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From Blaze Potman on 6 January 2004:
'85 chevy S-10
I bought this truck when the weather was still warm. Right off the bat
it started this deal where it would cut out for a half-second.
Sometimes it would only do it once, then other times it would do it
three or four times in a row. According to the guy I got it from it had
always done it. Now that it has has gotten down into single digit temps
it does it alot more. Especially when you get up to 55-60 mph, never
before. Had one person tell me it was the "ECG?" valve in my intake.
Which I suppose would make sense if it's not getting any air flow.
Because it just acts like the hp is cut in half and i loose rpms.
More recently I havn't even been able to get going over 45-50 mph,
without the engine light coming on, on the really cold mornings. Since
I've never heard of this thing and have no idea where to look for it at,
I really don't want to start tearing stuff apart. If you could tell me
if this is the problem or not I would like that better than going out
and buying a $25 repair book
That repair book might be able to help you fix your truck. But to answer your immediate question, it's not the EGR.
From John Strunk on 17 December 2003:
I have an idle problem (idle lopes/drops) only noticeable at park or at
a light. My vehicle is a 1994 Full-size Chevy Blazer, 4wd, 350ci with
76,000 miles. I have taken the vehicle to two highly regarded mechanics
and spent hundreds of dollars and they still have not identified my
problem. I have also purchased the original manuals from Detroit and
have done what I could. The problem started after I changed my cooling
system & thermostat (195 degree) then I changed the spark plugs, fuel
filter, pcv valve, spark plug wires, distributor & coil, O2 sensor, IAC
valve. The car produces no codes and both mechanics ran the san tool
with no codes and they both say the car is running fine. A compression
test was done and I was told it was normal (155-160 per cylindar). A
vacuum test done which shows a drop of 1/2-1 psi when you see the RPM's
drop from 200 to 100. The car runs fine on the parkway at 60-65mph, like
a cadillac (smooth). My father tested for a jumped or loose timing
chain, which was ruled-out. He believes it is possibly a sticking or
burned exhaust valve or bent push rod. Also, one of the mechanics
replaced the throttle body gasket and the EGR valve was checked
thoroughly. The car was checked for vacuum leaks from the intake
manifold. I would appreciate any help. Do I just run the vehicle and
wait to see if the problem gets worse?
Thank you
If the problem showed up after your tune-up, then most likely something in your tune-up caused it. I'd be suspicious of a wrong or defective PCV valve first, then maybe the IAC valve.
From Brooke Armstrong on 27 November 2003:
Hey there, the carb for my 355 is a 4 barrel double pumper. (much better) Just to
say I knew it....it all went together perfect. It's faster, louder, and sucks back
the gas, just what I wanted. Thanks alot*S*
Cool... definitely should be adequate for a 351, perhaps even overkill depending on the cfm.
From Brooke Armstrong on 3 November 2003:
Hi there,
I have a 355 engine ( the pistons were made bigger guess that gives it the extra 5)
anyway it is for my 85 chev 1/2 ton. I have an edlebrock manifold that will fit the
block and a two barrel double pumping holly carb. I was told today that if I was too
put that together the carb would flood itself because the engine isn't big enough.
Is that true and couldn't I just set my jets to balance out with the engine. Know
what I mean? I just want it in there and I think everyone is lying to me cause I am
a woman*S*thanks
You sure it's a 2-bbl carburetor? Seems small for a 355. Even a 4-bbl should be just fine on a 355, unless it's some massive thing. It'd be helpful to know the cfm of the carb, but in any case, you're probably right that it can be tuned to match the engine. And never forget, sometimes people aren't lying to you 'cause you're a woman -- sometimes they're just idiots.
From Jeff Baugus on 28 October 2003:
Technology can be a beast, we have done several 350 sb swaps into Chevy S10's.
Our latest venture has been on a 95 Sonoma, fitting it with a 96 LT1 with the
attempt to keep the fuel injection. We are having problems with the fuel getting
into the oil pan, we have checked and replaced the injectors with no luck of solving
the situation. I know that their is an intake manifold for the LT1 that will accept
a carburetor but I'm not sure about the optispark. Can I convert this fuel injected
monster into a carb and HEI?
Thanks
While I sympathize with the challenges of modern-day engine swaps, I doubt your solution will be satisfactory. By giving up the EFI, you'll sacrifice driveability, fuel economy, and power, and surrendering much of the LT1 aftermarket as well. If you're bringing over all of the LT1's electronics, then you ought to be able to find and repair the defective components just as well as you could have while the engine was still in the donor car.
From Bryan Baxter on 6 August 2003:
Hello, I'm trying to help my dad out. He doesn't have access to the
net. He has a Yenko engine with a brass plate that has a serial number
on it. Is there some sort of Yenko database he could use to find out
what year the engine was made?
Thanks for the help
I have no doubt that there's a Yenko club out there somewhere, but I don't have any information about them.
From Fred Clan on 26 July 2003:
trying to remove the fan, fan clutch from a 97 chevy v6 in an astro van. Any hints
on how to hold the pulley in place while you turn the clutch nut to take it off?
That's always a bugger, isn't it? Try your luck with a vise.
From Terence Friedrichs on 19 June 2003:
Hi
I am busy trying to resurrect a headlamp motor from my 87 vette, they
cost a fortune in this part of the world [UK]. The manual (Hayes) that I have
is fine, as long as you do not open the motor. I have rewired the motor
and it runs well, however when connected to the car the headlight opens,
and will not close. In the motor there appears to be a small diode, or
some sort of technical bit, that I think has something to do with
reversing polarities. Do you have any suggestions or knowledge of a
manual that will actually show the detail.
