I got a quition for you all 2.8v6 owners out there including me....I just got mine a couple weeks ago and have not got my licens yet...any time soon as soon as i get a job for insurence do they have enough power to burn out? in dry weather and powerbreaking?? Plz dont flame on me ...if you find this stupid quition

 

With 130K on your car, I'd go easy if your trans ins't rebuilt. And you probably have a one-legger, so what's the point. Doing something stupid could cost you more than it's worth.

BUT, as for burning out, I haven't tried it in mine yet. I was stupid years ago and almost got a reckless driving ticket and a $300 fine for doing it.

 

Throop, welcome to the board! And here's my #1 recommendation: Do the following major tuneup. And yes, I mean ALL of it. I've had a few people write me, saying how they were never able to do a burnout, but after the tuneup, they were.

Plus it just makes sense to do this to ANY car after you first get it. You can't tell about the previous owner's maintenance, so might as well do the maintenance on EVERYTHING possible. And if you don't know sht from shinola about cars, the manual I mention in the tuneup will walk you thru this tuneup. Remember: Do it ALL! (Not just plugs and wires and the air filter)

And the #2 reason for doing a major tuneup: You'll learn a TON about the car, especially if you've never worked on one before.

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Tom P's Major Tuneup Info: 3rd gen (82-92) F-body series

Here's the Major Tuneup stuff- this covers alot more than a garage would do for you, and it'll wind up to be cheaper (or at least the same price)! First, buy a Haynes 82-92 Firebird (or 82-92 Camaro) manual.. they're about $15 from any auto parts store. I like them alot better than the Chilton's manuals (which aren't what they used to be 25 years ago). And of course, the ultimate manual is the GM Service Manual, available from http://www.helminc.com - I paid about $60 for mine back in 1994.

Replace: Distributor cap/rotor, spark plug wires (use aftermarket), spark plugs, air filter (use K&N replacements), PCV valve, fuel filter, engine oil/filter, auto trans fluid/filter (or manual trans gear lube), and rear axle gear lube (use limited slip additive if required). Check and reset the timing to stock specs (in Haynes manual). Check and reset the TV cable if you have an automagic (in Haynes manual). Do a lube job and get an alignment done- the car will go faster "easier" if the front wheels are straight. Buy a can of "Intake and Throttle Body Cleaner for Fuel Injected Engines" by Gumout (yellow or gray can, with a red cap), and follow the can's instructions to clean out your intake. DO NOT USE CARB/CHOKE CLEANER- this removes the protective coating fuel injected engines have. Put a bottle of injector cleaner or my "red magic" (STP Gas Treatment) into a full tank of good gas.

It's also a good idea to replace your coolant, check your brake fluid level and p/s fluid level, check the belts, and check your brakes while you're at it.

Call Summit Racing at 800-230-3030 for a free catalog, then you can pick and choose a spark plug wire set and get your K&N air filter(s). (You can also find this stuff through their website, at http://www.summitracing.com , but it's not as thorough as the catalog.) When you leaf thru the catalog, you WON'T SEE any parts listed for a 2.8l v6 - you need to call them and ask them for part #'s/availablility. (Same goes with exhaust, etc.) If you're like me, and can't want to wait for the catalog in the mail, call them and order one anyway! Then, go to their website, at http://www.summitracing.com , look up their ignition wires, decide on a brand, and give them a call for a part # and price.

But definately do a tuneup first... you'll see the best improvment from the "fun" parts when your car is in good running condition.

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

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There ya go! Any questions, just ask us.

 

Oh..Yea i want to get a tune up asap....I dont have much money right now...because im a pore teen..with parent that want me to grow up and lurn from my mistakes..so they dont give me much money for a car...Thinks for all you say so tom..One day im want a 350 but for now i guess it will do..oh yea one more quition..my car smokes when i start it not that it needs oil or nothing because i just changed the oil and air fileter and oil filter its by the exaust manifold...i think that i have to get new seals..and crap. can you tell me what i need and how much money to do it..i can pritty much do it my self..im good with stuff like that..but i just would like to know what you have to say first i dont want to go riping in to it if i dont know exact whats wrong got me?...well thinks for you help and future help!

 

Welcome to the boards!

Yea, I would definitely go ahead with that full blown tuneup. Don't be like me, get the car and just concentrate on the appearance while the oil leak gets worse! I went about 6 months w/ a distributor o-ring leak thinking it was the rear main seal that was leaking (even 2 mechanics told me themselves it was rear main) until I read the Haynes manual and a couple of V6 guys' past oil problems, and sure enough, it was the o-ring! Found it myself! Only cost me about 15$ bucks to fix, could you imagine what the rear seal would be?

So, about that oil leak, does it smoke when it starts or when it has been running for a while? Mine never smoked when it started because it took awhile for the oil to drip down onto the hot exhaust pipes, making me look extremely stupid w/ my T-tops off, at a stop, and white smoke coming from the bottom of the car. I know the distributor o-ring and rear main seal are 2 trouble spots on 3rd gens, but as far as the smoking when it starts, I'm not sure about that one. Maybe somebody with more mechanical skills can help ya out there. Good luck w/ your car!

