Ok... I've been having issues here ant there with my camaro and you guys have been a great help, with my other problems, so here are two more problems I am running into....
#1
My 96 Z28 has over 138k, and I have noticed a slight miss when its at idle. Once the car has warmed up, or is at operating temp, I have noticed that there is a slight pop through the exhaust, which can clearly be seen on cold days where the exhaust is visible... its almost like both pipes blow "smoke rings" during regular idle. ( i know it sounds retarded, but im doing my best to explain it with words)... anyways.... if you are in the car at idle, like at a light or stop sign... you can feel an occasional shake through the car and a slight "tap" noise coming from the front. I know cars, but to a limited level... to me it sounds like a mis, but it does not throw an error code, so the diagnostic equipt does not pick anything up. the car got new plugs (E3's, they were new on the market with the "halo" top, and were supposed to have a better spark)and wires about 4k ago... I know nothing about the opti-spark, so i dont know if it is a possibility.... PLEASE, someone tell me either it is normal, or what their experience or guess is.... BY THE WAY UNDER ANY FORM OF THROTTLE NOTHING IS FELT AND THE CAR SCOOTS.....

#2 I have a clicking comming from the front left... I believe it is suspension related, because, i here it when i hit bumps, or if I push down on the front fender and bounce the car. I was told maybe it was a "bearing plate"... which I had both fronts replaced when I put the new shocks struts, and 2" lowering springs on the car.... sometimes the noise goes away, as if whatever is broke falls back into place where it should be.... Once again camaro/LT1 friends help a brother out.....

 

Hey Man- well first off with that many miles and not replacing the opti spark i bet you it has some rust inside from moisture and it is causing the issue. i only have 30,000miles on my car and my opti had zero corrision inside it and once a while it would act up. it came down to the opti sensor has going bad inside. some guys have 200,000 and drove the car in all weather and no problems. biggest piece of **** gm has ever put on V-8s........ if you have the money buy a new opti,you replaced the plugs and wires,you gap plugs right? all wires on tight? any burn marks? i hope those plugs are double plats ?? if you had knock i would think the computer would pick it up? is the noise a tapping sound like a rocker arm? smoke could be your rings going bad letting oil pass... if you have the money,buy a new opti and then keep a eye out for the Delteq system. its so nice having a coil pack setup,it only using the opti sensor for reading firing. you never have to plug the spark plug wires into the opti ever again. you can find coil packs from any 98-up GM model v-8 and use them. i'm running northstar caddy coils with the delteq equipment.. i can send you a picture if you want. later man


as for the clicking sound in your front end thats a hub bearing going bad mostly. if you turn and it makes noise its a hub for sure.. could be stuts clunking? do you hear a howling sound at high speeds from that side? hubs do that also sometimes..

 

-Not sure if the opti was ever replaced, I bought the car with 120K on it a year and a half ago...
-Are the opti's expensive????
-wires are good... plugs were gapped right, and less than a year old... car is driven regularly, so I can only assume the plugs are OK... unsure if the plugs are double platinum... does that really make a dif????
-The actual tappin noise is heard once the car misfires, and shutters real quickly... it does not sound internal on the motor... but then again its hard to hear over the cold air intake...and there is NO smoke comming from the exhaust... Idle --- WOT....

-I would definitly like some pics if you could forward them to me (popo8@comcast.net)


-As for the clicking noise... its not in the wheel... so I dont think its the hub bearing... actually it does not make any noise turning the wheel one way or another... its the up and down motion that makes it click... which is why we thought it was the bearing plate. Not to mention... people have told me that a 2" drop is hard on the suspension, and when I put my electric water pump in the car it dangled in the air on a lift for about a month, and it was rRIGHT after that that the clicks returned...
There are no howling noises... at least not from the front... think the rear is tired though LOL!

 

you can get a brand new opti from summitracing thats where i got mine. dealers want close to $700.00 for them...... i'm not sure how important the plugs being platium is? i just know thats what the motor calls for. was the car acting up before you replaced the plugs and wires???

yes anytime my car is in the air on all four jack stands i always remove the rims/tires. when i store my car i have it on jack stands and keep the rims/tires in my house. my car is also lowered.. maybe a strut mount issue?

i will send ya some pics..

 

Well... I ordered the plugs for my car, so Im hoping the manufacturer didnt screw me... anyways... Im glad you agree that the prolonged hanging in the air could be a reason for the problem... I also have a strut tower brace on the car, so even if there was a stut mount problem, that should still be keeping it in place... right???? Like I said before... the bearing plate had gone right after everything on the susp was removed and reinstalled lower... so I ordered an $80 replacement, and it was gone, until I got the car back after hanging in the air... and the noise is identical....

I honestly cant remember if the car acted up when I first got it... I remember it ran strong... and I dont remember any mis's... nor do I remember any mis's when we did the plugs and wires... so something is going bad....its just a matter of figuring if it is mechanical (internal) or if its electrical....
Im probably going to wait for a trouble code before I get to nuts... as long as it runs, and dont smoke, and I have oil pressure, and cool temp... I should be OK.... I THINK????

Money is tight... I have a drag bike and girlfriend that suck me dry... LOL

 

That clicking noise your hearing when it is misfiring could be the spark arching to something other than the gap across the plugs. I have heard cars at work before that the wire was burned and arching to other areas that was so loud it was almost like the click you hear when someone first starts to weld or something but quieter.

 

We thought the same thing. WHen it started happening. We pulled all the wired 1 by 1 , cleaned inspected, and re installed them all... no probs....

 

interesting ... What about the coil?

 

Dont know.... didnt touch it... but I dont know what the guy who owned the car before me had done.....

 

IM pretty sure gm recommends platinum plugs for the lt1, not double platinum. Although nothing is wrong with using double platinum. Thats what I use