Last week after work i raced my friends nicely modified 99 trans am with my 95 z28. Not only did i get my *** whooped but now it sounds like i have a good sized exhaust leak and i have no low end power, i can hardly break the tires loose. My car was not fast with just cai, a few cheap mods, and exhaust. It did run a 14 sec 1/4 mile with bare tires before this happened.The thing that is strange is my engine only sounds like it has an exhaust leak when the casr is driving, at idle it doesnt sound too bad. Also it now runs really rich and backfires when i gun it and let off quickly. Only one of my O2 sensors is new, so i am hoping this may be an issue. I wonder if one of my injectors is crapping out.My plan is to put headers on in a few weeks and at that time change the plugs and wires. Any other direction you guys think i should go while i have the exhaust manifold off???

 

change 02, header gaskets, check egr, along w/ plugs and wires

 

hmmmmmmmm mine does the same thing but but taps when engine is cold and goes away when it warms up

 

that sounds like either piston slap or a sticky lifter, run seafoam thru a tank of gas and see if that'll help

 

don't be scared by the mushroom cloud seafoam puts out, it works pretty well. i was going to say myself piston slap because that's usually the case, you hear it more when its cold but as it warms up it goes away. commen with the ls1 guys my car ran like complete crap when an 02 sensor went out and that would make your car run very rich.

-Chris

 

its been doing it fa 2 years been the same never got worse it more like a tick tick tick like and manifold leak to me but i dunno hopeing headers take care of it well see

 

try changing to copper header gaskets then, i know a lot of people that get headers always have a little tick from one or the other sides...?

-Chris

 

could an exhaust leak cause such a loss in power??? The power loss is really noticable in the low end from 3rd gear on it seems to run pretty good.

 

mine started doing that and i pulled the valve cover on the passenger side and 5 of rockers were loose

 

I would check the easy stuff and make sure none of the plug wires are arching to ground and make sure they are all seated properly to the opti ends and to the plugs.

 

It wouldnt hurt to run a compression test either if it seems like its down on power. The tick tick tick sounds like an exhuast leak to me. If its before your oxygen sensors it will make you car run like poo. But like 2000GTP said, check the easy stuff first; plugs, wires all that junk.

 

check fuel pressure

I thought that there was something either wrong with my tranny or something really wrong with my engine as the car became slow as *****. Then my fuel pump died and I replaced it. It's now back to 100%.

Get/rent a fuel pressure guage, hook it up, duct tape it to the window, then check to see if at WOT the pressure drops.

My car, even when it was crapping out, seemed to run rich.

 

I kinda feel like a dumb ***, i jacked the car up today to find the back plug wire had fell off. Just to think i raced a guy from work yesterday in a old police interceptor and from 0-100 he beat me by 1/3rd of a car length. He told me he would beat me by 4-5 lenghts when my car was running good. It has an exhaust and a built transmission that i think makes him think he can whip any lt1's ***. Or maybe he just likes to talk trash.Damn he is going to be in for a surprise what my car will do to his with 8 cylinders firing instead of 7....It definally has its kick back. He will be lucky if he is 4-5 lengths behind my ***....

 

How the hell did the wire fall off? LOL

 

hell i dont know,the boot was just laying up against my firewall dangling there???