FART_NUGGETS

How long does your 305 TPI take to warm up to the point it's at a normal idle? I have a sneaking suspicion that I may not have a thermostat in my car. It takes a solid 5 minutes or more in the summer to idle down under 700 on a cold start. In the winter, I can let it run for 5 or 10 minutes in the garage, (door open of course!) and then drive the 3 miles to the local highway, and the temp needle barely moves. Once I'm up to temp all seems fine.

I'm asking because after my 700 rebuild (running and shifting awesome and totally happy with it), she really slams into R/D when the idle is over 1000. Once warmed up and bouncing around 550, shifts into gear fine.

I've been nursing the trans into gear when the idle is high by cycling in and out of N as I shift into R or D, which gives me a smooth shift into gear but is obviously a pain in the butt. My neighbors probably wonder why my reverse lights blink on and off as I start to back out of my garage....

anyway.

Normal, or am I likely missing, or have a stuck open, thermostat? How long should a 305 TPI take to warm up to a normal 550-ish RPM?

Thanks.

GeneralDisorder

iTrader: (1)

Easy enough to check. Mine has a 170 thermostat and idles down within a minute or two. Course it's going to depend on ambient conditions.

GD

FART_NUGGETS

Screw it, you're right.....

Just ordered a new 180 thermostat and gasket. I'll just pull the housing, and if it's not there I'll install it. If it is there, I'll replace it and see what happens. $6.

If that doesn't work might need to buy a block heater lol

Thanks.

GeneralDisorder

iTrader: (1)

I paid some attention this morning. Not much above freezing. Took about 2 minutes or a little less to go down to my 750 idle settings. Initial start was around 1000, it rose to 1200 a short time after startup, then slowly fell to 750. I am running the EBL Flash II but still TPI essentially.

GD

FART_NUGGETS

Yeah mine takes way longer than that.

Cracking open the thermostat housing tomorrow, I'll post here what I find.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

FWIW,
That ought to idle down to 650-750 rpm within a minute. Have you set the IAC and TPS? All my TPI cars 305, 350 are idling normally under a minute with a 192 T-Stat.

88IROCvertZ

iTrader: (1)

Tootie Pang

iTrader: (2)

I'm pretty sure what you WON'T find! Lol.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

Fart , You could also check your Coolant Temp Switch or is it just when cold?

FART_NUGGETS

Pulled the throttle body and T-stat this weekend. Thermostat was in there, looked like it was stamped 195, and judging by how hard the front Tstat housing bolt was to get out I am thinking it had never been removed before. Soaked it a few times with penetrating oil and it still felt like I was about to snap it off trying to get it loose. But I didn't Tested it in a pot of water and it started opening up right at 195, and was fully open by the time the water boiled at 212.

Replaced it with the new 180 degree one I bought and got everything back together.

Started the car cold with my phone recording the dash.

00:00 Startup - 1250rpm - Coolant gauge 100 (lowest)
01:00 - 1200rpm Coolant gauge 100 (lowest)
02:00 - 1050-1100rpm Coolant gauge 100 (lowest)
03:00 - 1000rpm Coolant gauge 100 (lowest)
04:00 - 1000rpm Coolant gauge just starting to move, still at 100
05:00 - 900rpm - Cooolant gauge just a hair over 100
06:00 - 900rpm - Coolant gauge now 2 hairs over 100
07:00 - 800rpm - Coolant gauge now half way between 100 and the second tick mark.
08:00 - 750rpm - Coolant gauge at second tick mark.

FART_NUGGETS

I have not checked the IAC/TPS, I will go through the procedure this week sometime. Maybe replace the two coolant sensors / switches also, I've been wanting to get a lower temp switch for the fan anyway.

XrayTedd

Keep us posted on this. I am having the same issue and mine is a new build. Mine is also a TPI swap stand alone system.

