Headers from hell...
 

Good morning guys, I bought a set of ebay headers and ory pipe, I thought I take this project on my own. And it has been one problem after another... First off the headers hit the oil filter, so they wouldn't go in... I read that i could do a oil cooler delete and create more space... I did and the headers went in perfectly. After I installed the headers, I try to start the car but my water pump went out fluid was everywhere (including the optispark).. I went' to autozone replaced the water pump put it back on, zipped everything up again and went to start the car... and no start....no spark... took everything off again ..including the opti, and of course it was soaking in anti-freeze... cleaned it as best as i could, tested it and I got spark..

put everything back together went to start the car and it started for about 20 seconds then it died...

looked under the car, and that synthetic oil (30 bucks or so) its splattered all over my garage under the car... boomer!!!


I looked under the card and it appears to be coming from where the oil cooler used to be...


so I'm wondering if I performed the oil cooler delete correctly???


I took the oil cooler out, replaced the studs/bolts and placed the new filter on....

my question is ... should there be a seal or gasket between the oil filter and the block where the oil cooler used to be... or does the oil filter go in on to the block with just the seal that comes with the filter????


any help would be nice....

Thanks,

Re: Headers from hell...
 

If you are talking about this aluminum piece...there is no gasket. The seal on the filter is the only one needed.


Attachment 3273

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Re-read your post...if you had an oil filter and removed the piece in the picture above and installed a remote filter setup there is an "o" ring between the block and remote adapter.

Re: Headers from hell...
 

I'm pretty sure he removed the oil cooler, then installed the filter on the adapter that was left after removing the cooler. I can't comment on the details of a 95, because the 93/94 cooler is different than the 95 cooler.

Courtesy of Shoebox, this is the 95:

http://shbox.com/1/oil_cooler.jpg

You do have to replace the two studs with conventional bolts.

The 94 has horizontal connections, rather than vertical.

Re: Headers from hell...
 

That's exactly what I did injuneer... I removed the oil cooler and placed the new filter directly on to the adapter that was left attached on to the block.

when I put it on, it appear to go in nice and snug... I didn't get any oil leaks until I started the car... and even then it was more of splatter,, 5 quarts of oil in a giant circle right under oil filter...

this happened last night, I was too frustrated so I just clean the mess and left the car alone.. I look at it again and see if I can find anything again...

is this a common issued after doing the oil cooler delete?? I'm just wondering if there is anything else I should be looking at???


Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciated!!!

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Did you replace the long studs with bolts?

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Yes I did replaced the bolts with regular conventional bolts from autozone. My concern is that maybe I did not tight them up properly and maybe that caused the major leak... I'll check it today after work, and I'll try to post any relevant pictures that can help us pin point the problem...


Thanks again,

Re: Headers from hell...
 

oil filter adp.jpegoil 2.jpegoil 3.jpegoil 4.jpeg

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Re: Headers from hell...
 

anybody know how I can upload an image from my desktop?

Re: Headers from hell...
 

oil filter adp_zps379oz7q0.jpeg Photo by finch6002002 | Photobucket

http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/fi...tml?sort=3&o=1
http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/fi...tml?sort=3&o=0

Ok hopefully you guys can see the above images,

I removed the filter, and made sure the bolts were on nice and tight. which there were. Now from one of the images you can see that the oil filter I got which is a mobil filter doesn't cover the whole width of the block. I cleaned the surface of the oil filter placed it back on tight and without even starting the car, I started noticing a small little drip from where the block and the filter meet... you guys think maybe a wider filter might take care of this problem????

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Hey just to update you guys, I was able to defeat the oil leak from the oil cooler... Now the problem I'm having is that the car will not stay on... I can start it, but it will only stay running if I'm pressing the gas. The car automatically shuts off when I release the throttle. I also notice that the battery will not hold a charge, I am having to jump it every time to get a start.

I link a quick video of the car running, maybe you guys can point me in the right direction..

Thanks again,



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0bd...ature=youtu.be

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Any ideas?

Re: Headers from hell...
 

What is the battery voltage, on the dash gauge, right after the engine starts, and you lift off the accel pedal? Looks like it's deep in the red.

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Right after it starts the voltage is about 12 or so... But I have to press on the accel pedal immediately or the car shuts off...! And I'm having to jump start the car every time...

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Replace the battery. Even if that's not the cause, it will hamper your attempt to find the cause. Then have the alternator tested.

Re: Headers from hell...
 

So I'm still dealing with this problem... Had the alternator tested... It was good! Got a new battery...
I'm still having the car stall on me right after I start it.... If I step on the gas The car will remain on, but the sec I let go the gas pedal the car stalls... I checked for vac leaks could not find any...
I check the fuel pressure, it read at 35 psi and dropped to 30 after 10 min... Got a new fuel filter, pressure is still at 35 psi...

