I just put in a 180 thermo. I didn't have one at all before.
Now the throttle response sucks!! If I get heavy footed then
the car bogs for five seconds and still doesn't accelerate the way it used to. The rpms jump wayyy up and I don't go anywhere. This happened right after the thermo install. What's the problem?
Bad plugs(been running ac delcos since march)?
Crossfire b/w wires
Coil?
Fuel Pump?
Too much coolant/too little coolant?

thanx in advance,
R.

 

*sounds* like the tranny is taking a long time to get it back in gear when downshifting...

 

It would be near impossible to be the thermostat. It could be a number of things, but considering the area you were working in, it sounds like you may have a vacuum leak.

 

If you weren't getting into closed loop operation (temp below 140) I think, then the whole time you were running without a stat you were running rich which is open mode to get the car warmed up. This could have fouled up the plugs. A simple examination of a few plugs can tell you that. If carbon covered, bad, if lightly browned typical function. anything else is a bad sign. A vacuum leak would do that effect too, but a thermostat swap rarely for me at least disconnects much anything. If fouled up, the plugs could only be giving off enough spark to ignite a rich mixture hence when in proper closed loop where the air/fuel stays fairly constant at 14 to 1 and much leaner, it having a hard time with it. You'd best ensure you check it all as lean mixtures destroy cats, and you live in Ca and I know full well the emissions needed there when I lived there. Just check any all suggestions made and hopefully will stumble upon it. Bad pumps usually make more noise than normal since they're struggling. I wouldn't suspect coolant being an issue as those engines are designed to flow coolant and produce decent power. Throttle response is generally linked to air fuel feed and exhaust. Any of those are compromised, intake having hard time getting air in or getting air out (can't get charge out so how can charge get in???) will cause a delay in throttle response.

 

I'll check for vacuum leaks. I inspected my #1 spark plug a few weeks ago and it was fine. If it is my plugs how do I measure the gap? and what is a good gap for a car with open element and flowmaster catback?

 

the stock gap is written underneath the hood. Its .035, and you use a plug gapper (99 cents - $1.99 at local stores) to set it.

I found a easy way to check for vacuum leaks is to spray carb cleaner around the hoses and such. If there was a leak then the cleaner would be sucked in and the RPM's would go up.
~Tim