RS-Chevy-SS

Compressor is probably on its way out. Should have replaced at the same time.

mhelander

Could be so. But it was working fine up to 2003 when started collecting dust @ garage for next 9 years... and was as rough running then. Now I've got very warm summer and AC performed as expected.

As I'm cheap gonna see now long it'll work. There was very little metal chips in AC plumbing's screen filter.

Now as weathers are little colder, after overnight or longer parked, starting is little harder. Must have something related to former smaller injectors and choke enrichments or poorer atomization of mixture with 90# injectors. Let's see...

mhelander

Some update about this. Finally installed STANT 13352 205F/95C thermostat and that really changed how smoothly engine runs and performs. Not done yet more analytic comparison of fuel consumption but as now engine warms up much faster that decreases enriched running time and thus lessens consumption.

Also DIY aircond repair is working well. No need to do anything to it.

Prior to enter yearly car inspection required in Finland, spent may days underneath to replace all shocks, drive shaft support bearing, front suspension control arm rubber bushings replacement and stabilizer bar bushings too.

Dang those lower stabilizer bars were hard to get off car as my DIY headers did block clear access to U-bolt nuts and took hours to get unbolted. Then to get bushings off control arms and then axles. Would truly appreciate GM factories would use some grease when putting these together...

Anyways, inspector qualified this to be in excellent condition but need to get re-checked for emissions... was too lazy to go below engine cover to check spark plugs, air cleaner, distributor cap etc which typically are needed to be done after winter seasions.

mhelander

This smoke test turned to be tough cookie... after 4th round got it passed. After replacing new plugs with gaps adjusted, new distributor cap & rotor and PCV still not passing... until realized that it might be caused by too much spark advance.

My method to get engine starting well was to run engine little over thermostat temps, then computer wire removed and starting & turning more advance until it starts harder and then back up little bit. Then didn't have strobo to get real advance thus measured/guessed 14* and used that in calibration.

So using strobo re-checked advance and it was over 25*. Back it up to around 15* and used that in calibration which got it passed smoke tests. Unfortunately overall behavior wasn't so great which made me to experimented with over idle spark advance values without much luck.

Today spent some time re-tuning SA for 205F thermostat with same procedure and got 32.4* static advance which is now in Initial SA calibration value, and spark maps non-modified. Then some VE learnings and now it runs as it's supposed to.

Very likely will spend this summer some time in local dyno to get calibration fine-tuned all over. And after replacing all rubber bushings it seems chassis needs 4-wheel alignment too.

Haven't seen any good DIY methods for that, would appreciate any hints as this needs to be done before investing to fresh tires.