Massive Fuel Wash

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Hi Guys,

I got a real problem, the car has just gotten the down pipe on and the new pte-44 turbo. I haven't driven much since then so last night I did some tuning on the exspressway. The boost is at 18 lbs. the first time I nail it the knock alarm goes off. The scanmaster says 17.2 knock . I drop the boost down and turn the fuel regulator up and up (stopping at 50 lbs line off)getting the 02 readings in the low 800's at 18#'s boost. Running good and I call it a night. This morning on the way to work I nail it for maybe a second or two(roads wet). And the scanmaster is at no knock and 02 is at 802. In my mirror I see smoke and the car is missing. I drive to work at 35 miles per hour as it idles it's smoking more. At lunch I check the compression, cyc. 1= 135 2= 140 3= 125 4=145 5= 140 6=145 also #3 is wet all the other plugs are dry. The weekend wrenchers and the guys that have muscle cars all agree that I fouled a plug. So I limp it home 5 miles 35 mph some stop and go. At 3 blocks from the house the oil pressure is dropping... . Ok I know I should have stopped and called a wrecker but I need to be at the bus stop for the kindergardener. Now I put new plugs in and changed the oil. The oil is thin and smells like gas. I pulled the fuel pump fuse and cranked it over untill I got oil pressure. Start it up no knocks idling smooth lots of oil pressure, but white/gray smoke comming out the pipes. Why is this soaking the cylinders with gas? I'm wondering is it possible to blow a gasket and still have compression? I was always careful with not giving it to much boost 18# and alky, I don't understand why last night it skyrocketed the scanmaster with retard. Last night I was thinking new turbo/downpipe must need more fuel. Before driving home this afternoon I turned the fuel pressure back to 42 line off. Does anyone have any thoughts that can point me in the right direction? Is it possible that the injectors are junk, chip malfunction?

 

[Brer Rabbit]

I had a similar problem with the old Hybrid Cutlass.

I put 36 lb injectors in one afternoon and had 3 chips to go with. After installing and picking a chip I started the car and it was running really rich. Tried all 3 chips same thing. Towed the car to my buddys shop and an hour later he called me up laughing at me for pinching a wire on the injector harness. I guess when u do that the injector sticks wide open. After two quick oil changes to be sure, I was back in business. That could be the case good luck.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Good idea, but the injectors and the chip have been on since the 8th, I will take a look at the wiring though. Thanks Chuck

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

I can't help but think that #3 cylinder has a bad injector, I'm guessing that it is stuck open. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Also I forgot to mention that when I put the new plugs in, this evening, all where dry again, except #3

 

[87buickracer]

massive fuel

Your losing compression on #3 cylinder.head gasket maybe seeping.car was not smoking on initial start up and didn't start to smoke until you nailed it the first time up to 18 psi ,correct.I had same problem and #3 and #6 cylinder was blown.I changed both head gaskets and rod bearings,because that much
detonation can lead to a rod knock on those cylinders.coolant seeping into cylinder or cylinders will cause it to run like crap,and smoke. hope this helps

 

[bison]

Check the harness and make sure its not shorted to ground on the EGR manifold.

 

[87buickracer]

massive fuel

Hope it's just the injector.good luck

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

yea, I hope we figure this out. Tomorrow I will be busy, maybe I can at least pull the fuel rail sometime this weekend and play musical chairs and see if the problem follows the injector.... just a thought if I don't find anything wrong with #3 wiring... Guys thanks alot

 

[TurboBuRick]

Hung injector?

Does fuel preasure hold?

 

[onefastcar]

Like said above if you have a stuck injector and if ya have a fuel press. gauge it should hold pressure after being shut off if not then you know what is going on.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Fuel pressure is at zero from yesterday evening, it always held pressure overnight before if I recall. It has dropped 5 psi in 30 min. this morning. Since I was there I unhooked #3 wire from the injector and fired it up, still smoking almost looks white but just a couple of shades darker kinda of a gray to it and get this the smoke smells like gas, standing 10 feet away from the exhaust pipes. I just put the noid light on the #3 fuel inj. wire and it is getting a pulse, plus at the same time I hooked up the fake spark plug thing a ma jig(forget the name) and I have tons of spark at #3. "Onefastcar" I'm almost 100% sure that it has to be a bad injector...right? Looking for another 50# injector.
Thanks again for the help, all thoughts are welcome and appreciated..Chuck

 

[onefastcar]

I agree it sounds very much like it is. This may sound like a pia but you could swap the injector to a different position and see if the problem moves i don't know about you but i don't have extra injectors layin around, if ya can't get one till monday, then you'll know what ya need.