Thanks
Unfortunately for you, stuff like that is not considered serviceable here, so you're pretty well on your own. Even the factory service manual will only show a picture of the motor and tell you to replace it. You can probably get a U.S. company to mail you a new motor, or if you want, we'll do it for you. But if you get it working on your own, I hope you post the results online for others to use. Quite a project!
From Ken Admire on 29 May 2003:
Hello.
My son has a 1971 Chevelle Malibu 307 V8 with a Rochester 2GV (1-1/4) 2 bbl
carburator on it.
The car runs fine in the summer when it's warm but not so well in cooler
weather. It has a beat up after market manual choke that isn't installed
very well. I would like to install an electric choke on it but am told that
one is not made for this model carburator anymore. Is there only one type
that will fit a particular carburator? Thanks for any info you might have.
Sounds like rubbish to me; you should be able to find something that works. One suggestion: pitch the crappola choker carb, get a 4bbl carby and aluminum intake. Make sure the new carby has electric choke. Solves the choke problem AND gets that engine of yours to breathe better.
From Jordan French on 27 May 2003:
Hey, i've got a 69 C-10 with a 400 small block in it(engine swap) and i was
wondering what the best way to go was for a racing transmission? I was thinkin one
of the 350's but my dad says that a 700 is the way to go. Is either one of us right?
Any advice would be appreciated
A later TH700R4 is decent, but the TH350 is probably stronger, and a TH400 stronger still.
From Anselm Pauls on 25 May 2003:
1967 corvette 435 hp 427ci tripower
A friend of mine owns the above mentioned corvette and it's got aluminum
bolt-on-wheels. He is not 100% sure if they are original. How do you
check on that?
Seems to me you'd need to have the original invoice. Or, if they weren't something that would show up on an invoice, then you'll just have to do some research to find out what kinds of wheels could have been on the car. Then you'll know whether they could be original, but you'll never know for sure whether they are.
From Ray Welch on 18 May 2003:
I have a '87 chevy truck that won't run. I have replaced the fuel pump
and fuel relay, and injectors. If I pour gas down the carb it will run.
Do you have any suggestions on what is wrong and how to fix it?
You don't mention the fuel filter. Wouldn't that be a kick in the pants if it's clogged. By the way, you can't have injectors AND a carb. It's either carbureted or fuel injected. Not both.
From Andrew Lewis on 14 May 2003:
I have a high-rpm problem. When I put my engine under a load (like
highway use over 4000 rpm) it begins missing like it's starving for fuel.
Then it starts backfiring and popping before it completely stops running.
If I let off it it comes back to life (until I go back to WOT). If I keep
my foot on it while it's doing the missing, it eventually just slows down
to almost a stop. Here's my vehicle info:
1988 S10 Blazer
350 SBC 9:1 c/r
Sportsman II heads
Crane Cam (pretty radical)
Edelbrock Performer RPM intake
Edelbrock 600cfm with #1466 high-flow needles and seats
Recommended insulator gasket and recommended air cleaner
Holley Red fuel pump
Turbo 350 trans/3:48 rear
Pertronix HEI with Accel plugs and wires
Hedman Headers
I run fuel pressure at the recommended 5psi and I've adjusted the floats
a million times. The engine is in tune pretty good timing wise. I put the
1466's in the carb and I got a little higher rpm out of it before it went
nuts. I have no vacuum leaks. I also have a stock 402 BBC with the same
carb on it (only alot older) and it too stumbles at WOT. I've tried every
step-up spring and no difference. Could it be the carb is too small??
Jets?? I'm pulling my hair out with this problem and Edelbrock parts
aren't cheap.I also tried the off-road needles and seats and it wouldn't
run at all! I verified that the needles are opening up right and the
floats are per instructions (7/16" and 15/16"). HELP!!!
Hummm, actually, I was wondering how your ignition is holding up. Got a nice strong spark even under load? Plugs are right for the car, gapped correctly? Coil up to snuff? It sure sounds like your ignition may be having some trouble keeping up with the load.
From 99th Towns on 20 April 2003:
I am trying to refinish an interior to a 76 which has the original standard
door panels on it. My problem is that the NOS's want to sell me and are
telling me that my panels come with the basketweave. The OEM's on this Vette
are plain inserts: no basket weave, wood, or black insert. They are telling
me that such a panel does not exist. My Vette was one of the later MY
productions built I understand that at times they (GM) make changes on the
fly at the assembly plant. Where do I go from here?
If you're absolutely certain that your panels are original, then maybe you can persuade one of the companies to start making reproductions. You'd probably have to document it though, so start bringing your camera to car shows. Otherwise, find a place willing to do custom work and have a couple panels made to your specification.
From William Barrentine on 17 April 2003:
Good morning,
I own a 1986 Corvette Convertible.
The left Headlamp Motor (Driver's side) has malfunctioned and I need a
replacement.
Do you have such motor and if so at what cost?
I NEED HELP
I still don't sell car parts, but you may want to check with Mid-America Designs, Eckler's, or Zip Products, all of which specialize in Corvette parts.
From the 21st West Coast Chopper on 14 April 2003:
if i wanted to supe up a 1995 chevy conversion van with a 350 how would i go
along doing so. where would be a good source to buy the parts from.
