3. Third Generation (1982 - 1992)
Q: What does "RS" stand for?
A: "RS" denotes "Rally Sport" and was a slightly cheaper model Camaro.
Q: What does GTA stand for?
A: Grand Tourismo Americano (or Grand Touring America, in English). 1987 thru 1992 Trans Am GTAs received the L98 5.7 liter (350 ci) TPI V8 (like the Corvette). The GTA came with light weight 16 inch diamond spoke alloy mag wheels and gold "Trans Am GTA" badges. The interior had new bucket seats (optional on the regular Trans Am). The 5.0 liter (305 ci) engine was also available in the GTA with a 5 speed manual tranny, but this required engine deletion of the L98 and had to be special ordered directly from Pontiac.
Q: What's included in the B4C police package?
A: It was an RS Camaro with air conditioning, Z-28 power train, 140 amp altenator and came with some (but not all) of the 1LE option package equipment. This included dual cats, special suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, posi-traction, special axle ratio, oil cooler, 16" aluminum wheels, 145 MPH speedometer, and 245/50ZR16 blackwall tires. In order to determine if it is a true B4C, look for the "B4C" code on the option label located inside the glove box.
Q: What's included in the 1LE Performance package?
A: In 1988, the secret showroom stock racing 1LE option (option level 0 IROC-Z) was first available; however, only 4 were produced. Then in 1989, the option became more well-known as 111 were produced that year. The package was obtained by ordering the following:
Q: What is a MR MSE Trans Am?
A: These cars were created from '82 - '85 by Dennis Mecham, of DKM Macho T/A fame. He started Mecham Racing Inc. (MR) located in Glendale AZ and Tacoma WA. MSE stoof for Motor Sports Edition. The '82 models were a two tone paint scheme (split just below the doors at the rocker panel) with several colors combos to choose from. The '83, '84, and '85 models were painted similar to the 1984 15th Anniversary Trans Am with a two tone paint scheme split at the bodyline or middle of the doors. MSEs got a full width front spoiler, a low resistance "aerotail" rear spoiler, and emblems proclaiming it a Mecham Racing Machine. On the sail panels behind the doors are either MSE emblems or a big olive branch-wreathed letters MR, with Mecham Racing, USA, and SCCA champions underneath. There may be additional numbers/emblems on the drivers side headlight door, fenders, rear spoiler, or rear bumper depending on the year. MSEs also got special MR centercaps and a MR hood emblem. 500 were built in '82, 150 in '83, 50 in '84, and only a few in '85.
The stock 305 ci engine got a recurved distributor, advanced timing, and a rebuilt performance carb all good for about 25 HP. All cars came with a "Git Kit" in the rear hatch area which included a 600 Holley carb, aluminum intake manifold, Mallory distributor, Coil spark plug wires, Champion spark plugs, low restriction air cleaner, Tri-Y headers, and Y-pipe. Some cars were came fitted with a non-EGR Edelbrock intake manifold, Tri-Y headers, Doug Nash 5-speed, and a rebuilt Q-Jet or Holley 600 carb. Some even received an entire engine transplant that included a 440 horsepower 406 ci Chevy small block with various available performance combos, including a twin turbo for export use.
All MSEs came with the WS6 performance package from the factory, but a "Tallon Suspension" was optional with stiffer springs, urethane sway bar bushings, additional front cross member, Koni adjustable shocks, rear droop limiter straps, Firestone tires on Modern Wheel 15" x 7" alloys or special "Diamond-spoke" alloy rims. This suspension was capable of .90 to .95g on the skidpad. Inside included a "Duesenberg-like" leather-wrapped steering wheel (with MR insert), Motorola sound system, 160+ MPH speedometer, 8000+ RPM tach (both with MR Logos), Recaro seats, and dash or console plaque.
Q: What is a Macho T/A?
A: Macho Trans Am's were mostly built by DKM from 1978 to 1980 (see the 2nd Generation section for more details). But in addition to the MR MSE Trans Ams built in 1985, only 20 Macho T/A's were also built. They had either a large MACHO T/A on the lower doors or a smaller "Macho" decal on the doors and the front and rear bumpers. These were also numbered like the 2nd gen Machos and MR MSEs. All other modifications were similar to the MSEs.
Q: What is a "notchback" Trans Am?
A: In 1988, Pontiac offered the notchback as a factory option on the GTA. There were 718 produced. The notchback is a fiberglass piece that bolts on in place of the regular glass hatch (with the exception of a few differences). It has a small back window which comes directly down behind the rear seats (at a 75 degree angle). Then a flat area (like a trunk lid) extends to the rear of the car with a ridge running down the center. It has a spoiler, but not like the standard wrap around one. While aftermarket reproductions are found all around, an option code of AA8 was used for the factory notchback along with the 10th character of the VIN being a 'K'.
Q: What can be done to free up air flow in the TPI plenums?
A: The stock plenum has about 52mm openings, but there are some serious blockages about 1/4" inside. This brings the open area down considerably. There are 2 cast 'walls' just inside that need to be knocked out before any "opening" is done. These apparenly shrowd the EGR holes.
