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

Sat, 22 Feb 2003 12:02:08 -0500

You may also want to check if you changed your gas brand lately. My car runs
like crap on texaco but it a different car altogether on Shell.
Marc/again

----- 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
cannister
> > 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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