OOOOOOOOOOOOOOK. This is a project car, planning on investing some serious time in it, so don't pull any punches if y'all think it's really messed up.
Car sat 3 years, oil/filter/plug change, car is running albeit stalling out if let to idle. Idle Airflow Sensor is snapped off (possible cause?). So since it is running nice, I take it for a spin around the house (big driveway). I hold down the brake, build up boost (front end comes up) and then I let off, works fine. Do it again about 20 minutes later (of course, to show a guy friend)... BIG belch of black smoke out the rear, check engine light comes on. If I rev it up around 6-7K and let it go, I can hear something that sounds like a tweety bird, best description I can give. It's momentary and only when I take my foot OFF the gas. I think I managed to take out the turbo, possible?
Then, I check the trans fluid, LOW AS HELL. I put in a couple bottles (2 at first, ran through gears, checked level, put one more in). I put it into OD, it moves, albeit slow to engage. D works, 2 grabs immediately and moves as does 1. I think I nailed something in the trans.
Sooooooooooo... Any ideas? Recommendations? Anybody want a $1000 parts car? Hehehehe.
Sam
I think if you revved it to 6 or 7 THOUSAND RPM you had better get a new engine.
It may be a good time for you to take an automobile engine course at the local vocational school so you can learn a little bit about engines before you get too far and damage a bunch of things.
Between this situation and the question you asked regarding the oil, I have some concerns (for the car, mainly)
Good luck
Patrick
'87 GN (won't come close to 6-7K RPM)
What is your point? I am here asking questions about a problem I am experiencing and you lecture me about going to a vocational school? I apologize for not being born an expert. I’ve never dealt with a Turbocharged GM 3.8L V6 that I have absolutely NO idea what has been done to it in the past 90K miles. I’ve never paid $500 for a 16 year old car that’s been rotting for 3 years. Sorry if I didn’t know how much oil it took, or that you could pour the oil into either of the valve covers. I’d hate to think what your reaction would be if someone asked the proper spark plug gap! Either way, I still have a couple questions. The ‘tweety’ noise when the engine revs down, the transmission slipping in OD and D but not 1 or 2, and I’m sure I will have a ton more questions that probably can only be answered in this forum as it would not EXIST if a simple vocational course would tell me all I need to know about a 1986 Buick Regal T-Type.
Now I’m willing to dedicate the time and money to make this car run right, and learn as I go. I’ve owned 4 cars, all made it well over 150K miles without me blowing them apart. I’d like some help here, that is all. I don’t want to race it, I just want something that one day I can zip around town in and maybe turn a few heads, and say HEY, I DID THIS. Right now I’m doing that in a frikkin DODGE NEON. I’m sure your GN runs great and has never seen redline in all its years of existence, but I’m pretty sure the T-Type I bought has, has been beaten hard all 90K miles and 16 years it was on the road, whether or not I nailed the throttle once wasn’t going to delay the inevitable. Frankly I would have thought someone who drives such a fine car as a Buick Grand National would be more than willing to help another budding enthusiast get another Turbo Regal back on the road.
If anybody wants to help me out, please respond. If all you’re going to do is demagogue me about how much of an idiot I am, save the self-righteous garbage for the rice-boy boards. I was hoping I could escape that BS by buying a real car like this one.
Sam
Sam,
Just to let you in on a secret, this isn't the best place to get a response to posts....I've found this is a good site for accumulated data, and there is ALOT of it, most of it very well written and detailed. Visit www.turbobuick.com, and ask your questions there. So far, the guys there are awesome!! There is no stupid question asked there, and everybody seems to want to help. Since I am a budding TR enthusiast myself, I will offer the following advice....don't knock to hard on the car until you learn it. Knock will kill them quickly. Learn to tune at a lower boost, and then gradually turn it up a couple psi and LEARN the car. They have flaws, but a well tuned TR (turbo Regal) will provide you with a rush of enjoyment.....Oh yeah, get ready to have problems with the PowerMaster brakes...in most people's opinion, they SUCK A#$.
Any questions, and I'll be GLAD to help. Email me at nadlib@bellsouth.net
Tell the Turbobuick.com guys CrusherUsher sent you. ; )
If someone asked me about the sparkplug gap, I'd tell them that it should be .035.
You're right, I didn't respond very nicely to you. And I can assure you that we're not at all a bunch of self-righteous people so you can rest assured you can stay away from the rice-boy boards.
So, please accept my apology.
As far as your trouble spots....let me say that I've managed to stay out of trouble with my car (so far) my taking it easy on it. I can't say if my car has ever seen the red-line because the tranmission is in good shape and I've never held it in gear to power shift it or really really revved it in neutral. I've had it to 3-3.5k in the driveway to calibrate the tach and on the drag strip its been over 5,000 RPM (barely, I need new springs, thats another story).
I assume you will take Bill Usher's advice and keep the boost turned down some and bring it up once you've gotten your feet wet.
Following up on the transmission noise...Have you pretty much determined that it is not the fan belt? Check that area. Then, read-up on the clutch lock-up solenoid. It could be sticking or broken and that could make the car very very sluggish. After that, I'm not much good with tranmissions. It may be that you need to bring the car to someone to have a look. If you're near Kenilworth NJ, Ron's Custom Auto is a good place to start.
Again, please accept my apology and good luck with your car. Keep us posted as you try new things and get it working better.
Patrick
Patrick, fagheddaboutit, as it turns out, my tachometer (stock LED tach) is off by 2500RPM, so what I thought was 6-7 was actually 4 or 5K. Phew! Since my last posts I've done the trans service (need a rebuild, car shudders violently between shifts when pulling out from a stop). Managed to find the leak the previous owner spoke of, when I brought the car to a stop (in OD) trans fluid squirted out of the rear of the trans at the driveshaft. Then the rear brakeline snapped and the car wouldn't turn over so I could move it. Probably a good thing, don't want the powermaster to run dry. As of right now I need to replace either the rear brake line from the master cylinder to the proportioning valve (if there is one), or the line from the valve to the left-rear brake drum. I do plan on replacing all the brake lines, calipers, rotors, pads, drums, etc... But for right now I just need enough brakes to be able to drive it a few hundred feet and park it for the season. Come spring, thats when the real fun begins...
Sam
Ok, Samuel, that is better. Take your time with the car. I know you want to run it but, as you see, there are things that act up on these cars. I'd still check that converter lock-up solenoid...I'm hoping you have a shop in your area that you can visit. You'd be surprised how much these shops can help you.
Yes, there is a proportioning valve. Follow the brakes line down from the Master Cylinder along the left side frame rail and you'll find the valve just before the frame turns to run parallel with the ground. You need to release the valve to bleed the brakes, check the website for this information. The brakes lines split at a fitting located on the drivers side of the pumpkin, jack it up and crawl under there, you'll set it.
Why did the brake line fail? Corrosion? If the brake hardware is good (pads,shoes,etc) why replace them?
Recommendation? Replace that line and then bleed the brakes on all four corners to get new fluid into the lines and then park it. The fluid is probably full of moisture. Check the website for storage instructions.