Nug

If there aren't gaping holes in the muffler, then it's still good. They don't clog, unless it's with chunks of cat guts. To check cats for clogging, or for high backpressure-get a vacuum gauge. They actually have backpressure gauges, but they cost a LOT! Hook a vacuum gauge to manifold vacuum. Start the engine. Observe gauge, should be between 18-25 or so, inches. Rev to 2000 Rpm. Gauge should drop off, and return to nearly where it was before. If the vac never returns, or it does and starts tapering down, it's indicative of a restriction in the exhaust system. Hope this helps you out. Are you looking for lost power? Cuz I think they forgot to put it in at the factory:)

I think any reason to avoid dropping a gas tank is logical. Thoughts of rusted out fuel pickups are dancing around. And pictures of fragged f/p wiring. And to fall right off this thread... Cousin has an '88 Blazer he went rooting in. Truck just died. Fuel pump had fallen off the pickup tube where it had been placed, with no hose clamps, went to the bottom of the tank, shorted out, and burned up the fuel pump relay. Of couse he had just filled it up. Thirty five gallons of gas is heavy. And we both got three tickets apiece while trying to tow it home with a tow strap behind my S-10. Sorry for the thread hijack, I can't seem to forget that nightmare.

If it was clogged, It will increase power (unless the front cat is clogged, too). It might make the exhaust louder. If neither cat was clogged, then I doubt you will notice any power increase, but the noise increase, if any, might make the car seem faster. My $0.02

Maybe something loose electrically, with the bumping around things are getting intermittent contact? If you were carbureted, the problem would be obvious. Oh, and here's a free bump

It was 75ish in Richmond today, supposed to be in 80's tomorrow. Wearin' shorts to work, WooHoo!

Here's something I can't figure out. Why (sometimes) are oxygen sensors located downstream of the air injection ports? I mean, you are trying to measure the amount of oxygen left in the combustion gases, right? And injecting a bunch of air before the sensor is going to add extra oxygen, right? It's gonna throw it out of whack. Subes don't even have smog pumps, do they? So for most of you, this probably isn't an issue. Eric

There have been just over 20,000 posts on this forum since we left EZBoard. We're talkative.

ATF has a lot of detergents in it, and dissolves all kinds of crud. Personally, I would use it over 'motor flush' or MMO. It also makes a decent hand cleaner for REALLY nasty stuff, like the oil sprayed all over the back of your car when the rear seal goes, or baked -on oily, tarlike s***. Yeah. You still have to wash your hands, but it doesn't take half an hour.

On some american cars, when you buy a heater core, the package comes with a flow restrictor. When the engine is revved, the water pump is going to town and coolant is being blasted through the core. The flow restrictor slows this flow down so the gushing noise won't be present. It may not be air. It may be normal (or okay, cuz apparently it isn't normal). I've heard this noise before in other cars that haven't got a thing wrong with them.

I think a leakdown check would be more accurate in this case.

That grey-on-yellow typing made me hallu....WOW the room is turning inside out! Squirrels! Squirrels!!

I had a shop resurface 2 ea-82 heads. Don't remember how much he took off, but the intake bolted on without trouble. I think he said 0.010".

Here are a few cars/ transmissions with synchronized reverse: Mazda RKE 88-95 Thunderchicken SC, Cougar Mazda MR51, MR52, various year Ford rangers Mitsubishi FM145, ford rangers again Audi TT's Borg-Warner T56 6 speed

Some newer cars DO have a syncronized reverse, not because it's cheaper or it helps gears last longer, but so owners aren't worried or don't complain about reverse gear grinding.

You could nail it with brake cleaner. When it evaporates, there won't be any conductivity.

that's why I replaced the VW engine with a 2.2 legacy in my '74 beetle.

bump

The EGR valve dilutes the incoming air/fuel mix with inert exhaust gas, effectively taking up space, and therefore lowering combustion temps. How about excessive carbon in the combustion chamber? Anyone recommend a top engine cleaner or the 'water trick'?

There were some OLD old fashion automatics (Buick?) that had an ancillary pump that was driven off of the tailshaft, which would engage a clutch when the car was pushed, allowing the car to be push-started. 50-60 years ago, I guess.

Just put this engine together, so it has new gaskets. When I mean warmed up, I mean about 2 minutes of run time. I'll check for vac. leaks, though.

ever have about 8 quarts of ATF slide down your shirt collar and into your armpit, ending up well south of your drawers? Nasty, burned, fish-smelling ATF???? That day sucked.

...when it warms up. Timing belts on right, ignition timing in the ballpark, EGR disconnected, MSD fuel pump putting out WAY more than enough... When you first fire it up, you can get on it and it screams like a banshee and it propels the super beetle that it's in like a rocket. But when it warms up, you can't give it more than a certain amout of throttle, or it wants to die out. If you floor it, it pukes, but if you slowly give it gas, it'll rev waaaay up. It 'sounds' like it's leaning out. That MSD pump is putting out more volume and pressure then that engine could ever use. It NEVER appears to be running rich. Fuel pressure reg? Coolant sensor? Checked the TPS, that seems ok. No way to pull up codes yet, it isn't wired for that yet. Oh, and she always will restart and idle. Weird.

Someone post a pic of an EGR valve for this fine sir. I don't have a pic of one. Don't even own a sube, for that matter...

Let us know what else you find, or if there's something else.

Oh, it happens. My g/f had coolant leaking into the #1 cylinder on her VW cabriolet. Closer inspection revealed that corrosion worked its way around the head gasket and into the combustion chamber. The h/g wasn't actually blown. Milling the head ($40) fixed that problem permanently. You guys replacing h/gaskets...do you check for head warpage? Also, it is my understanding that a freshly milled surface helps retain the gasket better than one that has been sanded, scotchbrited, or scraped. Comments?