Hi Everyone!

I've just bought my '86 2.8 Camaro last wednesday, and I have two questions already.
The first one is: the clutch slips. What can I do with that? The Haynes manual says that there is a hydraulic clutch, which adjusts itself, so additional adjusting is not required, or impossible. Then what is the solution, do I have to buy a new clutch system, or what?
The second thing is, when I kick the gas pedal and release suddenly, the RPM stays in that value, and slowly starts to drop. The question again is the same: what is wrong, and how to fix that?

Thanks for your help guys,

Alf

 

I don't know that much about manual-transmission'd cars, but...

http://www.centerforce.com makes a clutch for the V6's, it might cost less than a "stock" clutch.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

Sounds like your clutch is on it's way out. My sugestion is not to drop the clutch until you can get it replaced. Have you noticed any growling noises when you shift into any of the gears?

The hydrolic clucth doesn't slip until the clutch is worn down to point to ware it can't adjust it's self any more. If you get it taken care of before the clutch goes BOOM it will be a lot cheaper.

With the stock clutch there is all ways a slight slip, but it is extreamly hard to notice unless you are racing. If you want to eliminate this slip go with the Center Force clutch. Be carefull in chosing which one to get. All ways keep you application in mind. If you get to extream of a clutch drive arouns town or in trafic will be a big pain in the *** . Do the reseach and in the end you will be happy.

 

hmmmmmm thats something i will have to consider becuz i am considering keeping the car a V6

 

So you mean that I need a new clutch... those are a little bad news for me, because it's very hard and expensive to get it in here...
By the way, it doesn't make any strange noise in any gear, it just slips so much, that it's very hard to drive the car.
Anyway, thanks for your help with this!

Any suggestions about the injector problem? I hope I don't need to buy a new one!

[This message has been edited by Alf (edited November 06, 2001).]

 

Well, you have 7 injectors (6 per cylinder, and one "cold-start injector"), and it doesn't sound like an injector problem. When you kick the gas pedal, is your transmission in gear? Is the car cold or hot? Is the floormat shoved far underneath the gas pedal?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

Well I would at lest get it inspected. Getting stranded becuase the clutch blew up is no fun. When mine went at lest I was only 10 miles away from home instead of the full 85 miles at work. That would have sucked. If I would have gotten it replaced before it went out it would have been cheaper, but instead the entire asymbly including the fly wheel had to be replaced. The broken pieces torn up the surface of the fly wheel. The kick in the head was it went out on a thursday and I was going to have it replaced that weekend. It couldn't hold out just one more day!!?? The good news is that with all stock parts it only costing me about $430.00 including labor. I never had to have a clutch replaced before and thought it would be a grand or more to have done. Man was I relieved!!

A clutch is kinda like your like brakes. No matter how straped for cash you are you have to replace them or the car ends up going no were fast.

 

guys, paying someone to put a clutch in???
why??
its not hard at all... me and my dad and my brother put a clutch in my 92 in a day's time... the hardest part was gettin the gearshift off... couldn't just take the **** off cuz someone (before me) epoxied a hurst shifter **** on the top of the stock shifter... and it wasn't bout to come off...
but seriously... save some money, buy the haynes book, and diy... and besides... it'll be some quality time with your car... hehehe

 

The transmission is in Neutral position, the engine can be either cold or hot, the same the effect. The floormat is also OK, the gas pedal can move freely. I also thought that the pedal is stucked or something, but I've checked, and it is not. That's why I asked that may be this is an injector problem. One more thing: the idle speed at normal engine temperature is around 1700 RPM. Is that correct for a V6? I've only had V8s earlier, and those are running lower.

 

Hopefully, this weekend we will have time to get the clutch out, and inspect what is wrong with that. May be we have to change only the wheel or something... If the whole thing is broken, I will buy somehow a new clutch system, and install that.
Thanks for the advices about this, guys!

Alf

 

The normal idle should be around 6-900, 1700 is a bit high. Might want to check for vacumm leaks, they can cause all sorts of strange problems.

I would say talk to Summit if you need a new clutch. They have plenty of choices for V6. I have a RAM clutch being shipped as we speak (type??).


Dale

------------------
1986 FireBird
2.8L MPFI
1/2 CAI
Gutted Cat, No muffler
Was 700-R4 --> Now T5
**** Great cars aren't bought, they're built ****

 

Thanks, we will check those vacuum hoses and links also.
I'm surprised about that 6-900 RPM normal idle, but if you say so, I believe you!

Summit? In their printed catalog, there isn't anything for V6s, if I remember well... I'll check that also.

