I read this forum alot and I always hear that the tbi's rpm on other peoples car is alot less then mine (80mph, rpm is at 6000) when i'm going about 60 the rpm is about 4500 which is almost red line. The car is a 91 RS vet with TBI it has 200,000 miles. This car is in very good condition and from 0 to 60 the car picks up real nice, but on the freeway it's like a pinto. I already changed the fuel pump, fuel filter, installed a super coil and did a tune up. I have flow masters and poor mans open element (truck air cleaner with lid upside down). The car has always done this since I bought it. Could it be the transmission cable that needs to be adjusted or any other suggestions?

P.s. I finally want to fix this problem because an accord whipped me on the freeway that cant happen again.

 

"Sounds" to me like the tranny isn't shifting out of 2nd gear.

 

In LA isn't the speed of the traffic going 80+ mph anyway? Or at least when it's not rush hour.

 

Does the tranny shift through all for gears? what gear do you have in the rear differentail?

 

sounds like it could be 410 in second gear , or a ****ty trans.

 

are you SURE the tach hasnt gone off the deep end? then again, I would think you should be able to hear the difference between 2k and 6k. THEN AGAIN, you should be able to tell how many gears your car is using. and i also think you'd be having some major problems if you're cruising for any period of time around at 6000 rpms.

 

Thats why I love this forum, thanks for all the replies guys. Yes I do notice all the shift points so I know it's 's not stuck in second. And yes I have been driving for about a year in LA going 80 so I guess your right, my engine probably would of blown already if I was going at 6000rpm half the time. But the engine is reving high but it's hard for me to tell if it's normal. I use to have an 85 z28 with TPI and boy was it louder and alot more powerful so I keep comparing them but I know I shouldnt. Anyways I don't think the problem is totally with the tach eventhough it maybe a contributing factor. because once I am going 80 I have really no more power and it sounds like the engine is at it's max. Is their any other info I could provide you guys with. Oh also the differential is stock.

 

I have the same car as you only in a prettier (firebird) version. Let me tell you, stock, they aren't exacly quick once you get over 80, or even under it for that matter.

Or are you saying the car hits a wall at 80? Is it perfectly fine at all other speeds under 80? CAN it accelerate past 80? You say it's not stuck in 2nd; is it stuck in 3rd? If you had even a 3 cylinder under your hood you should be able to hear it if it's going at 6k. If you have hard time guestimating, have someone drive with you that can.

The only rather unknowledgeable advice I can give you from what you've told us is that you have not been cruising around town at 6k rpm. I think you'd probably have drawn some attention along the way with a v8 screaming down the interstate. So if your tach claims that you have, that's the first place I'd look. I don't know what makes a tach go nuts, but it may be as simple as putting in another set of guages, that you can pick up from ebay for relatively cheap.

Maybe if you can tell us some more about it, someone better at this than me can help you out.

 

Thank you, I think that's what i'm trying to say it hits a wall at 80 and after 80, the engine sounds like it's at it's max and theirs no more power. Under 80 it's o.k., but eventhough the engine sounds like it's maxing the exhaust isnt that loud like I think it should be.

 

your problem is the L03 with 200,000 miles on it.

rebuild it or get a new motor.

or it's gonna be a gutless wonder

 

I guess your right and i'm not trying to find power where there is none but I was checking my trans level yesterday and it doesnt look burnt but theirs bubbles in there, is that normal?

 

Has some one switch tachs in there or motors? sounds like you have a V6 tach on a V8 motor....

 

No possible way 80MPH is going to hit 6k in 4th. With my old 700R4 I'd shift out of second 65MPH 5500 RPM possible 80 might be 6k I doubt it. Manualy shift each gear from a dead stop and make sure its hitting them all. My truck runs 4400RPM at 75 and thats 4.56's with a 1.00 3rd gear.

 

Sounds like your tach is FUBAR. Hook another tach up & check your rpm.

 

My old GP had a tach that read double what it was supposed to. Idle cold was 2000. I thought the tach was fine, but when I drove a newer GP with the same engine, the tach read HALF what I was used to. I lived with it, but it was funny being able to red-line the gage at half throttle. Too lazy to fix it, and that car is getting donated to charity anyway.

 

that hitting the wall feeling can be a clogged cat.