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

Mine would idle over 1,000 rpm for atleast 3 minutes of driving with the stock idle speed tables. Cast-iron and water take a long time to warm up. I did alter the prom to allow it to give timing advance below the factory temp. When they are very cold the TPI engines run with very retarded ignition timing (base timing only) and the EST system is only activated around 80-100°F.

FART_NUGGETS

Went thru the system yesterday. Followed the PDF I found here on this site.

Set base timing. I had been running 12 degrees but set back to 6 just to make sure that was not a problem.

Reset the IAC (ALDL shorted and ignition on for 30 seconds, and then pulled the IAC plug). The car would not run without it plugged in, so it was fully relying on the IAC for idle. I advanced the idle stop screw until the car had a smooth idle at about 650R in drive. The tamper plug had been removed so someone had messed with this before me.

Then moved on to checking the TPS. I was getting .552v so I left it alone, was not worth it to loosen it up to change the voltage by .01 to get to .54.

Of course, car was good and hot by now so did not get to re-check the warm up time. I will do that today and report back.

FART_NUGGETS

Cold start this morning, garage about 50 degrees. Still 9 minutes and 50 seconds between startup and when the idle finally hits 750 and stays there in park. In drive this drops down to about 650. 5 full minutes before the temp gauge moves from it's lowest position.

I'll swap the front coolant sensor next I suppose, prob toss in a lower temp fan switch also while I'm dumping coolant anyway...... Anyone else have any other ideas?

BizJetTech

iTrader: (3)

IMO, your situation is normal.....mine actually takes even longer.....what is it that is bothering you about this?

FART_NUGGETS

Warm starts are fine, idles high for a few moments then drops right down. This is purely a cold start issue. I'd like to get the car to warm up a bit quicker, as I leave for work at 5:30 am and this car is not exactly quiet, so the less time I can spend idling at 1000rpm in my garage the better, for both my family and my neighbors

FART_NUGGETS

If it's normal, it's normal and I'll stop digging.

I notice that the folks that state their cars warm up quickly are down south (except you Biz lol), while the folks that seem to state this is normal are up north. Could simply be a case of the cars in warmer climates coming up to temp faster.

Bob88GTA

iTrader: (2)

FART, Like I mentioned earlier. Cold starts for me...I turn the key, it starts, Idles at 1000ish, for a few, and then it slowly comes down to 650-750 with in 3 minutes less. Cold (20*) or Hot (80*)climate. Granted, the coolant is NOWHERE near warm or hot. You actually hear the computer putting the engine into Closed loop. This is the same on all 3 of my TPI cars...2, 5.7S and 1, 5.0.
IDK, I'm stumped on this one.

FART_NUGGETS

Swapped out the coolant temp sensor under the thermostat yesterday. Found that the original sensor had a cracked socket and the only thing keeping the plug in the sensor was the friction from the weatherpak seal. Got the new sensor in with minimal loss of coolant, maybe 8oz or so tops.

Also somehow managed to snap off the locking tab on the MAF plug when I was plugging it back in (pulled the plastic snorkel/intake to get better access to the CTS). Anyone know the part number for that 3-pin weatherpak plug? I think it will stay in place but I'd like to pick up a new 3-pin connector and replace it just to be safe.

No change, still takes the same amount of time to warm up. The area near the coolant sensor is quite warm/hot to the touch after just a couple minutes of idling, however the car still does not idle down until close to 10 minutes of idling after startup.

Unless someone else has anything specific to check or try, I'm going to have to defer to the many folks that have said they see the same behavior on their cars and call it normal.

BizJetTech

iTrader: (3)

IMO, you're chasing your tail on this one.....

Fast355

iTrader: (2)

You are chasing your tail on this. You are also wearing out your engine by warming it up at idle. Start the engine, let it run about 15 seconds, put the car into gear and drive away.

Also personal preference thing here, but I almost always back in or pull through to park. With a cold transmission it is one less shift to not go reverse to drive. Start it up, let it smooth out, drop it into drive and drive away. I had a well adjust Q-Jet fed engine that I used to do the same thing with as well.

88IROCvertZ

iTrader: (1)