Turbo 3.1 woes

Jonpro03 · August 07, 2010, 07:28:33 PM

On the way back from Chicago today, I was about 3 hours into the drive when the car started shaking. It would only shake when throttle was applied. Then I noticed the A/F gauge going nuts. It was then I figured out that I had lost spark to a cylinder. I pulled off at a rest stop and popped the hood looking for anything obvious. I didn't notice anything, I let the car cool for 10 minutes and got back on the road. It was running on all 6 again, but only for about 2 minutes. I drove another half hour until I got to Champaign and i pulled off into a gas station. I added some water to the reservoir and topped it off with gas. Got back on the road and went about 10 minutes until I lost that cylinder again. By the time I got home, the back of the engine was ticking... kinda like a lifter tick or piston slap.

This has never happened to me before and I wonder what would make the car loose spark after a long drive. The engine wasn't overheating and probably never got over 190*. I have a gut feeling that it was a heat related problem though.

NTRCOOL · August 07, 2010, 10:56:07 PM

you might of cooked a coil pack or the module it happened to my 89 a few years ago.

Jonpro03 · August 08, 2010, 12:00:40 AM

God I hope not... The whole ignition system on this car is only 9 months old! All new stuff

POPEYEZTGP · August 08, 2010, 12:03:37 AM

Quote from: Jonpro03 on August 07, 2010, 07:28:33 PM
On the way back from Chicago today, I was about 3 hours into the drive when the car started shaking. It would only shake when throttle was applied. Then I noticed the A/F gauge going nuts. It was then I figured out that I had lost spark to a cylinder. I pulled off at a rest stop and popped the hood looking for anything obvious. I didn't notice anything, I let the car cool for 10 minutes and got back on the road. It was running on all 6 again, but only for about 2 minutes. I drove another half hour until I got to Champaign and i pulled off into a gas station. I added some water to the reservoir and topped it off with gas. Got back on the road and went about 10 minutes until I lost that cylinder again. By the time I got home, the back of the engine was ticking... kinda like a lifter tick or piston slap.

This has never happened to me before and I wonder what would make the car loose spark after a long drive. The engine wasn't overheating and probably never got over 190*. I have a gut feeling that it was a heat related problem though.

not sure but i was thinking one of the back plug wires might be loose, that happened to me before there is one that's hard to slap on.. sometimes the easiest thing to check could be the right thing grr i found out the hard way,,ha

mfewtrail · August 08, 2010, 05:33:47 PM

Did you actually check for spark or did you assume you were losing spark on one cylinder?

Jonpro03 · August 08, 2010, 08:58:35 PM

Assumed. The next time I have the symptom I'll start messing around with it. When it fired this morning it ran perfectly.

GPChief · August 09, 2010, 08:05:29 AM

One thing I have done on all my TGP / TSTEs is when I replace the ICM I put heat reflective tape on the back side of the ICM to try and prolong the life of it.

Jonpro03 · August 16, 2010, 01:27:48 PM

The engine has gotten progressively worse. Now it ticks all of the time and after 5 minutes of driving it will start to backfire through the intake. This leads me to believe there is a stuck valve or bent pushrod or something like that. The TGP will be taken off the road today.

It will get the LP3100 from my 96.

NTRCOOL · August 16, 2010, 05:57:28 PM

Ouch man good luck on that job.

killinprixs · August 17, 2010, 11:18:06 AM

i had a lifter collapse that ticked pretty loud... also are you sure its not spark knock? what kinda wires u using?

Jonpro03 · August 17, 2010, 01:20:49 PM

7mm somethin or others. Whatever was cheapest at AZ

Prospeeder · August 20, 2010, 08:48:48 PM

thought id tell you if your missing on one cylinder badly for a long drive it will severly dilute the oil with gas and make the lifters very pissed off, lol. have you changed the oil? As far as the miss, injectors fail hot usually. and if it gets stuck open it will cause some very interesting issues. my 6000 had a lifter noise, and when i took it apart one lifter was in pieces, and it didnt even miss, so my doubts are to a bad lifter. I would say if ur curious pull the front valve cover and see whats up. What brand plugs are you running? curious...

Jonpro03 · August 20, 2010, 11:04:36 PM

NGK iridium tip

Prospeeder · August 21, 2010, 09:06:48 AM

hmmm those sound just fine. Replaced anything yet? Ohmed out your injectors? Pull them out of the intake, but still attatched to the rail, and turn the key to on, and pressureize the system, and see if one leaks badly or anything, or is stuck open, lol.

Jonpro03 · August 21, 2010, 10:11:50 AM

Well, I was just going to swap in the LG8 out of my 96... but I sold it. So now I'm either looking for an engine for it, or going to fix the 3.1.

I can buy a 3500 from a 2005 malibu with 103k miles for $150 at a j/y. However, that motor will take a lot of work to get it to work in the TGP.

Or

I can spend a lot less money and fix the TGPs 3.1

Now there's an obvious power advantage if I choose to get the 3500. N/A it's got 220lb/ft torque and 200 hp. If I turbo it it would be a monster. I would also have to get a new turbo because the t25 cant flow a 3500. If I rebuild the 3.1 I can have the car done in half the time and spend half the money on it.

Opinions?