***Official Car and Gearhead Thread***

[BigRedChief]

Seems like we need one on here to talk cars, mods and the coolness of your or their car.

Interested? Chime in

[SAUTO]

It's my body shop buddy's oldest son's truck. The family has quite a few rides, next time I'm at his toy shop I'll shoot some pics. I posted pics of the truck in back before, it belongs to a flooring guy.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Awesome, I bet you love it, keep us posted.

It's here but I can't get it into the shop until the middle of next week. Looks pretty slick but that doesn't tell me much.

Lookin' forward to it. I suspect it will behave like the old school throttle body injected EFIs. Certainly not a port injection system but almost definitely a notable improvement over the carburetor.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

It's here but I can't get it into the shop until the middle of next week. Looks pretty slick but that doesn't tell me much.

Lookin' forward to it. I suspect it will behave like the old school throttle body injected EFIs. Certainly not a port injection system but almost definitely a notable improvement over the carburetor.

We've installed some Throttle Body EFI's in our shop. Not the one you have, but similar. Had pretty good success with them. Customers seemed happy.

[stonedstooge]

Paging Jasonsauto or any other car expert:

I'm having trouble with the cooling system on my 96 Trans Am with the LT1 engine.

The car runs fine on the highway. I have an OBDII hooked up and the temperature will range between 165 and 170 on the highway. When I return home, I have to drive about 3 miles of gravel. The temperature will start to rise when I drive less then 30 miles an hour.

The last 2 times I've driven it home, when I've gotten to my garage and backed it in, coolant starts gushing out of the coolant reservoir. Both times the temperature has been between 190 and 200. The fans on the LT1 are not supposed to even kick on until the temperature reaches 218 and 235 (2 fan system)

If I start it up and let it idle, the same thing happens. Temperature climbs, it gets around 190 and coolant gushes out.

The other day I tried an experiment. The coolant was about 6 inches below the neck of the radiator from lost coolant, so I started it up with the radiator cap off and let it idle. When it reached about 130 the coolant began to rise. At 150 it was up to the neck of the radiator, so I stuck a funnel in the radiator. At 160 it was into the funnel and at 180 (when the thermostat should be open) it was coming over the top of the funnel so I shut it down.

Last fall, I used a flush and changed out the coolant. This year, I've changed the thermostat, taken it back out and checked it in water on the stove and it opens fine. Changed the radiator cap and replaced the bottom radiator hose as it rubbed on one of the pulleys and began to leak.

It looks like the coolant is coming out of the engine as it should, but is not going back into the engine. I also noticed my temperature gauge on the dashboard jumps around and never seems to be stable.

Any ideas? Thanks for the help

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Paging Jasonsauto or any other car expert:

I'm having trouble with the cooling system on my 96 Trans Am with the LT1 engine.

The car runs fine on the highway. I have an OBDII hooked up and the temperature will range between 165 and 170 on the highway. When I return home, I have to drive about 3 miles of gravel. The temperature will start to rise when I drive less then 30 miles an hour.

The last 2 times I've driven it home, when I've gotten to my garage and backed it in, coolant starts gushing out of the coolant reservoir. Both times the temperature has been between 190 and 200. The fans on the LT1 are not supposed to even kick on until the temperature reaches 218 and 235 (2 fan system)

If I start it up and let it idle, the same thing happens. Temperature climbs, it gets around 190 and coolant gushes out.

The other day I tried an experiment. The coolant was about 6 inches below the neck of the radiator from lost coolant, so I started it up with the radiator cap off and let it idle. When it reached about 130 the coolant began to rise. At 150 it was up to the neck of the radiator, so I stuck a funnel in the radiator. At 160 it was into the funnel and at 180 (when the thermostat should be open) it was coming over the top of the funnel so I shut it down.

Last fall, I used a flush and changed out the coolant. This year, I've changed the thermostat, taken it back out and checked it in water on the stove and it opens fine. Changed the radiator cap and replaced the bottom radiator hose as it rubbed on one of the pulleys and began to leak.

It looks like the coolant is coming out of the engine as it should, but is not going back into the engine. I also noticed my temperature gauge on the dashboard jumps around and never seems to be stable.

Any ideas? Thanks for the help

Hear any bubbling when you turn the car off? When the car gets hot, does the upper radiator hose get firm when you squeeze it?

First things that pop in my head:

1. Check the Radiator Cap. Seems silly, but a bad cap can let air into the system. You might get lucky.

2. Check the hoses, make sure they're secure. See if you can spot any bubbling/fluid coming from the hose ends. Maybe you got lucky and you just need a new clamp.

3. Bad Water Pump. Grab the water pump by the pulley (assuming it has a pulley). If you can jiggle it, it's wearing/bad. You may or may not see fluid leaking from the bottom of the pump.

4. Blown head gasket? Check for any leaking fluid around the intake manifold too. When i had heating issues in my Fbod, i was leaking fluid under the intake manifold, which ate at the aluminum.

5. Not sure about the LT1's, but does your radiator have plastic tanks? If so, check for any cracks.

[ToxSocks]

On a side note that probably has nothing to do with your issue, that ABS Plastic air damn that's under the F-bods, make sure it's secure and functional. I took it off once thinking i didn't need it. Nope, big mistake. That puny air damn is what's funneling air to our radiator. With out it the car will over heat. I found that out the har way.

