After being asleep for a month, I finally got my TA up and running yesterday. All this started because I broke the schrader valve off the fuel rail. So I went ahead and took it off, sent off the injectors to Rich at Cruzin Performance, he found one of them to be flowing at 14% less than the other 7. He didn't have a Lucas 19# that would match my others in flow rate, so he swapped all of them out with a set of Rochesters. If you guys ever need injector service, don't even think about sending them anywhere else!! I sent them out on a Tuesday and had them back the following Thursday.

So while I had everything off down to the fuel rail & injectors, I figured I would try out the homemade AFPR thing. Armed with Vader's instructions, I went to a shop at work and asked them if they could take care of the brazing..... cool beans. Hey now.... might as well pull the valve covers and do the valve seals too!!! And while I have the rockers off for the valve seals why don't I just go ahead and change them too?? By this time the wife was ready to throw me out, but hey, at least I still would have my car, right?

So I bought some 1.6:1 roller tipped rockers off Ebay for $75, and finally got them Friday afternoon. I made the guy overnight them because he sat on my money for a week, (and no, it wasn't a check, I WIRED him his money!)

Anyway, along with a few other little mods here and there, I got in it yesterday morning, turned the key, and.... she lives!!! With the exception of a little valve tap for the first 30-40 seconds, and a little tightening of the valve covers that was needed, everything is perfect. No more blue smoke on startup, no more speedo cable whine.... God this is great.

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone on here who has helped me out with thier suggestions/ideas.... Vader, GM Tech, RCR, God there are so many I can't even remember and I don't mean to leave anyone out. Thanks a lot everyone!!

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Kevin Irving
85 Trans Am WS-6, 305 TPI, custom burned '86 PROM with '87 "165"ECM, Accel Supercoil & 8.8 Wires, Rapidfire #2 @ .055", MSD 6AL, 1.6:1 Roller tipped rockers, Homemade AFPR, K&N cone, no airbox, Aluminum Driveshaft, Wonderbar, TB Coolant Bypass, Ported Plenum, Descreened MAF, Syclone Fuel Pump, JET Airfoil, Mobil 1 synth in all but transmission.

15.556 @ 86.65mph, Nov 10, 2000.... I know it sucks.. but it will get better!

http://www.geocities.com/transam85tpi/

Member - The Tidewater Trans Am Club, Norfolk VA http://www.geocities.com/ttacva/

 

Not to sound like a total newbie, but how difficult were the valve seals to change? I know my Formula needs them, and I want to do roller rockers and cam and springs while I'm in there, so I probably should do the seals. Any tips? very tuff to do? how did you keep the valves from falling in? thanks for any advice.

-Reno

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89 Formula

 

Man it's good when a project comes together isn't it? Don't you hate when you send someone money for a part and they sit on your money for like a week and make it sound like a big deal when they finally send the part?
My brother helped me with my valve guide seals on my old 305tbi. Not a difficult project, just time consuming.
Congrats on getting many things done and keeping the wife at bay!

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Rob P
89RSconvtZZ4TPI
Edelbrock Hi-Flow Intake
SLP Dual Cold Air Intake
1 5/8" Headers
Semi-Siamesed Runners
MSD6AL/relocated MAT/ AdjFPR/IROC frnt@rear swaybar/wonderbar/steeringbox/alum drvshaft/ Alston SFC/3:23posi disc rear/MAC LCA/H.Adams Panhard Rod/KYB struts/ shocks/
92Z28convt5spd
71Impala convt 402BB
BETTER DRIVING THRU SUPERIOR HORSEPOWER!

 

The valve seals weren't all too hard, just getting the valve covers off with all the emissions crapola in the way was the biggest hassle.

To do it the most efficient way, you should get a hold of an air compressor with a fitting to thread into the spark plug hole. That way you use air to hold the valves closed. Others might tell you that you can use a rope, but I don't like the idea of sticking stuff into the cylinder like that... maybe it's just me. I had a neighbor help me out with the driver's side valve seals, and I did the passenger side on my own, and if I can do it, anyone can do it. Just make sure you have a deepwell socket that is just a bit smaller than the valve seal so you can tap it gently into place, especially the intake seal. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't twist or push it down over the guide. Be careful with that spring compressor too, it can be a bear sometimes holding it down while trying to get the o-ring and the keepers back in, especially when you're working on #s 7 & 8 cylinders. There is a very good tech article here in the tech section about how to change the valve seals with the head still on the car, check it out.

Oh, and I almost forgot. Have a shop vac handy... the o-rings are probably cooked and very brittle and will most likely fall apart when you try to take the old ones off, when you're done vacuum all that stuff out because you don't want that in your system floating around. Good luck, you can do it.