Although the Chevy 350 engine is rare, you'll occasionally see articles about modifying it in magazines such as Car Craft and Super Chevy. Also, Summit Racing and Jeg's High Performance still maintain a selection of parts for these engines.
From Corey Fields on 1 April 2003:
I'm the 'proud' owner of a 1986 Chevy Silverado C10
pickup. It's a hand-me-down from grandpa. It sports
the notorious 305 and all I can think about is "How
can I make this thing kick?". It's a carburated engine
and I know there's a number of simple, bolt-on things
I can do. But what's holding me back it the presence
of this damned black canister that, one way or
another, attches to ever part under the hood. What the
hell is it, and how can I get it out of the way?
Sounds like the vapor caniser to me, an emissions component. You can remove it if you're not in an emissions state. Just be sure to plug all the vacuum lines (chances are a whole bunch of them are broken already). Probably the best way to extract performance from the 305 is to strap it in the bed of your truck while you drive around with your new 350 under the hood. Not to be a cynic or anything.
From Robert Gibson on 17 March 2003:
Can you suggest any other cars that would be good for the LT1?
I don't have my heart set on a Caprice, I just thought that might be the easiest way
to go. Also, do you have any tips on swapping out such a powerful engine?
Well, an LT1 is basically a smallblock Chevy with a few interesting tweaks (reverse cooling, optispark, etc.) so it can be made to fit in pretty much anything that'll take a Chevy 350.
An F-body would be a cinch (especially a 4th gen, which came with an LT1 to begin with). Fieros have been done though I don't know how involved this is. If you like British you could find a Jag with a buggered engine. If you like 1980s muscle you could get it into a pre-89 Monte Carlo without too much trouble. Of course almost any GM truck will take it, and it should fit into any 1960s/70s GM musclecar you please. A 1963-67 Corvette is probably too expensive, even the scrap parts are worth money on those things, which is a shame coz an LT1-powered '67 roadster would be sweeeeet. For the sleeper effect I'd do an early-80s Malibu or a mid-80s Caprice Wagon. You could also probably really wake up any of the 1980s Cadillac sleds.
As far as swapping out a powerful engine, I guess I'm not entirely sure what you mean. The engine swap itself naturally doesn't care how powerful the engine is. If you mean beefing up the rest of the car, it depends what you put it in really.
From Robert Gibson on 15 March 2003:
I need to swap an LT1 from a beat up 1994 Cop Caprice into a better body.
Any suggestions as to what kind of car would be good for the LT1? Obviously,
I'd like to get abother Cop Caprice with no motor. Thanks for any
suggestions.
Sure, I'd use one of the squared-off pre-1991 Caprices, just because I'm not crazy about the 1991-96 whale Caprices.
From Grease Monger on 6 March 2003:
i just put a shift kit in my th400 and now if i put in any gear it goes
forward....in neutral it goes forward and in reverse too. can you please
help or point out anybody who can. thanks.
Sounds to me like you messed something up. Time to start taking it apart, checking each step in reverse order, to see where you made a mistake.
From Jenny Miller on 19 January 2003:
We are looking for spare parts to convert a marine engine to a 89 Chevy
1500 extended cab and we were wondering if you could help. Please email
us back @ jendream9@aol.com Thanks Jenny
What's to convert? A Chevy is a Chevy for the most part.
From Richard Harmeling on 11 January 2003:
I have a 1980 EL Camino that I think had a V6 engine originally and when I
bought it I had a 350 V8 engine put in it. The problem is the Tachometer
doesn't read properly. I have taken the tach out and looked for anything
that would tell me about the selection for a V6 OR V8 and there is nothing
visible. The Tachometer shows a much higher RPM than it should and as the
engine speed increases, so does the error of the gauge. There is a
Tachometer filter (inline as originally installed). I also have a 1980
Cutlass with factory Tachometer and it has a jumper for proper selection.
Do you have any idea on how to adjust the factory Tachometer that I have for
this El Camino (original factory installed with the correct circuit board on
back of dash and Tachometer Wiring Harness)?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanking you in advnce for your time and efforts, Richard.
I'd suggest a different filter. There may also be an adapter available.
From Stuart Grey on 11 December 2002:
Dear Sir
We are a British company specialising in CNG/LPG gas conversions. We are at
present converting a Chevy K1500 5.7 1997(vin [removed]), using a
sequential vapour injection system. If your service department could help
with a question I would be most gratefull. On the top of the inlet manifold
there is a plug that connects the petrol injectors and is marked A B C D E F
G H would it be possible to give us a diagram of the plug showing wich
letters or wire colours are allocated to wich petrol injector, or even a pin
out of the Delco ECU showing the petrol injetor connections. As I said I
would be most gratefull.
Yours Sincerely
I think it's great what you guys are doing, but I don't have any information that would help you. The best I can offer is to buy a service manual on your behalf and ship it to you.
From Eric the Saint on 18 November 2002:
I was wondering what magazines would have information on doing cool things to
a 99 Chevy Malibu LS. I have only found info at one place but its nowhere
near me. I live in New Jersey. I need to find magazines on who can paint
it good, who can put a nice body kit on after they show me which ones they
have, also want to find out who sells aftermarket high performance parts for
it Thanks
Eric
Not exactly a popular performance car there. The magazine most likely to cater to you is GM High-Tech Performance, but even there the pickings will be slim. You're gonna have to do some real legwork for that one. Any competent paint shop should be able to paint it and install a body kit, though it'll be a trick finding a kit for your car. As for performance parts, you're better off focusing on the individual components (engine type, trans type) rather than hoping there is something specifically engineered for a Malibu.
