First Technical Question (did a search, still stumped!)

[ScottArizona]

Hey All, I've tried to search, and have successfully figured out the answer to many questions and concerns by using that feature, but this one has me stumped:

What is the best oil for my 3.2l engine? (JUST KIDDING!).

But seriously, here is the issue. 81 sc with 1984 3.2 swap. Car actually runs great. No smoke, no driveabilty issues, pulls hard, no hesitation, etc... Except, every once in a while, when stone cold, the car will die a few times at initial start up but after that, within literally seconds, the car will run fine and will run completely fine for the balance of the day. Literally not a hiccup. I had also noticed that when I removed the oil cap to check the oil, the car would immediately die. So I did some more searching, and figured I might have a few vacuum leaks.

So I started poking around and one thing lead to another (that came out wrong), and before you know it have my intake tract disassembled and I'm cleaning everything in sight with carb cleaner. During this process I realized I was missing the oil tank breather restrictor piece (now on order "from our host"), and I found a line that had some cracks. Oh yeah, I also discovered that my throttle body plate is only opening about 50%, which is awesome as now I get to adjust it correctly and get some free HP!

But, I noticed a few wonky things around the throttle body. First, the throttle body boss that functions as a stop for the throttle linkage is completely broken off. (See pic No. 1, generic internet picture posted for explanatory purposes, blue circle), and pic no. 2 for the actual throttle body. How critical is this piece? If my throttle is properly adjusted, seems that this stop would just be a redundant fail safe, right? Or do I truly need a new entire throttle body?

Second question. Picture No. 3 shows a line that has cracks on both ends (pn 930-207-236-01, NLA from Pelican). One end goes from the copper-looking port (red circle on pic 1) to the ambient air valve near the oil tank neck on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Problem is I don't have an AAV (probably because my car is an 81 SC, which didn't have one of these valves). So, the prior owner routed this line from its proper location on the throttle body (red circle) to a threaded port in the ABS plastic neck of my aftermarket EVOMS air intake (just downstream from the cone filter). Here is the weird part. This line appears to have some sort of stainless steel plug or little ball valve in it (you can see the bulge in the line where it is located), such that no amount of sucking or blowing in either end will move the ball (that also came out wrong). In fact, I can't get any airflow through that tube. Does that sound right? Since the tube is apparently NLA, my initial thought before I saw that little valve/plug wedged in there was to just cut a piece of generic hose to fit, but now I'm not so sure. Does anyone know if that "plug" is supposed to be there, and if its supposed to move or do something? Seems odd to have an air line that no air can move through. I shot carb cleaner in there but it made no difference.

Third question. In the first pic there is a port on the temperature switch (white circle) that should have a line going from that location to another port on my missing ambient air valve. Should I plug this line somehow, leave it open, or try to route it somewhere else? I'm wondering if this is causing a vacuum leak since its downstream of the throttle body, and if it could also be causing my intermittent cold start issue.

Really appreciate any feedback. My car is a bit of a frankenstien since its a 3.2 swap with a non-stock intake, which is making it hard for this newbie to piece everything back together!

[ScottArizona]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Prior owner had two return springs on the throttle body linkage. Not sure what that is all about!

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by ScottArizona

Hey All, I've tried to search, and have successfully figured out the answer to many questions and concerns by using that feature, but this one has me stumped:

What is the best oil for my 3.2l engine? (JUST KIDDING!).

But seriously, here is the issue. 81 sc with 1984 3.2 swap. Car actually runs great. No smoke, no driveabilty issues, pulls hard, no hesitation, etc... Except, every once in a while, when stone cold, the car will die a few times at initial start up but after that, within literally seconds, the car will run fine and will run completely fine for the balance of the day. Literally not a hiccup. I had also noticed that when I removed the oil cap to check the oil, the car would immediately die. So I did some more searching, and figured I might have a few vacuum leaks.

