OneMeanZ

iTrader: (2)

So I should be safe??

LT1FUN

The LT1's hold so much heat due to the iron block and aluminum intake. As opposed to the LS1 with their aluminum block and "composite" intake so heat dissipates much faster. The fan switch is used to keep the fan running even with the car not running to help cool things down faster. But since you are going with an electric water pump, you should be able to rig it to work with the car not running. That will help tremendously, especially at the drag strip during cool down or in the staging lanes.

Let us know how things turn out!

SlowTA

yea, i know stock vs. stock lt1's can take the new gt's but there r some gt's that will take the lt1's so i didnt want to make a biased post, and gave him the benifit of that doubt, either or, he is still a troll

Vendetta

MeanZ, it's not so much the top-end but the bottom-end that you'll have to worry about. A lot of heat/high compression can begin to damage your rings and, if it gets very bad, melt a piston. There are also other things that heat can do like kill a head gasket.

OneMeanZ

iTrader: (2)

I have an AutoMeter Water Temp gauge, sometimes in traffic the water temp goes to like 210 but the engine is normal....then I flip the fan switch

Nap

160* stat, electric water pump and new Opti installed..

306 for the pump (next day saturday delivery)
266 for the Opti
11 bucks for the stat..

Car seems to run stronger noticibly..
cant tell if the stat is doing anything.. temps act the same..
pump is waaaaay cool looking..

It took me about 15 hrs.. but that included changing allot of little rubber hoses I found everywere that were cracked or BROKEN.. one is a molded thing that goes on my PCV.. have to order it from Pontiac tomorrow since I had everything but THAT.. grr.. swapped the neoprene gears for brass in my headlights.. had to grind out part of my pump housing so the new impellar would fit.. polished all the aluminum parts too.. that's sure a pretty housing now.. and removed the screen from my MAF and polished it too..
found a copper braided 'cable?' that was attached to my coil pack.. once removed it was broken on the crimp.. fixed that too..

only had 1 spare bolt so it must be put back together right..

brandboZ28

iTrader: (2)

Cool man, Im glad youve got everything running better.

DietCoke

iTrader: (18)

Put the cable back on, NOW. It's your engine ground, without it all sorts of funky electrical things are bound to happen.

Nap

Well I seemed to have fixed nothing.. I had figured the vacuum hose was my last problem but it is not.

Now instead of waiting to start surging and sputtering after it has warmed up past 170-180 it starts to do it right after 160.

It's surging and sputtering much worse now.

The only thing left is the exhaust.. So am I supposed to put factory exhaust back on it to make it quit doing this? It's highly annoying and now I can't hardly drive my car in town. I guarantee it's doing something with the mixture from rich/lean.. It growls when it's too rich then leans it out and it purrs like a kitten.. then grrrr sputter surge.. then fine..

If I throw the rev's to her she jumps right into action and runs awesome.. until you let off the gas or try to hold a speed then.. sputter, surge.. etc..

help..

OneMeanZ

iTrader: (2)

SOmething with the throttle body maybe??? maybe the TPS is fucked up or something....not sure

Nap

What's a TPS?

Mike TexaSS

iTrader: (2)

It still sounds like a opti. Any poping or sputtering is most likey ingnition related.

What year is your car and what year opti did you purchase?

Nap

New Opti
New Water Pump
4 new O2 sensors
New IAT sensor
New thermostat
New spark plugs
New wires
New Oil
New PCV vavle
Vacuum leaks fixed

what's left??

Mike TexaSS

iTrader: (2)

I used to get a terrible surging after i did my heads and cam on my impala ss. It was a bad EGR valve. Its the huge valve on the back of the drivers side of the intake. You can look at it with a Tech 2 and see if its stuck open.

Also check out this site. It has a list to every part on a LT1 and pictures and what each part does.

Also if you car is a 1996. I had terrible problem with it dying all of a sudden. It was a bad CPS or Crank postition sensor,.

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech1.html

TSAEB

iTrader: (5)

Mike Texas SS, thanks on the web info...now I can finally understand what ya guys talk about...ONEMEANZ...if ur tempt stay at 210-235 its supposed to be normal...but why have them there...if u have a fan switch turn that sucker on once it hits 160...a cooler engine is far better....oh is th TPS the sensor on top of the IAC on the tb...just asking.

