macsz28

Does any body know of a reputable shop near Birmingham, Al.? I already tried FT Performance(will never go there again) not even to have them fix all the things they messed up on my car. I have a 1997 Z28 with some LE2 heads and a CC503 cam. Im in need of a tune and some other minor things. Thanks in advance!!!!

macsz28

Man this sucks... had this car almost 1 full year and only got to drive it two good times before I started having all thses problems and now cant even find a shop to work on this POS!!! I need a LS1... forget these LT1 cars. anybody wanna buy a 1997 Z28? LE2 heads, CC503 cam, longtube headers, CA1, and a whole lot more... just minor trouble with the car. If I was any sort of mechanic or didnt work 80-90 hours a week I might try to mess with this thing myself!!!

vangill

just bc its a lt1 doesnt mean its gonna have problems bc it isnt an ls1. i got buddies who have problems all day with their ls1s and wont drive them more than 2 times a month for fear of them getting stranded. but not ALL ls1s are like that.

sry it just makes me upset when people say the lt1 isnt reliable. it is reliable, u just have to put it together right or DONT mess with it.

first off what issues are you having? and if the shop messed something up MAKE them fix it. the shop that built my motor had to pull it out 3 different times for little seals they missed and then they had to do lifters. thats the last time i will ever allow a shop to do anything (from now on, if i dont have time, it doesnt get messed with), but i did make them fix it.

Jlo

I must have missed it but what's the issue with the car??

Feenix

It makes me wonder how people run into the issues they do with LT1's. When I first got it, I ran into some issues that I way over thought because of things I had seen on this board. I was thinking it was just another LT1 being a pos. Yet, come to find out, it just needed a tune up, and a new fuel filter.

Before I knew it I was realizing the trooper I had on my hands. That was all 6 years ago, been reliable ever since with the little bug here and there but all pcm related. Like injector constants in a custom tune not matching my low side of normal idle fuel pressure causing 140ish blms. And a random EGR failure code that didn't affect the cars performance.

The motor itself is strong and isn't at all a pos.

vangill

i would bet it just needs a goodtune

my1994z28

What is the problem or problems you are having with it?

macsz28

well i'll start from the begining...when i bought the car last november on the way home the coil wire fell off, which left me stranded on the side of the expresss way for about an hour. (i am not a mechanic but im not an idiot either)get the coil wire on and finish driving home to birmingham al. from savannah ga. drive the car a couple times. 1st time i get a flat tire, 2nd time timing chain breaks causing some bent valves. $750 later new timing chain but still got bent valves, car sits in the shop for almost 3 months before the guy decides to take the heads off... only because i threatened to take the car somewhere else. send the heads to Lloyd Elliots, get the heads back the car sits for another 3 months, Once again i threaten to take the car somewhere else, he gets the heads on but forgets the crossover, all the coolant leaks out, I ask about the injectors because of the bigger heads, he says i dont need them then after i talk to the guy he recommended to tune the car he says it will need them, another month goes buy, puts on the injectors, then the car has a random miss on #8 and #2 cylinder... he cant figure out why. he says i need a new opti, but i just had a new one put on when i bought the car. another month goes by and another 20-30 calls to the shop and he tells me the car is ready. i ask about the random mis, he says it just stopped.... hmmmm right. But after almost 11 months of him having the car i was just excited about getting the car back. so i hop in it fires right up, I drive home and park the car. 2 days later I pop the hood to just look around, well theres what appears to be a vaccumm line not attached to anything and another hose just hanging there. I have called the shop about a dozen times but no answer. i dont wanna go back there and wait another 6 months or so to get my car back messed up still.... i already had an LS1 and i know a little more about those then i do the LT1 thats why id rather have the LS1 no other reason. I'm sure the car will be a great car if i can ever find a shop to work all the bugs out. the motor has been rebuilt less than 3000 miles ago. it has lots of upgrades. double roller timing chain. SFC, LCA, beehive springs, and a lot more, like i said i just need to find a reputable shop to work on this car!!! sorry for such a long post...

kwik_ta

How old is the gas in the tank? A tune isn't going to create or stop a mis-fire. It is possible the optic malfunctioned but i kind of doubt that if its that new. Is there a firestone close by?

macsz28

The shop claims they drained the old gas and added new... but im sure they just added new and not drained the old... but I already added some sta-bil gas additive. Still no body have any advice about a shop??? I guess I will just keep searching on the web. and yes there is a firestone shop very close by.

Injuneer

Did you try posing on the "regional" forum?

maybe2fast

This doesn't sound like big problems, connect vacuum lines and enjoy!

macsz28

I did not try posting in the rgional section... I will try that thanks!
and as far as connecting the lines sounds easy enough, but I looked all over and have no idea where they connect to... because if it was that simple i would of done that already....I Aslo found another hose last night, but this has a wire connector attached to it, so now theres 3 i beleive 2 vaccumm lines and now some random hose with a wire attched to some electrical connector. thats on the passenger side of the engine compartment next to the valve cover.

Injuneer

Have you checked the vacuum/emissions routing diagram on the radiator cover? Have you checked Shoebox's site, with numerous photos and diagrams? If you have a pic of the hoses or the connector, we can probably tell you where they connect. The problem would seem to be you are using a "shop" for some work you can probably do yourself with correct guidance.

ACE1252

Agreed.

Get us some digital pictures of the engine and the hoses. We should be able to help you figure out where the hoses go.

I see you've listed some mods, but if possible, list all that you have done to the car(do you have exhaust, headers, cold air intake, etc).

This is one reason I do all my work myself. I do understand about being covered in work as well too.

Don't let the LT1 bashers scare you. With the right selection of parts, the LT1 will run with(and be just as reliable) as an LS1.