Start by removing the plenum and then carefully grind out the walls. This should result in a noticable performance increase by itself. Then you can go even further by putting on a 58 mm throttle body, but this will require boring out of the plenum air inlets. This is a large amount of metal to take off and requires a lot of time and patients. It is doable though with a carbide bit and an air grinder. You will need to radius blend the opennings (you can't just bore them, there isn't enough metal all around). The result is much better flow.
If you're not familiar with using the tools mentioned, then you're better off having it done professionally. TPIS will do it for $85, but you'll have to send them the plemum.
Q: Can I install the L69 dual snorkle intake on my LG4 engine?
A: Yes. If you can't find one in a junk yard, the part numbers are as follows:
Part No. Description ------------------------- 25043641 Air cleaner 14070917 Left scoop 14070918 Right scoop 14073299 Left hose 14083990 Right hose 11513801 Screws
Q: What tools make an easy job of changing the spark plugs?
A: For your ratchet: a 3/8" drive socket, a 3" extension, a 3/8" U-joint, and the plug socket. As for the real tough plugs, use a 'swivel' ratchet with a spark plug socket with a hex end. Then you can get an open end wrench around it and pop it loose.
Q: Do any performance chips allow me to moderate the amount of power?
A: There isn't a chip which allows you to modify the actual "program", but JET (Jones Electronic Technology) offers a 6-chip setup: Economy, Towing, Stage1, Stage2, Valet and Security. Each chip is designed for a different type of application. That way, you can pop in the valet chip to cut the power (and prevent possible valet joy rides) or use a stage chip to work in conjunction with other performance modifications for even more power.
Q: How hot does my thermostat run?
A: Stock thermostats on 3rd generation cars are 195 degrees. If you want to go colder, you must change the PROM.
Q: When do the primary and secondary fans kick in?
A: According to the 1990 service manual, the primary fan is controlled by the ECM and will come on when the coolant temperature reaches 190 degrees F. The secondary fan has its own temperature sensor in the bottom of the engine block (passenger side) and will turn on when both of these conditions exist:
Q: Can the fans be rigged to come on while the engine is not running?
A: Yes. There is a temperature sensor on the block (passenger side under the third spark plug) with one wire going to it. Take the wire off and splice another wire off of it. Route that spliced wire into the car and up behind the dash. Then just hook it up to a switch. Run another wire from the other contact on the switch to a ground, and then when you switch it on, both fans will come on high.
Q: Why can't I seem to get a proper timing reading?
A: The computer is programmed to automatically advance the timing. You need to disconnect the brown/black striped wire next to the heater box/fan housing and then you can get a real reading. Otherwise it will seem like it's advanced a great deal.
Q: How can I bypass the speed limiter?
A: Try the following steps:
Q: What is the difference between TPI, SFI, MPFI, TBI, and CPI injection?
A: TPI (Tuned Port Injection) is a "batch" fire system (from the factory) which means that each bank of injectors will fire all at the same time. SFI (Sequential Fuel Injection) is sequential in that only the injector that needs to fire does so. Both TPI and SFI have injectors located in every runner of the intake manifold. MPFI (Muti-Port Fuel Injection) has one injector per cylinder for more power and precise amounts of air and fuel delivered directly to each cylinder via fuel rails. However, there are more parts to wear or break. TBI (Throttle Body Injection) has two injectors placed over the throttle body (carb bowl type unit) indirectly injecting through the intake manifold. This result in less power and imprecise amounts of air and fuel delivered to the cylinders, but there are less parts to wear or break. CPI (Central Point Injection) is a hybrid of MPFI and TBI in that there are two injectors placed over throttle body sending more precise amount of air and fuel to the cylinders through a direct injection via a plastic tube and poppit valve at each cylinder. There are less parts to wear or break this way.
Q: What is needed to convert my engine to TPI fuel injection?
A: You'll need to find the following:
Q: What fuel pressure setting will give me the best performance?
A: The stock setting is 42 PSI. Much track testing has showed that any type of increase will greatly benefit both horse power and torque. Here's some dyno testing on a stock 350 motor which substantiates those claims:
42 PSI (stock) 46 PSI 50 PSI
RPM Torq HP Torq/diff HP/diff Torq/diff HP/diff
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2250 237.7 101.8 254.9/17.2 109.2/ 7.4 275.0/37.3 117.8/16.0
2500 241.7 115.1 262.1/20.4 124.8/ 9.7 283.3/41.6 134.9/19.8
2750 241.5 126.5 275.2/33.7 144.1/17.6 297.0/55.5 155.5/29.0
3000 237.1 135.4 278.2/41.1 158.9/23.5 305.5/68.4 174.5/39.1
3250 233.8 144.7 278.9/45.1 172.6/27.9 311.3/77.5 192.6/47.9
3500 241.0 160.6 278.2/37.2 185.4/24.8 309.5/68.5 206.3/45.7
3750 246.6 176.1 283.4/36.8 202.4/26.8 303.3/56.7 216.6/40.5
4000 250.4 190.7 278.3/27.9 212.0/21.3 298.0/47.6 227.0/36.3
4250 251.6 203.6 272.5/20.9 220.5/16.9 289.1/37.5 233.9/30.3
4500 253.5 217.2 257.3/ 4.2 220.5/ 3.3 277.0/23.5 237.3/20.1
4750 245.0 221.6 242.1/-2.9 219.0/-2.6 266.4/21.4 240.9/19.3
5000 227.6 216.7 225.0/-1.4 214.2/-2.5 237.8/10.2 226.4/ 9.7
It shows that by increasing the fuel pressure to 50 PSI, results in maximum
torque increase of 58 ft-lbs (along with a much flatter torque curve) and
a maximum horse power increase of 19 HP over stock. 46 PSI also provides a
noticable increase which should work well for day-to-day street driving.