 

[onefastcar]

Just to let ya know white smoke indicates coolant being burnt so don't rule a hg out.

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Update

Fuel rail pressure readings 8:30 am 35lbs; 2:30pm 26lbs; 4:15pm 18lbs; So I would say that I have a leaking injector. I hope that is it....before it would hold pressure much longer than this. So I am thinking that I should just get a new injector..... I don't really want to take the fuel rail off twice.

 

[TurboBuRick]

84BuickGNYorkPA ,

You need to eliminate the regulator and the feul pump first.
The way to do that is pinch off the rubber fuel lines that come off the frame by the power stering pump. You want to do one at a time. One is your feed from the pump, other is return from the regulator.
Sound to me more like the fuel pump is not holding.
Whatch how you clamp the hose. You want to clap it tight without messing up the lines. Choose the right clamping device.

Turn key on, let preasure build then clamp the line.
I would do the feed first then the return.
Good Luck!


P.S. I'm sure you tried a new o2, Yes.

 

[TurboBuRick]

I wonder mabye if you have a ignition problem on #3.
Your fuel holding preasure sounds to good to be an injector.

 

[norbs]

I would pull the head off, i would say the injector should be changed and the head gasket , as maybe it caused the hg to go. Use the stainless steel shims from rjc, use his siliocone and let it sit at least 3 days before putting coolant in it or starting it up. RJC says 85 ft lbs with moly lube and studs, but that seemed to risky to me , I stick with 80 fts and retorque overnight. You should be good to go for a while..

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Rick87GN, I tested the #3 with a high energy ignition tester(looks like a spark plug) and a noid fuel injection tester, this morning. And they are both good the noid light was pulsating and the fake plug was going crazy with spark. Also I forgot to mention that although the fresh oil on the dipstick is still slippery, there is a gas odor to it. Also I noticed a wet downpipe I'll get a picture.....this thing is just flooding in gas and since all the plugs are dry except #3 it seems obvious to me where the gas is comming from

 

[TurboGN]

Why not unbolt the plenum/linkage/vacuum pod, disconnect the IAC and TPS, loosen the lower uppipe hose and swing the plenum/TB out of the way? Then shove a paper towel or rag down each intake runner and turn the ignition to ON-ENGINE OFF to pressure up the rail. Then all you have to do is wait an hour or so and check each rag. Keep checking periodically to see which and how many injectors are leaking by examining the rags. This way, you'll find the leaking injector(s). Next, you'll have to narrow down to injector or electrical problem. Please let us know when you find the problem. Best of luck!!!

 

[84BuickGNYorkPA]

Wierd

Ok so this morning I check the fuel gage on the rail and it held pressure since last evening . I start it up and shut it back down. the pipes are not to warm but the new cat converter is very warm...I forgot to mention that when I put the new 3" converter on I didn't have the right bolts to tighten it up. So I decide to gut the new converter and re-install with the correct nuts & bolts. Also found this cool band clamp for the downpipe and the cat conv union, that won't crimp the pipes, I install that, anti-sieze all the bolts. Tighten the DP to the turbo, fix the turbo brace that I had installed wrong. I then fired it up....waiting for the smoke to come roaring out...it's smoking some..not much...I let it come up to tempature still not much smoke, some but not much, I think it just burning some oil/gas off. I take all the readings from the scanmaster they are AF 05; L8 36-34; BAT 13.9; INT 128; BL 116; CL 162; ATS 75; r 825/875; TPS .46; IAC 13-14; cc 10-254 this cc counts up to 254 then starts over?
I'm going to change the oil again today, order a new fuel injector Monday(tomorrow). I drove it from the garage to around the block and it's running great, although I didn't get into the gas, it seems snappy enough.
Any ideas ?? Maybe the injector came unstuck?