| Author | Message | ||
     Etennuly |
Another case of that will never work! Old mechanics like Greg will appreciate what is going on here. It is no secret I have a passion for Corvettes. I enjoy refurbishing them as I drive them. It should be that I get a car done before I start driving it. But, that has bitten me before. I do this game for fun and to come out ahead financially. Nothing pisses me off more than to loose money on a car. So I don't buy one project vehicle to go at it throwing money in no matter what. I like to test drive it as I'm fixing it. I get all of the mechanical stuff done first. In the past I bought a 71 Vette, went after the body, made it look new. Then I find the transmission was bad. Changed that out and then find a major electrical issue. That called for removing the dash and complete wiring harness. Finally got that all sorted out, then started driving it to find every u joint was junk. Then finally after all of that was fixed I found that the bushings in the suspension were not as good as they looked. It seemed to be milking me to death. Lost my ass doing it that way. The next one I had like that, I got it to run, test drove it, fixed what was needed to make it drive correctly then realized it would cost too much to finish. Only a few hundred bucks and a dozen hours in I sold that one for a small profit to someone who wanted to run with it. Any how, I sold a really nice super low miles 04 Vette that was too nice for me. It needed a curator to take care of it. It was black. Like a nice bike, I spent more time cleaning than driving. I did not race for fear of scratching it. It became not fun after a while. So I'm back to building another one. An 84 with 92 body up grade from years ago. Parked out in the weather for three years and damaged here and there in minor incidents. Orignal mechanical stuff with 130,000 miles. I spent half a day and a hundred bucks to get it to run well enough to do donuts in my back field. Drove it on a three mile back road loop before going forward. It ran and drove much better than thought it might. The PO had done a lot of work on the suspension and brakes before parking it after its last minor wreck. He always kept up the mechanical stuff. So fast forward a dozen hours and $900 in tires and parts. I has an emissions issue. The charcoal canister got squished in the wreck. PO wrapped it with tape to hold it together until he found a replacement. That stuff can get pricy new. So it runs ok, but rich and not idling well. New fuel pump and filter on start up day. So it is titled, insured and I love driving it even though it looks like shit, has no dash or instruments even. I bought a complete parts car that has all of what it needs. I've just been short on Vette work time. So it has the crossfire dual throttle bodies. That I disassembled and cleaned. In the present time it suffers from vacuum leaks. The evap system needs hours of help. Mean time I'm driving it. Simply because it makes me smile. The ECM is trying to compensate for vacuum leak by running richer. I attempted to fix all I could reach but blind area hoses are in bad shape. When I get time all will be replaced. The more hoses I fixed the worse it ran. I wanted to drive it the other day so I opened the hoses that I had fixed. It ran better. Now I'm playing a game with the ECM. It has limits. I do not. I opened another 5/32 hose. It started and ran even better. So I opened another. The ECM seems to have run as rich as it can. And my vacuum leaks have it really close to the stociomeric fuel to air ratio. In driving it today, with the top off, running great all the way through, with off the line throttle response really good. I'm thinking you computer controlled fuel injected bitch! I got you old school! Ha ha. The only thing it does not like is start up, goes rich. As soon as it goes in gear that straightens right out. I hope I can tune it to run this well after I get everything fixed properly! What do you think Greg? Another it is not possible game with the internal combustion machine. Lol Almost as cool as breaking the carb and distributor cap off a VW woods buggy and making it home with a roll of electrical tape and a hollow stick! Ha ha ! | ||
| Tootal |
I despise vacuum leaks!! I had a neighbor years ago who took his Ford Granada in for a recall. They wanted to replace the carb. I told him not to but he could only see he was getting a new carb. so why not? Well he got his new carb. and then he went in for a simple outpatient surgery and died in the hospital. I was in Europe at the time and found out when I got home. Truly sad, such a nice guy. He worked the motorpool in WWll and Korea. So his wife called me one day and told me that ever since they put on the new carb. the car hasn't run right and she takes it back, they take her money, and it's never any better. So I went over and raised the hood and had her start it. I just listened to it and could hear a hissing noise. I looked around and found a vacuum line laying loose. I searched for a port and finally found one and plugged the hose on and it settled right down and ran correctly. She was so thankful and I told her to go back to the dealer and get all her money back because I would love to testify in court how they screwed a little old lady! I have no tolerance for dealers like that! So Vern, in your case I'm wondering if an O2 sensor is causing it to run rich and your "air control system" is leaning it back out? | ||
| Etennuly |
