The Official Hot Rod Thread

[RustyHornet]

I do remember selling quite a few upper intakes for the non pressurized 3800's when I worked at the parts store. The plastic would crack after a while.

Yeah, they screwed up when they went to the plastic intake... That's where the Series 1 3800 shines, it's intake was aluminum. Those were absolutely bulletproof. The Series II was ok, but the Series III had more issues...

 

[ChristianPatriot]

I'm just a body guy, you're way over my head with that one.

Short Term Fuel Trim. The PCM adjusts the injector pulse width based on what the O2 sensor is telling it the air/fuel ratio is doing in the exhaust manifold. It should stay close to 0% or at least single digits. If it sees a lean condition then it'll turn up the fuel and if it sees a rich condition it'll turn it down. Clear as mud?

 

[RustyHornet]

Short Term Fuel Trim. The PCM adjusts the injector pulse width based on what the O2 sensor is telling it the air/fuel ratio is doing in the exhaust manifold. It should stay close to 0% or at least single digits. If it sees a lean condition then it'll turn up the fuel and if it sees a rich condition it'll turn it down. Clear as mud?

Interesting. I've never heard of any such issue with the 3800.

 

[churchmouse]

Short Term Fuel Trim. The PCM adjusts the injector pulse width based on what the O2 sensor is telling it the air/fuel ratio is doing in the exhaust manifold. It should stay close to 0% or at least single digits. If it sees a lean condition then it'll turn up the fuel and if it sees a rich condition it'll turn it down. Clear as mud?

If you hosed the engine down looking for leaks and found none are you sure it is not a misread from an O2 sensor...???

When I roll out on the hiway in the van I get a random high speed misfire code. Never in town just after a bit on the hiway at speed.
Random. I changed plugs/wires. Double platinum's are stupid spendy. Still get the codes.You can not detect anything ad to how it is running.
Best I and the minds that I have to pick info from it is either the crank or cam position sensor.
Both are very easy to change in the van as I can get to the rear of the engine by pulling the cover. About $100 in total for parts.

Now, do I wait for a serious issue/failure to verify or just be ProActive and change them out.

 

[churchmouse]

Looks like no time for the 64 S/S today.....

I has a sad.

 

[Tactically Fat]

This is one of my daughter's kindergarten teacher's trucks.

It'll soon be driven by her almost-to-driving-age son...

 

[churchmouse]

This is one of my daughter's kindergarten teacher's trucks.

It'll soon be driven by her almost-to-driving-age son...

Sweet.

 

[ChristianPatriot]

If you hosed the engine down looking for leaks and found none are you sure it is not a misread from an O2 sensor...???

When I roll out on the hiway in the van I get a random high speed misfire code. Never in town just after a bit on the hiway at speed.
Random. I changed plugs/wires. Double platinum's are stupid spendy. Still get the codes.You can not detect anything ad to how it is running.
Best I and the minds that I have to pick info from it is either the crank or cam position sensor.
Both are very easy to change in the van as I can get to the rear of the engine by pulling the cover. About $100 in total for parts.

Now, do I wait for a serious issue/failure to verify or just be ProActive and change them out.

I should have also said I get a little pool of coolant sitting around the injectors, and the injectors sit almost right next to where the manifold mates to the block. I do have an occassional rough idle, but I do think I'll swap out the O2s first as a precaution.

 

[RustyHornet]

So I heard a rumor that the local GM truck plant is building an all new aluminum facility to build the next generation of GM pickups which will be aluminum.. All in the name of pleasing our wonderful .gov, who would rather see you get better fuel mileage than worry about your safety in an accident...

 

[Tactically Fat]

So I heard a rumor that the local GM truck plant is building an all new aluminum facility to build the next generation of GM pickups which will be aluminum.. All in the name of pleasing our wonderful .gov, who would rather see you get better fuel mileage than worry about your safety in an accident...

You do realize that metallurgy and structural engineering have come leaps and bounds in the last 20 years right? That a properly engineered and constructed aluminum chassis can be as strong or stronger than steel - AND still be as safe?

Aluminum alloys can certainly be awesome things if done correctly.

 

[RustyHornet]

You do realize that metallurgy and structural engineering have come leaps and bounds in the last 20 years right? That a properly engineered and constructed aluminum chassis can be as strong or stronger than steel - AND still be as safe?

Aluminum alloys can certainly be awesome things if done correctly.