An adjustable fuel pressure regulator (see Chap 5.2) is required to increase
the fuel pressure.
Q: Why is my car getting harder to start day by day?
A: Before you go spending big bucks on a new starter or fuel pump. Check the The fuel pump relay. It could be dying and you might be able to save a large sum of money.
Q: Should I use self-aligning or non-self-aligning rockers?
A: You have to use a self-aligning type otherwise you will have to pull the heads to tap them since the studs are pressed in.
Q: Which cars came with a stock dual exhaust system?
A: Starting in 1989, cars with the G92 option got the dual cat system, but the post-cat exhaust is tied into a single 3" pipe and fed through a single muffler with dual outlets. GM rated the dual cat version at 10 more HP than the single cat versions. Putting a good aftermarket system w/ mandrel bent pipes and a free flowing muffler will still give you better power though on a car with dual cats.
Q: Does my car have an engine oil cooler?
A: All cars with the 350 ci (L98), 1LE, or B4C option got an oil cooler.
Q: Is there anything I can do to improve my 4 cylinder engine?
A: Yes, especially the Iron Duke 2.5L which came in the first 3rd gen cars:
Q: Is there anything I can do to improve my 6 cylinder engine?
A: Yes, just about anything you can do with the 8 cylinder, can be done with the 6. Parts my be a little harder to find, but ads in the back of any Chevy magazine is best place to start. The most basic things are upgrading the intake and exhaust. A K&N air filter as well as freer flowing intake tubing can do alot. On the later models, you might want to try drilling holes in the water shields under the air filters (about five 1/4 inch holes). This will allow much more air into the motor. As for the exhaust, Edelbrock and Dynomax make some excellent free flowing systems for the V6s. And Products for Performance makes a freer flowing replacement catalytic converter.
For the spark, try the Crane HI-2000 ignition discharge unit and the Crane PS91 coil. Also use 8mm helicoil plug wires from MSD and Bosch platinum spark plugs.
You can even swap the cam. Competition Cams makes the CompuCam 2000 which is "computer freindly". Try something with .432 intake and exhaust lifts. In combination with that, use Competition Cams 1.6 roller rockers. All this allows for better breathing, so you might want to have the intake manifold ported. Also port and polish the heads.
Finally, you can go with forged pistons, chrome moly rings, Federal Mogul bearings, a remanufactured crank. This will be plenty strong to handle a nice nitrous set up from NOS.
Q: Does it pay to swap my 4 or 6 cylinder engine for an 8 cylinder?
A: First of all, you have to decide if you are going to keep the computer system. It's a bigger hassle if you do. Your best bet is to go to a junkyard or find someone who is parting out a V8 Camaro/Firebird, and pull as many parts as possible off the same car. You will need brackets (i.e. alternator, AC, smog pump, and power steering pump - save the bolts too), AC hoses, and Pulleys. You will also need new rubber motor mounts (about $20 at local parts store) and the engine side brackets that these mounts bolt to. Make sure you get the engine side motor mount brackets from a Camaro or Firebird as they are a little shallower and are needed to get the engine to sit low enough in the bay. The holes for the motor mounts are already in your crossmember. You will also need to get the engine fan and fan shroud (junkyard or new - your choice). You will need to buy a starter, water pump, and probably a power steering pump (get thses from a junkyard as they're almost always still good). You'll need a V8 HEI distributor. An ACCEL rebuilt HEI works great and costs less than $150.00. And of course plugs and wires. Assuming an automatic tranny, you will need a new tranny since the bellhousing bolt pattern is different on the V8 car from the 4 and 6 cylinders. A Turbo 350 will bolt right in with B&M's $75.00 conversion kit. It just lets you hook up the torque arm, but you'll lose overdrive. Take a polaroid camera to the junkyard, and you should be able to figure all this stuff out. Finally, you will probably have to change the front coil springs. I know this sounds like a ton of work (especially since it doesn't even include what you have to buy to assemble the engine), but this swap is really a piece of cake - everything drops in like it was supposed to be there. At the very least, assemble all the components you'll need (build the motor on an engine stand over a few months with all accessories and brackets), and have someone drop it in for you. A shop would charge you an arm and a leg if they had to scrounge all this stuff up themselves. For further info, send an e-mail to Chris (cblandin0@aol.com).
Q: What's that buzzing/grinding noise at low RPMs?
A: It could be related to this technical service bulletin:
Bulletin #: 277142
Publish Date: 10/92
Models: 1984-1993 Firebirds w/ Hydra-matric 4L60/700R4 Trannys
Condition: buzzing noise from tranny at idle (more so when in reverse)
Cause: pressure regulator valve oscillating due to oil pressure
instability at lower idle RPM
Correction: a new pressure reg. valve has been made to improve oil
pressure stability at lower RPM (part #8684048)
Q: Why won't my automatic tranny shift into overdrive at wide open throttle?