I'm just having fun with it until I have time to change everything out. Did some research. Bathroom reading really. When the ECM detects a vacuum leak the o2 sensor reads lean so it richens it up. Since then it has become me against the ECM, finding the fuel air ratio where it runs well. Just like jetting an old Holley carburetor. Change this it does that, format. Kind of fun finding its limits. Only takes a minute to pull off another hose. Lol ! Much quicker than changing jets! Its ability to compensate makes it run well off the line up.it comes out of the hole better than ever. No more sooty pipes either. I kind of like vacuum leaks. It lets me buy troubled cars cheap. Four Vettes ago I got a low miles 86 on a trade deal that the guy and his mechanic could not make run right. Six vacuum hoses later it ran great. Three were not even plugged in. Three more were in the wrong places. So silly! The actual vacuum routing diagram was on a sticker right in front of their faces. And it was correct! | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
One of my $300 cars was a '81 cutlass. It had many issue that ended up being vacuum-related. I found one bad hose and it got a little better. I assumed that more were bad so I just blindly replaced all of the black spaghetti one segment at a time. lots of them came out in two pieces  After that, it started up and ran really smoothly. No extra power though! My friends and I called it "The Gutless" It had the tiny V8 with 2:1 compression. Perhaps the cam didn't have lobes on it? Bullet-proof little anvil of an engine. I ran it without coolant for 15 miles to get home "one last time". New waterpump and rocker gaskets(they burned off!) fixed it right up until the frame popped from rust. | ||
| Ducxl |
I wish I could solve THIS problem.Been stuck for 4 years.New EVERYTHING bone stock except for Speed-Pro Forged pistons.Dorky new OEM grind camshaft/lifters at only 59k miles.New from wheel bearings to cam bearings,brand new 700r4/w converter too but lost.Totally new wiring harness and new interior too.Hopefully someday  | ||
| Ducxl |
 Brand new.CRASHED into unemployment for a year before recovering | ||
| Etennuly |
So what is lost? Instructions? Money? Ambition? Desire? | ||
| Ducxl |
Instructions,money,ambition and desire. I was spending money like wildfire in anticipation when I got kicked out of the garage.I lived in a condo.We bought a house.Then I lost my job.Back to the car I was stuck after I decided late to use Melrose long tube headers/exhaust system.The RH header now touches the NEW oem fuel line that runs along the inside framerail.I am lost to find a good new route for my fuel line NOR can I make one | ||
| 86129squids |
Where's that popcorn eatin' emoticon?? I believe in Vern. | ||
| Etennuly |
The thing about cars and their parts is they don't know anything.....ever. When you move that fuel line the car will never know, and will never tell anyone. Tank /tank cap/ fuel/ fuel pump/ high pressure hose/ regulator/ injectors/ return line/ set up within the limits of physics for function, safety, and longevity, for each of the components will not do more than deliver fuel from tank to engine. You changed part A, expect the affect to be, change part B, and so on. OEM on a fuel line? That has no meaning towards integrity of an original car when you put headers on it! The only place the fuel line is near the header is forward of the fuel filter. You running the 'tuned port' intake? May I suggest put a hard line fitting where the filter attaches, run aluminum fuel tubing up to the area of the a/c heater fan, make a bracket to hold the filter in there, behind the right rear inner fender. Where ever it will comfortably fit. Will certainly make filter day easier. Just make sure to unhook battery for filter changes. At this point you see header tubes and no way to get past the upper control arm. Crazy safety Nazi says hey! Drill a hole in the top of that box tube frame rail, go forward of the upper control arm drill an exit hole for the fuel line to come up out of the rail, then turn back towards the engine with hi pressure flex hose. Have not done mine yet, but this is the plan. Glue in hole grommets and use a few OEM style tubing to frame tie down clips. As long as there is no frame tube blockage I have yet to find out about, you should be able to pull the tubing through the rail by securely taping it to a length of mechanics wire. AN fittings for tubing to filter and tubing to flex lines are pricy but look nice and make good safe high pressure connections. If you paint that stuff satin black, it will blend right into the background. So I won't tell if you don't. Lol. | ||
| Ducxl |
WOW THAT is a real concise description of my problem. Vern really KNOW'S what i'm talking about.Bending tubing,attaching fittings.I wish I could overcome this problem,i'd have a new Vette | ||
| Etennuly |
I've been planning to do exactly that to mine. I really want that fuel filter out in the open where I can change it at the track without having to have gas run to my elbows while camping at the track. And headers of some sort will find their way on there. Oh, and I have been studying for old school big block 427 fit. | ||
| Etennuly |
Bending the tubing is why racers use aluminum tubing. Pressure rating is very high, it bends by hand easily. It just needs to be tied down well to avoid abrasion from vibration, and have grommets any where it passes through holes. | ||
| Nuts4mc |
used this stuff on fuel lines on turbine engines...supplier is in Canada (eh?)...may be able to suggest a dist here in the states...hth https://adlinsulflex.com/firesleeve/ | ||
| Etennuly |
That heat retardant tubing will be necessary on the plug wires. But if the fuel line goes according to plan it won't be needed. Nice stuff there though. |