I have yet to see it. Aluminum does not crush like steel does, that's what keeps people safe. Modern cars are designed to crush around the occupants, aluminum just shears and tears. I have no doubt that aluminum is strong and works well it lots of applications, but it's just not to the point where I would trust my life in a vehicle made of aluminum....

The other problem here is the fact that full frame vehicles suck in an accident. Hard to get away from that in a pickup meant to do any kind of work.

 

[MuttX7]

So I heard a rumor that the local GM truck plant is building an all new aluminum facility to build the next generation of GM pickups which will be aluminum.. All in the name of pleasing our wonderful .gov, who would rather see you get better fuel mileage than worry about your safety in an accident...

That's hilarious considering their commercials showing the Ford truck bed being damaged by dropping a toolbox. Makes me remember when the parts store I first worked at wanted us t0 quit selling Delphi fuel pumps. We were supposed to ask people "Why would you want to put the same problematic fuel pump back in your vehicle?". The first month after pulling them, they wanted to know why our fuel pump sales were down. They were told that people bought so many Delphi because we were the only store in town selling them and after they pulled them, everyone started selling them and took the business. We never did sell as many as we had been. That place really made me hate the corporate idiots that sit 600 miles away and make stupid decisions.

 

[RustyHornet]

That was my first thought.... Why attack the competition, if you already have plans to copy them?

 

[Bigtanker]

Just found this. He'll be at the Nationals in Indy this weekend.

Big Chief Justin Shearer to Race NHRA US Nationals at Indy with Crowmod - Hot Rod Network

 

[thunderchicken]

Rusty- I'm not so sure I am on the same page with what youvare saying about aluminum and full frames. Manuacturers have been using aluminum hoods on some models for years and the wrinkle in a crash just like steel. Also I used to race stock cars and seen plenty of aluminum body panels crashed hard and they absorb impact by wrinkling and disipating energy especially when the suport structure is steel. Now I concede that like 1/8th in aluminum cracks and sheers but thats not what is being used on body panels. I would much rather have a full frame car than unibody. I have seen numerous cars towed in to the shop badly crashed and woulda been worse if not for the full frame. Unibody is fairly strong the way it is made but has more limitations. And is still stronger than the fiberglass and plastics already being used.

 

[RustyHornet]

 

[RustyHornet]

Rusty- I'm not so sure I am on the same page with what youvare saying about aluminum and full frames. Manuacturers have been using aluminum hoods on some models for years and the wrinkle in a crash just like steel. Also I used to race stock cars and seen plenty of aluminum body panels crashed hard and they absorb impact by wrinkling and disipating energy especially when the suport structure is steel. Now I concede that like 1/8th in aluminum cracks and sheers but thats not what is being used on body panels. I would much rather have a full frame car than unibody. I have seen numerous cars towed in to the shop badly crashed and woulda been worse if not for the full frame. Unibody is fairly strong the way it is made but has more limitations. And is still stronger than the fiberglass and plastics already being used.

Fair point. Although a hood isn't designed to do squat in a accident to help the passengers. We will have to agree to disagree on the full frame vs unibody. I've seen enough full frame vehicles hit poles or trees right in the sweet spot between the frame and engine. At that point, the speed will determine just how far that pole ends up in the passenger compartment. I've also seen way more smashed unibody cars that the passengers walked away without injury. I want the car to crush around me, I'm not impressed with the crash tests I've seen with aluminum vehicles.

 

[Titanium_Frost]

So I heard a rumor that the local GM truck plant is building an all new aluminum facility to build the next generation of GM pickups which will be aluminum.. All in the name of pleasing our wonderful .gov, who would rather see you get better fuel mileage than worry about your safety in an accident...

After they gave Ford so much **** for the new aluminum F150? Pssh. Aluminum is stronger than steel per weight.

 

[RustyHornet]

So as we near the end of our Roadrunner project, I took some time today to test out the radio. Some of you may recall my post awhile back explaining what we did. This car had a factory 8 track, not worth putting back in since it's gonna be a driver. We utilized the 8 track only speakers in the dash, eliminated the center dash speaker and installed two in the rear package shelf. The radio is a look a like of an original AM/FM with Bluetooth capabilities. I got all the balance and fade tuned up, system sounds really good! Tested the Bluetooth, what awesome technology in an old car! Can make calls and play music from your phone, all while cruising in a bright green street machine!

 

[ChristianPatriot]

WANT!! How much can you get for a kidney these days?

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/5760422718.html