The Stupid Engine Questions Thread

[1997]

Or - all of the above? You're definitely burning something other than a normal air/fuel mixture. Time for a magnetic particle test (AKA Magnaflux). Or, new heads...

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Damn, prices have gone up!

yes they have, too bad, cause i would have liked to get some Aluminum heads.
really don't want to spend money on them, as you can appreciate, haha.

 

[stutaeng]

Just get them magnafluxed. Locally, that runs for like $75 at any machine shop. They can probably also check for flatness.

 

[1997]

i'm in BC, CDN, so put a 1 in front of the $75 ......
but ya gunna have to go that route.

hopefully it doesn't need planning, cause then i can get away with just doing 1.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Just get them magnafluxed. Locally, that runs for like $75 at any machine shop. They can probably also check for flatness.

Yeah, but, what's the fun in that? he'll still have the anemic swirl port heads - This is the time to make the decision what do you want and how much do you wanna spend. "If I'm gonna spend the money for decent heads, I should go with a better cam". Then, "If I get a better cam, I need a way to help it breathe with headers and high flow Cat and mufflers" - you know the drill

 

[1997]

will 95 Camaro LT1 Aluminum heads work on TBI?
any gotcha's?
thx.

 

[Erik the Awful]

Yes, but the gotcha is they aren't even as good as the Vortecs. If you can get them for free, they're worth it. The TBI heads aren't really worth the magnafluxing.

We're in a nice moment in time where excellent SBC heads are available, cheap.

 

[Gomer989]

Hoping someone can point me down a likely direction. My 91 k1500 4.3 has become hard to start. After cranking for 10ish seconds, and the oil pressure gauge fighting a "2 steps forward 1 step back" sort of battle, it will start. Any ideas of the cause of this? It used to start on the first crank with no issue.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Any ideas of the cause of this? It used to start on the first crank with no issue.

Do you hear the fuel pump prime for ~2 seconds when you turn the key on engine off? If not, maybe your pump relay is bad. Another thing to check is fuel pressure, it s/b ~10 - 13 PSI with 10 being marginal IMO.

 

[Gomer989]

Do you hear the fuel pump prime for ~2 seconds when you turn the key on engine off? If not, maybe your pump relay is bad. Another thing to check is fuel pressure, it s/b ~10 - 13 PSI with 10 being marginal IMO.

Thanks, checked this tonight and the pump only primed one time the dozen or so times I tried it. I can hear the relay switch each time though. I checked behind the panel on the firewall and had a mouse nest and they've gone to town on the wiring in there. However after the engine starts I can still hear the fuel pump running if I put my ear to the tank. I can't make sense of why the pump still runs but only after the engine starts. Obviously next is to fix the wires.

 

[Gomer989]

Thanks, checked this tonight and the pump only primed one time the dozen or so times I tried it. I can hear the relay switch each time though. I checked behind the panel on the firewall and had a mouse nest and they've gone to town on the wiring in there. However after the engine starts I can still hear the fuel pump running if I put my ear to the tank. I can't make sense of why the pump still runs but only after the engine starts. Obviously next is to fix the wires.

I do have another one while I'm at it. I've got an oil leak around the seal where the part the oil filter screws onto meets the motor (in picture). What is the correct name for this part and is it easy enough to replace?