Running lean, will it hurt my engine?
 

My T/A is running lean right now and i was told that that i will ruin my engine if i drive it a lot like it is. I have an appointment to get the engine fixed (new custom chip) on Nov. 20th but i cant wait that long to drive it! Will it hurt my engine?

Yes, running lean is not good for the motor at all.

What will happen?

you can lock up your engine.

rich is OK but ive heard running lean can burn holes in the pistons and all kinds of good stuff. Running rich will foul plugs and make it run like crap but wont damage anything i dont think.

A too lean mixture at part throttle burns too slow.
It tends to heat up the cylinder walls and valves and exhaust port.
A too lean mixture at full throttle also burns too slow and
tends to make the motor over heat and detonate.

I would avoid driving the car if you have a severe lean condition.

How lean are we talking about?

whats the easiest way to check if your engine is runniong to lean??? the spark plugs or is there a better way thnks

I just checked mine with my uncles lean/rich reader thingy and at cold idle it is running way too lean or when under a load/high rpm's. At idle after its warmed up its fine. My uncle says not to drive it unless i have too or until i go to get my new chip burned. Since i have the old 305 chip, it will get better when i get the custom one burned right?

Is there a tecnical term for that??? thnks

Running rich will shorten the life of your cat, if u have one on.:nono:

SHAGME:

It is an Exhaust Anylizer. I think you can get one at your local auto store. I dont know how much they cost though.

HIL87TA:

Yes i do have a cat (high flow 3"), i just put one on not that long ago with a magnaflow muffler.




--Im not going to drive it until i go to the place to get my custom chip burned.

cool thnks for the proper name. Mabey one of my freinds has one I can borrow if its expensive. Im glad u r gonna wait for the new chip better off that way. I know its hard when u cant drive it though.

SHAGME:

tell me about it! its been 2 days and i cant stand it! O'well i would rather drive it when its running properly then to drive it when its not and hurt the engine. Good luck with your ride.

Thnks Im just worried cause its my ride for work and fun of course. l8tr kev

Oxygen is an oxidizer.

Duh.

In the Absence of Gasoline, It will Oxidize something else.

Like your Valves, Or Your Pistons.

pretty Simple, actually.

My doctor has one of them exhaust anal-izers. Sticks it up yer rear end to check for any obstructions. :sillylol:

The motor I'm building was a victim of circumstances. It was a TBI 350 in an '89 3/4 ton and one of the injectors decided it was gonna stop working.

The #4 and #6 (don't really remember which ones) had big holes in the pistons, and they weren't the holes for the wrist pin. Aluminum chunks were melted and smeared on the cyl. walls, and needless to say a few rings snapped.

It was a good thing for me though because I got the motor (long block) for $100 :thumbsup: Nothing a .030" overbore couldn't fix.

I.E., don't drive it. Get it fixed first. Rent a car if you have to. It'll be cheaper in the long run........ or the long walk, 'cuase that's what you'll be doing if you keep driving it.

AJ

2 days without your car? I wish i could say the same its been well over a month or me :(

I feel your pain.:(

Its been 3days now and i still have 16 to go until i take it to the shop to get the custom chip, i also get it dyno'd 3 times-1before and 2after. it will take 3-5 days to do so that will be like 20 more days or so. :(

will that kind of damage happen imediatly or does it take some time? My Gfs car was running lean for a while (bad fuel pump) which we fixed but she drove it around a bit before we fixed it and it still isn't running right. Still need to bust it open to take a look at the Throttle Body for some stuff the dealership commented on. But I wonder how much damage she could have caused now. She is currently looking for a new car, tired of fixing the camaro, but she wants to keep the camaro. Although if the engine is that badly damaged might be better just to have her trade it in. Thanks for any info.