actually the table legs they sell at menards are the same thread pattern that the bottom of the seat is so I just screwed them in. They could use a bit more support, and the seats are a bit back heavy but those are details that could be worked out later.
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Cross supports on those legs would improve the strength greatly. And hey, you could always go to O'reilly's and get the color coded GM paint for the legs, haha!Past A-Bodies: 1989 Chevrolet Celebrity w/ Iron Duke, base model.
Current A-Body: 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser 2.8L
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hahaha! those seats are awesome!Oldsmobile Quality. Feel It.Comment
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Yesterday we dropped the tank to replace the fuel pump and other parts that are in there while we were working on it.
Here is the old stuff
Luckily the inside of the tank looked really good and rust free. Also after hearing the horror stories of fuel starvation while turning of 90's era gm cars in lemon some starting before 1/2 tank, I was awfully surprised by that there appeared to be as much baffling in the tank to prevent this. Maybe in 89 they still cared about making sure the cards would run well while turning.
Us working on it did unfortenantly did cause some rust and pebbles to fall into the tank, so after we such all the fuel out we decided to vacuum out the tank.
We did have a couple problems. The quick connect for the return line did not want to disconnect quickly, or really at all. We finally got it off the old sender but it took quiet a beating so we may need to look into replacing it. Today I figured out it is 5/16" so may have to look into that.
The bigger problem is the Vapor Pipe that connects the tank to the canister in the engine bay. The pipe looks like it was burnt through while that cage was getting installed. so it is now in 2 pieces, with the cut being right above the muffler it is bit of luck we didn't have a bigger problem. Can't find a part number or anyone listing it so that may be a bit of a problem. let alone find the thing that connects it to the sender since the one on the old sender doesn't look like it will come off without ripping apart.Comment
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This weekend we worked on the car again. We had purchased 25' of 1/4" outside diameter fuel line for the vapor pipe. We ran that, made a connection for the sender since the old connector no longer is made with some hose clamps, a 5/16th fuel line and some rtv.
So after running that we go to start up the car and see that the return is leaking at the quick connect. Not really a big surprise since it was a pain to get it off the old sender, so we had to go out and get a repair kit for that which took 3 parts stores to find a 5/16th with a quick connect for a gm. but since it was spraying out pretty good meant we had pressure again.
After grabbing lunch and swapping that out we went to start the car, wouldn't start. we thought since we had the backend up pretty high that maybe fuel wasn't getting to the pickup so we dropped it, and still wouldn't start. Would sound like it wanted to but no luck. jlattyak said it sounded like there were bubbles. Kept cranking and giving it throttle and it finally started. once started still couldn't give it alot of throttle, and when you did it sounds like its spitting air with the gas. Stopped it put some more gas in and it wouldn't start back up.
So kind of confused we gave up for the day. the next day I went out, and pushed in the fuel pressure valve on the rail and nothing. no hiss, no fuel nothing. I went to start the car and it started on the second fire, but still could only give it so much gas. Maybe a bit more than before but not even quarter throttle. after running for a while I turned it off and hit the pressure valve and gas shot out this time. Let it sit while the gas evaporated ( figured gas on the engine would be a bad thing ) and wouldn't start again later.
Monday after I got home checked the valve and it didn't shoot up, just a little fuel came out. So it looks like we are leaking pressure out of the rails. Still wouldn't start and this morning when I did the valve again no pressure, or anything at all.
I'm starting to think that the pressure regulator is also screwed up. It might have been leaking when the fuel pump was weak but with the pump being as weak as it was it must not have leaked enough to stop the car from running, now that the pump is up to full pressure it might just be blowing the return open and it is flowing as quickly through the return as it is coming in, not giving enough pressure to run the car. I'll have to trying and get my hands on a gauge this weekend to prove it but that is the new theory, if its not that it has to be losing pressure somewhere right?
It also has brought up a new question for me. How was this car running during the race. It had at least one if not 2 spark plug cables that were fried so we couldn't be running on all cylinders. The fuel pump was dieing and the fuel regulator seems to be screwed up, also the vapor line should have been blowing out flammable vapors to the exhaust pipe. The only theory I can come up with is stolen from the Simpsons.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/7r3M03v95i0Comment
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Wow sounds like a lot of work! I am curious about the pump. What is the pressure you are seeing at the test port on the fuel rail?
The fuel pressure will naturally bleed off after stopping the engine. When the system is working correctly, it only takes a half second for the pressure to build. The system primes every time you turn on the ignition, just in time to start. All I'm saying is, don't condemn the regulator because it won't hold pressure with the engine off. It is not designed to hold pressure for any given length of time with the engine off.Comment
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Just curious, is there a chance the pump could be incorrect for the application? There are several pumps that fit these cars. They all look very similar. There is a carburetor pump (for the old 3.0 V6) which only makes a few PSI and is returnless. There is a TBI pump for the Duke, it will support a 15 PSI throttle body injector. Then there is the high pressure pump for the MPFI / SFI engines that will make 30 to 50 PSI.
I'm not sure what would happen if you used a TBI pump in a MPFI application, but I'm sure it would not work well at all.
Just something to think about!
DavidComment
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I can double check the part number, but ordered through rock auto and they are normally pretty good about these things, and it was ordered with the engine and year specification in there. Also mind you I don't think the previous pump when it was running poorly was anywhere close to 15psi.
We aren't damning it yet, which is why I need to get a gauge to actually see where the numbers are. I'm just trying to figure out why it would not want to start now while it is getting fuel pressure as opposed to before when it was getting very little fuel pressure, and we are kind of running out of ideas.Comment
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A bad MAF meter will cause same symptom because it causes the ECM to register less airflow and deliver less fuel. This is most likely!Originally posted by lemons bob View Post
A bad TPS can cause it by not indicating the throttle is opening, therefore the ECM does not give any delta TPS accel enrichment.
Those are the main 2 that can cause hesitation or lack of throttle response.
DavidComment
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Today when I went to try and start it, I could tell that the battery was weak. put the battery charger on it a bit and it fired right up. and when I took the charge off it ran for a few seconds and died. wouldn't start until I put it on the charger again. even on the charger won't run all that long, but now I'm wondering if the alternator might be an issue. This would explain why it wouldn't start but would the alternator explain why it would bog down under alot of throttle. I know weird things happen on modern cars when their alternators aren't fully working but would it do that?Comment
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Sorry I thought you had a 3300!Originally posted by lemons bob View Post
Yes, if the voltage is very low, the fuel system will malfunction. It is good down to about 11 volts then things start to weaken.
Have you checked the voltage with a meter while running the engine? As it stalls without the charger?
How big is your charger? A 20 amp charger should run the engine indefinately - much less and it won't keep up with the demands.
DavidComment
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I could see if the battery is low, combined with what ever voltage drop we get from the extra cable we had to run on the positive side to the kill switch, could be an issue. We will need to take some reading.
just fyi, the positive cable comes off the battery runs into the inside of the car, connects to the kill switch, then goes back to the engine compartment where it connects to the starter.
here is the kill switch wiring diagram http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pdfs/4430WiringInstructions.pdfComment
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