88 Z51 C4 update

so, got our hands on a different distributor. Plopped it in and....... runs on the same 5 cylinders it always has. FML.

Look at the fuel distribution again. Check the wiring to the injectors and then check the ignition control module. Might want to try an ECM swap, too.

YEah, again I'm not doing another damn thing to it. THat's why I'm paying someone to do it now! Fuel side is where he is looking today. Compression has been checked, rechecked and reverified, spark as well. So the last unknown is fuel. We know there is SOME, but not if there's enough.

In fact I found an 04 GTO 6-spd close to me for under $9k with 130k miles on it..... considering selling this thing, the Elantra and getting it.

Bobzilla wrote: YEah, again I'm not doing another damn thing to it. THat's why I'm paying someone to do it now! Fuel side is where he is looking today. Compression has been checked, rechecked and reverified, spark as well. So the last unknown is fuel. We know there is SOME, but not if there's enough. In fact I found an 04 GTO 6-spd close to me for under $9k with 130k miles on it..... considering selling this thing, the Elantra and getting it.

Do eeet. You've gotta stay happy with your hobby.

Bobzilla wrote: In fact I found an 04 GTO 6-spd close to me for under $9k with 130k miles on it..... considering selling this thing, the Elantra and getting it.

Shoot, I'd do that even if the Vette was running. Hell, you tell me where that goat is and I might do it anyway!

still fighting it. compression? Check. Fuel? Check. Spark? Check. In time? Check.

Things that were found/fixed: intake leak and an unplugged vacuum port on the bottom of the t/b.

Leakdown test?

This is probably not going to be a popular suggestion but this is a small block Chevrolet, can you get a cheap as dirt intake manifold and carb for this car and throw that on there? Cast iron truck manifold and a Duo-jet from a junk yard if you have to, and if the block doesn't have provisions for a mechanical pump then some kind of pressure regulator to kill the EFI pump's pressure.

Just an idea.

YEah, if I wanted to spend a few hundred dollars to do what? Because I'd also have to get a distributor, rewire that as well because hte current dizzy would function without the rest of the system .... Basically change the entire intake and spark system to see if the engine is right? No thanks. I'm not paying for that one.

Javelin wrote: Leakdown test?

According to the guy doing it less than 3%. Well within the margin of error on a fresh engine.

You know, Hot Rod has been doing this series of articles on fixing people's cars with singular issues. You might want to shoot them an email. They could get it fixed, and pay for it, and you'd get ink...

Bobzilla wrote: YEah, if I wanted to spend a few hundred dollars to do what? Because I'd also have to get a distributor, rewire that as well because hte current dizzy would function without the rest of the system .... Basically change the entire intake and spark system to see if the engine is right? No thanks. I'm not paying for that one.

Well, what's the alternative? New motor? Junkyard the car? If it costs $300 or even $500 and you figure out what's wrong, wouldn't that be worth it?

For $500 I'll sell this engine and drop in a truck LSx.

Otherwise we keep looking and diagnosing.

Find an 80's Monte Carlo in a yard and swap all of that over at once?

Either that or start shopping for used o-scopes and make sure you've got enough injector opening time at each injector.

Still running the crappy grey multec injectors? Those are known weak points. Autozone rents.out noid lights to check power at the injector harness.

I put in Ford yellow top injectors from some 5.0 something in mine, were 24# an hr or so but.Ford runs a different static.pressure so they worked out the same as the dead multecs. I think Ford runs Bosch, and stock injectors are a dime a dozen.

Also, I had a mystery miss when I got it, caused by the wrong (but new) spark plugs.

Good luck!

Here we are today. Head came off today. Can you tell which cylinder hasn't fired?

How many miles have you put on the motor?

Hasn't fired? Hell... it looks like that cylinder hasn't been doing anything. It's as if that plug isn't getting a ground for some reason.

Miles are somewhere between 50-100 I would say at most.

Ian F wrote: Hasn't fired? Hell... it looks like that cylinder hasn't been doing anything. It's as if that plug isn't getting a ground for some reason.

Sounds about right....

Is the plug hole Helicoiled? Just thinking of reasons why the ground path could get interrupted...

Nope, original head, no helicoils (if that was the case I would have likely bought a new set of heads. If the spark plug is helicoiled, what ELSE is berkeleyed would be my reasoning). We have/had spark to the plug, the plug itself has spark.

How did you verify that the plug has spark?

To be that clean, no fuel has ever entered that cylinder.

Bobzilla wrote:

OT: I love the view from your house. Seems very peaceful with no neighbors except corn. I'm not exactly in the big city myself, but I could definitely stand to be the only house for a few miles.