So I started poking around and one thing lead to another (that came out wrong), and before you know it have my intake tract disassembled and I'm cleaning everything in sight with carb cleaner. During this process I realized I was missing the oil tank breather restrictor piece (now on order "from our host"), and I found a line that had some cracks. Oh yeah, I also discovered that my throttle body plate is only opening about 50%, which is awesome as now I get to adjust it correctly and get some free HP!

But, I noticed a few wonky things around the throttle body. First, the throttle body boss that functions as a stop for the throttle linkage is completely broken off. (See pic No. 1, generic internet picture posted for explanatory purposes, blue circle), and pic no. 2 for the actual throttle body. How critical is this piece? If my throttle is properly adjusted, seems that this stop would just be a redundant fail safe, right? Or do I truly need a new entire throttle body?

Second question. Picture No. 3 shows a line that has cracks on both ends (pn 930-207-236-01, NLA from Pelican). One end goes from the copper-looking port (red circle on pic 1) to the ambient air valve near the oil tank neck on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Problem is I don't have an AAV (probably because my car is an 81 SC, which didn't have one of these valves). So, the prior owner routed this line from its proper location on the throttle body (red circle) to a threaded port in the ABS plastic neck of my aftermarket EVOMS air intake (just downstream from the cone filter). Here is the weird part. This line appears to have some sort of stainless steel plug or little ball valve in it (you can see the bulge in the line where it is located), such that no amount of sucking or blowing in either end will move the ball (that also came out wrong). In fact, I can't get any airflow through that tube. Does that sound right? Since the tube is apparently NLA, my initial thought before I saw that little valve/plug wedged in there was to just cut a piece of generic hose to fit, but now I'm not so sure. Does anyone know if that "plug" is supposed to be there, and if its supposed to move or do something? Seems odd to have an air line that no air can move through. I shot carb cleaner in there but it made no difference.

Third question. In the first pic there is a port on the temperature switch (white circle) that should have a line going from that location to another port on my missing ambient air valve. Should I plug this line somehow, leave it open, or try to route it somewhere else? I'm wondering if this is causing a vacuum leak since its downstream of the throttle body, and if it could also be causing my intermittent cold start issue.

Really appreciate any feedback. My car is a bit of a frankenstien since its a 3.2 swap with a non-stock intake, which is making it hard for this newbie to piece everything back together!

Starting w/ the 3.2 Carrera a restrictor was placed in the small oil vent line from the tank
930.107.289.00
To test just use vice grips to close the line a bit, test

[dyerkes]

You might want to review the following thread for answers to some of the throttle body connections Vacuum Leaks?

[McLaren-TAG]

and about that spring, was the PO ever on the Jerry Springer show? Take it off because it doesn't belong there. If they put it there it's because something in the linkage is not working they way it should. Given your apparent tendency to put things right, I'm surprised it stayed on long enough for a picture.

When you take the oil cap off, it should drop the idle RPM quite noticeably but never stall. You look like you're well on your way to getting it sorted.

[ScottArizona]

Thanks all! Spring is gone lol and I already ordered a pedal bushing kit just in case (only 14 bucks!). I’ll talke a look at that thread. Bill, I’m aware of the 3.2 restrictor/breather set up...my car retains the sc set up which doesn’t have the extra piping to accept the Carrera part (ignore the disconnected hose in that pic, still unhooked from when I checked for the restrictor)

[Tippy]

The throttle blade, IIRC, is completely shut. Air is bypassed through a port that can be adjusted with a 7mm screw head dead center in front.

Point is, if the ear is broke off, it's probably ok. Don't remember a physical screw adjuster on the TB.

[ScottArizona]

Originally Posted by Tippy

The throttle blade, IIRC, is completely shut. Air is bypassed through a port that can be adjusted with a 7mm screw head dead center in front.

Point is, if the ear is broke off, it's probably ok. Don't remember a physical screw adjuster on the TB.

Awesome. Thanks. That’s what I figured. Can anyone else tell me if they have a ball/plug in their tube lol?