F
FNGNG
Guest
Hello everyone,
I am brand new to the GN scene as an owner. I guess I should start by filling you in on my situation. My father bought an 87 buick GN off the showroom floor in late 87 possibly early 88. I remember when he brought it home-that new car smell. I remember going to firebird raceway for the friday night drags-those were some of the best times I can ever remember having with my dad. I became estranged from my father at the age of thirteen.
More about my father- he was a machinist/ racer by trade and a truck driver by career. He rebuilt his first engine at 13 and was a genius with anything mechanical. In his younger days he set five track records at old Beeline raceway here in AZ. He obtained a sponsorship deal with chevy one week before he was drafted. He served his time and took a hiatus from racing, started a family and did not get back in it untill a year before he purchased the GN. He past away on thanksgiving day 2001 at the age of 58 alone in North Carolina.
Maybe a little too much background- but I am trying to establish my heartfelt connection with GN's as well as the fact that my father knew what he was doing when it came to performance.
Now I have just inhereted my dads car. I have no true idea as to what all has been changed on it but I do know this through extra parts that are around and receipts that my dad kept:
heads, turbo, injectors, headers, intake, chip, fuel pump, regulator, cam, nitrous kit that has now been removed, and a ton of suspension, drivetrain, and body upgrades all for the 1320.
The best timeslip I could find read 12.30's w/o nos (my dad kept meticulous records-air bag psi, tire psi, air temp, boost at launch, etc) and that was before most of the mods-it was in 1990 and 75% of the mods were after that date untill 1993. I have to believe the car reached the mid 11's.
I know from family that the car sat in storage in NC from 1995 untill apx. 2000 when he moved it to a carport at his house where it sat untill I went back there at the beginning of this year. Family and friends all were sure that there was nothing wrong with it when he parked it. I flushed all of the fuel out, pulled the plugs, oiled the cylinders, changed the oil and filter, cranked it with no plugs to get oil back where it's supposed to be, put some new gas in with some 104 octane boost (I remember my dad using it), buttoned everything back together with new goodies and fired it up. I let it idle for 15-20 minutes and rechecked everything.
Now I know a thing or two about performance as well- I owned a 1990 IROC with the 350 TPI and got it to a best of 12.5 in full street trim. I know- thats not a huge accomplishment but the intake had never been off and I was proud of it. Rebuilt my first motor at 16 and have 17 builds under my belt as of now. Anyways, I understand most principles of just about any sensor and how it incorporates with the 'puter, sorry- ECM.
My problem is I kind of don't know where to start with this one- most of my knowledge comes from hands on or reading Hot Rod or Carcraft, I have hundreds of them stacked up everywhere. 15 million SBC builds and can't find even one where they go in depth as to tuning and troubleshooting and combonations that work with the 3.8.
Problems:
-real rough idle below 1000- sometimes stalls
-varying idle-intermittent, it will bounce from 700 to 1300(apx). fuel pressure varies from 35-42 directly with RPM (idle=35, 2000+ = 42 +/-)
-can't spool up above 3-4 lbs at launch
-launch is SUPER soft- won't even break the tires loose but pulls REAL nice from 2000 on when building boost (gets good scratch on the 1-2 shift)
-pops on the 1-2 shift @ 15-16 lbs, I don't think it is from the wastegate as the car stumbles a slight bit during this pop. Does not do it near as bad on the 2-3 with the boost being same. I am thinking lean cond. due to lack of fuel.
NOTES:
-there is some type of two-stage fuel press reg that is controlled through a switch in the ashtray compartment. I can hear a pump kick on at the rear that coincides with the switch- the fuel press flickers but remains steady at 35 at idle. When the boost hits apx 7-8 lbs the press jumps to 55 +/- with the switch on. Without this secondary pump on, the car drives normal but stumbles over it's own tires when put under a good load (4lbs+ boost).
-I have yet to change the fuel filter, I know-it could solve alot I have a new one sitting here just haven't done it yet. But I think this problem extends beyond just a filter.
-haven't had it to the track yet- just dug out the old VC 2000 portable drag strip and haven't had a chance to try it out.
-fuel pressure readings may be inaccurate as the gauge that is mounted is an old tester type gauge and is really weathered.
Any suggestions on where to start? A series of tests that I can perform with the VOM to eliminate as many items as possible? I have heard about scanners and laptops with programing programs and links to burn chips. Any help in the right direction?
