Blue Smoke

[FULLPWR]

Originally Posted by QB93Z

It is normal to have a little oil in the plenum. Every plenum I have pulled has oil in it. The oil gets pulled in from the PCV system. Some guys have gone so far as to add an oil catch can to the PCV system, but most LT5's work fine just the way it is.

Jim

would that be answer my smoking problem?

i chkthe plug wires with a digital set on 200ki got the following:
#1 8.6
#3 6.2
#5 5.1
#7 4.3
#2 7.0
#4 6.9
#6 5.1
#8 5.8


i wanted to check the coils now i have plenum off what should the readings be ohm testing?

[jonszr1]

if you want to get plug wires think about the msd set for our cars. price is about the same and i think its a better quality wire .jmho

[QB93Z]

Originally Posted by FULLPWR

would that be answer my smoking problem?

The point I was making was that a small amount of oil in the plenum is normal and many, many ZR-1's run without making smoke.

Jim

[FULLPWR]

my accel coils using a digital meter set on 200k ohms:

#1 & #6 - 70.7
#5 & #8 - 7.2
#4 & #7 - 7.3
#2 & #3 - 7.2

that 70.7 is correct i cleaned the contacts very good cuz i thought i wasnt reading it right

plug wires with a digital set on 200k
#1 8.6
#3 6.2
#5 5.1
#7 4.3
#2 7.0
#4 6.9
#6 5.1
#8 5.8

how do my wire numbers look????
should i replace the wires????

whats up with the 70.7 reading????
should i replace all four coils????
if so, with what coils????

wheres the recommended place to get the actuators?

thanks guys

[tomtom72]

Good morning fellars! Luis, sorry I had to leave Saturday. I had business on behalf of my parents that I tend to while they are wintering in FLA. I mind their commercial building. I clean it and I run the financial side while they're away.

Okay, where are we? I need Paul to show up as He is better with this ohm thing than I am. My answer when I replaced my injectors was to buy new GM coils and wires of my choice. Since I don't recall a spark test being done, do not ever pull a plug wire off when the motor is running, our ignition electronics boxes do not like that! Yes, I know that makes a spark test a real PIA. That's why I use 41-602's because I throw them out every winter as they're cheap! One less link to worry about. I used Magnecore 10mm wires as replacements and GM coils, now the only joker for at least 40k miles is the coils & wires, so they are maintenance items on a driven car. Coils = 30-40k miles?; my wires = when I get a shock grabbing them at idle... JMHO. If you have to ask how long in service, you may need to replace it....or write stuff in a log book. Reading your plugs, and minding what Jerry told you, I would say the ignition system is okay as are the injectors.

Actuator test & general vacuum diagnostics were well dunn! Yes one is N/G. You can buy two actuators or one, your choice. One thing with the actuators, some of them are assembled wrong. The arms were put in not centered on the diaphrams sooooo the fix is to mount them and use a mity vac to apply vacuum. Look to see that the arm moves smoothly and fully retracts by 8" ( I think that is the FSM benchmark ). If the arm doesn't move smoothly & / or fully open the 2* blades, take the actuator and flip it and do the test again. The object is that the arm fully retracts, and does so smoothly. The GM quality control on these parts is pretty bad and guys have gone thru a few to find two that work correctly without flipping them, or swapping them side to side ( no they're not side specific ). I tried that trick on the dealer I buy from, and they told me get off it. Okay, so maybe mine don't work 100%. By 10" Hg they are fully open, and they're positioned so that the arms move smoothly. Are they in correctly by the FSM? NO! but they work. I'm sure I'm missing some flow somewhere, I live with it.

I want to reassure you that yes there is enough oil in the plenum to do an oil change on a Cobalt...that's normal for our cars. Install one of those oil catch can things to eliminate that if you like. No one here will tell you any thing that is incorrect. We just say "I don't know" , but usually some one else knows & speaks up. That's the beauty of our Brotherhood. You want to mind the vacuum connections at the T/Body. That twin connector for the PCV + EVAP system is a pia. I used a zip strap and secured the inner end to the T/B. Then used another after the two lines are in to hold them, or your glue idea..no, use rtv. Then be very aware of the vacuum connection at the lower right side of the T/Body...everyone gets that one wrong once or twice so don't sweat it.

Okay back to the smoking. The vac leak @ the actuators could cause a miss, but I can't see it causing a "rich" smoke condition. I believe at WOT we are open loop = pre-selected fueling? The vacuum leak at the twin connector could cause a miss and I think upset the fuel enough to cause smoke?...I think. yea, I'm a bit weak on this 'puter stuff! So at this point I do not think I can be of any help due to lack of understanding of how the FI system really works. Guys like the FBI really know their stuff and maybe they will lend a hand. Oh, did you shake the PCV valves, were they free? If not that could be some of the smoke, maybe.


Tom

[FULLPWR]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Good morning fellars! Luis, sorry I had to leave Saturday. I had business on behalf of my parents that I tend to while they are wintering in FLA. I mind their commercial building. I clean it and I run the financial side while they're away.

Morning Tom, yea i think everybody was busy yesterday,it was great day to take of of the to do lists, i spent most of my day getting lost inthat serv manual, find something then ill be darned cant find it again, so i flipped evry page and sticky noted the major sections, why the heck is engine code 8 even in there....thought about taking all that out

Okay, where are we? I need Paul to show up as He is better with this ohm thing than I am. My answer when I replaced my injectors was to buy new GM coils and wires of my choice. Since I don't recall a spark test being done, do not ever pull a plug wire off when the motor is running, our ignition electronics boxes do not like that! Yes, I know that makes a spark test a real PIA. That's why I use 41-602's because I throw them out every winter as they're cheap! One less link to worry about. I used Magnecore 10mm wires as replacements and GM coils, now the only joker for at least 40k miles is the coils & wires, so they are maintenance items on a driven car. Coils = 30-40k miles?; my wires = when I get a shock grabbing them at idle... JMHO. If you have to ask how long in service, you may need to replace it....or write stuff in a log book. Reading your plugs, and minding what Jerry told you, I would say the ignition system is okay as are the injectors.

where did you get the GM coils??
i am confused with that 70.7 reading doesnt that mean it has too much resistance so it would be bad or on its way out, could that expalin the running fine then not all of a sudden...