Nap

Well my surging/sputtering problem has been going on for 6 months now with no end in sight and no one who has the technical skill/ability to figure out the LT1.

I have taken my car to multiple techs who just scratch their head, apologize for not actually being able to work on an LT1 and send me packing with no charge.. harumph..

I came to the Internet for help and had some wonderful ideas, each of which I tried. I have replaced components out the wazoo and nothing helps.

SO.. unless anyone else here chimes in and can tell me a place in Indiana (preferably Muncie) I can go and have a custom tune done or someone who can fix my car

I EXTEND THE WHITE FLAG OF SURRENDER

Yup.. I am going to list the T/A and pawn that crap off on some unsuspecting kid MUWAHAHAHA!!!

Hope he enjoys the surging/sputtering.

This will effectively end 20yrs dedication to the FBody since until freezes over I won't be buying another.

For sale: 1997 T/A, slightly used. Make offer.

OneMeanZ

iTrader: (2)

It's on the TB, it's called the Throttle Postioning Sensor

96SCTA

Calm down buddy we will get you through this. I know how hard it can be when **** goes bad. Trust me I have had my share of bad luck with these lt1s. So lets see if we can find the problem. Can you awnser some questions for me.
1) where did you buy the opti spark from
2) Is the car hard to start
3) who installed all of these parts on your car (the ones that you replace in your list of new parts
4) Does the car run fine above 4500 rpms
5) Is the car getting any worse or is it the same every day
6) Does the car act up more when it gets hot,
7) Have you tired jumping in it and driving it cold yet.
Let me know, If you would like you can email me at Micah_Fuoco@mksinst.com
WE WILL FIGURE THIS OUT.
p.s- My last opti spark I bougth lasted 16 miles

Nap

1> I bought it from Pontiac on McGalliard Road in Muncie, Indiana. $233

2> Car starts perfectly, seems to start at 1200-1400rmp and hangs out around 1000 or so and drops as it warms up. A warm start it idles around 600-700rpm.

3> Me.. I am very meticulous and detail oriented though and analy documented wires and hoses I pulled off with wiretie-labels, tywraps and pad and pencil. It may not be right, but it's on there like it came off, guaranteed.

4> When you rev it up it runs like a bat out of hell. Holding a speed at 60 or below it does the surging/sputtering but above 60 it has power and runs great. The electric water pump was a real noticible improvement..

5> Same every day. Starts cold runs so smooth you can't believe it.. starts instantly, idles great sounds great. Now (used to happen around 175*-180*F) as soon as the temp needle bumps past 160*F it starts doing it. This 'new' behaivor started with the electric pump & stat change which I did at the same time.

6> Yes, once the car is hot it surges/sputters.. now really really bad.. when you are driving 35mph holding that speed the car is right before a 4th gear change (A4) and the revs are up a bit. Hold that and the car almost jerks you back and forth in the seat (front to back) as it surges then suddenly.. purrs like a kitten and rus GREAT.. real good.. then a few seconds later the sputtering/surging returns.. Seems like the sputtering/surging always lasts 10-20 seconds followed by an equal smooth operation time. This commanlity lead me to believe it is a programming/electronic issue since it is so precise and expectable.

7>Yes driving it cold is a most excellent experience. Bairly breathing on the gas pedal delivers snappy response and tons of waiting power. It runs so smooth without even a ripple in the exhaust. ALL of the techs have said they cannot believe how good this car runs and performs cold and yet there is this underlying problem with it being warm.

96SCTA

Do you have access to a scanner so you can look at your o2s while the surging is taking place.
Are the o2s a stock replacment or are they the bosch ones.
When my o2s were were messed up (new ones, bosch) car acted the same as yours. Went and got some stock replacment o2s. fixed the problem. (Im talking about the the upper 2 o2s in the headers)

If it is not the o2s that are the problem. then its tuning.
one last thought, were is your ignition control modual located. If it is mounted on the driver side head, this will casue a problem as the car heats up.

Micah