I just bought an automatic '87 V6 2.8 Camaro for $600 and I ran into a problem. The car was running fine, I went to gas it up and on my way back on the freeway I heard a bump and then had a massive loss of power. The car got really sluggish and I couldn't go faster than 60 without me having to floor it. The car then started to overheat so I went straight home.

I checked for water and oil leaks after I got home and everything checked out fine. However, the car is still really sluggish and has trouble going into the highest gear. On the lower gears, I have to really throttle it so that it gets to the next gear and then there's a noticeable jump when going from first to second and second to third. It used to run quite smoothly before this freeway incident.

I was passing a semi when this problem started. There's no water in the oil although it does smell a bit like gasoline. What do you think my problem could be? I spoke to my dad and he thinks the timing might have slipped.

The person I bought it from told me one of the motor mounts was broken and showed me how the heater control valve was bypassed. He also showed me how there's a bit of a rattle while idling, a possible consequence of the broken motor mount.

By the way, this is my first post. I've been lurking for a couple days and the amount of great information here is amazing. I'm looking forward to following many of the technical guides posted here in the near future. But first things first... I just want to get this car smogged and tagged so I could start enjoying it.

 

Bad motor mounts can cause a thud when shifting.

Low power:
Check for a clogged catalytic converter.

Use a timing light to determine if you have a timing problem.

Check your fuel pressure or just replace the fuel filter due to the ease of it.

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Happy Racing!

 

Quick update: I checked the engine this morning and found a thin layer of milky stuff under the oil cap. Oddly enough, theres nothing on the dip stick. My oil pressure has been really high as of late too. Did I blow a head gasket?

I'm befuddled by the lack of oil or water leaks though.

 

The overheating can cause the gasket to fail however if you’re not losing water, and there’s no water vapor coming out of the exhaust it’s an indication you probably don’t have a blown gasket.

The white stuff on the cap could have been there a long time.

When did you previously look at the cap?

Your oil gage might have lost accuracy, you would have to check the pressure with a test equipment grade gage.

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Happy Racing!

 

I looked at the cap on Sunday, when I bought it. I remember it being clean, however I could be remembering wrong. I smell gasoline and exhaust a lot now though, especially when I turn it on.

 

It’s running rich.

Scan for codes, and do the tests in POST 1.

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Happy Racing!

 

Another weird thing is that the check engine light isn't on. When I get home I'll try the paperclip trick and see what codes I get.

What do you mean post 1? Do you mean your first reply?

 

Yes.

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Happy Racing!

 

I got a code 12 when I did the paper clip test. And sadly, I found vapor in the exhaust...

I'm losing more and more power everytime I drive it. fortunately it still turns on almost immediately but it's running worse and worse. I drove it hot when it began doing this and I might have caused me some costly repairs.

This is my first autonomous car purchase. I am sad but at least I'm learning. I'm getting a mechanic to check it out posthaste. In the meantime it'll have to be parked.

 

code 12 just means the computer is working. its not really a code. the 12 (1 flash, pause, 2 flashes) code should flash 3 times, then if there are touble codes, they will come through then the 12 code will flash 3 times again and its done. if there arent any codes, the 12 will flash 3 times and thats it.

Not sure bout the oil cap thing, mine is gummy looking to. if theres water comming out of the exhaust could be blown head gasket. I'd check my dis cap, rotor, and plugs and wires. Maybe even try changing the oil.

 

I removed the O2 sensor and the car began running properly. I think I have a clogged cat. I'm going to replace my motor mounts first so I won't kill the new one with vibration. Vibration can kill catalytic converters right?

What are other possible reasons for a clogged cat? Any advice regarding cat replacement in California? I'm a broke grad student, so any penny pinching advice will be appreciated.

Thanks for all the help. The search function allowed me to diagnose and potentially fix my problem.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by burdt

I heard a bump and then had a massive loss of power.

From your description it sounds like you had a mini-crash into a pothole.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by burdt

Vibration can kill catalytic converters right?

It can with cheap ones.

Do you know if your cat is OEM?

High quality cats are sometimes constructed from knitted wire mesh, which protects the ceramic brick, when used.
This material protects the unit from vibration.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by burdt

Any advice regarding cat replacement in California?

You can get a CA compatible cat for as little as $171.

It’s a universal fit so some fitting with exhaust pieces might be necessary.

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Happy Racing!

 

The cat was definitely the OEM one. I'm going to try to replace it after I get paid next week.

Is driving around without the O2 sensor going to damage anything in my car? I haven't driven it much but I'm wondering if I could damage anything permanently if I drive it some more. I know I'll get bad fuel economy and that the noise levels will be pretty darn loud, but is there anything else I should be worried about?

In the meantime, I'm gonna replace the motor mounts. I've been using the search tool to find some good advice regarding that procedure. This thread specifically has been golden: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...or-mounts.html

 

Unless your car has some crazy vibrations going on your motor mounts are probably fine. The ones on the 87 I had were original and fine, and the ones in my 85 are still decent. Don't create a project you don't need. It's a big pain with the engine in.
However, if you have the engine out I would definitely replace them. Not too hard with the engine out, and they only cost about $35 for both.

Put a good quality cat on it and see how that engine runs. I put a high flow cat on my 87 2.8 years ago and it sounded much better. I think it was a universal Magnaflow, which at the time cost about $60 plus labor. The car didn't run much different, but it sounded great and the exhaust manifolds were a lot cooler since there was a lot less restriction (OE one was plugging).

 

It won’t hurt anything short term.

Long term it might cause corrosion to the threads which would make installing a new one difficult.

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Happy Racing!

 

Aaron - The guy I bought the car from told me the driver's side motor mount was broken. As much as its gonna suck, I'm going to have to replace both of them, with the engine in.

I'm looking into buying a Magnaflow direct fit cat. Since I'm in California that's gonna cost me about $180+taxes.

Nina - Thanks for the quick reply. I'm glad I'm not killing anything else on my car. Once my new cat is in I'm definitely gonna replace the O2 sensor as well. Is a universal Bosch one OK or would the direct fit Bosch or even a stock one work better?

 

Due to the fact the universal and exact match type are the same price I would use the exact match.

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Happy Racing!

 

I replaced the motor mounts last weekend. The idling shakes are mostly gone and my car feels a lot smoother. I didn't torque the mounts to spec and I lost a washer. I plan to fix that soon. In the meantime, am I endangering myself or others if I drive as is?

I'm finally going to buy a replacement direct fit magnaflow catalytic converter. Hopefully the process is painless.

While I was underneath the car trying to remove the old catalytic converter I noticed I was leaking a bit of tranny fluid. This was when I had my car up on stands and the leak was coming from some sort of cable with a metal threaded sheath. The sheath had come lose so I tightened it back on. I've tried looking up the exact name of the cable but I'm not sure yet. Either way, my transmission mount looked gunky and cracked so I'm gonna go ahead and change that too.

...And after i'm done with all this I still have to pass the CA smog inspection. Wish me luck.