We've got this 1987 Camaro 5 speed v6, its got 175,000 KMs on it, and we picked up for cheap because it needed a new fuel pump. The previous owners also included motor mounts (yet to be installed) and warned us that it had a vibration problem. While getting the fuel pump installed the tech told us the engine mounts looked fine. It also had no muffler on it (which doesn't help the vibrations and noise). We did most of a very badly needed tune up, and this helped the vibration problem a bit as well as made it a lot quieter. We got it back and drove it for a while until the shaking cracked the bellhousing! We assumed the problem was something to do with the fly wheel. Since then this is what we have done:

- Replaced bellhousing, resurfaced flywheel, replaced all clutch parts and replaced the harmonic ballancer. This helped quite a bit. It now had a mild vibration at idle and at low rpms but up around 3000 rpm it violently shook until you were at about 4000 or so.

- Finished the tune up. All it needed was the distributor cap and rotor. The old one looked pretty beat up. This helped even more and there is barely any vibration at idle and the overall noise level went down. Engine is smooth and tight up until 3000 rpm again but then has a bad to violent shake but this time only till about 3500 rpm. The motor still back fires a lot when down shifting or coasting.

We also got a code reader to test the code it had been throwing and its code 32, an EGR sollenoid problem. It smells like its been running a little rich (although this might be from the lack of catalytic converter). The vacuum lines look beat up and some were even duct taped by the previous owner. Another thing that was just recently brought to our attention was that we might not have gotten the correct flywheel. The tranny guy said a flywheel from any 2.8 will work, but I just read on this forum that pre 85's had a different engine ballancing design. As far as the motor mounts go, I grabbed the main pully at the crank shaft and threw my weight around at the engine and the only thing that gave way was the suspension... I think I've heard of motor mounts being warn out and too stiff though.

Could the EGR and vacuum lines be what is behind this problem at this point? It has always been reluctant to start as well (takes a quick stab or two of the gas pedal to get it going). I've read that the EGR problem might be responcible for the reluctant start as well.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

i would check and replace if needed the EGR and Vacuum lines but i do see them being the cause of massive vibration. Have you checked the driveshaft to see if somehow its unbalanced? That would be my guess. And as for the flywheel if you have the wrong one you WILL get massive vibration.

 

Alright, will do. So, just to be sure, the flywheel on my 87 2.8 MPFI has a neutral flywheel balance?

 

I just read on 60degreev6.com that in 1987 some had internal balance and that some didn't. How would I go about finding out if mines internal or not?


http://60degreev6.com/content/60%C2%BAV6_Family_Tree