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My car is glacially slow

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Old 08-05-2018, 11:01 AM
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FOGeologist
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Default My car is glacially slow

My car seems to take geologic time to get to 60 mph.

Plus, there's a shitload of ping.

Car is a '97, 70k miles. Runs really well, gets supremely good mileage.

Using Torque on my cell phone to get 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. On vacation in Montana on a highway entrance ramp, I was 7.52 seconds 0-60! 1/4 mile time was 15.52.

Yesterday I couldn't do a 1/4 mile as traffic was truly epic. 0-60 was 6.7 seconds. I live at 5,400 feet, and this eats up lots of power. Torque reports I made 209 hp, then 189, but no third gear runs at all due to endless traffic and generalized "public streets" malaise (no spinning of tires, etc.).

What should I be checking?
Old 08-05-2018, 11:35 AM
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Ret.NavyGTO
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Originally Posted by FOGeologist
My car seems to take geologic time to get to 60 mph.

Plus, there's a shitload of ping.

Car is a '97, 70k miles. Runs really well, gets supremely good mileage.

Using Torque on my cell phone to get 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. On vacation in Montana on a highway entrance ramp, I was 7.52 seconds 0-60! 1/4 mile time was 15.52.

Yesterday I couldn't do a 1/4 mile as traffic was truly epic. 0-60 was 6.7 seconds. I live at 5,400 feet, and this eats up lots of power. Torque reports I made 209 hp, then 189, but no third gear runs at all due to endless traffic and generalized "public streets" malaise (no spinning of tires, etc.).

What should I be checking?
Was it super hot? Crap gas? Was the ramp going up hill?

Last edited by Ret.NavyGTO; 08-05-2018 at 11:39 AM.
Old 08-05-2018, 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by FOGeologist
My car seems to take geologic time to get to 60 mph.

Plus, there's a shitload of ping.

Car is a '97, 70k miles. Runs really well, gets supremely good mileage.

Using Torque on my cell phone to get 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. On vacation in Montana on a highway entrance ramp, I was 7.52 seconds 0-60! 1/4 mile time was 15.52.

Yesterday I couldn't do a 1/4 mile as traffic was truly epic. 0-60 was 6.7 seconds. I live at 5,400 feet, and this eats up lots of power. Torque reports I made 209 hp, then 189, but no third gear runs at all due to endless traffic and generalized "public streets" malaise (no spinning of tires, etc.).

What should I be checking?
At 5400 elevation, and being in the 80's, you will feel slower. Plus aren't you guys on 91 octane gas ?
I would find a tuner to check your timing and AFR if you hear ping.
Old 08-05-2018, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by pit-man
At 5400 elevation, and being in the 80's, you will feel slower. Plus aren't you guys on 91 octane gas ?
I would find a tuner to check your timing and AFR if you hear ping.
I will probably find a tuner to look at this.

Yes, 91 octane gas. The retailers around here state, "Oh, you don't need high-octane gas at 5400 feet, duh" which is to mean, "We don't want to pay to bring you the 93 octane gas we give the rest of the country, but we'll sure charge you the same as 93 octane gas everywhere else in the country."

Another scam.

Last edited by FOGeologist; 08-05-2018 at 06:33 PM.
Old 08-05-2018, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Ret.NavyGTO
Was it super hot? Crap gas? Was the ramp going up hill?
92 degrees F. 91 octane. The day I did the Montana onramp run it was definitely uphill, I had about 120 lbs of camping gear in the car, and I had a mix of 87 octane, 91 octane and a can of 104 octane boost in the tank. It was still pinging.

I heard something about the Torque Tube making noise that can sound like ping; is this true?
Old 08-05-2018, 01:11 PM
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Originally Posted by FOGeologist
92 degrees F. 91 octane. The day I did the Montana onramp run it was definitely uphill, I had about 120 lbs of camping gear in the car, and I had a mix of 87 octane, 91 octane and a can of 104 octane boost in the tank. It was still pinging.