A: It's designed not to shift into overdrive if your foot is all the way to the floor. You must be at 2/3 throttle or less before the tranny shifts into OD. So when you hit the top of 3rd gear, you'll have to let off the gas to allow for the shift. But putting your foot back into it will probably cause a downshift resulting in the same problem.
B and M makes a kit modified kickdown valve (part # 70237) which fixes this problem. It costs about $30 and can be ordered through the Summit or Jegs. GM also makes a modified upshift valve which it included in police packages and that part # is 8673948 and sells for around $15. This will allow the tranny to shift into OD at full throttle.
Q: Can I replace my 700R4 automatic tranny with a later model?
A: Yes. In fact, if your car was built prior to the 1987 model year, it's probably a good idea (if you have the cash). In 1987 (and even on some of the very-late-1986 cars), a number of improvements were made to the 700R4, the most prominent of which was a change to the auxiliary valve body with the main body and stronger components. This valve body is a section added in conjunction with the full valve body that routes the fluid differently. Earlier versions simply have a cover plate in place of this valve body where a small amount of fluid reserve is kept for some operation. The newer model has an accumulator to regulate the engagement of the forward clutch so that the shift into "D" would be smoother. An abuse valve was added which, based on throttle position, would short circuit the accumulator and cause the "D" shift to occur faster (benefits apparent when rocking a car that's stuck in snow or sand as it causes the clutch to engage faster to eliminate slippage and heat built-up). These two items were also made applicable to the engagement of the reverse clutch, thus smoothing its operation except during "abusive" conditions.
The auxiliary valve body is on the drivers side, just behind the trans valve body (opposite the accumulator housing). Four bolts hold the a 6 x 2 inch block in place with a tube a tube connecting it to the front-side of the main valve body. You can tell if you've got the auxiliary valve body without pulling the pan. The later tranny has a slightly deeper pan to accommodate the auxiliary valve body. To make certain identification, GM changed the pattern of markings on the pan bottom where the magnet is located. These markings are visible from the underside, near a rearward corner, forming a square shape of size 1.75 inches or so. The later pans (accommodating the auxiliary valve body) have unequal length lines (one set is longer than the rest) unlike the earlier pans which have all lines equal length. Also, behind the torque converter, look for a casting number on the front pump. If the last three digits are "732", then you have the new, improved version of the 700-R4.
The newer trannies also have a 10-vane pump instead of the old 7-vane pump (more pressure results in quicker, firmer shifts and tranny longevity).
If do want to upgrade, you should check that the input and output shafts will function with your existing converter and driveshaft. One of the other upgrades for 1987 was the change of the input shaft from a 27 spline to a 30 spline. But keep in mind that there have been subsequent changes after 1987 as well. Your best bet is to use the most recent model you can find.
But, also remember that if you want the shift points to remain the same as before, you should try to get one from a similar auto and engine since the valve body springs and the governor are sometimes different for different auto and engine combinations. In some cases the differences are subtle and others not. The valve bodies on the early 700R4s are not interchangable with the later models, so you do not have the option of simply swapping valve bodies to get around this issue. Also, note that if the newer tranny has an electronically controlled shift, it can be overridden.
Q: What's the best way to install a Hurst shifter?
A: Your best bet is to follow the service manual. This involves removing the radio and heater/AC controls and the entire console. But you need to do this to get to the bolts to the lower rubber shifter boot. The hardest part is putting back together the heater/AC control unit. Try to remember how it comes apart. Also, there are actually six bolts that hold the console on, but you need to take the top part of the console off first. This is why you need to remove the radio and ventilation controls. The last two bolts are hard to find as they are under the convenience box. Once all of the top torx screws are removed, lift up the rear convenience box to get to the rear two bolts. It's a worthwile modification as the shifter is more positive and accurate than the sloppy stock unit, and power shifting is much better.
Q: How can I tell if I have a bad idler arm?
A: Take off the idler arm and it you can spin it around with ease, then it's probably bad. It also might have slop in the vertical axis where the two arms are connected, so there will be "give" when pressing the two arms in toward each other. It's recommended you replace it with a beefier arm like a Moog or DANA unit that's lubable. You might also want to check the ball joints for wear too.
Q: How easy it to change my front struts?
A: Use two jack-stands under the front-frame rails, a hydraulic jack under the "bulb" in the control-arm and a third jack-stand under the "spindle extension" of the rotor. It's not necessary to remove the calipers and/or rotors. The upper strut-mounts might need to be forcibly loosened and then removed. If the old struts are worn out enough, they should just compress by themselves. The new struts should be able to be compressed by hand and then positioned in place as fast as possible, before they extend.
For the strut-to-knuckle bolts to loosen, use a pipe extension to the fixed driver of the socket-set. To tighten these bolts, first torque them to 170 Nm and then give them an additional turn of 120 degrees. For the latter, use the pipe-extension again.
Q: What are the factory front end alignment specs?
A: With the stock Good Year 215/65R/15s, the settings were:
Caster +3 degrees +/- .5 degree
Camber +1 degree +/- .5 degree
Toe in .15 degree +/- .5 degree
Q: What are some suggested front end alignment specs?
