Just joined, wanna share my car and have a few questions

'86 Caprice Classic
I'm the second owner, first was my grandma :p
120k miles, but still runs really good
exterior is stock, gonna be left stock
2-tone blue, got repainted about 6 months ago, time to start using Zaino on it
blue interior


by this summer, all these mods will be done:

350 crate engine
TPI intake
SLP runners, ported
ported plenum
ported intake manifold
"Caprice SS" TB plate
fully built TH700 with a 2000 stall
tinted windows
K-9 alarm
a nice sterio will be put in, but don't know exactly what yet

my question is that my crate engine is rated at about 300hp and all, but I kind need to get an exhaust system or else I'll be losing about 30rwhp when I get done. I really want to keep this thing a sleeper, as I don't even want to change out the rims, so no dual exhaust with glasspacks or anything. I wanted to keep the stock catback, but get 1 5/8" longtube headers, gut the cat, and just run like that. This is what everyone at the TPI forums are talking about, but I was wondering what everyone is running as an exhaust, and how they like it.

I have a '94 so not much help here. I noticed you said no glasspacks, which i agree with. I have a '94 Caprice Police w/Corvette engine, updated with K&N intake, and a FLOWMASTER (illegal here in OH) dual exhaust. I'm guessing close to 400 HP, since the vette engine alone without emmisions is 300. It's a monster, and my cop friends (misnomer, LOL) are really jealous, cuz they can't touch me.

I have a '94 so not much help here. I noticed you said no glasspacks, which i agree with. I have a '94 Caprice Police w/Corvette engine, updated with K&N intake, and a FLOWMASTER (illegal here in OH) dual exhaust. I'm guessing close to 400 HP, since the vette engine alone without emmisions is 300. It's a monster, and my cop friends (misnomer, LOL) are really jealous, cuz they can't touch me.

did you put in a Corvette engine? Because, as you might now, the LT1 that came in the Caprices as well as the Camaros and T/As weren't "The Corvette engine". Its a sales pitch a lot of people throw, and its just false information. Biggest difference? The 'Vettes came with 4-bolt main bearings, everyone else came with 2-bolt mains.

Is that all the mods you have, is just a nice exhaust and a K&N? That would be like a 30-40hp gain bro, not 100.


Sorry, I don't mean to start off my life here on this forum as one that points out everything, I'm just trying to figure out all the facts here, and at least figure out the stuff that is factual.

Actually, the biggest difference is the heads. B-bodies have cast iron heads. The Vette and F-bodies are aluminum.

A large enough single exhause would minimize the loss and keep you legal with the greanies. I'd suggest taking a look at a Walker system, front to back for a 93 9c1. I used one on my 89 and it really woke the car up.

A large enough single exhause would minimize the loss and keep you legal with the greanies. I'd suggest taking a look at a Walker system, front to back for a 93 9c1. I used one on my 89 and it really woke the car up.

I'm not worried about it being legal as this is FL, and we don't have any emissions stuff. I am just looking for something that would give the 350 good power, but it would still sound stock (or just a little louder, but not like glasspacks or anything).

Well a big enough single exhaust would do just what you want. Remember the last f-bodies were pushing well over 300 hp thru a single exhuast.....

I didn't put the engine in, but it is a 4-bolt with aluminum head. My cop buddies tell me it's a Vette motor, as does my mechanic and a local GM dealer. The K&N and Flowmaster mods are good enough for me.

I do have a question...since last weekend, I have experienced a few times on the freeway what seems a sudden loss of all power. The motor is still running, but getting no power for a few seconds when pushing on the gas pedal, then it kicks back in and runs fine. Also, a few times at a stop lite/sign, it will die on me, but it starts back up fine. Everything is idling fine, etc. Could this be a fuel filter, a bad optispark unit, egr? Any ideas?

Sounds like an opti failure to me. But it could also be the fuel pump, or actually the pump relay. IIRC, there is part at the fuel pump in the tank that will get hot and melt. This could be your trouble as well.

If the heads are indeed AL, then it is not the original motor to your car. No GM b-body ever came with the AL heads. It may indeed have came from a vette or f-body. The engines are pretty much identical except for the heads.

Read this thread at impalassforum as well.

http://impalassforum.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=33;t=005374

yea, the 'Vette is the only car that came with the 4-bolt main. Its a bulletproof motor, but the more common 2-bolts can handle more power than 99% of the guys could dream of, so its cool.

Thanks, Smally. I'm guessing it's probably the opti too. A new fuel pump was put in just this past fall. Wierd how it's so intermittent though. Not sure I want to tackle changing the opti myself though, looks like I'd have to take out the water pump and the serp belt pulley. Knowing me, I'd screw it up. Looks like an expensive job.

Do you notice a loss of power along with a stiffening of the power steering?

It might be the water pump failing. What happens is the water comes out of the pump, drips down into the opti, making is fail, and then onto the belt causing belt slippage and the PS getting harder.

Just something else to look at...

Smalley, no, there is no power steering stiffening. As I said, it is very intermittent, which makes me hesitant to replace anything right now.

Sean

My 95 had a similar problem. It was intermitent, but probably more often than your problem.. One night I sprayed the engine down with degreaser and washed it off. The problem started the next morning. I replaced the plugs and wires and the miss was still there. More often when it was in gear than not. I had it inspected the next day cause I just bought the car, and the guy said it was definitely the distributor cap causing the miss... I pulled it off, it doesnt look too bad but I figured I'd relplace it anyway since its torn down that far. The part comes in tommorow, Ill let you know if it fixes it or not...It wasnt cheap, about $160 regular, but my employee price was $115, just for the cap and rotor.
Its not a hard job, all you need is a harmonic balancer puller. Just pull that and the water pump off, and there it is.....It takes some labor but its not a difficult job...Good luck with it man....

Oh yeah, the guy that inspected my car said there was a tech bulletin out for that problem, so it must be somewhat common....

Ok, dealer replaced the fuel pump...said it was reading 26 psi. Didn't do a thing at all. Still intermittent stalling on freeway, but motor running. Still occasional stall at a stop. Took back to dealer today, and they called a GM tech, and they told them it is the distributor itself. I got my car back and got the hell out of there. Car starts perfect, restarts after a stall at a stop, and does not run rough at all. 80% of the time it runs great. Any ideas? Can't afford to keep replacing things only not to work. Thanks!

If you put it in neutral and keep the revs up does it still stall?
Did you or someone else check the fuel filter yet?

No, it hasn't stalled if in neutral and keep up the revs. Had new fuel pump and filter last week. New distributor & opti going in today. Apparently my opti cap/rotor was causing carbon buildup on the crank sens and is ruining distributor. Supposedly is a TSB about this particular opti. Will try and get it from new mechanic tomorrow. I stayed away from the idiot dealer service dept. this time.

Your car is an '86 Caprice right? I would look at Summit, I bought some 1 5/8" Heddman headers for $100 for my '88 9C1. They fit awesome! What motor did you say you have, an LT1?