PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

The (butterfly) boost valve was sticking where the shaft goes through the blower housing. Just took a few shots of lube and worked it back and forth for a while, loosened up nice.

There's something to learn in all of this. I just re-read some of the early responses and it goes like this:

Feb 2 charliemax spots a discrepancy with the MAP values at higher throttle pos.
1fatcat asks "is this since storage"?
I commented charliemax is on the right track

Feb 3 charliemax asks about the BCA shaft movement
I comment we're going in the right direction

Feb 4 l67powerless tells us "I think it's good"

This one should have been nailed at that point, instead of you guys chasing your tails, wasting a whole bunch of time, not to mention parts that weren't required. I'd like to ask 1fatcat what made you decide - after all of the other BS since Feb 4 - to go back to the BCA after the Feb 4 response. Based on the low MAP, we knew it was a boost problem, it was just a case of why.

I've visited here a number of times to look at the progress and had to roll my eyes. Even if the BCA WAS operating properly, those MAP readings needed to be investigated before moving on.

If this car was in front of a professional technician, the problem would have been diagnosed in less than five minutes. I backed out because we weren't getting answers in a timely fashion. I'm even more disappointed that l67powerless provided garbage when he was pointed right at the problem.

1fatcat, well done, great insight.

Geoff

There may be some confusion here? I pm'ed L76poweredLSS and offered to look at his car for him if he wanted to drive 75 miles (one way) to my place. He came by and we hooked a fuel and manifold pressure gauge up (no boost gauge in this car) and took it for drive. Fuel was good but only 1-2 lbs of boost. Came back and looked at the boost lever and noticed it was sitting at only 3/4 closed. It did move, just not far enough. L67poweredLSS did not know the travel was too little, he just knew there was travel so figured it was good. I'm sure most people would have thought the same. It took us longer to drink a beer than it did to find the problem (and I like beer).

From the way L67poweredLSS described the clean condition of the underhood before storage, and from the corrosion on all the aluminum now, it's no wonder the shaft corroded in those short 7 months of storage.

That's quite an ego you have Geoff.

Keep your cool, guys. Diagnosis VIA internet can't always be perfect.

A good tool for future use (scroll down to the video link):

http://www.3800supercharger.net/diagnosing.html

for Mechanical Mike

What's your point?

Geoff

Geoff,

Leave the attitude at the door. Don't post anymore in this thread. Lets let this one just die off.

Did correcting the boost problem fix the timing & fuel trim issues?

I hadn't scanned it until today and found the timing to still be -2* but the car runs stronger than it ever has. Didn't check the fuel trims yet. To be honest I don't this scan tool measures the timing like it should. This spring i'm going to clean the TB and maybe even polish up the S/C inlet. Hopefully i'll be able to attend a local meet this year and hook a 3800 specific scan tool (Aeroforce, ect..) to it. Thanks for all the help and thanks again Scott for showing me how that boost lever should move.

Cleaning the TB, especially the IAC passage, would be great. I disagree with any modifications to your SC until the car is running right. Polishing the inlet is something that shouldn't be done unless you're rebuilding it, anyway. Abrasives have a way of getting into exactly what they shouldn't be in.

l67poweredlss wrote:Thanks for all the help and thanks again Scott for showing me how that boost lever should move.

No problem. Glad we got it fixed with no more cost, you had put enough into it already from the sounds of it. Should be reliable now, maybe not quite ready for mods, but a good reliable car for now.

J Wikoff wrote:Keep your cool, guys. Diagnosis VIA internet can't always be perfect.

Amen.