MUCH better. Thanks guys for all the suggestions. Now I can hopefully represent our corvette brothers with a 10sec pass this weekend. I love NOS
Oh yeah, if I did screw up the valve adjustment how long do I have to let them sit to re-spring back up to adjust them again? A few minutes or over night?
Last edited by mn_vette; Sep 16, 2004 at 11:05 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by mn_vette
OMW!!! CFI I owe you a beer!!!
Originally Posted by mn_vette
Oh yeah, if I did screw up the valve adjustment how long do I have to let them sit to re-spring back up to adjust them again? A few minutes or over night?
Good luck, Saturday!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,293
Likes: 79
From: Jackson MI
Well, the real verdict is in now..... when I first tested the the wire swap idea it was just a startup which happened very nicely. But when I went to drive it was still the same.
Upon pulling the valve cover above what I thought was the swapped wires I could see that the roller rocker nut for the #2 exhaust was tightened much more than the rest of them. After loosening this one I could actually push the hydrolic lifter plunger in I did this twice and then it tightened up quickly. After re adjusting those valves it runs very nicely. Doesn't seem to pull as well as it used to, but I'll find out for sure tomarrow at the track. Thanks for all the help guys.
Upon pulling the valve cover above what I thought was the swapped wires I could see that the roller rocker nut for the #2 exhaust was tightened much more than the rest of them. After loosening this one I could actually push the hydrolic lifter plunger in I did this twice and then it tightened up quickly. After re adjusting those valves it runs very nicely. Doesn't seem to pull as well as it used to, but I'll find out for sure tomarrow at the track. Thanks for all the help guys.
