Tips for First Timer

[MrCool]

What is exactly "lighting up the tires"?

[Xanthos]

Burn outs.


- Xanthos

P.S. - and, as others have said, be VERY careful taking turns! My 86 had about as much HP/torque/speed as that 94 should, and I spun the back end out once just taking my foot off the clutch a bit too much out of a corner. And it was in heavy traffic too.

Luckily I was able to get it into control very quickly and not hit anything/anybody, but this was after I had been driving for four years - I would have been toast if it was right after I got my license.

[MrCool]

Oh, didn't catch the terminology.

Yea, I figured if you did you'd get a ticket. I bet it's probably best not to in a car w/ 200,XXX miles anyway...

[MrCool]

Question:
I don't quite understand the gear ratio system that goes on with the differential. Do you want higher gears (4.10 I think) or lower gears (3.8 I think?)

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by MrCool

Thanks CamaroSpike, this will keep me busy for a while and help me know what I should pinch my pennies for.
no problem. your main goal before modding (unless you can get the parts for free or next to nothing) is to get the car back in tip top shape. can you give me a list of when the oil, trans fluid, oxygen sensors, fuel pump, fuel filter were last changed?
Also, Seafoaming your car only applies to the engine and gas tank, right? You wouldn't seaform your tansmission or something of the sort?
yes, seafoaming is only for the oil and the fuel systems in the car
For awhile I was debating with myself if I should join or not, but now I'm glad I did. Some of this stuff I've been told before, but it's easy to forget sometimes. There's always something new to learn.

Right now I'm looking for a distributor cap and rotor. Autozone wants $160 for a kit with both, and that's the cheapest I'm finding right now. Some other guy wanted $460, saying it was a kit too with both Cap and rotor. :( I'll probably go with autozone.
be careful with the cap and rotor kits. your best bet is getting a stock or remanufactured OEM opti from GM(which is expensive) or going onto ebay and buying one from "thepartsladi" brand new opti for around $250.00 however, if you are going thru the hassle of pulling the opti off to replace it, you should go ahead and replace the water pump as well. when the water pumps go out on these cars they have a weep hole on the bottom of them that drips onto the opti and can cause it to fail.

It had a few problems that we have cut in half now:
1.)It wouldn't downshift when you wanted to punch it after crusing, which we solved with a new computer.
2.)But it starts rough and idles bad, and starts to make a certain noise and shakes above 60 MPH or so. So we think it's that.
the computer wasnt the problem. the tune was/is the problem. do you know when the oxygen (o2) sensors were last changed? are you getting an SES light at all? chances are either the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor or the o2's are worn and not functioning properly causing a rich fuel condition.
Thanks for the website CamaroSpike, it'll also be alot of fun doing some of the mods mentioned.

also, dont buy into a lot of hype about certain parts and what not. ive been thru enough parts and people with my cars and those of friends that I know which things are a bs marketing scam and which ones you can trust.

Originally Posted by MrCool

Oh, didn't catch the terminology.

Yea, I figured if you did you'd get a ticket. I bet it's probably best not to in a car w/ 200,XXX miles anyway...

eh. as long as the vehicle is in good condition, you can burn them without worry. just dont stand on it for too long.

Originally Posted by MrCool

Question:
I don't quite understand the gear ratio system that goes on with the differential. Do you want higher gears (4.10 I think) or lower gears (3.8 I think?)

Originally Posted by Sandman

You probably have 3.73s stock, which are highway gears. They are meant for optimal highway gas milage.
I have 4.10s.

The higher the number, the quicker you will accelerate, but you will have lower top end.
If you were to get something like 8.25s you could maybe do a wheelstand.

8.25s you probably wouldnt be moving till you are at redline. lol


the rest is correct tho.

for gearing for 4th gen LT1s was 3.23s or 2.73s for the automatic and 3.42s or 3.73s for the manual.

check the codes in the glove box for a GU code

GU2 : AXLE REAR, 2.73 RATIO

GU5 : AXLE REAR, 3.23 RATIO
GU6 : AXLE REAR, 3.42 RATIO
G80 : AXLE POSITRACTION, LIMITED SLIP

[MrCool]

I have an automatic. (1994 Z28)

Originally Posted by Sandman

If you were to get something like 8.25s you could maybe do a wheelstand.

So is that how you see some of the old cars doing wheelstands?
Like this one?

Hmm...give me some time on the list of stuff...I have to dig a little.

I have a look at the glovebox next time I'm workin' on it.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by MrCool

I have an automatic. (1994 Z28)



So is that how you see some of the old cars doing wheelstands?
Like this one?

Hmm...give me some time on the list of stuff...I have to dig a little.

I have a look at the glovebox next time I'm workin' on it.

also check your drivers side door jamb for the other RPO code sheet.

[MrCool]

Howdy All,
Instead of creating a new thread, I decided just to use this one, like it was said.

I was wondering if it was possible to change the distributor cap and rotor (Optispark I think it's called) without removing the water pump?

It doesn't seem like you can, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by MrCool

Howdy All,
Instead of creating a new thread, I decided just to use this one, like it was said.

I was wondering if it was possible to change the distributor cap and rotor (Optispark I think it's called) without removing the water pump?

It doesn't seem like you can, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

nope, you gotta pull the wp. you can do it leaving the crank hub on, but its tricky. i take it you bought a cap and rotor then?

[MrCool]

Well, the plan was to go and buy it yesterday and work on it today. But that plan was kinda shot 'cause the family is not feeling so great right now, and I'm the only one right now who isn't feelin' sick. So I'm kinda booked this weekend. :( (Answer= no I haven't bought it yet )

But me and my dad did check the O2 sensor and it was fine. I think we changed it a couple years ago too, I think.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by MrCool

Well, the plan was to go and buy it yesterday and work on it today. But that plan was kinda shot 'cause the family is not feeling so great right now, and I'm the only one right now who isn't feelin' sick. So I'm kinda booked this weekend. :( (Answer= no I haven't bought it yet )

But me and my dad did check the O2 sensor and it was fine. I think we changed it a couple years ago too, I think.

cool on the 02s. wait... you said you checked THE o2. and IT was fine. did you check both of them or just one? jw.

it would be really nice if you had an active scanner to hook up to the car to monitor the car while its running.


I still think that if you are going thru the trouble to get to the opti in the first place, you should spend the extra ~90 bucks and get a full new opti from "thepartsladi" on ebay cus if the optical wheel goes out on yours, a cap and rotor wont fix it. then you'll be pulling it again. and its a pain enough to do the first time.

[MrCool]

Hmmm....I didn't think of that.

I checked on eBay for "thepartsladi", they are infact $116.00, and the highest is $156.00. Is this the one you reccomend?

I found it here.

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by MrCool

Hmmm....I didn't think of that.

I checked on eBay for "thepartsladi", they are infact $116.00, and the highest is $156.00. Is this the one you reccomend?

I found it here.

yup. thats her... or him... but yeah, they sell remanufactured and original, stock/OEM GM optisparks. just make sure you let them know what year you have as yours being a 96 you have a vented opti and it is driven off the cam dowel

93-94s are like this:

95-97s are like this:

[MrCool]

Hmm....I think, I'm going to go with thepartsladi like you said. But first I might shop around a little.

But, I totaly forgot that the optispark changes after 1995. (Mine is 1994).