It's Alive!

[Scott McDonald]

The GT started last night! After the engine regasket, and the head rebuild, I thought there would be more trouble getting it to run. My cousin and I read a shop manual on Opel engine rebuilding and timed it as directed in the book.

We got the timing set, as well as the carb (32/36 DFEV-ie., Pinto carb). We ended up running down the battery while setting the timing and carb. When I looked @ my amp gauge this morn' I noticed it was pegged above 30. I don't remember this last night, but honestly wasn't paying that much attention, and it was pitch black. Is the high amp reading from running the battery down, or did I hook-up one of the wires incorrectly?

This morn', drove the GT to the Muffler shop in the next town. It wouldn't idle after coming to a stop, and it ran/accelerated roughly (sputtering). I have not rejetted this carb (DFEV), as I am rebuilding my DGEV currently with the new jets from Racetep. The air jets are wide-open, as that's the only way I could get it to idle smoothly as well as opening the fuel screw @ the bottom of the carb approx. 3/4 open. I think this carb would work very well for a completely stock 1.9l as-is, maybe even work good for mine if I rejet. Would the sputtering and rough idle be due to the smaller jetting of the DFEV? Any suggestions?

Again, my GT:
It was rebuilt with a ported intake, 2.0l intake valves, Pertronix ignition, Flame-thrower coil, 4-into-1 header (3in collector, reduced to 2.25in), electric fan (no belt-fan)...that's all I can recollect currently.

Thanks again everyone, y'all have been an incredible help!

Scott

[Gary]

....The air jets are wide-open, as that's the only way I could get it to idle smoothly as well as opening the fuel screw @ the bottom of the carb approx. 3/4 open.

Could be a vacuum leak. Spray some carb cleaner around the base of the carb. If the idle smooths out, you found a leak.

The Pinto DFEV's have the primary barrel opposite the DGEV's and it may cause a couple of cylinders to burn lean. I'd switch to the DGEV. (plus the throttle linkage will be straight)

[baronbors]

Check the vacum lines coming out of the oil cover pan- also check the vacum line on the brake booster- thats where I had my problem. Muff It did my muffler here in LC and made it look almost like a OEM job on the exhaust. BTW- the wife, boy child and I will be taking the GT to the Friday night cruise at LC park this Friday night and then having supper at Butlers- any chance you might drive yours over. The car club would go nuts seeing two GT's at once.

[Scott McDonald]

Hopefully we can. My wife and I have a dinner date. I'll see if she would like to stop by.

The rough idle was due to BOTH factory idle jets falling out of the carb! It seems as though they weren't tight. Now I need two small idle screws. I rejetted last night with the Racetep kit. Then I tried to get the top brass tube out of the lid. It will not come out...so I sealed it up with a dab of "Pookie" smashed inside the little hole.

OMG what a difference jets can make! The only trouble is that it doesn't "feel" like the secondary is opening-up all the way???Kinda like there should be another 1/2" or, 1.27cm to the throttle when I floor the peddle. Would the Secondary be too rich (180)main, (170)air, (60)idle? I will try and piecemeal the tekennar settings from what I have and see if it will boost the secondary tonight.

Muffler shop couldn't use the Magnaflow. They used a 12" (30,5cm) glasspack 2 1/4"(5,7cm)-Into Muffler, 2"(5,08cm)-Out of Muffler, at the rear...And they talked me into only installing 1 Monza exhaust tip (it was a dual tip-they split it, used the Y for the over axle split, then welded the now-split twin tip at the exhaust cut-outs). The Monza tips are packed so they add some...I reiterate some additional quieting. They did a good job, although the car is a bid loud (mid range tone, and a bit tinny).

Also I don't know if I hooked up the alt correctly, as it is still pegging at 30+amps, and my interior and headlights appear to be burning more brightly. Hot to B+, Brown to the bottom thinner bolt, black wire coming from little box on the back of the alt to the bottom thinner bolt as well. Is this right?

And finally, since the car leaked more oil than the Exxon Valdez, I never noted the following: After freeway driving, then getting into downtown traffic the oil pressure drops to the point that the indicator light comes on erroneously at idle. Ideas?

That being stated, it already runs 50% better than when purchased. I'm trying to get all the old oil off the car and what we slung while setting valves, in order to see if it is still leaking anywhere.

[greensmurf20]

low oil pressure light is never any good. might be time to break down and buy some main and rod bearings.

