The Begining

[Flat6pac]

looks like a winner
Bruce

[PFM]

Nice job...

[TibetanT]

Congratulations are in order!

Looks like a winner. Enjoy the ride.

[Smoove1010]

After 4 and a half years, you must be thrilled. Congratulations and keep us all posted as to how your "new" engine wears in!

GK

[E Sully]

Congatualtions. As far as the idle goes, it looks like you wiill need to adjust it. Put a jumper in and set the base idle for 880 rpm. Then when the jumper is removed the icv should keep it there.

[peppy]

I think the linkage is sticking on the accelerator. I will check that Sunday.

I can hardly wait to get it on the street.

[bigel]

Nice! It's just amazing to see the engine case on a 1988 car look like that!

Look forward to the video so that we can hear her purr...

[peppy]

I am working on the first start video also.

[Lapkritis]

Nice work - congrats. I'm going through a case-up refresh right now and it's quite the undertaking. Glad to see you were able to follow it through to the end.

[peppy]

Start up


trying to ruin the starter

[peppy]

I was able to drive the car today. I drove about 50 miles.

The idle is fixed, it was the cruise control cable too tight and not letting the micro switch operate.

The tires are so flat spotted it feels like the engine is missing sometimes.

No noticble oil use yet and still no leaks. The engine smells funny.

I am having to realy spin the engine to get it started. Does the computer have a learning curve or is it just that way?

The oil pressure is good (at least 1+ bar per 1000 rpm) but at idle it is below 1 bar. No oil light on but it is lower than I remember.

The engine pulls strong to 3K rpms, but sometimes it feels like it stumbles. Maybe a vacuum leak, I don,t get a big rpm drop when I remove the oil cap.

How high can I spin the engine during the breakin? I was tring 3000, but it likes it up higher. The engine starts to feel good at about 3000rpm and is sweet to about 4000rpm. I can hardly contain myself.

[peppy]

I drove another 60 miles or so today and she is running better. I was able to change the chip over to the 93 octane setting and it will start and runs well. I have run the engine up to 5k and it pulls like it used to, I do get bucking and hesitation sometimes when I first get on it.

I have found a little oil on the bottom of the engine oil cooler, I don't know if it is the cooler or something above it.

Thanks for all the help.

[Lapkritis]

Have you been able to get fresh fuel in yet? The old stuff can burn poorly.

-Andrew

[peppy]

I have put in fresh fuel and a new filter, but I think you are right there is a fuel starvation problem.

I have 200 miles on it and it runs better each time I crank it.

[peppy]

Still finding the oil on the bottom where the cooler meets the case. Crap, about a quarter sized spot when she cools down.

[peppy]

I burned a half a tank of gas in about 250 miles, so I filled up last night at a busier place.

Wow it must have been really bad gas, this thing will fly. Above 3k the car is very strong no hiccups or missing just linear power all the way to 6k. I think I could go higher than 6k.

The only issue now is the cruising, trying to maintain a speed as I feather the throttle I get bucking. If I let off completely or push on the throttle harder it stops, it's just when I barely touch the throttle that I have the issue.

So far I have added one quart of oil, but still not seeing any smoke. I still have the small leak at the oil cooler, but I am convincing myself I can live with it.

[Lapkritis]

Have you put a timing light on it yet? A flutter at part throttle might be timing/distributor related if the fuel seems happy.

-Andrew

[peppy]

Originally Posted by Lapkritis

Have you put a timing light on it yet? A flutter at part throttle might be timing/distributor related if the fuel seems happy.

-Andrew

No timing light, I thought the Motronic cars were non adjustable.

[Lapkritis]

Timing may wander with a worn distributor on any car. You may see this by observing the timing to ensure it is steady at all rpm with steady advance at higher rpm. If the ignition jitters when observing then the distributor may require repair and service. It's good practice to confirm timing to spec during tune up procedures and after a rebuild as well.

[E Sully]

Timing on Motronic is set by the DME. It still has centrifugal weights, but that is so the rotor and pins stay aligned as the timing changes.
3.2 distributor mechanical advance, why???