All Part Groups Won't Start When stopped Not applicable
Q: Starter does not engage flywheel. Does the started on this truck have any Saturn parts in the starter? Want to know if starter has all genuine Chev. parts.
A: Sounds to me like you have a faultu solenoid in your starter. This makes the starter pin "pop out" to engage the flywheel...As for the saturn parts, good question, probably no saturn parts since truck starters are bigger.
Electrical / Lighting Systems Malfunction Happens always When warm
Q: turn signal not working
A: If it stays on steady on one side,you either have a blown/wrong bulb,or bad socket.If neither side works at all,suspect the flasher/fuse first.Otherwise the multi-function switch (turn sig lever) in the column might be the culprit.
Drive Train / Driveline Vibration When driving Always
Q: The transmission whines and has vibration throughout the acceleration range. Especially at 55 and above.
A: Must be a manual transmission?....
Sounds like the transmission main shaft bearings...... that is of course if it is not the rear differential unit..... Ed
Electrical / Lighting Systems Other When driving Not applicable
Q: My headlights go off while driving. They just switch to the running lights just for a few seconds and come back on.
It does not do it every night just at times. It seems to do more often when bright lights are on. I can not get a pattern on it.
It is no certain time or day when it goes off.
A: The headlight relay is overheating. Usually because of poor grounds or high powered lights that have been installed and the current draw is causing too much load. If this is the case, add a headlight relay into the system. Ed
Q: The truck started idling roughly last night, and when I tried to start it today, it wouldn't start.
I kept turning it over about 10 times and then it stopped turning over, so I let off.
When I tried it again, flames shot out of the carburetor and burnt up some stuff... but it's not that bad.
It flashfired on me about 2 weeks ago and when I checked the oil, it had gas in it, and I was wondering if the pcv valve runs to the valve covers if the carb
flooded out sending gas into the oil.
Do you think maybe the timing had something to do with it binding up?
Last night, the truck was running so bad that when I was leaving a stop, I had to almost floor it to get it to go without dying.
If you need more details, just ask...
I appreciate your time.
A: Gas in the oil is not a good thing.... metal wears rapidly with out lubrication and also the compression rings will not seal the cylinders without good oil to help....
Start by changing the oil... take the spark plugs out and put an ounce or two of oil in each cylinder...
Crank the engine over a few times and reinstall the plugs....
It sounds like the injector may be staying open after you shut the engine off and it drains fuel into the engine....Ed
Drive Train / Driveline Malfunction When driving Not applicable
Q: There is a wierd sound from the clutch area that sounds like the throwout bearing is going out but it was just replaced... it happens only when the clutch is out and driving....
A: Check on the passenger side of the bell housing for a grease nipple as this is a problem with these trucks..... Ed
Electrical / Lighting Systems Malfunction When driving When warm
Q: The car (motor) runs enevenly, it stalls sometimes. And the service light stays on.
A: Check the system for codes.... actually the light staying on makes it easier as it will be a system failure to locate... better than the old intermittant.... Ed
All Part Groups Malfunction When driving When warm
Q: I need to find a diagram for the correct way to put on a (serpentine?) belt. There are none on the vehicle. It is a 1991 Chevy S-10 Tahoe. Thank you.
A: The pulleys with the grooves match the groovy surface of the belt, and the pulley's flat smooth and shiny match the back or smooth side of the belt.
You may also be able to get a diagram from the auto parts place...... Ed
Q: When I am in overdrive and give it gas my truck has a hesitation. I was told it was the stall converter. Any answers?
A: It is the stall convertor, but being that your particular transmision is electronic, it will have a slight hesitation anyway.
Just take it out of overdrive if you need to pour on the gas. You should only be using overdrive on the highway anyway.
Q: Engine cranks but will not start. A squirt of fuel into the intake allows the engine to start and run for a few seconds. MAP, EGR, and EVAP systems appear to check out OK. Bad ECM? Should ECM, CAL-PAK, and PROM be replaced as a unit?
A: First step is to determine if the fuel pump is working.
Do you have fuel pressure with key on? Or with engine cranking?
If you have no fuel pressure, check for voltage to fuel pump. You should have battery voltage with engine cranking. If voltage is present pump is likely dead.
Chassis / Suspension & Steering Malfunction When driving When warm
Q: Ho do I install an upper and lower ball joint?
A: WARNING: that spring in there is going to make your face look really bad for openers....... and
it might even take your face right off.....
If you insist, get the book and read the instructions very, very carefully.... twice.....