From Jodi Gibson on 13 November 2002:
I have a 79 383 stroker with 1.6 roller rockers and a solid lifters with
a 400 crank. It has a high performance rv cam. i need to know the valve
clearance.
Thanks
Yep, that'd be good to know. You should probably figure that out.
From Al Lepinsky on 5 November 2002:
MY NAME IS AL AND I BOUGHT A 1981 MONTE CARLO V-6 (WITH A FACTORY INSTALLED
BUICK ENGINE) TURBO FOR NEXT TO NOTHING LAST SUMMER. ALL ORIGINAL WITH
MATCHING NO'S AND ONLY A FEW MINOR PROBLEMS. MY DILEMA: NO ONE (INCLUDING THE
GM RESEARCH DEPT.) SEEMS TO HAVE ANY INFO ABOUT HISTORY, PROD #'S, ETC. GM
ACKNOWLEDGES IT WAS BUILT BUT "IN VERY LIMITED NUMBERS". CAN YOU HELP WITH INFO
ON PROD. #'S, HISTORY, POTENTIAL VALUE, ETC.?
Sorry Al, but if you hadn't had that GM admission of guilt, I would never have agreed that such a vehicle existed. Good luck on your search!
From Paintball Dave on 21 October 2002:
Hey, i was wondering if you know what a problem that could be wrong wiht my
car...WHen you do constant speed either ideling in gear with teh car doing like
5 MPH or when yoru doing constant speed around 30 MPH the car like hesitates and
jerks. Its feels like its misfiring...I took it into the local Chevy dealer and
they said i needed NEW plugs and wires, yet like 2 weeks before i had just put
in Bosch Platinum + 4s in with new wires. They said that that was the problem,
so i bought my 3rd pair of wires and it helped it a little bit but not totally.
My question for you is what do you think it could be and could it be the things
that the wires go to needs to be fixed. Its not a tradtitional distributer
cap, its like a column of 6 things that the wires go to with 3 block liek
things on the left of it. Do you think that that could be the problem and if
so how much would that cost. Thanks for your time...
Try putting normal spark plugs back in, gapped properly -- not all cars respond well to the fancy plugs (I've seen this before). It's not likely to be your coil packs (those 3 block like things).
From Chris Atkinson on 16 October 2002:
Do they make lowering springs for a 72' Monte Carlo? I have only been able to
find springs for a 78' or newer! Any help would be appreciated thanks!
I doubt it. A speed shop might be able to help you find someone capable of safely modifying yours, or maybe one of the suspension manufacturers would be interested in working with you to design new ones.
From Country and Stuff on 8 September 2002:
will 1973 chevy nova fenders fit on a 1969 chevy nova?
Doubtful.
From Keystone Roxann on 28 August 2002:
I have a 1998 Chevy Blazer 4x4. The wipers on this thing seem to do
whatever they want. When they are on and then turned off they randomly keep
wiping formaybe 8-15 more passes. Sometimes they just stop working for up
to 7 minutes. I know there must be a device that controls the wipers but am
unable to find out what and where it is in any of the available manuals.
Auto parts stores don't seem to have any luck finding this part either. Can
you offer any insight into this??
The wiper controller is likely to be a dealer item. Take it to a Chevy dealer, or a good independent mechanic, and see if they can sort it out.
From Tim Marshall on 23 August 2002:
Yeah i am a owner of a 95 geo prizm and i really want to have cold air intake
but i am having a hard time finding one that will fit my car so if you have ne
suggestions please let me know
You'll probably need to build your own. It's not hard; figure out where the cold air is and design some plumbing to get to it.
From Frank from Linden on 18 August 2002:
i was wondering if you can help me?
i am looking for all castings and specs on chevy smallblock heads. and i
am also looking for s block chevy transmision castings any imfomation
would be great.
Go to Amazon.com or Classic Motorbooks. Both are likely to carry a book all about Chevy casting numbers.
From Marymargaret Comeaux on 12 August 2002:
Hi there,
I am told there was a Yenko engine of which only 11 were made. It was aluminum.
Were there 11 and if so, what is the number identification? Where are they and
how what would be the cost to own one, if available? Thanks.
MM
Yenko built high performance Chevy cars, but he pretty much used off-the-shelf parts. I don't know of any Yenko-specific aluminum engine. You may be thinking of one of Chevy's aluminum engines, which are pretty rare, and fantastically expensive. If you just want an aluminum engine, there are several aftermarket companies that will hook you up.
From Coon Dog Josh on 4 August 2002:
hey ya'll, this is josh from georgia, i got an 85 chevy short box, 4x4, its
got a 350 in it with a 700r4 tranny, auto. i hate the tranny. its slow as
crap plus its automatic. im workin on my truck, fixin it up a little as i
go. i want a manual transmission in it. how hard should this be and what
all will i have to do?? how long should it take and is it posssible?? and if
ya'll could, give me some links on a few other pages that mite have some info
on this kinda stuff to, cause where there's a will, there is a way. thanks
guys, josh
Yeah, you can do it, grab a T-5 out of a Camaro. You'll probably need a custom crossmember and a custom driveshaft, but otherwise it shouldn't be too much hassle. Or better yet, grab that 350 out of your honker truck and put it in the Camaro.
