Engine Losing Power

I know from experience the battery can poop quickly and fry the alternator too!

Was going check battery today at work but brake line busted this morning... wont be tested until i can fix brake lines doing them all with the copper type line

Pipes wrote:

Was going check battery today at work but brake line busted this morning... wont be tested until i can fix brake lines doing them all with the copper type line

I hope you mean "CuNiFer" line. Pure copper lines will work harden and split in service relatively quickly. CuNiFer will not, was used OE by Volvo and others wanting high durability lines. It's better than stainless for installation (stainless is a PITB to flare). http://www.fedhillusa.com/

Albertj

Its cooper nickle madr by compamy nicorp or something like that they sell it at my job im going pick up 25' and a brake lines at once so problems... Cause when you fix one another going to pop soon after

Pipes wrote:

Its cooper nickle madr by compamy nicorp or something like that they sell it at my job im going pick up 25' and a brake lines at once so problems... Cause when you fix one another going to pop soon after

Sounds good, the copper-nickel alloy seems to work for brake lines & does not work-harden like ordinary copper. The local Buick dealer installs terne-coated steel (no surprise there) and a number of local independents install "stainless" which I suspect is actually the NiCopp line (web link HERE). Stainless can be used but is tricky to flare.

Hope the brake line job goes well, and did you check that battery?

Albertj

Turns out, it was a bad COIL PACK !!!! POWER is back !!!!

Noob alert:

OK, how do I word this...

Do pistons and cylinders lose their seals over time? Like, does a newer engine have a tighter cylinder seal creating more power than an older engine with a 'looser' seal?

Do the pistons have an o ring around them or something? If what I am asking is even real, is there anyway to increase the seal of the pistons in the cylinders without a new or engine rebuild? I just imagine an engine with loose sealing pistons lacks power and efficiency and I am wondering if this is even a real concern.

Does any of this make any sense?

The pistons have piston rings which are a seal like you are imagining. If they go bad, the air/fuel mixture can leak into the sump and the oil in the sump can leak into the cylinder and will be burned. When a car "eats" oil, I think this is usually the cause! Thermodynamics class, ftw! Haha

Ps: learned some from my dad also!

A simple compression check will tell you the condition of an engine's ring seal. Piston rings, cylinder wear, and valve sealing can affect compression. If you change your oil on a regular basis, these engine last a good long time. Engine vacuum is also an excellent indicator of how well an engine is sealed up. Look for 20" fully warmed up in Park.

A compression test will give you the answer you are looking for. The piston compression rings seal the piston to the cylinder walls with a thin coating of motor oil between them. A poorly maintained engine that has not had regular oil changes will affect the condition of the rings and cylinder walls ability to do this resulting in low compression. Oil additives like Lucas claim to improve the amount of oil that stays on the cylinder walls to improve this.

Low compression can also be a result of valve train or head gasket issues. A cylinder leak test will verify the source of low compression.

LARRY70GS wrote:

A simple compression check will tell you the condition of an engine's ring seal. Piston rings, cylinder wear, and valve sealing can affect compression. If you change your oil on a regular basis, these engine last a good long time. Engine vacuum is also an excellent indicator of how well an engine is sealed up. Look for 20" fully warmed up in Park.

I'm getting 20" but I just feel an overall lack of power compared to my old 67k L67. It could be psychological but I have this memory that the 67k engine pulled much harder than my 145k engine.

If I am getting 20h/g can I rule this out or should I move forward with a compression test?

A compression check wouldn't hurt. If you don't have one you should be able to rent one from an auto parts store. At least this way you are eliminating the possibilities.

So hypothetically, if my compression is low but everything is fine, is it safe to say my piston rings need replaced?

You feel you have a lack of power, and you go right to worn piston rings? Do you know how many simpler things it could be? First thing I would check is the boost level. Do you have a gauge? Try adjusting the boost bypass valve. That can affect your perception of power.

Im making ~8PSI with a 3.6" pulley. I just 'feel' it. I can't explain it!!!
I will for sure test compression as soon as I can. I'm really curious now.

You have a 3.6 pulley on an otherwise stock motor? What kind of tuning work has been done?

deekster_caddy wrote:

You have a 3.6 pulley on an otherwise stock motor? What kind of tuning work has been done?

No tune.

charlieRobinson wrote:

deekster_caddy wrote:

You have a 3.6 pulley on an otherwise stock motor? What kind of tuning work has been done?

No tune.

Probably have a lot of KR. That will reduce power for sure.

LARRY70GS wrote:

charlieRobinson wrote:

deekster_caddy wrote:

You have a 3.6 pulley on an otherwise stock motor? What kind of tuning work has been done?

No tune.

Probably have a lot of KR. That will reduce power for sure.

Depends on the day but KR is not impeding enough for concern. I get 2-3 degrees at WOT for a second or two then it goes back to 0.

The only way I can describe the feeling is a lack of compression. The pedal feels somewhat flat and not as juicy as it should feel. That's the best I've got to explain it.

I will check compression but has anyone heard of this?
http://www.restoreusa.com/Engine_Restorer.html

i find it difficult to believe you're looking at MechanicInACan. do you have a compression shortfall that you have measured??

Nah, yet to be confirmed. Just found that whilst reading about compression testing and thought it was funny.

But yeah, point here is, I think felt more power on a stock 67k mile L67 then I do with a 150k mile L67 with a 3.6" pulley. I kinda hope compression is the issue and I kinda hope it's not. We'll see.

I would think your problem is something other than compression. Have you had any problems with the car that would compromise the catalytic converter? Such as misfires, running too rich or lean for a period of time? Just know that a cat not up to par will drag down performance big time. Also, will a series 2 handle a 3.6 pulley with just a gutted airbox and the stock downpipe?

Never had a misfire and my LTFT is fine. Cat is getting murdered soon, so we'll see if that's it.
My setup can for sure handle a 3.6", no problem.

Charlie,
Trust me on this. Lack of compression is very unlikely. You are skipping from step one all the way to step 10 in diagnosing this. It is something else. Go back to the basics. If there are no misfire lights, then all cylinders are firing. If you had a lack of compression, it wouldn't be in all 6 cylinders, it might be on one, and that one would misfire and set a code. Check your air filter. Then check the exhaust. If it is pulling 20" of vacuum at idle, raise the RPM to 1500-2000 RPM, and look at the vacuum. If it starts to fall off, the exhaust is clogged, bad catalytic converter, or collapsed muffler. Check your fuel pressure. Is it up to spec? When was the last time you changed the fuel filter? Use a scan tool to see where the ignition timing is.