 

IT smokes after it runs for a couple minuts then..it makes me looks stupid ...yea like you said im defantly getting tinted windows if it keeps this crap up...lol..ill get it fixed when i get money and time..im still in school. cant do much to my car right now.. thinks for help keep replying

Adam Throop

 

Well, the great part about that tuneup I wrote up is that if you do it yourself, it'll cost a lot less than what a shop would charge. A friend I had used to get charged over $120 for a "tuneup" that was only spark plugs, oil/oil filter, air filter, fuel filter. I did a major tuneup on his '91 Firebird Formula for under $90, with the exception of changing his trans fluid/filter and rear axle fluid. 'Fact the distributor cap/rotor looked like the original '91 pieces! I told him never to go back to that shop!

It's probably the valve seals, if the smoke goes away after you the car runs for a bit. The valve seals dry up over time, and just like the distributor o-ring, get cracks in 'em. This lets oil drip down the valve stem when the engine's off. That oil puddles on top of the piston, and when you start the car, the oil burns off. To change the seals yourself you'll need a few out-of-the-ordinary tools.

You'll need an on-the-car valve-spring compressor. Normal off-the-car valve spring compressors look like a big C-Clamp... but they're for when you take the head off the engine. Valves have a few things on 'em... besides the valve, and the valvespring, and the seal, there's also "keepers", two V-shaped pieces of metal that fit into the top of the valve stem, and get wedged in when the spring is expanded. (I'm not explaining this well but It's 4:00AM and I'm too wired to sleep ) So you compress the spring, remove the keepers, and then remove the spring to get at the valve seal. Problem: Once the keepers are pulled, nothing keeps the valve in the head! The valve can drop right into the engine- and then you need to pull the head off to get it.

The usual garage solution involves a shop air compressor (about $250-$300 at Home Depot, get the best one you can afford, and it'll last you longer. Some tools need more air than others...), and a little fitting that goes into the spark plug hole. The mechanic locks the engine's flywheel down (to keep the motor from spinning), and then pressurizes the cylinder (thru the air fitting in the spark plug hole). This air pressure keeps the valves "up" so they don't fall in.

A method I've heard of, but haven't tried, just involves lots of thin rope, like for a clothesline. The procedure goes something like this: You spin the motor by hand (using a breaker bar (long ratchet, without the ratcheting part) and a socket on the crankshaft pulley, turn it only clockwise!!) to bring the cylinder you're working on down to bottom dead center. Then you start threading the rope in thru the spark plug hole, as much as you can fit. When you can't fit any more rope thru that hole, you spin the engine by hand again, remember always going clockwise, and spin the motor slowly so the piston compresses the rope against the bottom of the head. This presses the valve into place. Then you remove the spring and keepers and change the seal and etc. Then, when done, you actually turn the motor counter-clockwise just enough to be able to pull the rope out of the spark plug hole- be careful not to break the rope, of course.

So it's a major pain in the butt. Good news is, that the valve stem leak won't kill the motor. Bad news is multiple, #1, the embarassment , #2, all that oil dripping thru the valves can gunk up the intake valve and exhaust valve, and restrict air flow.

You could try moving to an oil that's slightly thicker when cold, like a 10w30 as opposed to a 5w30. The 5 and 10 are the weight of the oil when it's cold. People want a thinner oil (5w30) so it flows easily when you start the car in winter... this helps reduce wear on the motor. A guy like me who's in a climate that doesn't always drop to sub-zero can run 10w30 (and I do). So with thicker "cold" oil, you can reduce some leaks, but it's not a wonder-fix.

 

HEy thinks tom and everybody els...I pritty much got all the tools to do it...My step dad and my real dad have tones of tools so if i need some they will let me barrow them..if my dad dont have somthing my step dad does..so thinks for your help ill prolly fix my valve seals in a couple weeks..but for now its all gravy..hehe.thiniks again

adam throop

 

hey tom...where can i find valve seals...i've heard that they have been discontinued...you know of any place i can get some...cause i need to replace mine too...thanx...

 

With the tuneup youll do a burnout no problem. i can rip tires like there going out of stlye in my car. If you want to go all out get Accel 8.8 wires, cap n rotor. Bosch +4 plugs do make a big difference Bosch +2's are just as good as well. With that kinda milege id put the better plugs in it to make it run as good a i possibly could.

 

Discontinued by GM???

I got a set of valve seals in my 3.4L master engine kit. I think they were from Fel-Pro...try them.

 

ok...i'm pretty sure i found them on autozone.com...would they be referred to as valve stem seals...because for 18 bucks...i don't think they're for tire valve stems...thanx

 

Yeah, those are right. $18 sounds reasonable.

 

Yeah, I doubt they'd be discontinued. Early 2.8's used o-rings for the valve seals, later 2.8's used umbrella seals that worked better. I forget what, if anything, is needed to convert o-ring seals to the better umbrella style. I'm pretty sure the Gen II 2.8's (front wheel drive MPFI 2.8's) used the umbrella seals, so they should definately still be made.