Ciaccia23

My 94 LT1 Z28 is just wheezing these days.

When I got to put my foot on the gas I feel like there is little to no horsepower there and it takes a few more mili seconds than normal for it to pick up and go..

The car was never really an amazingly fast car but something is dying on it or perhaps broken.

With the windows down I hear more wheezing coming out of the engine rather than growls.

Any guesses or similiar stories?? I want my camaro to be faster, just not the fastest, I want a cruiser that has the power there in case I need it.

Haven't done anything to the engine except ram air from rk sport and a new radiator after crashing.

Mike

mrmint69

How many miles? When was the last time it had a tuneup? Are there any issues like a check engine light or noises that weren't there before?

Ciaccia23

76,000 miles. tuneup last done about a year ago, all new fluids

no check engine lights or anything all those lines. it could be spitting codes, but no lights.

mrmint69

Opti could be crapping out as well as O2 sensors. Try cleaning the MAF and change the fuel filter.

slomarao

fuel filter, plugs & wires, o2's, etc. replace all this type of stuff. May cure your issues. If not it is proabably needed anyways. May be your opti

JoeliusZ28

he's got it covered.

also you might want to make sure your cat isnt clogged.

94arcticwhiteM6

deffinetltly look a the cat. left my car in pretty sad shape for a bout 2 weeks while i tried to figure it out. i ended up pullin the check valves to see if that was the problem.

Ciaccia23

Since you guys are saying I need to change things in my car what do you suggest for new parts:

Plugs and wires?
fuel filter?

can you change your O2 sensors?

how do you clean the MAF?

Also did you guys check your CAT on your own or did you take it someplace?

I really appreciate it guys.

Mike

MTL_Z28

For the spark plugs and wires, the stock replacement AC Delco's are expensive as hell, you can get a set of NGK TR55's I believe is the part number IIRC or a set of Autolite's but I don't remember what the right # is.

Alot of companies make plug wires that work with our cars, I have used Taylor 8.0 wires but then burnt one. Now I'm running the MSD 8.5 superconductors, they work well also but were alot thicker than stock so I had to mod the stock hardware so that they fit properly. Maybe someone else can suggest a better wire to use on stock application.

Fuel filter you can use a stock replacement it's not expensive.

For the MAF you can just remove the MAF from the intake tract, dissassemble the actual black sensor from the 2 metal housings (be very careful when you handle it) And get some MAF sensor cleaner from your local parts store and clean the sensor elements with a Q-tip without applying too much pressure.

For the cat, when I suspected mine was acting up, I just had it replaced with an exhaust cutout but if you live in an area where they do strict emissions testing I don't recommend this

Btw when did you put your ram air in? Have you cleaned the air filter or replaced it since?

mrmint69

The fuel filter is about $10 and is right by the drivers side rear fender. It is very easy to do but you need to be able to remove the fuel lines which is a little hard to do if you haven't before. I would have someone with a scanner that can read the O2's check it to see if they are working correctly. They run about $60 each for Ac Delco which is all I would recommend. The MAF can be cleaned just by spraying the sensor after you remove it from the car. I paid $5 for it at my auto parts store. I had a mechanic check my cat and he didn't even charge me for it. If the cat is really plugged it might glow red so check it at night after a drive. Also check your engine compartment in total darkness and look for anything unusal.

WS6T3RROR

After you change the filter make sure you have good fuel pressure 40-45psi or so.

Ciaccia23

Any ideas on perhaps why the oil temp on my car starts out in the middle and then after running for about 20 minutes drops down into the orange where the low markers are? if I had to guess it is at maybe 20% to 25% of what the oil temp gauge can be at.

thanks

MTL_Z28

If you mean oil pressure then it's normal for the oil pressure on startup to be higher than after the car has warmed up for 20 mins like you say. The readings that you're reporting are normal.