Still running like Trash

[12Gauge]

Well, i replaced the rocker, pushrod, lifter after i muffed up on the pushrods when i did my head gaskets. Compression check gave me 185lbs +/- 1-2 lbs in each cylinder, Got the car back together again and it still sounds like its got a bad miss. it sounds just as if the car has got a dead plug or wire, when its driving its got that "im almost out of gas" stumble and shake. Im just about at my whits end with this.

[bszopi]

Have you checked the coils?

[12Gauge]

i was thinkin it might be the coils but i dunno how to check them, i am getting spark from all the wires, i just dont know if its enough.

[bszopi]

Do a search for checking coils and I know something will come up. You can measure the resistance of them, but I can't remember the values off the top of my head.

[12Gauge]

will coil pacs from just about any year work on this, its a 97 3100, there is a scrap yard like 200 feet from my driveway, he's got a couple from like 94 and down 3.1s

[12Gauge]

Ok ive been doing alot of reading, possible i got a list of problems, injectors and map, O2 but most likely ignition. Got alot to check over. Where is the map sensor located on my car? 97 3100

[bszopi]

Yes, any coil pack will work. MAP is located on the back side of the plenum, just in front of the coil packs.

[IsaacHayes]

Could it be a spun cam lobe? Since the cam is hollow this could be a possibility no?

[12Gauge]

dude u dont know how much i dont want that to be it, i thought about that just after i put the new lifter in, i rotated the engine around paying close attention to that lobe, its not mared or anything(but it probably woulnt be cause of the roller lifter anyway but) that is so not what i wanna hear. was really wishing that didnt come up, lol.

BUT on a side note i'd like to be nominated for "Dumbass of the year" award, i pulled the upper intake off and found out that i wired the 1&2 injectors wrong, car is running alot better but still has a miss to it, its still idleing rough but smoother than before, and at crusing it seems to be ok until it falls below 2000 rpm on the highway, or during acceleration, then it starts to sputter and miss like its bad coils. Dunno, gonna try to get it on a scanner tonight or tomorrow, gotta get some cash first, lol.

[IsaacHayes]

Good luck! Is there a vacuum leak? Since you've had off the manifolds several times, might want to check around with some carb cleaner and see if it raises the idle. Have fire extinisuher ready.

[12Gauge]

yea there is def a vac leak, car idle is way too high, gradualy picks up when it starts, and levels off around 2000-3000 rpm. i was using propane the otherday to see if i could find it but to no avail. rpm didnt change but then again couldnt keep the car at a low enough idle to confirm it either.

[IsaacHayes]

Well there is your problem. Fix the vacuum leak first before thinking something else is still wrong. Having that severe of a leak will defiantly cause the engine to miss and stumble and run like crap. My motor ran rough when the idle wasn't even high but it had a vacuum leak due to bad LIM gasket the first time. Find that vacuum leak, fix it, and report back how the motor runs.

EDIT: Did you take out the injectors? Perhaps they are leaking air around them if you didn't replace the o-rings. I always leave them in the LIM when I do the gaskets so I don't have to mess with em.

[12Gauge]

ya i left them in, i didnt wanna pull em incase i screwed them up, lol. +1 for me i guess lol. I know i should fix the vac leak first, i just dunno where to turn to now, sooooooo frustrated u wouldnt believe it. liminted in time, cash and tools for the job. Ive been driving a 89 toyota corrola wagon (loaner from my parents) for the last 2 weeks, ohh i cant wait till i can drive the monte again.

[tractorman]

Spun cam lobe? I've never heard of such a thing, and I don't THINK it's possible... unless of course these cams are made completely differently from every other cam I've ever seen... and I've see A LOT of cams. Every single cam I've ever seen was cast or forged in one piece.

Did you replace the EGR gasket? I know it doesn't come in the kit and lots of folks put the crappy old gasket back on... it can cause a vacuum leak. What about that plastic line to the pcv valve, where it goes into the upper plenum? There's a seal on there that can fall off and/or get loose and cause a leak.

[IsaacHayes]

tractorman: They are hollow cams, with pressed on lobes from what I was told. Perhaps though they aren't pressed on lobes, maybe the center is drilled after the cam is machined. _shrug_