I heard something about the Torque Tube making noise that can sound like ping; is this true?
I have no Idea about the torque tube however I can tell you that 104 is crap IMO. With a mix of 87 with 91 I'll bet you were below 90 even with the booster. Probably pulled a huge amount of timing in that heat. In the past I would do the old school red neck race gas in my turbo Buicks and Typhoon, 4 gallons of 93 mixed (in a 5 gal can, not in the tank) with a gallon of Xylene made 5 gallons of 100. I never popped a head gasket or fouled plugs doing it nor did it "eat up my fuel lines" as some said.

You should get an HP Tuners tool.
Old 08-05-2018, 01:14 PM
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Originally Posted by FOGeologist
92 degrees F. 91 octane. The day I did the Montana onramp run it was definitely uphill, I had about 120 lbs of camping gear in the car, and I had a mix of 87 octane, 91 octane and a can of 104 octane boost in the tank. It was still pinging.

I heard something about the Torque Tube making noise that can sound like ping; is this true?
I've never heard that one. I have pulled mine several times and rebuilt it as well. Not sure what could sound like ping.
Ping sound like a rattle can. You are probably too young to know, but from around 1974 all the cars sounded terrible with ping when you hit the throttle.
Old 08-05-2018, 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Ret.NavyGTO
I have no Idea about the torque tube however I can tell you that 104 is crap IMO. With a mix of 87 with 91 I'll bet you were below 90 even with the booster. Probably pulled a huge amount of timing in that heat. In the past I would do the old school red neck race gas in my turbo Buicks and Typhoon, 4 gallons of 93 mixed (in a 5 gal can, not in the tank) with a gallon of Xylene made 5 gallons of 100. I never popped a head gasket or fouled plugs doing it nor did it "eat up my fuel lines" as some said.

You should get an HP Tuners tool.
Good idea, a little race gas or mixture should tell
Old 08-05-2018, 01:21 PM
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Originally Posted by pit-man
Good idea, a little race gas or mixture should tell
It's not something I would do 24/7 (Xylene) but once in a blue moon isn't going to hurt anything.
Old 08-05-2018, 01:54 PM
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I just thought of something.

Right before the vacation drive, I had a shop adjust the emergency brake.

It doesn't seem to drag, and mileage was heroically good on the trip (28.9). The car does not slow down noticeably when you take your foot off the gas or coast in neutral.

Buuuuuuuut, could it still somehow be dragging? I guess I could jack it up and spin the rears in neutral to see if there are any challenges.

The brake does work better (i.e. well enough not to allow the car to slip down hill when applied).
Old 08-05-2018, 09:02 PM
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get a datalog of the car and see if it is in fact detonating and pulling timing... if it is real knock and you keep running it hard without fixing the issue you are asking for trouble in my opinion
Old 08-16-2018, 02:02 PM
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5400’ elevation kills power.
I bet if you drove it down to sea level, put real fuel in it with a nice 70 degree ambient it would be a whole new car.

Also, inlet air temp on these cars goes out of sight in hot weather and slow driving. That alone will pull timing and kill power. Not to mention the possible timing retard caused by knock.

Ron
Old 08-16-2018, 07:33 PM
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Originally Posted by RonSSNova
5400’ elevation kills power.
I bet if you drove it down to sea level, put real fuel in it with a nice 70 degree ambient it would be a whole new car.

Also, inlet air temp on these cars goes out of sight in hot weather and slow driving. That alone will pull timing and kill power. Not to mention the possible timing retard caused by knock.

Ron
you are on the money here - I may have also had a plug wire problem on #6; the wire was dodgy, the clip was floppy loose and the plug was badly corroded. The boot came apart under a pull. I hadn't thrown any codes or had any breakup at high RPMs, but the "tinkling" sounds were weird... and scary.

Seems to be all better now that we're back to Iridiums and new wires with the correct resistance.
Old 08-19-2018, 05:55 PM
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Glad you got it sorted!

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