1LE4ME

Ok, So its 1230 AM my time and I just got done putting on my pacesetters and TSP ORY. The install only took about 7.5 hours, but now the car runs like crap. It backfires when I try to step on the gas. It is backfiring through the exhaust so I think that it might be running rich. I have no idea what to do to get it to run right. I have to step on the gas pedal hard to just get it to start. What could be going wrong? I need some advice. Any will be appreciated.

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

Make sure you have all the plug wires and stuff back on tight first.

90% of the time, you can drive it a few miles, kill it, re-start, and repeat, and it will fix all the problems. Installed some Kooks headers on a friends car and it ran like **** too, tried to idle at like 600rpms and all that jazz. Try this a few more times and get back to us.

thunderdan74

iTrader: (1)

Check to see if you cracked any plugs putting them back in. Did you get new plugs? Make sure they are all sparking-might have gotten a bad one. Long tubes alone won't make you run that rich.

1LE4ME

I put in all new plugs. What else would cause it to run so rich? Maybe the temp sensor wasn't hooked up. Would that do it?

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

if the temp sensor wasnt hooked up it would command a VERY rich AFR, if that was the case i hope you didnt run the motor like that too long, that would wash out the cyls. even if the plugs are new you could have broken one. u are definately getting unburned gas in the exhaust, i doubt its the ECT sensor becuase it woudlnt ahve started if it was that rich. i cracked porcelin part of the spark plug will cause it to miss and backfire.

GR33N GoblinM6

iTrader: (14)

did you check the plug gap?? also check to and make sure the plugs didnt back themselves out.. which they tend to do on an initial warm up run..

1LE4ME

Well, I just found a leak that i'm trying to fix at the moment. Before I found the leak I started the car, and while it was idling I could hear it backfire loudly every 30 seconds to minute and a half. But if I went to the rear of the car at the exits I could hear what sounded like a consistent backfire, I'm not sure if it happened because of the leak though. I also listened to each cylinder with a tube and they all sounded like they were firing correctly. If fixing this leak doesn't fix the problem I guess I'll pull all of the plugs again.....

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

my friends car did the SAME EXACT THING, when he drove it and mashed the gas it sputtered and missed horribly. when they put the headers on the driver side they cracked a plug, very small crack but enough to cause a miss and send unburnt fuel in the exhaust

408 z28

iTrader: (1)

my car does the same thing ...i just put my headers on, all new plugs...the car only backfires at wot but everytime i get in and out of it i can smell the fuel so im taking it to mc and having them dyno tune it for me...is it bad for the car to drive it that rich

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

its not good to drive the car rich for a long time, depends how rich it is. does it actually sputter at WOT or what? did you guys pull the plugs when you did headers?

2K2WS6TA

iTrader: (2)

To find out what cyl is not firing, take a squirt bottle and mist some water on the headers (close to where they go on the head), when you find the one that doesn't make the water evaporate (or evaporates at a slower rate) you've found the cyl that's not firing, then look at the plug, and wire, to determine the cause

99camarosupersport

iTrader: (6)

my car didnt run like **** after the install, but it DEF. runs rich, backfires if coming down from high RPM's or pushing the clutch in at certain RPMs. sorry to ***** the thread, but would a good tune take car of this ?

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

headers willmake the car rich, just get a tune on it

thunderdan74

iTrader: (1)

If you have a leak at the header/head gasket this is exactly the result. A leak at that point allows air to get pulled in the system and ignites in the pipes when decellerating. Be sure to get that sealed up and re-torque the header blots after a few hundred miles

1LE4ME

I pulled all the plugs on this install. Fixed the leak, but car still runs crappy. I think I'm gonna try to find which plug is screwing me over. I'm hoping that it is on the drivers side...

99camarosupersport

iTrader: (6)

was totally unaware thanks man. is there anyway to test if air is getting in so to say? they have been on for close to a year, did it right after the install and still does it, i just thought it was a product of running rich and being untuned.

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

How much have you driven the car? These cars can be pissy sometimes, and just need a little spanking to get them back into shape.

thunderdan74

iTrader: (1)

listen for it. If the leak is bad enough you hear a tick on hard acceleration. Pop the hood and rev the engine to try and determine where the tick is coming from.

Jabroni

If you're using O2 sims, are they plugged into the correct harnesses? If they're backward, the car will run like ****, too. They should be in the rear ones.