[Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.

[Bruce Malachuk]

nope. the car was considerably more powerful than it is now. before this. I
don't think the valve lash itself is leading to the weak feeling. It has to
be something electrical or vac related. my car was at the high end of spec
when I did the lash, and now is at the low end or low middle. I'm starting
to think about the timing advance, cause something about that just feels
like the way the car feels. It runs, it accelerates, but the throw you into
the seat feeling is gone from 1-3, and it def takes longer to get up to
speed. I didn't romp on it yet cause I didn't get to change the oil filter
yet, but I'm gonna do that in the rain right now and add a nice 1/2 filled
filter and another 1/2 qt of oil to catch any extra dust or anything that
might be in the oil.

Bruce

----- Original Message -----
From: "sho2go" <srfdude@cox.net>
To: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>; "SHOtimes"
<shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 11:33 AM
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.


> Just one comment:  if the car is running well, no flat spots, missing etc.
> then the butt dyno is notoriously unreliable.  You may have had
unreasonable
> expectations that the service was going to make a 'vette out of the SHO.
> You may be chasing ghosts.
> Mike
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>
> To: "SHOtimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 8:23 AM
> Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.
>
>
> > I used the helms manual for the plug wires, but I'm gonna check them
again
> > just to be sure. My rear head had very very little oil in the plug
wells,
> so
> > little that it barely made it up to the hole for the plug itself. I also
> > cleaned them really well, but I'm kinda thinking that perhaps some of
the
> > dielectric grease I put on the ends that plug into the coil might be
> > hampering the spark? Marc Randolph made mention about that black cannist
er
> > on the back of the intake, and I know it is hooked up, and the
secondaries
> > close upon start, but perhaps it died somehow when I removed the intake,
> or
> > there is corrosion in the line. That canister is easy pull off and make
> sure
> > there isn't any corrosion. Is there a way to test it with a multimeter?
> I'm
> > gonna start reading my taurus electrical/vac book in a second, but maybe
> > someone's seen this before. I nearly forgot the IAC myself this time
too,
> > but the idle is better than it was before the valve lash.
> >
> > There is 1 of 3 things I'm hoping it could be, that canister, the gap in
> my
> > manifold to y-pipe, or the computer/running on loads of berrymans to
start
> > with. But first I need breakfast before I start on this. Any other
> > suggestions?
> >
> > Bruce
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "John Weidenbenner" <johnjweid@earthlink.net>
> > To: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>; "SHOtimes"
> > <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> > Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 8:18 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.
> >
> >
> > > Two items come to mind.
> > >
> > > Double check the plug wire positions on the coil pack. The top of the
> coil
> > > pack has numbers printed. The Chilton's Taurus manual has a misleading
> > wire
> > > location illustration. Maybe the plug wires were damaged during
handling
> > or
> > > the plug end is severely oil soaked?
> > >
> > > You checked, but check again to see that the secondary runner controls
> are
> > > hooked up. If not hooked up properly, the secondaries will stay open
at
> > <4k
> > > rpm giving lesser performance.
> > >
> > > The computer has it's own ground wire next to the battery. It has an
> > inline
> > > connector so you can disconnect. Disconnect and wait 5 to 10 minutes
> > before
> > > reconnect. Start car and let it idle to "reboot itself".
> > >
> > > I usually forget to hook up the IAC valve electrical connector when
> > > replacing the manifold. Is idle ok?
> > >
> > > A gap in the exhaust connection big enough to stick your finger in
would
> > be
> > > really loud!
> > >
> > > John W.
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Bruce Malachuk" <bmalach1@nycap.rr.com>
> > > To: "SHOtimes" <shotimes@autox.team.net>
> > > Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 2:08 AM
> > > Subject: [Shotimes] Valve lash done.....but car seems weaker now.
> > >
> > >
> > > > Ok so after winning records for being the slowest mechanic in the
> world
> > > and
> > > > nearly killing my father with flying shims of anger I got the valve
> lash
> > > done.
> > > > Everything is in spec now, or tightened up to the low end of the
spec.
> > > Most
> > > > were at the high middle to end of the specs.
> > > >
> > > > My valve covers are back on, everything is tq'd to waht the helm's
> book
> > > says,
> > > > I RTV'd the plug wells, and I fixed my leaking valve cover bolts
with
> > some
> > > RTV
> > > > as well. BUT there is just one problem...The car seems weak now,
like
> no
> > > push
> > > > you back into the seat kind of acceleration like it had prior to
this
> > > endevor.
> > > > Now I know the secondaries are closing when I start the car, and i'm
> > > fairly
> > > > sure that they ar opening ontime, but something just feels weak.
There
> > is
> > > no
> > > > oil in the plugwells now, and the little that was there wasn't even
up
> > to
> > > the
> > > > bottom of the sparkplug boot. The wires are the original ones, just
> > cause
> > > I
> > > > don't have the cash for new, but at 73k I really don't NEED to have
> them
> > > yet.
> > > > Plugs were new 2k ago and I pilled them to check the gap and to see
> the
> > > > condition of them. My intake was fairly clean but I still used maybe
> 1/3
> > a
> > > can
> > > > of berrymans on the runners and the chambers on the heads. Now I
know
> > that
> > > 4
> > > > of the 6 sets of valves were closed and I had a little b12 on each
> valve
> > > to
> > > > help breakup the cone of carbon on the back of the valve. but the
car
> > > started
> > > > up with minimal sputtering. Oil is flowing like it should and the
> engine
> > > > sounds normal. I did clean the coil pack and put a little dielectic
> > grease
> > > on
> > > > all the ends, I'm wondering if that might be causing spark problems.
> > > >
> > > > Tomorrow in the rain/sleet/snow I'm gonna reset the comp. Clean any
> > extra
> > > > dielectric greas I can off the coil pack. Make sure the secondaries
> are
> > > > opening @ 4k by bliping the TB linkage. If none of those things fix
> it,
> > > I'm
> > > > thinkign I'm gonna have to pull the intake off again and double
check
> > the
> > > > plugs. The car dosen't buck, skip or misfire, it just feels like
> someone
> > > put a
> > > > rubberband around it's nuts. I did notice that there is a sizeable
gap
> > in
> > > on
> > > > the rear exhaust manifold where it meats the y-pipe. I can stick my
> > finger
> > > > into it, and there is a plate there rattling around. but I knew
there
> > was
> > > a
> > > > leak back there for a while.
> > > >
> > > > Anyhow I need any thoughts, suggestions, whatever as to what I might
> be
> > > > missing. The engine feels like it runs fine, albeit quieter, but
there
> > is
> > > no
> > > > push you into the seat acceleration like before. Is there any way to
> > reset
> > > the
> > > > computer without losing power to the rest of the car? I thought
there
> > was
> > > some
> > > > kind of wire that ran from the batt to the comp?
> > > >
> > > > Bruce
> > > > 94 Opal Frost MTX
> > > > 60k 1/2 done @ 73k
> > > > _______________________________________________
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