A: A table in the Camaro & Firebird Perforamnce Handbook for 3rd Generation cars lists the following recommendations:
Caster Camber Toe Total
(deg) (deg) (in)
L R L R
Street +4 +4.5 -.5 -.5 3/32
Hard Street Use +5 +5.5 -1 -1 3/32
Drag Racing +4 +4 0 0 1/32
Road racing +6 +6 -1.75 -1.75 Short Course
1/8 out
Long Course
1/16 in
The figures are credited to Global West Suspension Components and are
taken with driver weight included.
Q: What are the offsets for the front and rear 16 inch wheels?
A: 0 mm on the front and 16 mm (negative - outward) on the rear.
Q: Will 4th generation wheels fit on my 3rd generation car?
A: Yes, but you'll need to use 2.5" spacer hubs which you can get from Vette Brakes in Tampa, FL.
Q: Why does my power steering pump tend to whine/hiss?
A: Dan (burkdani@egr.msu.edu) has some expertise:
As a Co-op student for Saginaw Division for 18 months, I spent nearly all of my time working on the GM built TC, CB, and P model power steering pumps. Since I see some people are bringing up pump whine, I thought I'd try to address the issue.
The 2nd & 3rd generation F car uses a submerged P pump. It is a rather large PS pump that has a housing full of PS fluid which surrounds the pump (hence the term "submerged"). The P pump weighs in at eleven pounds, and is a very reliable unit capable of providing enough hydraulic assist for everything from a Chevette to a 1 ton delivery van. Because the P pump is submerged, it also tends to be quieter than the other models as the oil damps many of the vibrations. In addition, the P pump has been manufactured since the late sixties, and Plant 3 in Saginaw, MI really has their quality control dialed in on that assembly line.
The 4th gen F car uses a CB pump. It is not sumberged, and has a resovoir. It is physically smaller than a P pump, weighing in at about six pounds. It is more suited to passenger cars, as it does not have the obvious excess capacity of a P pump. The CB pump has many similarities to the P pump in that it uses a bushing on the driveshaft, as well as a common flow control valve. All in all, it is quite a reliable unit, aas long as it is manufactured in spec.
A TC pump is dimensionally similar to a CB pump, and can in fact be substituted for a CB pump. The TC is more expensive, and uses a sealed bearing on its driveshaft. Some critics of the TC claim the sealed bearing is noisier than the CB pump because of this. You will find TC pumps on many other GM products, as well as a whole bunch of chryslers, Audi's, VW's, Saab's, and other European manufactured vehicles. I personally like the TC pump. It was kind of like a hot rod, and we'd sometimes spin them up to 9,000 RPM for 100 hours, at 300 degrees F and they'd look fine afterwards. Some say the TC was 'overbuilt', and GM was trying to phase them out, except the customer kept buying them! The TC pump is the lightest of the PS pumps, at just over five pounds. There exist some aluminum pumps from the late 80's Corvettes that weight only four pounds that will bolt into a 4th gen. F car. There is also a new pump called 'direct drive' that runs directly off the cam, but I'll not go into that because I don't know much about it.
Now, the whine you hear when you rev your pump is one of three things. The first is the whine caused by pressure relief. It sounds kind of like a 'Shhhhhhhhh!' If you turn your wheel until it wont turn anymore, the fliud flow to the pump is cut off, and the pump is forced into pressure relief. On the F-car, this means a pressure of between 1200 and 1600 PSI. The pump has to recirculate this high pressure fluid within itself because the fluid has nowhere to go. If left in pressure relief for very long, the fluid can quickly exceed 325 degF, and break down, causing the pump to begin experiencing metal-to-metal contact.
The second noise is caused by cavitation. As you increase pump speed, more and more fluid is forced through the ports per unit time. There comes a velocity where the fluid just doesn't want to move that fast, and the vanes inside the pump will cause a vacuum, which is instantly filled with oil vapor. When the vane reaches the high pressure port, this vacuum cell is opened into a high pressure cell, and oil rushes to fill the void. A little 'sonic boom' results. These individual 'booms' are virtually microscopic, but they add up. What they translate into is a sound that sounds suspiciously like a whine. Now every pump cavitates. It's in the nature of moving fluid. By smoothing the radius of the ports, and relocating supercharge holes (I'm not going into that), engineers can reduce cavitation or push the frequency spectrum of the whine to a less noticable frequency. It is, in fact, where the bulk of pump engineering hours are spent.
Anyway, that funny high pitched whining that Mike Martin is hearing after his autocross run is the third type of noise. This type of whine is from the oil being aerated. When the pump is really screaming, the oil in the resivoir really gets churned up. This allows the occasional air bubble to pass into the pump, where it is totally pulverised into smaller bubbles. Eventually, the oil gets enough of these bubbles in it that you begin to hear it. If you want to really experience aeration, just run your pump low on oil!
None of these three types of noises will cause your pump to die. What kills a pump is heat and oil viscosity breakdown. The pressure relief example will overheat a pump in the extreme case causing galling of the bushing, or wear of the pump ring. The cavitation example, when extreme, like 7000-9000 RPM endurance runs, will cause microfractures to the pump internals and literally blow little flakes of metal off the walls. The extreme aeration example will cause increased heat to the internals, because air does not carry the heat away like oil does. But the common denominator to these is the word EXTREME. Most PS pumps never see this kind of duty, unless the person runs their pump low on oil. But none of us does this, because we all check our PS fluid as often as we check our trans fluid, right?
