tr55 or tr6 for my application?

[Robmnrd]

ah, you will have a harder time with those headers, i couldnt do it in 1.5 hours either Good luck!

Thanks man, I appreciate it and your help itt! I'll update tomorrow after I do the last couple plugs...hopefully all will be well.

[Robmnrd]

Alright you guys I did the plugs and things seem to be okay now. I'm gonna drive her to school and let that be the final test but I think the conclusion I'm coming to is that the plug I dropped caused the majority of the issue, and disconnecting the battery kind of threw the pcm for a loop which combined with the plug problem to cause what seemed to be a much more complicated issue than it really was.

Lesson learned - don't just hope for the best when spark plugs are a 2 dollar part. lol.

[Robmnrd]

Well I was wrong...again. lol.

After letting her idle for about 5 mins and free revving a few times to listen/feel for stumbles or misses I started on my drive to school and about 2 mins in everything went straight down the crapper again. Same stumbling/bucking/surging. So I'm gonna put smart money on the wire idea that we've been tossing around.

The problem is that the GM dealership in town would need to get a set of AC Delcos from Memphis TN, and they wouldn't be in until "Monday at the earliest" (more like Wednesday afternoon...). That's kind of a problem for me. lol.

So I need a recommendation from you guys. I'm gonna have the dealership order the AC Delcos for me, but I can't have my car down that long. So in the mean time I need to swap in some wires from Autozone so the thing will run correctly so I can get to and from school. Would you guys suggest I get the cheap-o Duralasts for 27 dollars? Or do I spend bigger bucks for the name brand Bosch set (60 dollars)? I hate needing to eat the cost of a set of wires that I plan to replace with the AC Delcos in less than two weeks, but it seems like that's kind of my only option at this point.

So here's my question: $27 dollar Duralasts or $60 dollar Bosch for a two week temporary wire set?

[Robmnrd]

Alright guys so I ended up buying a set of AC Delco wires off amazon and got the free 2 day shipping, and have begun changing the wires out. I got the driver side done yesterday with all the wires running way out of the way of the headers (combination of stock looms and zip ties, I don't think it can get much better than how I did it unless you go OTVC). I found two wires on that side that were issues - one had been burned through and was probably arcing now and then and the other one...came out in two pieces. lol. It was cylinder number 7, and the wire was routed in the stock location meaning it went back all they way then doubled back on itself through the loom at the rear of the block. As I was trying to get the loom undone to pull the wire out I gave a tug on the wire and felt a slight *pop* followed by easily pulling the wire...it was easy because about an inch later there was no more wire coming out. lol. My guess is the wires have between 80k and 100k miles on them (I don't know when the previous owner replaced them but I've owned it for ~70k miles now...) and that plus the extreme heat under the hood from my headers over the last ~35000 miles cooked that wire and where it made that turn at the rear loom it was brittle and breaking and finally I delivered the killing blow. lol.

So on the driver side this wire change was sorely needed and I expect to find something similar on the passenger side today.

She'll probably run like new after all this trouble.

[Fox Slaughter]

Well thats good you figured it out.

[Robmnrd]

Well thats good you figured it out.

Yeah I feel bad that they had gotten as bad as they are though. I always considered them to be one of those "If it ain't broke don't fix it!" sort of things. Live and learn, they're probably a 60kish mile part with the added stress caused by additional underhood heat from headers (assuming you don't burn through them or get a faulty one).

Quick question if anyone has input, I bought the set that comes with a coil wire and the new one doesn't stay on the coil snugly...anyone else experience this with the AC Delco coil wire? The old one (it's a stock packard unit, actually...) snaps on and stays firmly in place, but the AC Delco one kinda half-effort clicks a little then slides backwards a couple millimeters and can be pulled off with very little effort.

[Fox Slaughter]

What coil are you running?

[Robmnrd]

It is a stock (or stock replacement) unit as far as I can tell. I'll run out and see if I can tell for sure...

Yeah I can't find any markings on it. It's also not red like the MSD units, and it has a very distinct "stock" look to it. lol.

[Fox Slaughter]

Hm I would pop my hood but I don't feel like removing my intake haha.
There shouldnt be a problem with AC Delcos.

[Robmnrd]

Yeah I'm gonna run it as it is after I finish the wires and see if it causes any problems. But if something seems waaaaaayyy off right when I fire her up I think I'll know the culprit. I think the flare at the end of the electrode has "shrunk" (corrosion, wear/tear from pulling off/putting on the coil wire in the past, etc., etc.) and that's why the new coil wire doesn't seat as snugly as it should. Worst case scenario I toss the old coil wire back on 'til I can buy a new coil. I think it's time for one. lol

[Robmnrd]

Before I post this message... *KNOCK ON WOOD* lol

Alright so I got all the plug wires in, re-routed them slightly from stock and did a final once-over to make sure they were all as far from the headers as I could get them and fired her up. I didn't go through the hassle of putting the alternator back in, just in case there was a problem and I needed to access the passenger side more easily so I only ran her for about a minute. But in that minute she ran extremely well especially considering the battery had been disconnected for awhile so the PCM is going through the re-learning stages.

I'm still not happy with what is going on with the coil wire though. Even though everything seemed fine with a little idling and a few revs I just don't trust it to stay on adequately through normal DD driving+spirited driving+bumps+engine rock under high throttle+etc. So a new coil is probably going to be my next purchase when she is for-sure running (and driving) without any hiccups.

But for now it's just a waiting game for everything to cool back down (won't be long, I just don't feel like accidentally bumping into a header primary up near the head and getting a third degree burn just to put the stupid alternator back on...lol) and then the alternator goes back on and I take her for a test drive.

[JoeliusZ28]

Sorry I missed your questions earlier, but sounds like you did everything the way I would have. Probably a good call replacing the coil.

[Robmnrd]

Sorry I missed your questions earlier, but sounds like you did everything the way I would have. Probably a good call replacing the coil.

Yeah...especially since my problem still isn't fixed...

The only thing that I haven't specifically brought up is that everything seems to start going wrong after a few minutes of driving - when the engine starts warming up. Isn't that a sign of a problem with the ignition coil?

Although the reading I'm currently doing is also pointing at the opti...I really don't feel like dealing with that also. Ugh.

Also seeing suggestions for new O2 sensors.

Oh the fun of owning an lt1!

Edit 2:

Oh snap...temperature sensor? I had a 'lightbulb moment' a few mins ago, aren't these symptoms of the temperature sensor in the water pump going bad?

[JoeliusZ28]

O2 sensors are also a likely candidate. Scott [MENTION=1390]94_LT1_Z28[/MENTION] just went through the same fiasco with his car. Also, the coil, being mounted to the head could be heatsoaking and on its last leg.

Temperature sensor... eh, its certainly possible. What I would be curious to know is if the problem begins when the car transitions to closed loop. That would strongly suggest O2 sensors.

[94_LT1_Z28]

My car was hesitating and running super rich when it hit operating temp. I couldnt hit the gas without it feeling like my car was gonna die. I replaced the O2s and it corrected that problem.

Summit has AC Delco O2s for like $33/piece instead of the $75/piece Advance Auto wants. Got mine in less than 24 hours too.