86 redbird

I'm kinda upset from the preformance I'm seeing from my set up. I thought the cam was the problem, but after swaping it out the car doesn't perform much better.

I have an 86 trans am with a 383
it has a voodoo 268 cam 882 heads with upgraded springs
a torker 2 intake with a edelbrock mechanical secondary 750
shorty headers and a 3 inch exhaust

the tranny was replaced with a 350 turbo with a shift kit and a STOCK CONVERTER
the car also has 3.73 gears

the problem is the car does not seem fast at all. i know some of the things i have are not optimum, but it should still have some pep right?

the car does not burn the tires unless powerbraked and the seat of the pants, in my opinion isn't very strong either

what is my problem, was i just looking for too much or is something not working right.

I know I could use a set of better heads, but money doesn't allow for that right now. what else could I change. I'm starting to get frustrated

doug791

Well hard to measure your cars performance by what you claim to be the seat of your pants feeling. You really need to take it to either the strip to see how its running, or better yet get it on a dyno.

In all honesty i dont know anything about carbs.

And arent really familiar with exactly which heads those are, and more specs on the cam would help.

Usually in your situation i would guess its either too large of a carb, or your head/cam combo just doesnt match very well. That is assuming everything else about the engine is running healthy.

onefastgta

You have a mismatch in the intake, but it should still blow the tires off at will.

What distributor are you using and what was the factory motor? Carb, TPI, etc.? If you didn't swap to a mechanical advance distributor, then you are still running the factory one which the computer controls.

Sounds like you need some quality time tuning your combo.

1st 4th gen

If I were you I would get ride of the torqer intake. That is why you can't get any tire spin from a stop. They are good from 3000 to 6500 or 7. With a stock converter its just not going to happen. You would need more stall. Get a dual plane intake you will be much happier. Unless you plan on drag racing all the time. This might not be the whole problem but imo its a good start. I had nothing but the same trouble with mine in my elcamino. Also maybe check you carb jetting.

Tru2Chevy

How about some cam specs?

- Justin

86 redbird

Cam specs:
Cam Style: Hydraulic flat tappet
Basic Operating RPM Range: 1,800-6,200 RPM
Intake Duration 050 inch Lift: 227
Exhaust Duration 050 inch Lift: 233
Duration at 050 inch Lift: 227 int./233 exh.
Advertised Intake Duration: 268
Advertised Exhaust Duration: 276
Advertised Duration: 268 int./276 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.504
Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio: 0.489 int./0.504 exh. lift

Originally it was a computer controled q-jet but it is now an hei


People I've talked to from around home here have said that the intake could be my big problem, but I just had a hard time believing the intake was making the car a dog.

I also plan on going with a stall, i just swapped in that voodoo cam thinking it woluld help me. my previous cam was more for high rpm hp and I quickly found that isn't what I needed. Also, the tranny was just rebuilt because of the 3200 stall that I used on the street.


So would the intake make that big of a difference?

1st 4th gen

Day and night difference. Get an air gap intake. You will notice a huge improvement

86 redbird

I think an air gap will cause some hood clearnce issuse. I only have the stock hood and it is a third gen trans am.

Anyone else running an intake like this.

I have heard that the weiand stealth is a good intake

onefastgta

Stealth is ok, but I'd rather go with the performer rpm if you can't run the air-gap. It should fit with a drop-base air cleaner. Do a search on here for the performer rpm intake and see what you can find out about hood clearance.

You should also get the calibration kit for your carb, so you can tune it if you don't have it.

86 redbird

could my timing advance be off enough to cause this. The car starts and idles very well, the initial timing was set but i had no way to check the advance?

I know an intake and stall would help me considerably, but i just feel like those things will only "mask" the problem, i mean anything with a 3000 stall will spin the tires. I think my car should have enough torque with or without the proper intake to run pretty hard.

1st 4th gen

Im not trying to beat a dead horse here, but that intake is the worst thing to have on a daily driven street car. Unless you or someone you know is a super tuner. All single plane intakes are made to start working well around 3000 rpm. A stall would help this but its still a pain in the butt. They only seem to work best with 3.73 to 4.10 gears , 2500 to 3000 stall and a very well tuned carb. You would not even think you had the same car if you got a dual plane. You should also check your timeing to be sure. The only other thing that I can think of is if it is starving for fuel. Those are just things that I would check or do imo. What you choose is up to you. Hope it all works out well for you.

Crovax WS-6

yeah your intake and cam setup is wayy off from what it should be. Your cam and intake need to both make power at the same RPM band to take full advantage of them. Ive got a Performer RPM intake with a matched cam and my 355 pulls REAL hard down low. like i can break the tires loose at half throttle with 3.23s

i belive i have the Same heads you do. i THINK mine are 882's in which case they are Smog heads and are REALLY keeping that engine from doing what it should. What kinda compression are you running? Those heads have 76 cc chambers, if you get new ones with a smaller combustion chamber it will up your compression noticably. Then retune it to make sure its not gonna detonate on ya.

I think the big problem is that none of the components in your engine are working with each other, They are all trying to make power in different RPM bands. You need to get them all to make power at almost the same time and you WILL feel a difference.

fade2blk500

Swap intakes and do some tuning with it and you might be suprised.

KAT Automotive

I think the RPM and RPM air gap are the same height. For hood clearance, you may need a Edelbrock performer or Professional Products Cyclone. Your cam is a good mid cam in a 350, may be a little mild in a 383. Your headers are probably only 1 5/8", OK for mild 350 not 383! Get some larger tube mid-length or long tube headers. Get some aluminum heads that will breath on that 383! If you can't find any locally, I can get you some 190, 64cc for less than $900.00. Your 750 carb is about right for a street 383. Go spend the $7.00 for a Mr. Gasket curve kit and play with the advance curve. Also get a timing tape and put it on your damper and use your timing light to check your advance. Your sig shows that you have a 3200 rpm stall converter and this may be why it's a little soft on launch. You have to go from idle all the way to 3200 rpm for the converter to stall or semi lock up. It's kinda like slipping the clutch on a manual car. You just have to put your foot in it a little harder to take up that slack. What size tires are you running? Taller tire means less off the line but more top end. However, taller tire means better traction off the line!

86 redbird

sorry i just never changed the sig. I have since fired that tranny and the stall went with it.

I agree with the mis match. The car was built by a local shop and I was wrongly advised on what parts to use.

Originally it had a higher rpm cam a 3200 stall and it does have 3.73's so it was a little more suited together then.

but that combo wasn't very good for driving around town, so i decided to swap cams and i got rid of the stall when the tranny was rebuilt

So intake it is, what intake would be the best for my application and fit under the stock hood on a 3rd gen ta?