[baz]

like jared said time to check your oil pressure properly as thats the classic sign of worn bearings
when the light comes on its normaly too late as you only have about 5psi on the oilways and whitemetal bearings will not live at that pressure
you will shortly start to get a nock (big ends ) or rumble (mains)
then you are into getting crank polishing or regrindsmoney spent now is almost always money saved later

[tekenaar]

Hopefully we can. . . .

OMG what a difference jets can make! The only trouble is that it doesn't "feel" like the secondary is opening-up all the way???Kinda like there should be another 1/2" or, 1.27cm to the throttle when I floor the peddle. Would the Secondary be too rich (180)main, (170)air, (60)idle? I will try and piecemeal the tekennar settings from what I have and see if it will boost the secondary tonight.

. . .

Also I don't know if I hooked up the alt correctly, as it is still pegging at 30+amps, and my interior and headlights appear to be burning more brightly. Hot to B+, Brown to the bottom thinner bolt, black wire coming from little box on the back of the alt to the bottom thinner bolt as well. Is this right?

And finally, since the car leaked more oil than the Exxon Valdez, I never noted the following: After freeway driving, then getting into downtown traffic the oil pressure drops to the point that the indicator light comes on erroneously at idle. Ideas?

That being stated, it already runs 50% better than when purchased. I'm trying to get all the old oil off the car and what we slung while setting valves, in order to see if it is still leaking anywhere.

First, WAY RICH!!! #1 carb jets tuning rule is that AIRS are ALWAYS LARGER than MAINS (~25 - 45).

Second, I've never understood the penchant for setting valves with the engine running. Case in point: Top Fuel dragsters do complete engine teardowns between rounds, set valves statically after buildup, fire the engine to bring up to operating temp and then reset valves with engine off but at operating temperature (ie hot).

For those skeptical about this, I'll ask you one question: Explain to me how running the engine improves accuracy over setting valves statically with the engine at operating temperature?! You're much more likely to be accurate in your valve settings not having to deal with a hot oil bath.

Take it for what it's worth, but I statically set valves cold, one cylinder at a time in firing order, warm up engine to operating temp and then statically reset them again one cylinder at a time. Honestly, I have never found any better (read: accurate, MUCH less messy) way of doing it.

[Washout]

You mention that the head was rebuilt, were the cam bearings changed? I once rebuilt a 1.9 and didn't replace the cam bearings, at idle cold it held 35 or 40 pounds but after it was up to temp it only held around 10 pounds. I replaced the cam bearings and that solved the problem. Just a thought

[GTJIM]

Fortunately the cam bearing clearance can be given a rough and ready check without removing the head - or cam!

Just remove the rocker cover, slack off the rocker nuts and ensure the tensioner is slacked off too. Now just gently pry the cam sprocket up and down, gently, to feel the clearance. A dial guage either on the top of the sprocket or the first lifter would be more accurate. Less than 2 or 3 thousands of an inch would be OK. Noticable movement indicates looseness and wear in the bearings.

Some cam bearings have larger than "standard" outside diameters so be careful when replacing them. The heads are marked according to previous posts....

[Dmcbrass]

My 32/36 weber on a stock 1900 runs well with the following jets.
Primary 140
Secondary 140
Primary air 170
Secondary air 160
Primary idle 55
Secondary idle 50
The original primary idle of 50 was too lean. I solved the lack of power in secondary circuit and the rich running by replacing the power piston. When the diaphragm goes bad the power valve stays open and runs rich. You don't get the kick you should see with the secondary barrel opening.

[Scott McDonald]

I replaced the jets to Tekennar's design. The only thing I didn't change is the F-tubes under the air jets. The Primary is an F-66, and the Secondary is an F-50. I don't know what they do, and therefore did not fool with them. It is burning far cleaner than before. Also, the pedal linkage wasn't properly adjusted. This only allowed the Secondary to partially open. I fixed that too.

Now when I, "Floor It," It transitions nicely from Primary to Secondary, and screams(for a lack of a better word) to 6500 rpm in 3rd gear. Then it just stops accelerating at that point (4th gear a bit lower in the rpm before it planes out, 5th a bit lower still). No coughs or sputters...it just stops accelerating. The power is delivered smoothly and strongly to that point. What am I doing wrong? I should think the engine rev limits are closer to the yellow on the tach. Can it possibly be the cam?