Anything else I could be checking????

Re: Headers from hell...
 

What is the fuel pressure at idle, with the vacuum compensation line disconnected from the fuel pressure regulator - plug end of vacuum line to prevent a vacuum leak? Should be in the range of 41-47 psi. Reconnect vacuum line, pressure should drop about 8 psi with a stock cam.

35 psi prime (engine off) is on the low side.

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Since the car dies right after I start it, I can't get and idle reading of the fuel pressure.. Any other test I can do???

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Don't have a friend to hold the pedal for you?

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Did the car run fine before you started the header install? No trouble running at all?

If so, you need to focus on what happened during the header install. Most notability, the optispark being soaked by the water pump. This can cause a number of issues including even getting it re-installed incorrectly(if you are not careful....) causing a timing issue....even on a '95-97 model.

Have you checked all the voltages and signals of the opti using the video in the opti troubleshooting sticky at the top of the LT1 engine forum to help you?

As Injuneer mentioned, the 35psi pressure with ignition key "on" is a little concerning. You are checking the pressure with the ignition key in the "on" position....correct?

This is kinda out there....but make sure you didn't disconnect the vacuum brake booster hose and forget to reconnect it during the header install. It will not run worth a dang with that kind of vacuum leak(ask me how I know....;)).

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Yeah, I didn't know if revving the engine would change the numbers... I'll give it a shot and tell you the results...

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Yes Ace the car ran perfectly before the header install, I figured the header install was pretty straight forward, so I didn't think I would screw it up this bad....

A few concerns that I have with the car is first of all a vacuum leak!!!! I know when I was tucking and pulling on the headers, I snap a few vac hoses which I replaced... but I'm wondering if there is another leak I'm not seeing.. also I did the EGR delete, so I removed the air pump, metal pipe and I got the delete plates from ebay.... although one of the plates (egr valve) was too big, so I had to cut it to what I felt was the right size...

my second major concern is of course the opti, it was pretty wet when the water pump leak all over it.... the third was the connector pig tail that connects to the opti had wires exposed which I had to tape with electrical tape... however after I cleaned the opti and tape the wires, I tested it with one spark plug wire connected to it and I turned the opti with a drill and I got a nice little spark....(don't know if that necessarily means the opti is good, ) but I assumed the opti was good since it had spark....

as far as the fuel pressure, yeah I tested it with a fuel pressure tester from autozone, and with the key on (connected to the shrader valve) reads 35 psi and it drops to 30 after about 10 minutes... today I was able to test with the car on and it was pretty steady at around 30 psi... 31,32 since i had to rev it to keep the engine on.... I understand this is below average. I checked the fuel filter with I replaced no more than 2 months ago, and it is not clogged at all....


this is where I stand right now...:mad:

Re: Headers from hell...
 

The critical EGR plate is the one that covers the hole where the EGR valve used to be. A leak there will be a vacuum leak. Did you put sensor safe RTV on the plate to seal it to the manifold?

If your headers had an EGR connection, that plate should be sealed tight as well - hard to do with only one bolt. Again, sensor safe high temp RTV needs to be used, or a pliant high temp gasket.

Fuel pressure is low. Was that with the vacuum compensation line disconnected from the fuel pressure regulator?

Re: Headers from hell...
 

There is a replacement short Opti harness available from EFIConnection. Do not rely on tape. A faulty harness can cause intermittent signals from the cam position sensor in the Opti.

EFI Connection, LLC - Item Details

Re: Headers from hell...
 

I did use high temp RTV sealer.. the red one from autozone, don't know if it's sensor safe... my headers don't have the egr connections, they're long tubes off road no egr/air conn.

the fuel pressure test was with the car running and no I didn't disconnect the vac hose from the fpr... I will test that tonight..

Thanks for the link to the short opti connector, i just purchased one...

Re: Headers from hell...
 

I did the FPR test again, and removed the vacuum off the regulator while the car was running, No gas came out of the regulator and no evidence of a fuel leak on the regulator.... the fuel pressure read at 40 psi with the vacuum line disconnected....

any more test I could do???

Re: Headers from hell...
 

Quick update, I decided to focus my attention on the opti since I did get a bunch of anti-freeze on it. well since I can't really afford a new unit right now, and I don't want to buy a cheappy one, I went' ahead and took it out, cleaned it, opened it up, cleaned the inside (which was filthy) I scraped a lot of the dirt and debris out of there as best as I could, there was oil in there from possibly the opti seal or WP seal, which I replaced, dried it up and put a new harness on the opti. put all back together and it started right up, it stays on :cool: but I haven't had a chance to tested, since it was kind of late when I finished. I'm def taking it for a test drive today after work, hopefully I won't have any more issues for now. I will replaced the opti for a new delphi unit as soon as I have the cash...

Here are some photos I took of the opti... finch6002002's Library | Photobucket