My Buick is slow. Need to know why.
- Thread starter BMR
- Start date
wantattype2
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- Joined
- Sep 24, 2010
My vote would be to go with Dusty's 10" lockup, it really woke up my stock Turbo T and made it more fun to Drive ! This is just from a seat of the pants feel as I do not have any track times to back it up.
Yeah, I know the 10" will be the best performer. I just hate to keep tossing c notes at it like I have been having to. I will honestly probably leave it alone for a while since we have decided there is nothing major wrong with it. I like the car, but I don't recommend buying a basket case. It has been a major headache for about the past year.
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Stupid question:
When the cam was put in, what timing chain was used and was it put in straight up? There was a guy at our get together who's GN seemed low on power. He had a chain with multiple key ways and found out he had it severely retarded. He re set it up correctly and now the car runs great.
I have considered that as a possibility as I reused the double chain that was already in the engine when I got it. I set it on the O mark on the crank, which was straight up as far as I could remember on every other timing set I have used. I have considered pulling it down and investigating that though.
I have had a little time on my hands at work today to put a little more thought into this. I am noticing everyone seems to feel 150psi cranking cylinder pressure is pretty standard on a stock motor. I checked mine the other day and it was 120psi cold with the throttle open. A retarded camshaft will DEFINITELY contribute to low cylinder pressure. I may pull the front back off of this whore and double check.
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
Checking that is cheaper than buying a converter. The leaving a 8psi with no spin and a 2.0 60' to me means you are getting the turbo to spool but something is way wrong. When the car I have now had a similar set up to yours (TA-49 instead of the 44 and a "Redstripe" restalled d-5). On a e-brake launch >8psi I would get 1.66 60' times. Street tires, 0psi launch would be in the 2.0-2.1 range.
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
Yep. This: " Its on hard street tires, but traction is not a problem leaving on about 6psi off of the ebrake. I'm stumped." tells me somethings HORRIBLY wrong, and/or that track prep is freakin AWESOME. I mean as in someone coated the track in construction adhesive lol. Since I know it's not, the fact that you got a 6psi launch with a 2 second short time says that you're down on power in the low range. Do you have a power logger? I'd love to see that file. That could sound like a converter, but it could mean other things too. The valve train is definitely something I'd be looking at. And who said 11.7 afr is fat? 11.7's not that fat.
I kinda disregarded the 11.7 being fat theory. 10.7 would be, but 11.7 is safe imo. I believe since I reused the timing set that the motor had to begin with, and had no directions to, there is a 33.3% chance I have the camshaft retarded. That would explain an even 120psi cranking compression across all cylinders, and the engine's tendancy to want to run 180°-210° with a 160° stat. The harder it works, the hotter it gets. I thought the radiator was clogged, but I'm going to investigate the cam timing first.
Turbo6Smackdown
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- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
I do understand but I'd still like to see if your radiator's clean & working correctly, if your fans are running the right way, the rad cap's pressure checked, your system's free of air bubbles, and I'd like to see all distilled water in your car with RMI25.
Fan is stock with the low speed resistors bypassed, so it runs full speed. Recovery tank stays at a consistent level, and every time the cap is pulled to check level, a little bit of coolant comes out. I believe it to be completely full, with no air pockets.
As far as drivability, the car acts perfectly. But dang is it a dog when you mash the loud pedal.
As far as drivability, the car acts perfectly. But dang is it a dog when you mash the loud pedal.
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
I see. Yea, I'd check your valve train for sure.
Tearing the front of the engine off right now. I HOPE I have the cam timing off, if not I will swap converters.
Since I hate all of the threads with questions about these cars doing this or that, and people helping, then never a resolve to the thread, I will report back with what fixes this one.
To quote the man that tuned/part owns the fastest stock bottom end 5.3 in the world:
"When we help each other, we all learn".
Since I hate all of the threads with questions about these cars doing this or that, and people helping, then never a resolve to the thread, I will report back with what fixes this one.
To quote the man that tuned/part owns the fastest stock bottom end 5.3 in the world:
"When we help each other, we all learn".
Turbo6Smackdown
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2005
Though would a converter make your car run hot?
Got it apart. The crank gear has a "0", "A" and "R" on its keyways. It was on the "0". So for experimental purposes, I swapped it to "A". Then I pulled a plug and checked the compression again. Still only 120psi. For anyone that does not know, advancing the camshaft in relation to the crankshaft typically increases cylinder pressure and cranking compression.
So advancing the camshaft yielded the same cylinder pressure on the gauge. I was curious as to the gauge being flaky, so I went and pulled a plug out of my 2001 Sierra pickup with a stock 5.3. First test the gauge showed 145psi. Then would not give a reading again. Just stayed on zero.
So far, I have found my timing set to be assembled correctly. I think my compression gauge has taken a dump, and it looks like the converter is the culprit.
I am getting another gauge tomorrow, and plan to check the compression again before I put it back together.
So advancing the camshaft yielded the same cylinder pressure on the gauge. I was curious as to the gauge being flaky, so I went and pulled a plug out of my 2001 Sierra pickup with a stock 5.3. First test the gauge showed 145psi. Then would not give a reading again. Just stayed on zero.
So far, I have found my timing set to be assembled correctly. I think my compression gauge has taken a dump, and it looks like the converter is the culprit.
I am getting another gauge tomorrow, and plan to check the compression again before I put it back together.
No, but a clogged radiator would.
I need to be humored here. There's no guarantee of anything using the method you're using to qualify your 120psi cranking is "too low". I've had plenty of stock short blocks that I switched heads and cam on and "only" had 120psi cranking but still had 9 sec power. I would do the following:
Get a small degree wheel on the crank and the pointer on tdc. Use a piston stop to find tdc. Then put an indicator on the #1 ex pushrod and note the closing @.050". Then back up and do the intake opening @.050". Then find out what the centerline is just as a reference point and report back. I'd use two points near peak lift when determining the centerline. This way we know where the cam is since the marks on the gears don't really mean jack. It will be hard to read the degree wheel if it's small but you should be able to get within a degree or two. Also assuming it is a stock piston engine? Can't remember.
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Get a small degree wheel on the crank and the pointer on tdc. Use a piston stop to find tdc. Then put an indicator on the #1 ex pushrod and note the closing @.050". Then back up and do the intake opening @.050". Then find out what the centerline is just as a reference point and report back. I'd use two points near peak lift when determining the centerline. This way we know where the cam is since the marks on the gears don't really mean jack. It will be hard to read the degree wheel if it's small but you should be able to get within a degree or two. Also assuming it is a stock piston engine? Can't remember.
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