I took it off after lowering the car because it kept scraping. Bad idea.

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

Hear any bubbling when you turn the car off? When the car gets hot, does the upper radiator hose get firm when you squeeze it?

No bubbling heard. I'll have to squeeze the hose and see if its firm.

First things that pop in my head:

1. Check the Radiator Cap. Seems silly, but a bad cap can let air into the system. You might get lucky.

I replaced the cap, although I've read horror stories about getting bad new parts.

2. Check the hoses, make sure they're secure. See if you can spot any bubbling/fluid coming from the hose ends. Maybe you got lucky and you just need a new clamp.

I jacked it up today so I can do that

3. Bad Water Pump. Grab the water pump by the pulley. If you can jiggle it, it's wearing/bad. You may or may not see fluid leaking from the bottom of the pump.

No pulley on the water pump on the Lt1 engine. But I can feel something is going on in there when it's running.

4. Blown head gasket? Check for any leaking fluid around the intake manifold too. When i had heating issues in my Fbod, i was leaking fluid under the intake manifold, which ate at the aluminum.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I'm hoping this is not it. It's only got 78,000 miles on the engine

5. Not sure about the LT1's, but does your radiator have plastic tanks? If so, check for any cracks.

I don't think so. At least I haven't come across the mention of that.

Thanks for the input.

[SAUTO]

Also could it have an air bubble? Did you bleed it out good when the stat was installed?

[stonedstooge]

Originally Posted by JASONSAUTO

Also could it have an air bubble? Did you bleed it out good when the stat was installed?

DING DING DING: WINNAH

I had bled the system but put it up on jacks and bled it again several times this morning. Drove it about 80 miles today including some city driving, and no problems at all. Temperature even got up to 215 in town. The temperature gauge didn't bounce around near as much, but still wasn't stable. I'm assuming that there might still be some air trapped, but not going to screw with it as long as it's not overflowing the coolant jug.

Thanks Jasonauto, and thank you Detoxing for offering your knowledge

[SAUTO]

Originally Posted by mac459

Ah shit..that one is looking very promising..you my friend are a gentleman and a scholar

I've got another contender, it's NOT a 4x4 (even though it's got 33's on it) again it's NOT A 4x4.

It's a 73 c20 camper special with the heavy suspension, 454 and I think 400 turbo. I doubt the paint is original but it will do and it's held up good it's at least 15 years old. I've known the truck that long.

The guy that owns it has had it in his family since new, I'm pretty sure it was always in Arizona and garaged since here. The owner knows the vin number by heart...

I thought about it before but NEVER THOUGHT it could be bought. He put 100 miles on it in the last year, it needs a spray in bed liner. A power brake booster, and a fuel sender.
He brought it by today and we were talking about it, as he was leaving I asked if he would sell it.

He said $10,000. I think with your story he might take less. I think he's a little strong on the money.

[hometeam]

Block is out of the T/A again, but Ill have the bobber at Versailles this weekend. Anyone coming?

[SAUTO]

Shit I wish...

[lewdog]

Joining the "trying to do man things" with my purchase today.

3 ton hydraulic jack with 3 ton jack stands.

If I get the urge to do some car staff, I have the means now. I pray it doesn't come to that though.

[DJ's left nut]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

Awesome, I bet you love it, keep us posted.

Got it all put in and picked it up yesterday. Damn - I almost have to re-learn to drive it. That's a lot of immediate power on demand now and none of the lag. Easy to start, no idle issues; night and day difference.

Sadly, the return line has a bit of a leak so I walked into the garage to the smell of fuel and a nice little oil/gas puddle under the rear of the car (since it burns a bit of oil, the gas mixed with the oil 'barrier' on the tank and it ran as a sludge). But that'll be easily remedied.

Great addition. One odd quirk that comes with the design and it's that you hear that 'slurp' sound you tended to hear when the rear barrels open on a carburetor a little more often. It's never bothered me, I kind think it's a cool sound, but it's a little more prevalent due to the design of the venturis and how it pulls in air.

Small price to pay for a car that I sit in, turn the key and then just back it out of the garage.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

Got it all put in and picked it up yesterday. Damn - I almost have to re-learn to drive it. That's a lot of immediate power on demand now and none of the lag. Easy to start, no idle issues; night and day difference.

Sadly, the return line has a bit of a leak so I walked into the garage to the smell of fuel and a nice little oil/gas puddle under the rear of the car (since it burns a bit of oil, the gas mixed with the oil 'barrier' on the tank and it ran as a sludge). But that'll be easily remedied.

Great addition. One odd quirk that comes with the design and it's that you hear that 'slurp' sound you tended to hear when the rear barrels open on a carburetor a little more often. It's never bothered me, I kind think it's a cool sound, but it's a little more prevalent due to the design of the venturis and how it pulls in air.

Small price to pay for a car that I sit in, turn the key and then just back it out of the garage.

Glad you like it, man.

The day I finally get rid of the last piece of shit that has a goddamned carburetor or mother****ing POINTS, I will dance a jig.