Alf

 

[b]Summit never lists parts for the 2.8/3.1 V6 in their catalog.[b] However, if you call them and ask for a part that fits your application, they will get it for you! It says that at the bottom of every other page: "Don't see the part you need? Give us a call! We have millions of parts in stock!" Sorry if it seems like I'm being a jerk, but nobody ever calls Summit for a part #. You can even go to individual aftermarket websites, get a part #, and Summit will have a price on it. You want a 2.8 exhaust? Summit has it. K&N air filters, spark plugs, spark plug wires, shifters, etc; they'll have it.

It almost sounds like someone twisted the idle stop screw to "fix" some other problem with the car. You can tell if the screw has been played with. The idle stop screw is on the driver's side of the throttle body. It faces the firewall. If you move the butterfly valve to "Wide Open Throttle", you'll see how the screw props the valve open at idle. Look at the screw from the back of the throttle body. GM puts a silver "cap" over the screw so nobody can adjust it easily. If you see a screwhead, that means somebody went in there, and pried the cap off, and twisted up the screw.

Use this technical article to set your minimum idle speed: https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/tpimod2.shtml Let's see if another problem presents itself after this adjusment is made.

Good luck!


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

I don't understand why they don't list the parts for V6s. Are the V6s so rare in the world? Anyway, I'll give them a call, after I found out what I need.

Thanks for the info! I'm sure that the previous owner of this car wasn't a mechanical expert, if you know what I mean...
He was unable to maintain the car as it would be needed. I'm getting afraid about what is wrong with the car originally... May be on Monday I can tell you about it!

Thanks again,

Alf

 

Yeah the idle value he gave was correct. I would also definetly check for vacum leaks. After i replaced my vaccum resivor (sp?) my idle went from 1500 to 1000. I didn't get a chance to pick up a new vaccum hose to replae the brittle one, but I will do that soon and see if that helps drop it some more. Just check all of your vaccum hoses to see if they brittle or worn. Also check the plastic ones to. Jigle them a little bit if they brake they needed replacing any ways. Just make sure you have some spares on hand. Check your vaccum resivor to see if it is still mounted. On my '92 RS it was located under the battery, but some other years had them on the other side of the car. If it's under the battery a lot of battery acid leaks down and eats away at it.

I'm not sure if the '86 is speed density or MAF. If it is speed density I know vaccum is verry important to the proper function of the car. The MAp sensor uses it to calculate engine load and how much fuel needs to be delivered. with a leak it gets kinda funny.

They don't list the 2.8L and 3.1L parts becuase there more V8's out that pepole are trying to hop up. Sence Summit does mostly racing type stuff thier bigger market is with the V8 owners. Less money spent on advertising on V6's is less money wasted. Thier tech line is verry good . In fact it is the best I have seen. Better then all of the computer tech support senters I have worked in. These guys know thier stuff!

[This message has been edited by BitchinRS (edited November 09, 2001).]

 

Here we go again... Yesterday I tried to set the minimum idle, but I couldn't. The adjusting screw is out of the range of control, it is already set to the lowest position.
Now it is sure, that I have some vacuum leaks, now I just have to find them...

 

might want to check the tps sensor and make sure that is ajusted properly. I never did antything to my sensor and somehow the the ecm was reading it 2% open. That 2% caused a slightly higher idle in my 90 firebird. I'm asuming the same should be the same for the 86 camaro. I'm pretty sure, that on my 86 the voltage should be 1.45 +/- .04 volts with the throttle completely closed. (Check this voltage b 4 changing anything its been a while) There are three wires going to the sensor. One is a 5v in another is a ground. The third sends a variable voltage to the ecm based on throttle position. Check the voltage on the one to the ecm. Not sure which color. You could unplug the sensor with the key on and see which one it is. You want to check the voltage on the one that isn't the ground and doesn't read 5 volts. Plug the sensor back in and check the voltage on that wire. If the voltage is off adjust it until it is right. BTW your camaro uses MAF and not Speed Density. The sensor is between the snorkel and the throttle body.

 

Thanks, I'll do that!

 

Idle - 0.54v
WOT - over 4v (?)

Dale

------------------
1986 FireBird
2.8L MPFI
1/2 CAI
Gutted Cat, No muffler
Was 700-R4 --> Now T5
**** Great cars aren't bought, they're built ****

 

hey man,i had that same exact problem, get out your hanyes manual and adjust your tps (throttel postion sensor) thats what was wrong with mine. be carefull those bolts like to break off though, i ended up have to buy new throtle body with tps on it from a junkyard and adjusting that one. mine was way out of spec anyways. all you need is a multimeter