And maybe only after you KNOW you can do this safely...... go for it......
My advice is to take it to a professional.... Ed
Q: When braking, the pedal goes all the way to the floor, but can be "pumped up" to correctly operate the brakes, but it goes back down right away.
When I press on the brakes, in the engine compartment, a small amount of brake fluid sprays out of a small hole in the combination valve.
How do I know if the entire assembly must be replaced, or just the combination valve?
Thanks!
A: For sure the combination valve has to be replaced in any case....
Change the valve and then try the brakes after bleeding them at all wheels....
That should fix the problems for you.... Ed
Electrical / Lighting Systems Malfunction When turning Always
Q: The turn signals do not work, and when turning left, or braking, the lights on the dash flash intermittently. (various flickers just like the bridge of the Next-Gen Enterprise when it's hit by phasers)
No fuses are blown, and replacing the turn signal module does not correct the problem.
The brake lights, and headlighs, and parking lights all work.
Any suggestions? Thanks!
A: The problem is in the left rear brake light socket.... either a poor ground or a wrong bulb, etc..... Ed
Electrical / Lighting Systems Dimming Happens sometimes Always
Q: The switch that controls the courtesy light/dash-light dimmer (a wheel switch with the far right position turning on the courtesy light and dome light) turns off the radio when put into the far right position.
I have removed the cigarette lighter as it was causing the dome light and courtesy light to dimly burn (not normal brightness).
Now the wheel switch only turns on the courtesy light and dims the dash-lights correctly but the dome light does not come on and the radio still goes off. What's going on here?
A: That panel light control switch has four wires coming from it. The dark green wire runs to the fuse box (5 Amp "Panel LPS"), the black wire is ground and it terminates just above the left kick panel, to the chassis. The brown wire goes multiple places but in your case the place that wire goes to is the radio. So, as you turn the wheel (resistor / Pot) toward "Courtesy On" the internal resistor allows more and more voltage from the fuse panel to be applied to all "dimmer" locations (dash, radio, A/C controller, etc.). When it "clicks" into that last detent the black ground wire is shunted to the powered lead on the courtesy lamp socket, via the filament and it lights up.
So, in your case it looks like your actual courtesy lamp socket / bulb filament is not resistive enough and the brown wire, that is basically your battery, shorts to ground, the black wire. That's bad because that short pulls the radio voltage down and it powers off. I bet your Park lights dim out, or shut down as well.
The short could be in the dimmer switch assembly itself (cheap part, ~$8), the wiring to the courtesy lamp, the courtesy socket, or ?
Just keep isolating those circuits 'till you find the offending low resistance culprit.
Good Luck.......
Q: are dart heads ok to run on a 383 stroker with a 500 inch lift roller cam ? i think there dart 1 heads with 202 valves. i guess my question is what r.p.m.do strokers run ? and what r.p.m. do these heads come to life . thanks Rick
A: 383 come in two versions.... from the 400 block and the 350 block...
If you are using the Dart heads, I believe you must be working from the 350 block.....
I think you will be starting to make power in the 4000 rpm range and anything above 6500 is probably just for noise...not power.....
The 400 block is a much shorter stroke and higher RPM motor..... you can boost the power huge with a nitrous fogger system whick will bring the power range from 2500 RPM instead...
Exhaust System Chugging When accelerating When warm
Q: My truck seems like it's missing and is very sluggish, like it wants to die out after the initial acceleration into 2nd gear.
Also I think the EGR Valve might be bad and needs to be replaced, but all the local stores are selling positive backpressure valves, and I think I need a negative backpresure valve???
Also, it has backfired once after changing the timing chain.
I have changed the carb, the spark plugs, the spark plug wires. Thanks.
A: I would check the catalytic convertor for being partially plugged, and I'd also consisder if the carb is icing up on you.....
Is there a good heat scource from off the top of the exhaust manifold to warm the intake air???....
All Part Groups Upgrade Not applicable Not applicable
Q: I have an 83 S-10 longbed that I am planning on putting a 4.3 and a 700R(I am aware this is an electronic tranny but I got that part figured out) tranny in.The truck originally had a 2.8 V-6 (I`m not sure on the original tranny but it was an auto also). I am wondering if I will have to have a driveshaft cut or if the stock one will work. I`ve already got motor mounts made. Is there anything else that may complicate this swap ?
Thanks in advance
A: The exhaust is a problem. I am not sure on the driveshaft. You may have to marry the two shafts into one. Ed
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