I recently re-did my intake, therefore my Timing was reset. Before I did the intake I was having slight detonation when I stomped on it. Now that I reset the timing, and re-did the intake, I set my timing to about 8*, to fix the detonation (it was 11-12* before).

Upon finishing, I went for a test drive, and it died on me when I was coming to a stop. It did it a total of 4 times in 8 miles. When I came home, I bumped the timing up to about 10-11* and the detonating came back, but it stopped dieing, I then backed the timing off a little 8-9* and it's still detonating, but not as bad.

As for the dieing, I am sorta thinking it has something to do with the trannie, as it seems to want to die until it disengages and the RPMs recover. I do not think I have much of a vacuume leak, if any because it idles very steady when out of gear.

I was just wondering if anyone had any tips. Thanks!
Bob

 

If you have the 700r4 you might wanna change the tc lockup solenoid. Sounnds like the solenoid is not disengaging the tc.

something to think about and look at. The detnation could be from your tc being locked up when it shouldnt be adding additional strain on the motor

 

You might try testing your total timing...
If you not having idling problems at 11°, but your geting detonation, then it sounds like your moving your total up & maybe beyond the 36-38° limit. Anything above that you risk detonation.
Simply put, if all your doing is moving your idle timing up, your also moving your total timing up by the same amount of degree's.

So take your timing light and take a reading above 3000+rpms.
Remember anything over 36-38° on a small block is probably going to detonate. Try getting a reading with your idle timing at 8°. I'm willing to bet that at 8° idle your total is 36°, and if your moving it up to 11° idle then your total is around 39° -ping ping ping.

I find that a modifed SB, wants more idle timing, to keep from stalling.
My highly modifed SB wants about 17° idle, but my total is right at 38°... My distributor is an MSD billet which makes these adjustment very easy. On a Stock HEI, that a different deal all togather, and you might need to have it done by a shop.

So get as much idle timing as you can, before the car becomes a chore to start, but your total timing is sort of a limitation with many factors, but you'll want about 36° at 3000+ rpms. I have 38° cause I live at high altitude. Again you might need a shop to weld in stops so you can get idle at 10+ and keeping your total at 36° with a stock HEI unit. With MSD units, all you do is swap out a stop bushing.


Ron

 

Something else I noticed... If I'm coming to a stop and the RPMs start dropping (down to 400-500), I let off the break and then reapply it 2-3 times, and the trannie seems to let go and my idle returns to about 750-800 RPMs, it seems to always disengage when I do this, and I can keep it from dieing...

I was thinking something along the lines of TC Lockup myself, as radiateu2 said.

So TC Lockup Solenoid, where is it, how much is it gonna be to replace it, and see if that helps? Time to read the book I have I guess.

 

Total Timing... how do I see where it's at? Is that with the tan/black wire plugged in? I left the tan/black wire unplugged, and brought up the RPMs and the timing looked the same, even a degree or two retarded.

I don't really know about total timing, think someone could explain?

thanks!

 

the torque converter solenoid is supposed to disengage the torque converter when you step on the brake pedal. The switch is wired into the the brake switch

 

I've been reading a lot about 700r4's today, I was just wondering if there is indeed a vacuume sensor in the third gens, and where it's located on the trannie, or is it located elsewhere?

 

The 700R4 Trans in not vacuum modulated. It uses the TV cable, and that is it...... ('cept on the newer cars, then the PCM does all the work.....) If the TCC is not disengaging, it would act like a manual trans car that you were trying to stop without stepping on the clutch... jerk, surge, die..... If this sounds familiar, try disconnecting the four wire connector on the trans, and take it out and drive it. If the problem goes away, TCC is more'n likely the culprit. If it still behaves the same way, time to start looking elsewhere......

Good Luck

 

Oh Man, it just keeps getting better on this car...

Today I did some looking around, under the dash, and under the car. When I pulled the cover off the underside of the dash, I found a connector with a purple and a pink/black wire just hanging there. I looked at the schematic in the book and it says it is for the TCC Brake Switch, yet there is no switch to plug it into. Looking around a little more, I found a plunger. I was stumped at this point.

I crawl under the car, and find the other half of the hydrolic clutch contols. My car originally had a manual tranny...

Looking at the tranny, it has the 4 pin connector on the drivers side, which is the TCC Lockup, right? but it had no wires going to it.
I did find a harness with 2 wires hanging around where the hydrolic controls for the clutch should have been, what might these be for?

Also why would the purple and pink/black wires be there, if it originally had a manual tranny?

Now I'm thinking to solve my dieing problem, I may need to adjust the TV cable... anyone else agree?

I'm finding that everything on this car is beginning to be a surprise.