This is a continuation of my earlier Torque Converter post but its a new topic so I figured I'd post it.. Tom, you mentioned it sounded like my ignition is running weak? How's this sound to you... I was driving today and pulling into a parking lot, I had the car held in first...after I stopped to pick up someone, as I pulled out I had NO mid-range power...I kept giving it gas and it kept bogging down until it got wound up and then sharply accelerated..did this like 5 times in a row every time, I tested it. Then about 5 minutes later, I was going down the street in Overdrive running my A/C because it was hot (earlier I was in 1 w/o AC), and when I braked up to a stoplight the car stalled abruptly. It NEVER stalls on me..NEVER, not since I replaced the fuel filter. Sound like ignition to you guys?

 

It sounds more like fuel pump, as that is what mine acted like.

Ignition....
You're dead.

Fuel pump is a long lingering death......

 

No not a fuel pump. I have that problem too with bogging until you get up to 2500. IF IT where a fuel pump it would GET WORSE with more RPM due to fuel rail pressure drop. The stall was probley from a sluggish IAC. I've tryed a full tune up even got a new O2 sensor, TPS, MAP senosr no luck. I have a GM blaster MSD coil now but i'm getting a blaster 3 coil and I think it will solve my leaky coil problem plus give me 15,000 more volts then stock. MY goal is to get rid of this bogging crap.

My logic behind it is that when you load the engine when accelerating. Cylinder pressure (fuel / air mix) is at it's maxium , making the resistence higher on the plug gap. So when you have a weak coil (one thats leaking) or leak to ground some where it becomes an easier path for the electricty then the plug.

 

Would the old open the hood at night time trick help?
Can always put a fuel pressure gauge on the car to test.

 

I would guess it to be the pickup coil acting up. sounds to me that the timing is jumping around until it hits up enough then smooths out. If it is the pickup coil- things will get worst pretty quickly. The motor will sputter and lunge almost as if you are low on fuel. The pickup coil has direct relation to engine rpm advance, sounds like its jumping around at lower rpms.

 

sorry it's not the pick up coil, BRAND new for me. sorry it's not the chain.

 

i had a problem on my bird where it didnt wanna shift or it didnt wanna accelerate turned out i lost the high gears in my tranny and had to get it rebuilt.

 

AF, I think my pickup coil is shot because my TCC acts insane around 40 mph and my tachometer doesn't work properly. I'm getting the distributor rebuilt (hopefully) whenever I get the money, but I still need a new water pump and timing chain... So, if I put a timing light on it, should I be able to tell if it's jumping all around? (An inductive pickup light is what I need right?)

Also, relating to what you said about the pickup coil, sometimes my idle is nice and smooth with only a little shudder, but on certain days it's real rough..not like chugging, but like a vibration...

 

Nixon1 Just a normal thing with missing at idle. When I do my high output coil swap I'll let you know if it helps. You should see a little difference all the way around.

 

Dude, rebuild the distributor yourself, don't have it done. Costs you about $100, $60 for the holley module, $15 for the pickup coil, $20 for a new cap & rotor. Oh and $1.25 for a bag of 5 one-inch-inside-diameter o-rings for the distributor seal (found at Pep boys in the metal drawers by the lugnuts in the hardware aisle), or, buying the small block chevy distributor gasket. We've put many posts up on distributor rebuild, just do a search!

When my fuel pump died, I had to keep the engine at high RPM's to keep it running. Low RPMs = engine stalled. So I drove home from the racetrack in 2nd gear, with my buddy following me... when we came to a light, I did brakestands with my left foot on the brake, right on the gas, until I got home... good thing it was late at night with no traffic! Definately throw a fuel pressure gauge on it; couldn' t hurt.

 

TomP did your car have the fuel pump on the engine or tank??

 

His is the electric pump in the tank, I think after 1990 when the went to the 3.1L they used electric pump in the tank. So RPM won't help or hurt him. Electric pump dies or runs, no gray.

 

85 was the first year for the in-tank pump. All fuel injected F-bodies have an in tank pump.

