95 caprice build

Looks good! Sucker is cleeean underneath too. Glad you have it where you enjoy it...especially since it will be the daily!

Chris

Did you smoke a small animal,or meet a parking curb that removed your deflector?

Andebe wrote:

Did you smoke a small animal,or meet a parking curb that removed your deflector?

racoon. Didn't kill it, but it probably needed an advil.

I slapped the RAISS on today. Bought it new from a guy near the base in Winnipeg last year. Not super impressed with the fit given the cost (If I had bought it new). For what you pay for it, it's pretty crappy that they give you a fernco rubber boot to put on your TB vs the appropriate silicon boot. The boot is too long to allow installation of the air dam, so I had to trim 1/2 off the boot.

Today I put on the OZ novas for the spring/summer. The 10" wide ones. Noticed an endlink missing in the front so I put on a new pair. Car drives much nicer.

Car seems to have the TCC sticking ON, so I guess a trans swap is in the cards for the near future. The TCC doesn't disengage with brake apply, nor just deceleration, but seems to let go at moderate TPS. Only does it when warmed up, so I'm suspecting a valve is sticking in the trans. I figure I can either drop the pan, fluid, check the TCC solenoid and HOPE it works, OR drop the exhaust, trans and TC and put in my pypes X pipe, upgraded trans jayoldschool yanked from my brother's caprice and edge TC.

jasonlachapelle wrote:

Today I put on the OZ novas for the spring/summer.  The 10" wide ones.  Noticed an endlink missing in the front so I put on a new pair.  Car drives much nicer.

Car seems to have the TCC sticking ON, so I guess a trans swap is in the cards for the near future.  The TCC doesn't disengage with brake apply, nor just deceleration, but seems to let go at  moderate TPS.  Only does it when warmed up, so I'm suspecting a valve is sticking in the trans.  I figure I can either drop the pan, fluid, check the TCC solenoid and HOPE it works, OR drop the exhaust, trans and TC and put in my pypes X pipe, upgraded trans jayoldschool yanked from my brother's caprice and edge TC.  

Maybe check the brake pedal switch first?

brake pedal illuminates the brake lights and kills the cruise control.

Yesterday I installed new rearview mirrors. Someone swiped the PS side one during the winter and I'd been driving w/o it for a few months. Gave the car a good interior/exterior cleaning.

I also put a new coil wire in to replace my temporary fix: the coil wire from the black RMW I put a stroker in 10 years ago. Stock engine was still sitting at my friend's shop so I grabbed the coil wire and optispark. The 22 year old OEM wire still worked, and the new AC Delco I put on less than a year ago failed.

Finally I replaced the pcv valve. I had never replaced it on the caprice. FWIW: don't buy the dorman PCV grommet. It doesn't fit in the intake.

So the TCC wasn't sticking. I put on a new coil wire to replace the older one. However it turns out the caprice had an off idle stumble. For the last 2 months, the car has had an intermittent irregular idle as well. It would dip below 500 rpm (per datamaster) while in gear. It is worsened by load (for example if I put the AC on). Ever since I've had the car (2012) I'd say the idle has never been as smooth as my other LT1s, but it's always been quite subtle.
On top of the intermittent irregular idle when in gear, when in closed loop the car would occasionally, but not always, stumble at part throttle especially with high load. It seemed to be doing it more and more frequently in the last 2 months though. It would clear up if I gave it more gas. Situations where it would happen for example would be leaving from a complete stop, gradually accelerating while in 4th/lockup from 40+ mph, or climbing a hill. Datamaster was showing the car is pulling up to 12deg timing during the stumble. Moreover, knock counts were increasing when the car is commanding spark retard. this is at 10-20% TPS. If I give it like 30+ it seems to clear up and drive fine.
LTFTs seem low, 112 ish. No CELs thrown.

After some internet diagnostic help from Nick and Jay, I tested the knock sensors and coil with a multimeter. I then used a laser heat gun to measure the primaries and found number 2 was much cooler. Changed the plug, no joy. Changed the wire, no joy. Put a good wire and plug to ground and it had occasional weak spark. Optispark (83k mi original) was causing an intermittent and weak spark on cyl 2. I changed out the opti and WP/Opti seals and now the car runs great.
I hadn't read about optis causing single cylinder issues, but I guess it happens. I'll post a pic of the cap later. One of the leads has significant damage around it (large rotor trace, seems burnt).

I took the car on a 1200 km test drive to see TOOL in Montreal, and it ran great. I also brought the car in for a Motorvac treatment. Gained a bit of mileage and managed to get 21 mpg after the motorvac.

On the trip, I picked up a few parts I had at my parents place:
-tranny upgraded by Joel that was in my brother's car
-LT4 KM (put it in the wagon already)

PLUS, I met up with a local former SS owner and bought some cool parts at a great price:
-T84 Headlights with upg harness
-original GM driver's side 95-96 mirror, NOS
-Corvette engine dress kit (the whole kit naisso used to sell). I'll probably sell this since I have no real use for it.

Wow! T84s!

You forgot to tell them about our secret gauge project. Shhh

oh right! I bought Jay's 93 camaro metric cluster. I'll pick it up after school's out.

Installed T84 headlights today. Removed Gary's 9004 headlight harness and replaced with the one that came with the T84s. Installed Hella 80/100W H4 bulbs, and new 2357A parking lamps in the capsule. I busted the turn filament in one of the parking bulbs while trimming one of the sockets.

Putting in new O2s tomorrow. AFAIK, I'm on the originals. 20$ shipped on amazon vs 100$ locally for AC delco.

How did you source the T84's

A local SS owner sold his ride so he parted it out first. It was the guy who bought my stroker 6-7 years ago. Years ago he was supposed to sell them to me, but backed out because he ended up keeping his ride. He said he'd let me know if he sold them. He contacted me a few weeks back to say they were available and I had 1st dibs.

Great reason for networking.