'94 Z-28 73k miles - Intake oil leak + oil fouled plug question?
03-04-2008, 08:33 PM
#31
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 12,312
It does look like they have tightened up their QC quite a bit, at least the Pacesetter complaint threads have downsized.
03-04-2008, 10:24 PM
#32
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Purgatory... Also known as New Jersey.
Posts: 316
Well... I mocked up the Mid tubes on a spare head I have.
Long story short, they're getting returned and I ordered the long tubes. Also, my Emissions stuff is all going to become... absent is probably a good word.
Plug access for tools and wires on #6 and #8 is a scary nightmare.
The pics show it better than I can explain it:
Notice how you can't see #6 at all? And #8, just barely?
Yes, that's as close as it looks. I don't see spark plug boots living long in that environment. Also, there was *no* way, even with a shorty socket, to get onto #8.
I'm also not too fond of the way the tubes neck down right before they hit the flange. Hope the long tubes are better; the pictures I saw of 'em sure look that way.
Long story short, they're getting returned and I ordered the long tubes. Also, my Emissions stuff is all going to become... absent is probably a good word.
Plug access for tools and wires on #6 and #8 is a scary nightmare.
The pics show it better than I can explain it:
Notice how you can't see #6 at all? And #8, just barely?
Yes, that's as close as it looks. I don't see spark plug boots living long in that environment. Also, there was *no* way, even with a shorty socket, to get onto #8.
I'm also not too fond of the way the tubes neck down right before they hit the flange. Hope the long tubes are better; the pictures I saw of 'em sure look that way.
03-05-2008, 06:36 AM
#34
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cibolo TX
Posts: 972
03-05-2008, 12:04 PM
#37
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: usa
Posts: 1,025
Believe it or not but that opti and wires had only 40k on them. Sorry about the plugs only being done on one side. You just bought it so fast on the same day that everything was'nt registering. I feel bad that your having the chain reaction going on with repairs. I really miss that car and wish I kept it. It ran a 13.4 at almost 102mph. I guess the rust in opti was'nt a effecting performance
03-05-2008, 12:32 PM
#38
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Purgatory... Also known as New Jersey.
Posts: 316
Ahh, no big deal. It happens. 
Car's 14 years old, things are going to break.
The water pump was leaking a bit from the weep hole. If you look at the Opti cap you can see the water tracks on it. Also, the gaskets were cracked in a few places, which was letting in water.
I just hope the oily plug is from the intake leak; I'll have the intake off today so I'll know for sure. If not, then I guess I'm swapping heads, too. I have a spare set of 40k mile 'Vette LT1 heads that are in good shape, just dirty. If I end up having to put them on, I guess I'll do a little pocket porting on 'em, swap the springs out and put a set of 1.6 rockers on them.
I really don't want to do that right now, though. This project is already pushing the budget.
Car's 14 years old, things are going to break. The water pump was leaking a bit from the weep hole. If you look at the Opti cap you can see the water tracks on it. Also, the gaskets were cracked in a few places, which was letting in water.
I just hope the oily plug is from the intake leak; I'll have the intake off today so I'll know for sure. If not, then I guess I'm swapping heads, too. I have a spare set of 40k mile 'Vette LT1 heads that are in good shape, just dirty. If I end up having to put them on, I guess I'll do a little pocket porting on 'em, swap the springs out and put a set of 1.6 rockers on them.
I really don't want to do that right now, though. This project is already pushing the budget.
Last edited by The_Bishop; 03-05-2008 at 12:34 PM.
03-05-2008, 01:05 PM
#39
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: usa
Posts: 1,025
That explains why that opti looks the way it looks. A few months back I did a water pump on my Firehawk and a timing chain gasket and the opti looked almost new.. Coolant did a number on that. Honestly since your this far I'd use the other heads with a alittle porting like you said and pull out that stock cam. My boss has a 95 that I give him crap all the time for not changing the cam when he did his head gaskets. He did the porting and 1.6 rockers but not the cam. Granted hise car is still an animal for what it is. Traps about 106 off the bottle and is a porker with a full ground fx's and ford 9in.
03-05-2008, 04:00 PM
#40
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Purgatory... Also known as New Jersey.
Posts: 316
Well, it sounds like a good idea but I really don't want to get into the motor that far just now. Trying to save up enough cash to build a good sized shop for myself, this latest project just didn't help.