Wow, this turned out a little longer than I expected. If you made it this far- thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Victor Solesky
I am brand new to the GN scene as an owner. I guess I should start by filling you in on my situation. My father bought an 87 buick GN off the showroom floor in late 87 possibly early 88. I remember when he brought it home-that new car smell. I remember going to firebird raceway for the friday night drags-those were some of the best times I can ever remember having with my dad. I became estranged from my father at the age of thirteen.
More about my father- he was a machinist/ racer by trade and a truck driver by career. He rebuilt his first engine at 13 and was a genius with anything mechanical. In his younger days he set five track records at old Beeline raceway here in AZ. He obtained a sponsorship deal with chevy one week before he was drafted. He served his time and took a hiatus from racing, started a family and did not get back in it untill a year before he purchased the GN. He past away on thanksgiving day 2001 at the age of 58 alone in North Carolina.
Maybe a little too much background- but I am trying to establish my heartfelt connection with GN's as well as the fact that my father knew what he was doing when it came to performance.
Now I have just inhereted my dads car. I have no true idea as to what all has been changed on it but I do know this through extra parts that are around and receipts that my dad kept:
heads, turbo, injectors, headers, intake, chip, fuel pump, regulator, cam, nitrous kit that has now been removed, and a ton of suspension, drivetrain, and body upgrades all for the 1320.
The best timeslip I could find read 12.30's w/o nos (my dad kept meticulous records-air bag psi, tire psi, air temp, boost at launch, etc) and that was before most of the mods-it was in 1990 and 75% of the mods were after that date untill 1993. I have to believe the car reached the mid 11's.
I know from family that the car sat in storage in NC from 1995 untill apx. 2000 when he moved it to a carport at his house where it sat untill I went back there at the beginning of this year. Family and friends all were sure that there was nothing wrong with it when he parked it. I flushed all of the fuel out, pulled the plugs, oiled the cylinders, changed the oil and filter, cranked it with no plugs to get oil back where it's supposed to be, put some new gas in with some 104 octane boost (I remember my dad using it), buttoned everything back together with new goodies and fired it up. I let it idle for 15-20 minutes and rechecked everything.
Now I know a thing or two about performance as well- I owned a 1990 IROC with the 350 TPI and got it to a best of 12.5 in full street trim. I know- thats not a huge accomplishment but the intake had never been off and I was proud of it. Rebuilt my first motor at 16 and have 17 builds under my belt as of now. Anyways, I understand most principles of just about any sensor and how it incorporates with the 'puter, sorry- ECM.
My problem is I kind of don't know where to start with this one- most of my knowledge comes from hands on or reading Hot Rod or Carcraft, I have hundreds of them stacked up everywhere. 15 million SBC builds and can't find even one where they go in depth as to tuning and troubleshooting and combonations that work with the 3.8.
Problems:
-real rough idle below 1000- sometimes stalls
-varying idle-intermittent, it will bounce from 700 to 1300(apx). fuel pressure varies from 35-42 directly with RPM (idle=35, 2000+ = 42 +/-)
-can't spool up above 3-4 lbs at launch
-launch is SUPER soft- won't even break the tires loose but pulls REAL nice from 2000 on when building boost (gets good scratch on the 1-2 shift)
-pops on the 1-2 shift @ 15-16 lbs, I don't think it is from the wastegate as the car stumbles a slight bit during this pop. Does not do it near as bad on the 2-3 with the boost being same. I am thinking lean cond. due to lack of fuel.
NOTES:
-there is some type of two-stage fuel press reg that is controlled through a switch in the ashtray compartment. I can hear a pump kick on at the rear that coincides with the switch- the fuel press flickers but remains steady at 35 at idle. When the boost hits apx 7-8 lbs the press jumps to 55 +/- with the switch on. Without this secondary pump on, the car drives normal but stumbles over it's own tires when put under a good load (4lbs+ boost).
-I have yet to change the fuel filter, I know-it could solve alot I have a new one sitting here just haven't done it yet. But I think this problem extends beyond just a filter.
-haven't had it to the track yet- just dug out the old VC 2000 portable drag strip and haven't had a chance to try it out.
-fuel pressure readings may be inaccurate as the gauge that is mounted is an old tester type gauge and is really weathered.
Any suggestions on where to start? A series of tests that I can perform with the VOM to eliminate as many items as possible? I have heard about scanners and laptops with programing programs and links to burn chips. Any help in the right direction?
Wow, this turned out a little longer than I expected. If you made it this far- thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Victor Solesky