Q: Do my rear disc brakes need to be adjusted?
A: A technical service bulletin described this for early-mid '80s rear disk brakes. It seems that the rear disks in these cars would be adjusted by applying the emergency brake. When you pull the emergency brake lever up, the lever turns this little device called an actuator screw. This little screw type device is also on a ratchet, so that pulling the e-brake up, turns the screw. But letting go allows the ratchet part to function and set the pads at that time. So, using the emergency brake is mandatory for maintaining the rear disk setting on early model rear disk units.
But, here's the problem with them. There's a little spring on the actuator screw assembly that allows the pads to back-off from the disk a little bit before the ratchet mechanism is engaged. This must be done, otherwise full brake pressure would be left on the pads when the e-brake is released. Well, that little return spring K-factor was not correctly chosen from the factory, and the result is that the ratchet NEVER functions after the actuator screw gets a little dirty. Hence, the pads simply work their way out all the way when the e-brake is used. Using the e-brake all the time seems to keep the actuator free for a longer period of time, but even with the correct spring weight and screw, the e-brake is required to adjust the parking brake actuator.
The TSB states that cars with a manual tranny are eligible for a free fix as the e-brake is required to park the car, but the auto is not eligible. Why? Only GM knows. However, fixing it yourself should be relatively easy. The rear wheels are removed, and there is a nut on the back side of the brake caliper that holds the parking brake lever. Remove the nut, lever, and soft grommets. Put a large washer over the shaft to act as a spacer, and then put a wrench on the hex of the shaft, and tie it down with the nut. Turn the wrench to back the brakes off. After a while, this will over travel, as if there was a one way clutch. Tighten the shaft to see where the hex is when the pads are tight agains the rotor. If it is in a spot that the parking brake lever will fit, and turn about 1/3 of its travel to tighten apply the brake, then it is good. If not, try again.
This will remove some of the brake pedal slop also. It's supposed to be self-adjusting (apply parking brake thirty times), but it is common for it not to work.
Q: What's with the extra wipe after turning off the wipers?
A: Some people consider this an annoyance while others think it's great. It's a common "feature" on most GM cars. Although some people claim that their GM car doesn't do it. There are also aftermarket wiper motors which don't do it. So where did it come from?
The ultimate wiper trivia might trace this back to an excess inventory of the old kind of intermittent wipers which violated that original patent. Someone had a patent on the infinite-variations intermittent wiper style. The 4th gens have little tick marks with about 10 levels of intermittency. The old kind had an infinite amount of intermittency, rather than a variable resistor with only fixed values possible. GM was one of the first companies to settle with the intermittent wiper patent person. But it also looks like GM changed their method of doing intermittent wipers at about the same time. As for the "extra wipe", it's just because of the way the RC circuit was set up. There must have been a little glitch when the switch shut off, such that a little extra charge got into the RC circuit and pushed it over the limit right as you turn off the switch. It looks like they fixed this glitch when they changed the style of intermittent wiper control.
Q: Why does the paint on my car seem to fade/crack/peel so easily?
A: Up through the 1987 model year, F-cars were built at two different assembly plants. One was Norwood, Ohio and the other was in Van Nuys, California. The plants both built the two F-cars identically, except with respect to the paint process.
Since before the 3rd generation F-cars were started in late 1981, the Van Nuys plant was forced to use a water-based enamel paint because of the very restrictive CA laws enforced by the CARB (California Air Resources Board). This water-based paint was very different from the solvent-based paint used at Norwood. Another difference was the way the paints were applied. Because it was mostly non-polluting, the water-based paint at Van Nuys could be sprayed on by a conventional spray-gun technique. There were no volatile solvents (only water), and whatever paint did not stick to the cars (overspray) was caught by air filters.
Starting with the 3rd generation models, Norwood began using a much more sophisticated paint application mechanism called a Turbo Bell. The Turbo Bells were high speed (30K RPM) turbines that literally atomized (fogged) the paint so very little solvent was required (much less than with conventional spraying techniques). The Turbo Bells dispense a cone shaped fog of electrically charged high-solids enamel. This fog would be up to 55% solid paint, with volatile organic solvents as the carrier. The charged paint particles would be attracted to the vehicle body, which was also electrically charged (with opposite polarity from the paint) so that the paint particles would attract and stick. Very little overspray would result from this process, since the high-solids paint fog would be attracted directly on to the vehicle by the electric charge. The carrier solvent would evaporate, and was drawn into burning stacks where it would be incinerated.
The Turbo Bell painting technique is now used by virtually all manufacturers and combined with solvent-borne enamel like that used at Norwood, results in the highest quality paint jobs. In 1987, Norwood turned turned out some of the finest quality paint jobs in the world. By comparison, the water-based paint would be much more dull, thin, and prone to problems.