From Jason Ludewig on 16 July 2002:
Hello,
My dad and I recently began a project to install a new engine in our 1987 Chevy
Monte Carlo LS. We are planning on putting in an '85 Chevy 305, and were hoping
to do away with the large amount of smog electronics. But we were informed that
doing this may cause a disagreement between the engine and the transmission. So we
also looked into the possibility of swapping out the old automatic for a Muncie M-20,
but have so far had little luck in finding information on do such a procedure. If
you could show us any back issues, web sites, or other materials on doing this please
e-mail us as soon as possible. Any little bit of help at all is appreciated.
Thank You
Well, I hate to discourage you from putting in the Muncie, because YOU NEED A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. But to be perfectly honest, the stocker slushbox won't have a clue what the emissions controls are doing (or aren't doing). Remove them without worry. Then put in the Muncie anyway, or maybe a T-5 out of a Camaro.
From Jason Higginbotham on 29 June 2002:
hello my name is jason. i am buying a 70 series 1into exhaust flowmaster system for
my 1996 ext cab chevy. the guy @ flow masters said he put his on in 1 hour . can this
be done @ homewithout welding it and it still be reliable. i do alot of interstate
travel and dependability is importan. thank you
and i appreciate your web page it is awesome.
An hour? No. An afternoon, maybe, if you know what you're doing. Bolting it in is just fine though.
From Greg Lucas on 23 June 2002:
I am thinking about buying a 1985 s10 truck. it needs a new balancer, the
individual that rebuilt the motor put the wrong harmonic balancer on it. my
question is, how difficult is this task. I'm handy with a wrench, but always a
little leery. i would appreciate any info regarding this.
I hope that individual was not family because that individual is a moron. Safely removing a harmonic balancer is best done with a special tool, and can be difficult. It's not rocket science, if you're up to it, but it's no oil change either.
From Larry Reilly on 20 June 2002:
can you tell me what is the real difference between a L48 350 ci and any
regular 350 ci engine.Corvette has allawys ment hi performance compare to
say an old chevy sedan etc. i am just curious people ask about the motor and
i cant really tell them anything other than it is a 350 ci 185 hp motor.
A very interesting question! I have no idea. Why not call an auto parts store, and check the part numbers for your car and, say, a 1978 Caprice, on some major engine components like cylinder heads, pistons, camshafts, and the like. At least then you'd know which parts are different, even if you still don't know HOW they're different.
From Jerome Hall on 25 May 2002:
I am writing in hope that you may be able to help me. I have a 72 GMC Short
Stepside with a 350/TH350 combination. I bought the truck and have found
the transmission to be very sluggish when I drove it home from buying it for
$1500.00. So far I have gotten rid of a huge mess of home made carburetor
cable brackets (tranny kickdown and throttle cable) and completed the wiring
required to start the engine now that it has an HEI disrtibutor (the prior
owner used to gator clip a wire from the battery to the distributor and he
shut the engine down by opening the hood and removing the wire.......little
too repetitive a process for me), set the timing and the engine now runs
beautifully.
I have realized the vacuum line from the TH350 to the back of the manifold
is missing. I am presuming that this is "not a good thing". The engine has
a Edelbrock Air Gap manifold, and I have read that I should not hook up the
tranny vacuum line to the vacuum port at the rear base of the carburetor,
but rather to the manifold itself.....i have to see if there is a vacuum
plumbing boss in the manifold. AND FINALLY my question arises..... if the
vacuum line is disconnected from the tranny and the truck is driven down the
road, what are the symptoms of doing this? I hope that by hooking this line
up I get rid of the sluggish shifting that is currently taking place.
No better way than to try it out. Just seeking some feedback.
Jay Hall
Our trans guy Art says: "The vacuum modulator will adjust the shifts based on the pressure differential it sees when its line is hooked up to manifold vacuum. When disconnected, it can think you are always at wide-open throttle and will adjust the shifts accordingly. The modulator failure (it threads into the side of the transmission) is common on them as well as a mis-adjustment. Cable adjustments are necessary. You can change the tranny shift points by adjustments."
From Chris Biello on 23 May 2002:
Hey you gotta help me or give some sort of advise....I swaped engines in a S-10 '95
chevy pickup to a "89 305 tune port f-code engine...no cold start injectors.. it goes
pretty quick...although at the track it runs a 15.2... I want to go faster without a
supercharger for a little while. i want the most power i can get out of it but i'm
lost on how to get it. I also noticed that it idle hunts at stand still but is fine
once moving...could the park nuteral safety switch have something to do with that or
the timing? I'm lost i want the most out of it and i'm so fusterated.....Please help
me
That 305 can make some power with a little work. Grab the latest Summit Racing catalog, or GM High Tech Performance magazine, for ideas in that department. As for your hunting idle, I'd wager the computer is looking for some sort of input that it's not getting. Make sure your transplanted engine has all of its sensors hooked up.
From Andrew Puppy on 22 May 2002:
1992 GM 4.9L V8
I was wondering if you know of any major problems with this engine and if there are
any mods worth putting on it?
Dunno much about that engine, which is a mixed blessing; I've never heard anything amazingly bad about it, but I'm not aware of a large aftermarket for it either.