 

I might just do that Tom.. Is there anything hard that I could mess up? Like if it's just like put part A here and screw in, put part B here and latch down, pop this out and pop this in...then it'd be no problem. Is this a 1-day job? Few more questions..what is the ignition module going to do for me? Should I replace the coil also?

 

Any electrical upgrade is always beneficial.
Gauge fits onto the hard line going to fuel injectors.

 

Now the question is whether to replace my failing ignition or my failing water pump first!! I figure water pump. If ignition fails, well, the car won't start. If the pump fails...kablooey.

NON-RELATED COMMENT: I just wrote a complaint letter to Summit...think they'll give me a discount or something? When the catback came in, the box with the clamps was crushed in and clamps were freakin everywhere.. That doesn't matter, I could care less about that, but my damn muffler was dented! I didnt return it because it's not very deep, so as far as I can tell it's not going to mess up the airflow... *** I hope not.

 

OF COURSE YOU CONTACT THEM.
IT was damaged in shipping.
You want customer satisfaction.
Contact them on Saturday.
MAKE SURE you get a reference number & the customer service guy name.
You still have package and shipping number on it?

 

Yeah, I still have all of it. I just looked at all the tubing carefully too and one's dented pretty bad. It's the cat to muffler pipe, and towards one end of it before the turn-down, it's got a square mash in an end of it...it's pretty bad. I'm going to have to send the entire package back. (DAMNIT!)

-Just called Summit..gotta tape the original package all up with duct tape I don't have, and then get Fed Ex to pick it up from the house.... Summit isn't gonna ship the new one until they get the old one though...so its gonna be like a week. My first purchase and I gotta return a 6 foot, 47 lb. package...great!

 

If you going to do your water pump, go ahead and get a timming chain from summit. Somebody here on the boards should have the part number.

 

Uh oh... that square "mash" near the back of the I-pipe is supposed to be there. It's flattened out so the bigger I-pipe can clear the tight spot between the track bar brace and the body of the car. I thought the same thing "what the hell, it's dented!!" until I had the pipe underneath the car... then I said "oh, i see!" Too bad I didn't see your message earlier, but at least you'll know when you get the next pipe.

I'll see if I can (a) get connected to the f'ing internet at home with my f'ing modem, and (b) take a picture of the spot I'm talking about.

 

Well man..where were you yesterday, Tom?? I just had the 47 lb. catback picked up by UPS today! Oh well..at least I'll get another Dynomax sticker (I stole the first one) and a non-dented muffler... AND I'm getting a gift certificate...that's going towards the timing chain. One of my tips came in today..I thought I ordered 2 of them when I freakin payed $32, but that was only for one! So now I gotta pay another $32 for the other. Ugh. Plus ANOTHER handling fee.

 

YEAH what's up with that handling FEE at summit. Man I ordered my blaster 3 coil and they charge like $8 bucks handling and shipping.

 

leaky coil and the slugish mid range that clears up once you get it reving means you need a tune up. whole 9 yards, cap rotor plugs n wires. even if it is not time ofr one. that is what it needs.

I went though all of that a while ago, just give her a good tune up.

TPS,egr,relays, fule pump psi, 3 coils everythig you can think of and al it needed was a good tune up. and im even back on my original coil.

 

I've tryed that already LOL, I have new A/C delco plugs with ACCEL 8mm wires, new cap, new rotor, new pick up coil, new module, timming is perfect, new fuel filter, new vacum lines. WHAT other parts could you change in a tune UP!!!! The best thing so far was the O2 sensor but it still is hesitent.

 

Wow..that's a hell of a list, Ryan!

 

That's why I always try to order a bunch of stuff at once... and their handling fee isn't really that bad, in my opinion. The stuff always hits my door in two days; for most places, you need to pay 2nd-day-delivery fees!

 

2 days?? Where ya live, Tom? My catback took 4 days out of the 3-4 days promised. The funny part is, my one little stinky exhaust tip took like 5 or 6 days!!