Also, I think I solved the oil pressure problem. My wires had dropped onto my new header which completely cooked them. The wires were barely hanging on. Is there supposed to be some kind of cover on the sending unit? Mine doesn't have one. It is beat-up, dirty, and looks to be in a generally poor state of repair on top of having scorched wires attached to it.

The cam, lifters, and bearings were checked. Here is what I remember. The lifters didn't show much of any wear, and the cam bearings look to have been replaced, and didn't show much if any wear, and were tight with the cam. The cam was showing some, "flat-spots," in the lobes. He said the cam didn't need to be replaced, but should probably be replaced at my next rebuild. I expect to be building an entire engine at about 50k mi.-(80.5kkm)miles from here (this car begs for bigger pistons, carb, cam). I think a 2.2l engine would be just about perfect...for me anyway.

[tekenaar]

I replaced the jets to Tekennar's design. . . . I fixed that too.

Now when I, "Floor It," It transitions nicely from Primary to Secondary, and screams(for a lack of a better word) to 6500 rpm in 3rd gear. Then it just stops accelerating at that point (4th gear a bit lower in the rpm before it planes out, 5th a bit lower still). No coughs or sputters...it just stops accelerating. The power is delivered smoothly and strongly to that point. What am I doing wrong? I should think the engine rev limits are closer to the yellow on the tach. Can it possibly be the cam?

Also, I think I solved the oil pressure problem. . . . .

The cam, lifters, and bearings were checked. Here is what I remember. The lifters didn't show much of any wear, and the cam bearings look to have been replaced, and didn't show much if any wear, and were tight with the cam. The cam was showing some, "flat-spots," in the lobes. He said the cam didn't need to be replaced, but should probably be replaced at my next rebuild. I expect to be building an entire engine at about 50k mi.-(80.5kkm)miles from here (this car begs for bigger pistons, carb, cam). I think a 2.2l engine would be just about perfect...for me anyway.

First, stock 1.9 head, stock 1.9 cam, stock 1.9 intake, dished pistons, right? At 6500 RPM, your whole intake system is restricting the flow requirements of the engine. That it pulls to 6000 RPM in the first place already says a lot. Don't think you can expect much more from it than that with the bits and pieces you're running here.

Second . . . and a word of caution, I hope you're talking 2.2 shortblock here . . . remember the 2.2 head has raised intake ports and your intake will not fit as is on this head. Exhaust is the same as early heads.

[Scott McDonald]

First, stock 1.9 head, stock 1.9 cam, stock 1.9 intake, dished pistons, right? At 6500 RPM, your whole intake system is restricting the flow requirements of the engine. That it pulls to 6000 RPM in the first place already says a lot. Don't think you can expect much more from it than that with the bits and pieces you're running here.

Not exactly:

*Yes-dished pistons. Flat-top pistons would be nice, but I did not see any for a reasonable price, and out of personal choice prefer not to install Chevrolet pistons.

*Yes-stock cam. But a cam can be ugraded easily if it is culprit. Someone here stated to me that the stock cam was quite strong; Therefore I figured it would do little harm to try it out.

*Not exactly a stock head- 2.0l intake valves.
*Not exactly a stock intake-Ported and polished, much the same as Bucky's example, without the wedge.
I know you didn't mention this, but thought I would add: Exhaust is through a 4-into-1 header, 3"(7.62cm) collector, 2 1/4"(5.71cm)pipe, to a glasspack exiting to 2"(5.08cm) pipe, y-bend to (2)-1.5"(3.81cm) Monza tips.

a 2.2l would be bought seperately, and built-up. I give 50k mi. (approx 24months), as a good estimate for when time and money could finish that.

Hopefully I can make it up to the Memorial Day Event, it sounds like it could be a very good learning experience.

[Scott McDonald]

I'm as angry as 3 angry people...and I fear I'm going mad.

[GTJIM]

Don't get mad - get even!

Read the exploits of Greensmurf20 in "Economical CIH Engine Rebuild" for inspiration and never give in attitude; then rewire the sucker!

[Old Hippie]

Scott, take a breath and exhale. When restoring a car, never rush to get it on the road. I know it's tough to do, did the same thing in my "younger" days. But patience pays off in the end. Look in the electrical section, read those recommendations. Replace cracked wires, fix grounds and etc... you know when you see it. There have been some bad car fires do to wiring, so fix it now and save your heath (and GT).