From Danny the Ravioli Eater on 8 May 2002:
i have a 2000 chevy malibu and i can not find any coldair intakes for it.do
you know a way i could make one i just dont know how to do it.if you could
would you email me back
Definitely not going to find one off the shelf, pastaboy. But building your own isn't rocket science; get a sheet of gasket material, take some measurements, and go shopping at Home Depot Racer's Supply. It may not be pretty but sooner or later you'll figure out how to make it work.
From a small person with a big truck on 30 April 2002:
I have a 1995 GMC Sierra Z71 The simple question is that it will not shift
into 4x4. The shifter will shift all the way back but the indicator light
wouldn't come on. I checked to see if the front whells were turning and they
weren't. Could there possibly be somthing easy that I can check to fix it? I
have checked the wires and the linkage it seems to be ok. Can you help me?
If you've already checked the wires and the linkage, then it's not going to be something easy. Time for a real mechanic.
From Sherrie Mota on 23 April 2002:
Can you search for someone selling parts off of a 96
Chevy Blazer. I would really appreciate it. Thanks, S.M.
I could, but what would be the point? I don't need any Blazer parts.
From Frank Roxas on 13 April 2002:
Hey guys. Do you know of any performance suspension manufactures for full
size GM cars? This would include cars like the new Impala or the Buick
LeSabre. If you do, would you send me any information on how to contact
them. I would much appreciate it.
You guys got a pretty cool site. Keep it up.
Hi! Thanks for the compliments. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone making performance parts for the Impys and LeSabres. SLP has some goodies for the Grand Prix, so they might know where to go for the bigger cars. Otherwise just start contacting companies individually -- Eibach for springs, www.shox.com for Bilstein shocks & struts, ADDCO for sway bars. You may be able to piece something together on your own, with some
diligence.
From Ron Mucci on 24 March 2002:
Hello,
I drag race a 81 blown sm/blk chevy Vette. The front end is mainly
stock.
Can I put a big block Chevy (Merlin or Gen VI) block in the stock motor
mount location?
Also, would the dimension be the same from the motor mounts to where
the turbo 400 tranny bolts in?
I appreciate any and all help.
Ron Mucci "The Warlock"
www.warlockdragracingteam.com
As far as I know, you'll have to do some mods to get a big block in there. But I'm the wrong person to ask; get yourself a copy of Corvette Fever or Vette magazine and browse the ads for conversion specialists.
From Nicole Roshon on 19 March 2002:
Hello there,
I have a 1975 Chevy Vega Cosworth Production #79 with only 47k original
miles. When it was first purchased from the dealership in 75’ it had some
cosmetic blemishes and the dealership repainted the car. Other than that it
has never been wrecked or had any other kind of bodywork done to it. The
body is in excellent condition and after the years it could use another
paint job. I do some work with museums and auto dealers across the country
and have no need for this type of vehicle, but feel it should be in a museum
or sold to a real enthusiast. I am working on getting some pictures and
will forward them if the interest is there. Please let me know if you know
of anyone who might be interested in purchasing this vehicle. I appreciate
you taking the time to read this message.
Sincerely,
Nicole Roshon
www.ClermontWeb.com
PH: 513.625.0324
FX: 800.866.6293
Tell you what, how about you give me the car in exchange for all my scintillating articles that you've enjoyed reading for free on this website?
From Denise the Firefighter's Mom on 4 March 2002:
To whom it may concern,
I am looking for Lakester stainless steel headers for a small block Chevy
engine. Do you have any of these or can you direct me where to find them?
Please e-mail me at firefightersmom2001@yahoo.com. Thanks
Lakester headers aren't a brand; they're a style. Any decent street rodder shop ought to be able to hook you up. As for me, no, I don't have any, since I lack a lakester, a smallblock Chevy, and a parts store.
From Johnny Stepp on 4 March 2002:
I HAVE A 1978 MALIBU CLASSIC LANDUA
AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND A WEB SITE THAT TELLS ALL THE FACTORY
SPECS ON THIS CAR AND I CANT FIND ANYTHING. SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANY
WEBSITES I COULD GO TO I WOULD APPRECIATE IT
THANK YOU, JOHNNY
Hi Johnny. Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but what you have there is known as a piece of crap. Now, don't feel too bad, lots of cars that ultimately became popular "alternative" cars started out as pieces of crap. Just ask the AMC guys. But your Malibu is only just beginning the curve of non-crappiness and has a ways to go. Because of that, webpages dedicated to it are few. If you do a search for "78 Chevy Malibu" on a search engine you'll get a lot of hits to classified sites where people are trying to unload these things, but you'll also find a couple of enthusiast pages. As for factory specs, it's probably up to you to put that page together. Get some old car magazines, if you can find any that paid attention to the Malibu when it was new, and some vintage dealer literature, and put something together.
From Livia Petrus on 24 February 2002:
My Metro's engine turned off, after I had been waiting at a traffic light.
When green came, I accelerated as usually, and the engin shot down in the
middle of the intersection.
The car rolled forward, and when I tried to restart it, the engine sounded
like it was going to run regularly, but when the key was not turned any more,
the engine would also not turn.
Ironically, the lights for the battery and for gas were on when the car
stopped. However, the battery was new, and had been changed half an hour
before the incident.
The light for gas was on, even though the instruments were showing a half
full gas tank. Even though I got more gas and poured it in the tank, the
engine would not start, but only turned as long as I kept the key turned.
Now, when I turn the key, there is only an electric sound, and the engine
makes no noise. The sound can be heard in electric vehicles.
Please contact me at alomateck10@netscape.net if you can tell me what might
be wrong with the car.
