mayybe all the hard acceleration has caused the car to fall back it place.

i give it 2000 more miles

Don't worry, videos and pictures are a must... guaranteed something previous to a drivetrain failure...

Oil change? 6k on mobil 1, conventional tho. Blacker than night too... should i give the engine the extra edge? Or should I give the engine that extra push? I've had oil psi problems in the past which were sludge related, I do believe I have removed the majority, and whatever is left is just left to be broken off and block up some bad spot in a corner and starve have the motor of oil bc of that.

Darkshadow: you have any inclination to believe the timing chain was replaced at some time?

I'm tempted to pull the oil pan, and check the tension. Might not be bad to clean out the oil galleys again too.. just in case... or should I not?

So, everyone give your .02 in on oil change or no change.

change it, unless you really want the engine to blow

You burn too much oil to need a change, let it go if thats the goal?

Technically the goal is death, but not pure death... I want to see how much beating the 200k 3800 can take. The motor and tranny to me both require a rebuild, so I may as well end their service life, because as of right now they both work not properly, but all 4 gears work and that motor fires on two turns no matter the temp.. and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. So, yes, goal is death. However oil is very blackened and has a distinct fuel smell, however does not light. I rub it between my fingers and it'* still oil, but if this were a good engine, it wouldn't look like this nor would I have let it get that far. Oil pressure is good, but about 3-5psi lower than average, especially after 3 hours of beating around town and back roads... but cold every morning she hits the 55-60psi mark.. slowly, but surely LOL...

If I think the motor is about to blow, an oil change would be a good idea... but if I don't think the motor is showing signs of weakness the extended oil service may help put the extra wear on something.

as far as i know it hasnt been torn into. it was owned by a napa store managers mom tho so who knows, it sat for a while before i bought it tho... that engine always turned oil black but never had any issues with it. other than a failed wp, maf, and alt.

Let'* see if I can remember what I've replaced.. Two WPs, Alt, intake gaskets, random cooling system orings, fuel injector o rings, CAI, IAC, O2, Charcoal canister solenoid, and fluids.

The motor has always turned oil black, right around that 2-2.5k mark. It took less time, and is darker than i've ever seen it. I'm curious to see what 20k of my beating did to the compression... 150psi +/- 5psi all around. Might be one day when I'm bored, see if she'* even injured by my experimentationism.

OMG.... that LN3 acts like it has VTAKKKK around 3500rpms.

But on topic..... I think your LN3 still has a LONG way to go before crapping out. My friend had a '88 LeSabre 2 door with 3xx,xxx on it, and it had the original engine and trans. Rustier than hell, but ran.

Probably nothing. I've tried and failed to kill mine. I've put four 15lb bottles of Nitrous Oxide through it with no ill effects. Only thing that has happened is the shifter on the column has gotten a little looser and a wierd thrum in the front wheels that I have yet to track down. (probably just replace the bearings at the next brake pad/rotor change.)

Yeah, I coughed up an alternator, follwed by an A/C compressor and an ECM pretty early on. Typical GM that I've come to expect. But usually the motors you intentionally try to abuse to death are the ones that simply refuse to die.

As to your transmission issue... I'm thinking governor outta whack/low pump pressure Have you ever hooked up a pressure gauge to the various line ports to see what the fluid pressures are doing when it refuses an upshift?

Yep, hooked her up, pump is weak. Pump is weak combined with [more than likely] enough clutch material clogging up the valve body to enhance the problem. Problem doesn't get worse, it'* just a PITA because I gotta drive it a certain way to get it to shift, every single time. And after a day of beating, and city driving, damn is that annoying. That'* why I want to replace the motor/tranny. Plus by the time I get everything apart, it won't be that much more work [more $$] to swap in a S2.

Let the beating commence...