Well, it sure doesn't help things any. For one thing, the engine is getting way too much air to idle properly. The fuel pressure regulator is vacuum controled. There's a great many reasons to connect your vacuum lines. I'd try that, it's free.

Also, you're not running with any coolant? Granted, you won't overheat in 2 minutes, but what about your poor water pump?

My FPR is hooked up. But everything else isn't.

It'll have to make due without coolant for the time being. :). It'll survive. If the problem keeps going any further, I will get the cooling system hooked up anyways. It'll give me something to do.


-justin

Guys, got some awesome news for ya. Engine.. running AMAZING! Holy shit does she run like a dream now. All the problems magically went away, except for the idle. Car still won't idle, but with the way she runs, I don't give a damn.

Since the car ran so well, I threw in some water, fired her up, and saw my oil pressure had fallen 10PSI. I thought, ah fuck, the water mixed with the oil. Sure enough, check the dipstick, milky mess. Raise the car up, drain the oil [it may have burned the fuck outta my hands, but at least engine damage isn't going to happen]. Pulled the Lower Radiator hose, and drained whatever water was left [just in case if more wanted to mix]. I found my problem, though. That damn POS autozone torque wrench.. only torqued my intake bolts to 60-ish ft lbs. Instead of 150! So, I went to retorque the first bolt.. what does it do? Snaps! So, now I am going to go pick up some new intake bolts, EGR Bolts, a few other gaskets. Even though I have the oil I need to change the oil, I cannot afford to just waste it like that, so if I do it, I am going to do it right.

All-In-All, it was worth it to hear her start up like she did. Boy does she run great! :-D


-justin

Mmkay, you have all these problems, but you run the engine without coolant and blatently open vacuum ports.

It'll run like crap with vacuum leaks like that. And without coolant, it'll over heat in a matter of a minute and destroy all your hard work.

Please fix these issues before you run it again. It's the only way to trouble shoot other problems.

Alright guys, heres a little update for ya.

Took car around the block Monday, she ran pretty good, IMO. Certainly doesn't sound as though she has any problems. Get her home, everything seems fine. Oil still seems a little watery, but certainly improved [don't worry about this guys.. ]. Start the car up today, and she sounds good.. walk around to the tail pipe and she sounds a little sick. So I listen, and it sounds good, then bad. Like the one set of cylinders aren't firing good [perhaps like the front?]. I thought maybe she was running rich, so I put my hand under it, and I feel liquid touching my hands, look at my hands, and what do I see? OIL! God damnit. Shut the car off immediately. Don't even wait 30 seconds and go right for the front valve cover. Break out my new torque wrench, FUCKING BOLTS ARE AT 45FT LBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm super pissed right now, because I torqued them with the autozone special torque wrench [loan atool]. I currently have a Craftsman needle-type one.. which I have fallen in love with. So I know it is accurate.

Now what should I do here? Obviously shit is getting past in the head gaskets. Do I need to pull the heads and replace the head gaskets? Or can I just re-torque them down? I really, REALLY don't want to pull my heads, because then I know I will need new head gaskets, which I cannot afford. And since my head bolts were never torqued down properly, I am assuming they are still good?

Your responses are much appreciated!

-justin

I've lost track of what engine this is, but a 3800 uses torque to yield head bolts. A base torque is used and then turn a specified angle. Retorquing may work, but if there is fluid in between, or a spot got eroded in the gasket, it may not. It is hard to say what may happen as local hot spots from no coolant may have warped the heads? IMHO you need to pull the heads and start over.

Personally, it seems as though you may have a head gasket leak.

From what I know (quite a bit about head gaskets without ever actually DOING an HG job, lol, so my words != gold), extra torque or retorquing head bolts can either save you (I don't know if it will in this case), or hasten the gasket blowing altogether.

Head wasn't machined, was it?

You NEED to plug up all vacuum openings if you run the engine, otherwise you can't diagnose it correctly.

I did, I did.. all rubber vacuum lines were replaced [I used a few old ones for the initial drive, and that was a mistake].

It was definitely the head gasket leaking. No doubt about it. How else could I get oil coming out of the tail pipe? There is no way I have that bad [and consistent] blow-by. I talked to a few engine friends, and they said torque it down, if that doesn't work I have to take the heads off and replace the head gaskets again. Along with the head bolts.

And FYI, I know about the torque-to-yield bolts, but there is no way that these bolts were ever torqued to 100ft lbs. I know how much strength I had to put on them originally, and that is NOTHING to what I had to put on yesterday. My whole [right] arm hurts like one mother fucker, and it never did that before.

I'm going to re-torque the rear head, and then see what happens. Got 4 quarts of fresh oil ready to go in, along with a hose filled with water.


-justin

With a 24" torque wrench, it is not that hard, lug nuts on alloy wheels are supposed to be 100 lb-ft.

Secret to head bolts is that threads must be absolutely clean and all sealer removed from bottom of hole. Have seen a GM block with the head bolt threads so crudded up that you had to fight the bolt all of the way out. Cannot get an accurate torque reading that way.

Is a good idea to check by running the bolt in by hand at least to several threads below where the bolt needs to stop. If the bolt sticks, the threads need cleaning (and yes I know, some GM manuals say not to clean the threads. Trust me, they must be clean and you must be able to spin in by hand). I also use a drop of anti-seize on head bolts.