I bought a 1984 trans am (5.0l carbourated) a few months back and recently it started acting up. Incredibly slow acceleration and rpms bounce between like 800 and 1500 on idle. It's somewhat erratic, but it most definitely has a pattern/rhythm to it- almost the same sort of chopping rhythm as if it was cammed. Originally I thought it was a vacuum leak so I just replaced the vacuum lines, but it's still having the issue. After looking more into it, I'm thinking it sounds like a PCV issue (there is also a whistling noise aswell). Problem is, where the PCV valve would normally be on the front of the driver side valve cover, there's just a large hole with a flimsy metal tube barely attached to it that runs up into the air cleaner housing. I can't find anything else about this online, if anyone has any info on why that metal tube is there or where the pcv would be, it would be greatly appreciated. I'm at a complete loss.

PCV valve should be at the front driver's side. The tube that goes to the air cleaner should be at the rear pass side. The tube provides clean filtered makeup air into the crankcase to replace what's drawn out by the PCV.

This is a different one. The one that goes into the side of the air filter housing is indeed kn the passenger side, but where the PCV valve SHOULD be located on the front driver side is a different weird metal pipe thing. I'll upload pictures when I'm home, I'm at work currently. It's a very flimsy sorta thing, almost like a really thick tinfoil? not really sure how to describe it. It goes into the bottom of the plastic tube that leads from the air filter housing to the front of the car to take in fresh air.

No it isn't. There IS NO "different one".

​​​​​​​Sounds like a previous owner made some "improvements".

What you describe is not stock. Post some pics of what you've got and maybe someone can then provide some info on how to get it back to stock.



^^^^This.



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