i bought my 89 RS LO3 for a daily / first car, runs great, i love it. but, i do have a couple questions, what mods would you suggest to add some power, but not extremely affect the mileage? and is there a place online where i can get the curved air filter stud? thanks.

 

my camaro

 

Welcome to TGO. Your '89 looks good, nice condition.

As for performance and keeping the MPG, headers and a free flowing exhaust will help.

What not to do: no open element air cleaner, and no 160 or 180 thermostats.

Keep the 195 thermostat.

A good tune up helps, cap, rotor, spark plugs, wires. Just go with decent quality replacement parts. Such as a brass terminal cap & rotor, Autolite standard orange box plugs (#24 may the correct part), and Bosch premium spiral core spark plug wires (NAPA or Pep-boys).

Make sure that the distributor base timing is correct (0* BTDC) and done on a warmed up engine. Sometimes it can be advanced a degree or two (to 1* to 2* BTDC).

RBob.

 

I am a third gen newbie as well. Why would he not want to do an open air element?


Posted from Thirdgen.org App for Android

 

To help retain the fuel economy.

RBob.

 

I have found that indexing the spark plugs gives a little kick. Do so by marking on the ceramic where the open end of the tip is on the plug, then try it in every cylinder untill the mark, (representing the open tip of the plug) is sitting straight up (or down, Ive heard both ways, only tried one because of how long it took) Ideally the gap (or electrode) should point between the valves. It does take a while, but I noticed a difference.

 

When we index them in drag engine we put the mark up so you can see the mark from the top.

 

90camaro355ss, Do you also adjust the heat range of the spark plugs according to egt's? I've heard of it being done to balance thermal efficiency, on OE heads, anyhow, since there are two exhaust ports right next to each other in the middle.

 

First camaro i seen with a sunroof lol nice car, i'm not a big fan of the no spoiler but still a great looking car.

 

thanks, its aftermarket previous owner put it in, and me either i'm trying to get the money to get a spoiler

 

Welcome aboard. Nice RS, the light blue and silver go good together.

 

Because as long ago as the late '50's or early '60s, it's been proven that hot underhood air is bad for power, and promotes detonation.

NOBODY who is serious about horsepower feeds the carb hot air.

LOTS of folks who think "intake roar" is pleasing install non-muffled air cleaners, but noise doesn't make the car go faster.

Having a heated air intake is marvelous in cold weather. Provides better fuel atomization, faster warm-up, and reduces carb icing. Once the engine is at operating temperature, hot intake air does very little that's useful. Warm- or ambient-temperature air works better. (Ambient air is as "cold" as is practical, even if it's 120F outside, unless of course you go to extreme measure such as upstream alcohol injection a la Smokey Yunich's Turbo Indy car.)

If the intake snorkel is too small for power, get a different cold-air air cleaner housing, don't install some crap aftermarket open-element housing.