LT1-LT4 Modifications 1993-97 Gen II Small Block V8

backfiring problem ????

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Old Aug 11, 2008 | 01:15 PM
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Default backfiring problem ????

me and a couple of friends put a new distributer on saturday and it was running fine. It was stumbling on high rpms. so the next morning(sunday) i put brand new spark plugs. I took it out for a drive accelerating slowly when i hit around 70-75 it started to miss fire..it was stumbling real bad...so i slowed down to 50mph and it still did it. so i pulled over and let it idle for a few minutes then my car just turned off. I turned it back on and it was idling up to 1300rpms and came back down to normal..it did that for about a minute....what do you all think?


someone told me that i might need to get a lt4 knock module


my mods are LT headers,x-pipe,lt4 hot cam kit,msd wires,msd box,ngk tr5s....
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 02:35 AM
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bump...
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 07:13 AM
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LT4KM will help a false knock but not what you have going on.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 07:38 AM
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what year is the car and what type of dist did you put in?
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 08:48 AM
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Check your plug wires going into the distributor. It is real easy to swap them out wrong. Depending on which ones are swapped out, it will run, and could have the symptoms you describe.

I know firsthand!
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 10:15 AM
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my car is a 96 and the wires are correct cause thats the first thing i checked
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 01:13 PM
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Did you do the whole opti or just the cap and rotor? AC Delco or aftermarket?

SES light on?

I'm sure the LT4 KM isn't going to get you anywhere on this.

Is this an intermittent or constant problem? I'd suggest checking fuel/spark next time it is acting up, just to get a step in the right direction. I have been around a couple of LTs that want to die after warming up when the opti is crapping out. Odd that it does this after you've just changed it, though. If you didn't get an AC Delco, I'd suggest going that route. I had so many problems with my LT1 truck and cheap opti parts that I've sworn I'll never buy anything but GM optis.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 01:21 PM
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Yes, by the sound of it an LT4 KM wont help you at all, thats not knock related.

The fact that the car died and restarted is a classic symptom of a high resolution failure in the opti (I think code 36 if I remember correctly). It might not throw the code right away, but it will eventually as the sensor signal deteriorates further.

My first question would be what Opti did you use when you replaced the dead one?
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 02:31 PM
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We installed an Autozone opti to see if it would fix the problem, since I had a free replacement we just swapped it in. The OEM one was all jacked up when I pulled it apart, the metal disc was warped pretty bad and scraped the small black module(IDK) that picks up the signal. Inside the opti there was some brown(rust colored) dust covering the entire opti. Also, the cap/rotor were really cruddy; similar to what old battery terminals look like when they arent cleaned.

We swapped the metal(opti) part out for a new one, and reused my new cap/rotor I had from my T/A. Z28CamaroSS swapped the plug wires several times and made sure they were correct. I know everything was installed correctly, but I've never seen an opti go out that fast. Usually they work for a few days at least: I should know cuz I've swapped mine out at least 4-5 times....LOL!!!
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 02:39 PM
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Everything I have heard about Autozone or local parts store optis is they bite the big one soon after install. OEM is the way to go unless your looking to go crazy with the car later. I run an MSD and it works great.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 02:45 PM
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Originally Posted by z28camaross

someone told me that i might need to get a lt4 knock module


my mods are LT headers,x-pipe,lt4 hot cam kit,msd wires,msd box,ngk tr5s....
I recommended getting one since I've heard of guys having problems by just swapping headers or rockers; then found the stock knock module was at fault. Since he has the LT4 hotcam and the whole nine yards, I figured it would at least start eliminating potential causes of this problem.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 03:42 PM
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I highly doubt that its the knock module.

I'd look into getting a GM opti. I never got the opti I got from O'Reilly's to work.

You could also try cleaning the opti harness at the connectors. They are prone to corrosion and its a cheap fix before you go out and get the whole opti.

SES light on? Look for DTC 16 or 36. I know 16 is low resolution pulse-bad optical sensor, and someone else said 36, but I've never dealt with that (that I can remember anyway). I think all the ones I've messed with have been 16.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by 97Z28LT1
I highly doubt that its the knock module.

I'd look into getting a GM opti. I never got the opti I got from O'Reilly's to work.

You could also try cleaning the opti harness at the connectors. They are prone to corrosion and its a cheap fix before you go out and get the whole opti.
Yeah speaking of which, check that opti connector that runs up to the harness. Seems like the wires enjoy melting togeather and causing opti-death-like symptoms. But Im more than willing to bet that its the crappy autozone opti giving you trouble.

Code 36 is the high res failure, and I got one recently. Car will start and run fine, but when it gets to temp is just dies. It will restart right after (maybe just idle a little high), but die again within a minute or so. That would be a code 36.
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Old Aug 12, 2008 | 04:04 PM
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The o.p.'s car always has the SES light on due to removed cats, so he might not have seen the DTC36 code. My car had a similar issue with an old opti, but I've not been able to trouble shoot the car since the initial opti-install; trouble shooting over the phone sucks LOL!

The opti harness was fine when I looked at it, but last time he had an ignition problem the harness wasn't fully seated.
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