Long story shory, I cannot get the car driveable. Any time the pedal is even somewhat mashed I get knocking like crazy. Also lately it has even been pinging at idle. The last time it was even remotly drivable it got around 9 MPG.

My settings now, (still not working).

SVO 24 pound injectors
ARAP bin constants set at 26.03
Fuel Pressure set at 46 PSI with vaccum disconnected.

So I figure its not a fuel problem, the stuff I have read indicates that this should be ok.

Bosch Platinum plugs
MSD 8.5 wires
6 Deg BTDC
New cap rotor

Now, heres the story on this. I put the platinums in when I took the stealthram off and I thought it had been pinging since then, but im not really sure. But either way, I replaced them with Delcos recently and at first the car wouldent even start. They were correctly gapped at .035. I bumped up the timing to like 8 and the car fired but ran really really crappy, IE no power and felt like it was missing. I coudlent get it to run basically at all with the delcos, SO i put the platinums back in.

I have tried taking the timing down to 2 Deg, it still pings. AT that point I figure thats not the problem cause I see people on here running 12 Deg of timing on stock l98's.

Now, I dont know if its throwing any codes because I have a Non working STEVE RUSE ALDL cable attached to the port. Im trying to figure it out with steve why its not working, but its been like pulling teeth the man just dosent respond to his emails.

So, does anything jump out at you guys? If not I suppose Ill find
some way to pull the codes. Im thinking it has something to do with the vaccum or the EGR, cause the car was running just terrific with the stealthram (but without PROM stuff)

 

Did you run through the firing order again, just to be sure?

Is the valve timing correct?

What is idle vacuum?

 

Yeah firing Order is correct. I read the codes today and got a code 42, but that is from the Single wire being disconnected to set the timing. I cleared it and no codes.

Valve timing I assume is correct, I havent changed it.

 

Are you using a stock HEI ignition or some aftermarket CD box?

 

Its the stock ignition.

I seemed to have at least made it drivable for now. I bumped up the fuel pressure such that it is at 43.5 WITH the vaccum line hooked up and lowered the injector constant to 25.25 . Now its not pinging at all at idle, but still gives me some problems around town.

So, I think it was/is a fuel problem. Before when I had set the fuel pressure for WOT at idle it was at 38 PSI, way too low.

I havent put that many miles on it, mabye 10 and tons of idleing so I dont know if this is enough of a chance for the computer to adapt yet.

Also, im going to replace the oxygen sensor and knock sensor and see what that does for me. But other than that I guess Ill have to wait until I get my scanner working to see whats really going on.

 

I have had weak coils in HEI systems cause simmilar problems might want to check it with an ohm meter or swap it with a known good one.

 

What should it read on the meter?