The much stricter CARB emissions laws did not allow the use of solvent borne paint at Van Nuys. That meant that the paint jobs coming out of Van Nuys could never be as good as those from Norwood. The water based paint was not as hard, or shiny as the solvent based paint used at Norwood. Then came some real problems. Due to the ever-tightening CARB standards, Van Nuys was forced to give up the spray guns and adopt the Turbo Bell paint application system for the '86 model year. You would think that this sounds good, but the problem was that the Turbo Bell system was designed for solvent based paint and not the water-based paint mandated by CARB at Van Nuys. There was a period where they had not really sorted out how to re-formulate the water-based paint and primers to work with the Turbo Bells, and this resulted in many problems especially during the '86 model year. It took several years for some of the problems to be solved.
You can tell where your vehicle was built by looking at the 11th digit of the VIN. If it's an "N", then the car was built at Norwood, if it's an "L", then the car was built at Van Nuys. Another interesting difference (although there's no concrete evidence) is that cars which were built at Norwood had the top of the cowl painted over in flat black, while vehicles built at Van Nuys left this area body colored.
The Norwood plant was closed after the 1987 model year finished out, as GM had decided that F-car production could only sustain a single plant, and the Van Nuys plant was the more modern of the two. Also, Van Nuys was a larger plant, and had only a two level conveyor system rather than the complicated 5-level system used at Norwood. The more constricted Norwood plant only turned out about 41 vehicles per hour, while 54 per hour could be sustained at Van Nuys. Each F-car took about 20 hours to assemble completely from start to finish. Unfortunately the plant that remained open (Van Nuys) had the poorer quality paint process due mainly to the mandated use of water- based enamel. All remaining 3rd generation F-cars from 1988 through 1992 were built at Van Nuys. All 4th generation F-car production moved to Ste. Therese in Canada.
It is also believed that paint problems in 1988-1992 models are a result of GM reformulating the primer base which was put on the cars. The primer was made to better stick to the sheet metal/fiberglass and better resist rust and corrosion. Unfortunately, it also resisted the paint from sticking to it - better known as "delamination". Thus, after a number of years, the paint starts to unadhere from the primer base even to the point where it will peel off in sheets. GM will cover repainting of vehicles with such delamination problems, but only up until they're 5 years old. This is why GM released technical service bulletin #231054 which allows dealerships to handle such problems on a "case by case basis to give goodwill adjustments to customers".
Q: What is the purpose of the "fuel filler neck" recall?
A: General Motors has determined that certain 1991-92 Firebird/Camaro model vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 301, "Fuel System Integrity." These vehicles could exhibit cracks or "pin holes" at the fuel filler neck solder joint. This could result in fuel odor or fuel leakage. If an ignition source was present, fuel leakage resulting from this condition could result in a vehicle fire. Contact your dealer about this recall.
Q: How can I prevent the wind from coming in around the door window?
A: Take off the door panel and on the inside of the door there are white plastic taps that take a 10mm wrench. Move them ever so slightly up and this will let the window come up a little higher. You will have to play with it a bit to get it just right.
Q: Will a CD radio work with my steering wheel controls?
A: Only if it's 1991 or after. The steering wheel controls send a different signal than 1990 and before so that won't work.
Q: Why does my speedometer tend to bounce up and down by a couple MPH?
A: The speedometer cable most likely needs to lubricated. Most repair and speed shops can do this relatively cheaply. You might also want to check where the cable goes into the tranny. Over time, the gears can slide apart and not mesh properly.
Q: How come air will only come out of my defroster vents?
A: These "cables" are actually small plastic vacuum lines from the A/C controls which actuate small vacuum "motors" underneath the dashboard next to the firewall (they look like small silver tops with a small color hose attached to them). If you pull out the A/C control panel, you will see different colors corresponding to a control setting - blue for defrost, orange for floor heat and so on. The "motor" moves the control gates for directing the airflow via the dash and console vents and so on. The usual problem is that the vacuum source line gets broken or pinched from the vacuum box (on the firewall next to the washer assembly) to the controls. When the vacuum source is interrupted, the controls freeze on the last setting of vent, defrost, etc since there is no vacuum source to actuate the "motors". Follow the main vacuum line (usually a stiff black plastic line) from the box to the original vacuum source (A/C system or manifold) or from the box to where it enters through the firewall to your control switch to see if either one is broken or pinched. This is what you hope is the source of the problem.
Next, check your vacuum line to see how it connects to the harness with the color coded lines (see the Chilton repair manual for the difference between early and later f-body a/c system controls). If any line is broken, it is usually another potential vacuum leak as it is all one piece. This can happen when installing a new stereo system as everything can get jammed up behind the console. These can be repaired by splicing in 3/8th inch rubber hose. The problem you don't want is a broken connection at the control panel. Since it is a one piece vacuum harness, it can mean removing almost the entire dash, seats, and front console to confortably get at all the motors to hook up the harness and the corresponding lines to the motors.
Q: Why does my rear defroster come on when I hit the brake pedal?
A: It's probably a loose defroster wire on the hatch. Check the connectors on both sides of the rear hatch glass to make sure they're properly connected.
Q: What is the purpose of the "seat belt" recall?
A: This is for the 1984 to 1990 Camaros. Some of the button assemblies on the seat belts will not connect or release over time. The buttons also become discolored (to a pink color) and brittle especially when exposed to long periods of sunlight. The recall number is #90-C-22. Contact a dealership near you about replacement of the button assemblies. This should be done free of charge.