Actuator test & general vacuum diagnostics were well dunn! Yes one is N/G. You can buy two actuators or one, your choice. One thing with the actuators, some of them are assembled wrong. The arms were put in not centered on the diaphrams sooooo the fix is to mount them and use a mity vac to apply vacuum. Look to see that the arm moves smoothly and fully retracts by 8" ( I think that is the FSM benchmark ). If the arm doesn't move smoothly & / or fully open the 2* blades, take the actuator and flip it and do the test again. The object is that the arm fully retracts, and does so smoothly. The GM quality control on these parts is pretty bad and guys have gone thru a few to find two that work correctly without flipping them, or swapping them side to side ( no they're not side specific ). I tried that trick on the dealer I buy from, and they told me get off it. Okay, so maybe mine don't work 100%. By 10" Hg they are fully open, and they're positioned so that the arms move smoothly. Are they in correctly by the FSM? NO! but they work. I'm sure I'm missing some flow somewhere, I live with it.

will do

I want to reassure you that yes there is enough oil in the plenum to do an oil change on a Cobalt...that's normal for our cars. Install one of those oil catch can things to eliminate that if you like. No one here will tell you any thing that is incorrect. We just say "I don't know" , but usually some one else knows & speaks up. That's the beauty of our Brotherhood. You want to mind the vacuum connections at the T/Body. That twin connector for the PCV + EVAP system is a pia. I used a zip strap and secured the inner end to the T/B. Then used another after the two lines are in to hold them, or your glue idea..no, use rtv. Then be very aware of the vacuum connection at the lower right side of the T/Body...everyone gets that one wrong once or twice so don't sweat it.

i took off that blk rubber block, its with BFI waste somewhere, and reran vac line to power steer clamp conn. and the other i cut a short vac line to and attached it to that alum pipe that heads to the pcvs. Jonszr1 helped shake that one ballbearing loose in my head on that one. everything is tight on that issue, well not now its disassembled, i was going to use some of those worm hose clamps on couple things under plen. but maybe the tie straps would be better like yours im thinking. is that oil catch thing something i have to do with plenum off or can i doit later?

Okay back to the smoking. The vac leak @ the actuators could cause a miss, but I can't see it causing a "rich" smoke condition. I believe at WOT we are open loop = pre-selected fueling? The vacuum leak at the twin connector could cause a miss and I think upset the fuel enough to cause smoke?...I think. yea, I'm a bit weak on this 'puter stuff! So at this point I do not think I can be of any help due to lack of understanding of how the FI system really works. Guys like the FBI really know their stuff and maybe they will lend a hand. Oh, did you shake the PCV valves, were they free? If not that could be some of the smoke, maybe.


Tom

hey i really appreciate evry comment and opinoin you have posted, as well as evry body elses, its a real good feeling to be able to bounce ideas & questions off others that have the same desire to keep these cars alive. Im a newbie for sure. but "i can feel it man"... "i can feel it"

Luis

[jonszr1]

first off tom loved the quip about the amount of oil in our plenum . i remember the first time i looked inside my plenum scared me to death . what alot of guys have done is either buy a seperator as i did or make their own ,and you can do that mod later if you want . just do a search on the suject and you will see what others have shared that they did .. while you have the plenum off go ahead and pull the starter and clean out the drain hole underneath it . tom did a real nice write up on things to ck . thats whats so special about this site , everyone shares what they have done , as we are all in the same boat we love our zr1s aqnd will do whatever we can to keep them on the road so we can enjoy that special sound only our motors make at 7000rpms we live for this. i just love the look on guys faces when they try to race you thinkin your easy pickens NOT. it makes me feel like i am a teenager again which for me was along time ago (60s) so take your time ,i gotta think she will run just fine when you put her back together. dont be afaid to open her up these cars just love it the more you do it . sure wish more ladies were like that

[tomtom72]

Luis I bought my GM coils from partszoneonline.com. They used to be a big chevy dealer in PA. They got axed in the new GM, but they still sell GM parts.

You're in TX, is Scroggins & Dickies still in business? Back in the old days, the 70's, they were the go to guys from the back pages of all the car rags.....yes, that's before the internet!....because I'm an old mofo

Smart idea about that twin connector, that's what I'm doing to mine when I get around to it!

The oil catch can can be dunn later because you already solved half of the issue of making a connection to the T/Body twin fitting. Search HawaiiZR1 and look at some of Craig's work on the catch can thing for some ideas on the how to side. Craig's stuff is sweet to look at!


Tom

[tomtom72]

Brad, thanks for the kudos. I want to send some back at you for helping here also, and every one else that jumped in! I know it sounds corny, but I believe in our Brotherhood.

I just wish I had a better grasp of the ohm thing, and a lot of other things on these cars too! I hate to waste any body's cash on parts they don't need.


Tom

[jonszr1]

thanx for the kind words and the good laugh i got on the colbalt plunum oil deal. on the dual connector to do away with that blok of rubber our 90s have i just used some thin wall rubber tubing and a couple of the small tie wraps i tried the bigger ones but the small thin ones seemed to form better and dont feel bad i dont get the ohm/ elctrical deal very well either . too many funky things can happen ,maybe one day i will get it . everyone have a great wekend . writing this is going to make me go for an early morning cruize