Well for starters, you killed the battery by cranking the engine till it went "click". So you'll need to take care of that before you can pursue any other issues. As for what caused the problem in the first place, my guess would be a clogged fuel filter. Always start with the cheapest solution first.
From Chris Wood on 22 February 2002:
(sorry, this turned into a rant here)
I'm personally beginning on a project to build a car that has never
existed before, to my knowledge. A Chevette Limo.
I have had 7 of these cars, and have 3 left. Using the front portion of
a 1978 2 door, the rear section of a 1979 four door and a custom chassis
I'm still designing.
The vehicle, will consist of a rolling chassis and engine, indeppendant
of the body, using a rear end and leaf springs fom a 1988 Chevy S10, and
a 1980 Chevette 1600cc High output engine with the holley 5210 dual
barrel carb and the stock High Flow dual port exhaust manifold (the non
HO engines had a single port 1 5/8" fitting and a holley 6510). I may
decide to upgrade the car to a 305 CI engine from a 1971 ChevyVan that
I've had my eye on for $400.
My intention is to add no less than 2.5 feet and no more than 4 feet to
the wheelbase of a base 4 door vette. The exact length depends on what I
can find at my local junkyard for a longish driveshaft that will fit
into a THM180/200 transmition and onto the rear end's u-joint. A long
bed extended cab s10 / gmc s15?
For added strength the two body halves will be welded together with 2"
box steel, strong enough to not need the main chassis. The reason for
hte seperate chassis is that, I'm going to add about 4-5" of height from
the engine/trans and body to the ground. and make way for MUCH larger
tires.
For you see this summer I took off the piddley 175/70R13 I got with my
chevette ("weapon of choice" I called it) for $50 that replaced the
orogonal 155/80R13, And found some 1985 chrysler 14" four bolt rims.
>From a FWD 2.6 liter Mitsubishi powered caravelle none the less, they
fit right on. On these rims I placed a pair of 195/75R14 tires I took
from my former S10's wheels, and put them on the backof the little 2
door chevette. I used 175/60R14 on the front.
This in effect threw off my speedometer. I drove behind my mother's
car, with them going exactly 100KPH, and rated the speed on my speedo,
80KPH. So for every 40KPH I went, it was really going 50kph. so when I
burried the needle @ over 140, I was doing more like 175KPH, over 90MPH.
I did this at every highway oppertunity (usually downhill).
This car was meant to take a beating off road and go fast on the
highway, I replaced the radior fan with a 1990 pontiac firefly electric
fan and relay, strangely enough, the 1978 engine had no under the
carbruator heater and hense no relay in the thermostat cover to activate
it, I replaced the engine thermostat cover from one I had laying around
that did have the sender, and replaced it with the RAD Fan relay made by
suzuki. Sprint/Metro/swift/firefly all same car made by the Suzuki Motor
Corp.
The engine was a stock 1978 chevette engine with a rockchester 1bbl
carb, I put a ram intake on it to the driver's side of the radiator
behind the grille, this car being a 1985, it was perfect to do this I
just cut a hole in the body, and Bingo! Scoop inlet hole. The scoop for
the intake was 7" by 7" and funnelled into a 3" pvc pipe, through a oil
foam filter element, and into the carb.
And that's not all kids, the exhause was a high flow, made by me!
Having a all chevette stock system was not good enough. And the one port
normal manifold! I put straight 2" pipe in replacing the catalytic
converter. (not required on cars 1990 and under here by law) I had to
put in a new muffler anyhow, so a 2" cherrybomb was in order! And to
finish it all off, I wasted $25 on a 18" long by 3" diameter exhaust
chrome end. I made the LOUD SOUND a little deeper, and otherwise, just
looked cool.
Adorned with a amber static cab light that belonged to a bus or a truck
in the middle of the outer roof, and another switch for the reverse
lights because I converted this car from a automatic to a 4 speed
standard, and was too lazy to bother finding the correct switch in the
tranny. (really cool XENON reverse lamps, tailgaters were blinded.
When I got my weapon of choice, it was a boring car, parked on a speedy
tire lot, with a siezed engine and no brakes at all, (master cylander
had been stolen) asnd a dreamcatcher hanging from the mirror (I had
added a second one for the record) I transformed this car, that didn't
even have ANY rocker panels, or a driver's side floor. (sat on the
e-brake to drive for a week or so untill I fixed it).
It was a social statement, to all of thoes people in their little honda
civics and otherwise, showing off by soending $$$$$$ on a car that was
supposed too be a mild mannered runabout vehicle and thinking they are
hot [stuff]. [Make love to] them, this car even with the work I did to it was less
than $400!!!!! I made that back by being able to drive 150KM a day back
and fourth to a remote community known as chester to help a friend paint
his parents house. I'll never make a chevette go tht fast again, on a
public road, or use a cherrybomb muffler, but it was fun.
Chris Wood
Freelance Technologist, 19 years of age.
"Power corrupts, but the power of duct tape corrupts absolutely."
Well Chris, that is the strangest thing I have read in a very long time. Only a teenage Canadian would dream of making a career out of Chevette hot rods. Do you have photos of this Chevette racer? Have you thought about maybe making a Chevette SCCA racer instead of a limo? What will you do with a limo anyway?
From Todd Hartigh on 8 February 2002:
looking for cad or dimensional drawings of a small block chevy?
Can you help?
No? Thanks for asking?