Q: How can I display the error codes from a Service Engine Light?
A: If your car does not have the 12 pin DLC connector, you may not be able to manually "flash" your trouble codes. The language "may be possible" appears to suggest that this method should work with most, if not all, 12 pin DLC equipped cars.
THE CONNECTOR
----------------------- | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | | 7 8 9 10 11 12 | -----------------------DISPLAYING THE TROUBLE CODES
Some vehicles will display stored trouble codes, then "12" again, followed by energizing "most system controlled relays." The fuel pump relay will not energize. The idle air control valve will fully extend to enable checking minimum idle speed.
CLEARING THE TROUBLE CODES
Turn the keyswitch to the off position.
To clear any trouble codes, disconnect the power feed for 30 seconds. If
this is done at the battery, and your car stereo is equipped and programmed
with a four digit pin code, you may have to re-enter that as well to use
your stereo again. A better place to remove power is at the fuse.
TROUBLE CODES
12. No reference pulses to Electronic Control Module (ECM).
13. Oxygen sensor signal stays lean during warm engine cruise
14. High temperature indicated at engine coolant temp. sensor
15. Low temperature indicated at engine coolant temp. sensor
16. High battery voltage OR
Direct inition system open or shorted to ground
17. RPM signal problem
18-20. N/A
21. High voltage at throttle positon sensor
22. Low voltage at throttle positon sensor OR
Fuel cutoff relay circuit open or shorted to ground
23. Low temperature at manifold air temperature sensor OR
Throttle position sensor error
24. Circuit fault in vehicle speed sensor
25. High temperature at manifold air temperature sensor OR
Vacuum switching valve circuit open or shorted to ground OR
High voltage at ATS sensor
26. Fault in quad driver module
27. Fault in 2nd gear switch
28. Fault in 3rd gear switch
29. Fault in 4th gear switch
30. N/A
31. Low voltage at manifold absolute pressure sensor OR
Fuel injector OR
Park or neutral switch OR
CAM diagnostic OR
Governor malfunction OR
Wastegate overboost OR
Wastegate eletrical signal open or shorted to ground
32. Fault in barometric pressure sensor circuit OR
Fault in exhaust gas recirculation valve diagnostic switch OR
Fault in electronic vacuum regulator valve
33. High voltage (low vacuum) at mass air flow sensor (or MAP sensor)
34. Low voltage (high vacuum) at mass air flow sensor (or MAP sensor)
35. Idle speed can not be set to desired RPM
36. Burn off at mass air flow sensor OR
Problem in transmission shift OR
Fault in direct ignition system OR
Missing pulses in electronic spark timing signal
37. N/A
38. Fault in torque converter clutch brake switch
39. Fault in torque converter clutch circuit
40. N/A
41. Fault at cam sensor OR
Cylinder select error OR
Tach input error
42. Fault at electronic spark timing circuit OR
Fault at direct ignition system OR
Fault at fuel cutoff relay circuit
43. Low voltage at electronic spark timing circuit
44. Oxygen sensor lean
45. Oxygen sensor rich
46. Fault at vehicle anti-theft sytem OR
Fault at power steering switch
47. Problem at Electronic Control Module (ECM)
48. Misfire
49. Vacuum leak
50. N/A
51. PROM error
52. Problem at Electronic Control Module (ECM) -
Missing fuel calpac missing OR
Analog to digital converter error OR
Fault at quad driver module OR
Low voltage at oil temperature sensor
53. High voltage at battery OR
High voltage at exhaust gas recirculation valve OR
Voltage reference error OR
Problem at vehicle anti-theft system
54. Low voltage at fuel pump OR
Low voltage at Fuel pump relay OR
Output failure at quad driver module
55. Problem at Electronic Control Module (ECM) -
ECM failure OR
Serial bus error OR
Fuel lean malfunction
56. Low coolant or corrosivity OR
Fault in port throttle system vacuum sensor
57. N/A
58. Problem at vehicle anti-theft system
59-60. N/A
61. Oxygen sensor degraded OR
Port throttle system error OR
Cruise control problems
62. Gear switch input diagnostics OR
High voltage at oil temperature sensor OR
Fault in cruise control- vacuum solenoid circuit
63. High voltage at manifold absolute pressure sensor OR
Fault in exhaust gas recirculation valve OR
Fault at right oxygen sensor
64. Low voltage at manifold absolute pressure sensor OR
Fault in exhaust gas recirculation valve OR
Right oxygen sensor lean
65. Failure at exhaust gas recirculation valve OR
Faulure at injector peak/hold diagnostic OR
Right oxygen sensor rich OR
Fault at cruise control position sensor
66. Internal reset of Electronic Control Module (ECM)
67. Fault at cruise control switch
68. Fault at cruise control switch
69. Fault at air conditioner pressure switch
70-87. N/A
88. Internal reset of Electronic Control Module (ECM)
Q: Where can I get a Knight Rider conversion kit for my Trans Am?
A: Parts are sold directly by Diamondback Automotive Systems (106 Jay Street, Schenectady, NY 12305) - 518-346-3019. They have everything from exterior pieces to complete interiors. Unfortunately, no turbo boost is available for jumping over other cars.