03-05-2008, 05:04 PM
#41
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Purgatory... Also known as New Jersey.
Posts: 316
The intake is off now. The bolts were definitely loosened. Man, what a pain in the butt that was. The bolts were initially loose but got progressively tighter as they turned out. There's some kind of factory locktite/sealer in the threads.
The intake ports are all spotlessly clean. The intake gaskets show definite signs of oil leakage, though. The inside of the manifold has a lot of crankcase vent gunk inside it, so it looks like I'll be tearing it all the way down for cleaning.
After taking a look at the intake runners, I'm on the fence about sealing the intake up and putting everything back together. I'm seriously considering doing some port work on the spare Vette heads I have and bolting them on with some thinner head gaskets. Obviously I'd be changing valve springs and installing 1.6 rockers, too. I really don't want to do a cam right now.... But it is very damn tempting. Problem is I have the early optispark setup. So that means I'll need the appropriate timing chain set.
Decisions, decisions.
The intake ports are all spotlessly clean. The intake gaskets show definite signs of oil leakage, though. The inside of the manifold has a lot of crankcase vent gunk inside it, so it looks like I'll be tearing it all the way down for cleaning.
After taking a look at the intake runners, I'm on the fence about sealing the intake up and putting everything back together. I'm seriously considering doing some port work on the spare Vette heads I have and bolting them on with some thinner head gaskets. Obviously I'd be changing valve springs and installing 1.6 rockers, too. I really don't want to do a cam right now.... But it is very damn tempting. Problem is I have the early optispark setup. So that means I'll need the appropriate timing chain set.
Decisions, decisions.
03-05-2008, 07:16 PM
#42
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Aurora, IL
Posts: 12,312
The stock timing chain can take a fair amount of abuse, I wouldn't let that be the only deterrent in not running a cam right now. If your budget is tight though, there is no sense in rushing it either.
03-05-2008, 09:33 PM
#43
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Purgatory... Also known as New Jersey.
Posts: 316
Well, porting the spare heads isn't going to happen right now. Pulled one apart to inspect it, and found that the valve stem clearance is around .002, which seems awful loose to me. Valve head has a noticeable 'wiggle' to it. That means valve job, which means $$.
I may pull the stock heads off and check them out. See if the guides are worn. If they aren't maybe I'll do the same thing to them; mild port work and new springs.
I may pull the stock heads off and check them out. See if the guides are worn. If they aren't maybe I'll do the same thing to them; mild port work and new springs.
03-05-2008, 10:02 PM
#44
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: usa
Posts: 1,025
Well I'd say since your this far into it and you really don't want to blow the dough just pull the stock heads off and see whats going on. do alittle porting and put them back on. 1.6's are really not worth it to me. Or blow the load on the heads and get a cam to boot
03-06-2008, 06:49 AM
#45
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: Cibolo TX
Posts: 972
The intake is off now. The bolts were definitely loosened. Man, what a pain in the butt that was. The bolts were initially loose but got progressively tighter as they turned out. There's some kind of factory locktite/sealer in the threads.
The intake ports are all spotlessly clean. The intake gaskets show definite signs of oil leakage, though. The inside of the manifold has a lot of crankcase vent gunk inside it, so it looks like I'll be tearing it all the way down for cleaning.
After taking a look at the intake runners, I'm on the fence about sealing the intake up and putting everything back together. I'm seriously considering doing some port work on the spare Vette heads I have and bolting them on with some thinner head gaskets. Obviously I'd be changing valve springs and installing 1.6 rockers, too. I really don't want to do a cam right now.... But it is very damn tempting. Problem is I have the early optispark setup. So that means I'll need the appropriate timing chain set.
Decisions, decisions.
The intake ports are all spotlessly clean. The intake gaskets show definite signs of oil leakage, though. The inside of the manifold has a lot of crankcase vent gunk inside it, so it looks like I'll be tearing it all the way down for cleaning.
After taking a look at the intake runners, I'm on the fence about sealing the intake up and putting everything back together. I'm seriously considering doing some port work on the spare Vette heads I have and bolting them on with some thinner head gaskets. Obviously I'd be changing valve springs and installing 1.6 rockers, too. I really don't want to do a cam right now.... But it is very damn tempting. Problem is I have the early optispark setup. So that means I'll need the appropriate timing chain set.
Decisions, decisions.
. even if you do the opti conversion it will cost just allitle more than the 94 opti itself ...just more work. and a cam