From Timothy Smith on 29 January 2002:
I HAVE 2 SUPERCHARCHERS FROM DEISEL ENGINES AND I'M
WONDERING IF YOU NOW WERE I COULD GET THE FRONT AND
REAR COVERS TO CONVERT THEM TO BIG OR SMALL CHEVY
ONE OF THEM IS FROM A V6 DETROIT AND THE OTHER IS FROM
A I-6. I'M A DEISEL MECHANIC SO I COME BY ALOT OF THEM
SO I WANT TO PUT THEM TO GOOD USE ANY HELP WOULD BE
HELPFUL THANKS
I really don't know where to start with this. Have you tried contacting the supercharger manufacturers? They might be able to come up with something. Or, depending on how sophisticated this part is, you may be able to have a good machine shop fabricate something.
From Ed Flowers on 15 October 2001:
I'm looking for a wiring diagram for a 1974 corvette alarm system. We seem to
be having difficulty tracing this problem. Thank you Ed Flowers
Wow. Good luck!
From P.K. Avritt on 25 August 2001:
What do I need to do to put the 'vette 700-9 tranny into my 89 chevy
2 w.d. 1/2 ton p/u? The trans. is side mounts, the truck ain't. Any help
is appreciated. Thanks.
P.K. Avritt
Fabricate a new trans mount.
From Charles Hammond on 26 June 2001:
Hello I'am tring to restore a 1978 malibu but when running [ vin ] It comes up [ A & G ]
BODY . Do you know how to define one from the other.
Thanks
Hi Charlie! Yours is an A-body. Here's how the A/G thing works:
all A/G cars from 78-81 were A-body
all RWD A/G cars from 82-87 became G-body
all FWD A/G cars from 82-87 remained A-body
Kinda nutty. But yours is definitely an A-body.
From Mark Artichoke on 24 June 2001:
I have a 283 that I'm building, I have a set of 350/400 heads (cast # 333882)
that I'm going to use. I just want to know if I'm going to run into any
problems with the motor. I'm using the stock 283 intake & 4 bbl carb, with an
HEI dist. The trans is going to be a TH350, all stock. Please let me know if
you came accross this combo , & if you know of anything specific I'll need to
do.
Oh yeah, do I need to use the flywheel from the motor that originally came
with the TH350? it was a 350 cid............the original motor has a huge
hole due to a blown rod.........
Just watch the valves. If the valves are too big, they'll hit the cylinders. Any two-piece rear
seal flywheel should work, except for the 400.
From Scott Germaine on 30 May 2001:
Hi, hopefully this is an easy question, first a little background
info. I have an LS1 motor from an F body, the PCM is from a Y body, Both
are 1998 model year. I have placed the motor in a Jeep CJ7 that I have
restored and it is running. The motor has headers (which do not have tubes
for the EGR). The engine harness and PCM were made/programmed by the same
company. It is programmed as EXPORT ONLY, which eliminates many of the
inputs/outputs from the PCM. I am told that the EXPORT ONLY programming
does not eliminate the EGR, and that it will only start 'working' whe the
vehicle is in drive. The transmission is a Turbo 400 (i.e. has no inputs to
the PCM).
The motor has a miss that I suspect is related to bad plug wires
(some arching can been seen when I turn off my garage lights). The miss
gets quite a bit worse when I try to drive it. My question is: Will the EGR
cause this miss, and if so, does anyone make a device I can plug into my
harness that will eliminate/mimic/etc the EGR pump input??? When I drive
the vehicle, it doesn't seem to make a difference whenther I have the
harness connector plugged into the pump or not (again, the pump is not
plumbed into the headers - just sitting there). Is there anything else that
may fix this miss???
Any help would be APPRECIATED!!! Thanks, Scott G.
Hi Scott! This is easy. If the computer came from a Y-body, then it doesn't have an EGR
input. The F-body LS1 has EGR; the Y-body LS1 does not (it accomplishes the same thing with
a different cam profile). Therefore, your problem lies elsewhere. I'd suggest taking care of the
spark plug wires, then bring the CJ to a dyno and see what the graph says.
From Steve Amaro on 11 January 2001:
MY NAME IS STEVE, AND I NEED SOME INFO. ON THE LS1 ENGINE. I KNOW
IT'S LS1 ENGINE, BUT I DONT KNOW WHAT THE YEAR MAKE AND MODEL
IS. I WONDERING IF THERES ANY NUMBERS ON THE BLOCK THAT WOULD
TELL ME THIS INORMATION.
It doesn't matter much; they're all about the same. Here are a couple of pointers: If each coil is
fastened to the engine individually, then it's a 97-98. If the coils are fastened to a rail that allows
them to be removed as an assembly, then it's 99-up. If it has provisions for a throttle cable, then
it's out of an F-body. If it doesn't, then it's out of a Y-body (Corvettes have drive-by-wire). If it
has EGR, then it's an F-body; if it doesn't, then it's a Y-body. All of them dyno about the same
regardless of where they came from or which year they are. There's a bunch of other, smaller
changes too. You should visit LS1.com.
From a guy who lives in a station wagon on 19
November 2000:
I need aluminized,dual exhaust 2 1/2" muffler to rear of car pipes for 1956
Chevy Nomad if you can help please send price + shipping to Danbury CT
THANK YOU
I don't sell parts. I just tell you what works and what doesn't. One place I like for custom
exhaust stuff is Mufflex, located in New
Jersey but well worth the trip, especially from Connecticut.