3.8 throttle response

[JoeliusZ28]

Alright this is something I have been wondering about for a while and might not be an issue at all. Basically I feel that the throttle response on my V6 is ... well it sucks.

The problem is by far the most apparent when I am shifting at WOT. When im pouring the coal to it ill usually shift about 5000-5500 RPM. When I hit the next gear the car has a bad hiccup and it feels like I get a "negative tire chirp" before the power resumes. I always completely release the gas between gears, however granted... I am not one to waste any time during this procedure

Cruising around with gentle throttle it also seems like the gas pedal is very "spongey." The car just plain feels slow to me. My truck feels a ton faster even though im sure its not.

All this being said, the car ran a 15.8 at 87-89 mph with a clogged fuel filter. It has also achieved a best of 34.5 MPG, although my last highway trip was only 28.5... could be the cooler weather. The car feels 110% reliable and drives VERY smooth.

To me it seems like there is one of two possibilities.

1) The car has an electronic throttle body... so its just lagging that bad.

2) There is a significant restriction somewhere. I remember Wade saying his cat went bad.

Just wondering what you guys think.

[cobalt camaro]

well i would not say that mine has a hiccup. If i go hard from the start i can chirp 2nd alright, and 3rd pulls pretty good, but 4th and 5th not so much. have you ran any seafoam or anything through it. I know that you probably have but spark plugs, or wires probably could not hurt either. I mean i guess if it's getting good mpg that who cares how it accelerates.

[JoeliusZ28]

well i would not say that mine has a hiccup. If i go hard from the start i can chirp 2nd alright, and 3rd pulls pretty good, but 4th and 5th not so much. have you ran any seafoam or anything through it. I know that you probably have but spark plugs, or wires probably could not hurt either. I mean i guess if it's getting good mpg that who cares how it accelerates.

It does have original plugs and wires. 2nd gear rarely chirps. edit: i put a can of seafoam in it after i purchased, yes.

[SlyStoner421]

shit I have 3.42's in my 3800 and it doesnt chirp 2nd gear.... itll smoke the tires from a dig though

[cobalt camaro]

do you have an open diff thoughcause if you don't i can understand why you wouldn't chirp 2nd, I have an open diff

[SlyStoner421]

if open diff. you mean a non posi that sucks, my back tires turn same speed even when turning, and boy can you feel it.

[JoeliusZ28]

you weld your spider gears or something??? lmao

[my95z28]

no shit either that or you have a overactive locker

[steddy]

I've got a posi with 3.08s and find that when smokin' it from 1st to second it'll bog, but mine is an auto, so probably several factors. Most I did was put the CAI on it and open exhaust. Just kinda figure that's the way she is till I rebuild the motor in spring. The sixers aren't exactly race monsters, but they're nice for the current gas scam goin' on.

[lozanoa11]

if you hook it up to good scanner you can watch your foot trottle position and the actual throttle position to see if its laging. they make throttle plate cleaner you could try cleaning that.
If you have a infered thermometer then check the temp befor and after the cat it should be 100* hotter after the cat. Thats how i diagnossed my jeeps clogged cat. It was 100* colder after the cat but didnet rattle. Then i replaced it with a oem replacement

[SlyStoner421]

so if your cat rattles its clogged? lol


as far as the posi goes obviously i didnt do anything but turning corners you can definitly feel the other tire slipping, and it will only spin both wheel in power breaking or launching... so its either overactive or somethin isnt right.

[JoeliusZ28]

a bad cat will rattle, a clogged cat probably wont.

good input... i need to get a datacable.

[SlyStoner421]

shit ive been hearin my cat rattle for about 3 weeks now, suppose straight pipe time.

[albundy]

Umm... Try a test pipe and headers. the stock exhaust is really restrictive and will bog it down. after I put on the headers and test pipe it really woke up!

[JoeliusZ28]

i understand stock exhaust can be restrictive but ive never driven anything with this lazy of a throttle. (edit... well actually my moms envoy is pretty bad too). Both my truck and my Z have a neck-snapping effect when you hit the gas that this car just completely lacks. I know im comparing two V8s to a V6... but throttle response is throttle response, it should at least try Instead it "rolls" into the power. Ive always thought it was just the nature of the electric throttle body.... but no one else here seems to be noticing this on their v6. I never liked the concept of an electric throttle body for this reason and would probably retro-fit a cabled version if the intake manifolds werent different. (I can further pile on that electric throttle bodies give the gas pedal a "fake" feel that i find myself constantly letting off the gas too measure how much throttle i was applying, since i cant seem to judge by the feel of it like i can with a cabled throttle. but that is all besides the point and im not gonna fret about it)

I would eventually like to put a complete exhaust system on that car, but its just not in my budget at this time... and frankly after wrenching on my Z28 all summer and not finishing it, I have no desire to attack anything else for a while lol. Stock = problem free = nice. For now i just want to ensure the car is running the way it is supposed to. Ive always been critical and this could just be the nature of the beast.