Car smells like it's running super rich.

I get crap gas mileage (lifetime average is about 12mpg)... it smells pretty rich
what should I look at?

Prices for an electric car...

Seriously tho. Common themes are coolant temp sensor, clogged air filter, dirty tb, clogged cats, bad o2 sensors. There's more but these seem to be the #1's. How's the spark? When was the last tune up? Any modifications?

Intake manifold gasket leak?

MASShole9C1 wrote:

Seriously tho. Common themes are coolant temp sensor, clicked air filter, dirty tb, clogged cats, bad o2 sensors. There's more but these seem to be the #1's. How's the spark? When was the last tune up? Any modifications?

it's got a new opti and plugs.

Not sure about cats, O2 sensors or coolant temp sensors.
I'll clean the TB and the MAF this weekend. I think I could do with a new air filter.

If your cats are clogged or if your o2's look dirty it COULD be caused by a leaking intake. I just went through this entire thing with the gold Cadillac, chased it for months. Ended up being an o2 gone bad, but caused by an intake leak. Did the o2 first, was good for a week then right back to shit, ended up doing opti, Cleaned mad, plugs, wires, fuel rails and injectors, finally did the intake, was still running like crap.... Check the SAME o2 and it was BLACK. swapped it AGAIN and it ran pissa! Intake fouled the first o2 I replaced.

what are you doing to the intake?
nevermind, I see what you posted above.
how hard is the intake manifold gasket to do and how do you test for it?

Lt-1 intake is probably the easiest v8 intake gasket you can possibly do.

Drain coolant, remove all the hoses and wires from the intake
Undo the bolts like you would on a gen 1 engine.
Remove the egr breather tube
Lift it up and forward from under the wire harness
Place a rag in the valley and Scrap the old front and rear seals with a razor, remove metal side gaskets
Apply new side gaskets they click into place, REMOVE RAG (sounds stupid but I've left them in there *facepalm*)
throw out the front and rear seals and use RTV silicone. One bead in front and one in back.
Place intake back on and torque bolts in sequence.
Connect all the crap back up,
Top off coolant.
DONE
maybe like 45 min to an hour if you are alone and no one is bugging the shit out of you while you try and work.

how do you determine if it's leaking?

Ironfistdog wrote:

Lt-1 intake is probably the easiest v8 intake gasket you can possibly do.

Drain coolant, remove all the hoses and wires from the intake
Undo the bolts like you would on a gen 1 engine.
Remove the egr breather tube
Lift it up and forward from under the wire harness
Place a rag in the valley and Scrap the old front and rear seals with a razor, remove metal side gaskets
Apply new side gaskets they click into place, REMOVE RAG (sounds stupid but I've left them in there *facepalm*)
throw out the front and rear seals and use RTV silicone. One bead in front and one in back.
Place intake back on and torque bolts in sequence.
Connect all the crap back up,
Top off coolant.
DONE
maybe like 45 min to an hour if you are alone and no one is bugging the shit out of you while you try and work.

I will add to this. Removal of the throttle body, and fuel rails will make it so much easier to get at the intake manifold bolts. There is no need to drain the cooling system completely down. The only part of the cooling system you will be touching is the steam line coming from the rear of the passenger side lifter valley area. Disconnect the elbow that goes into the t/b. If you want to do a t/b bypass, now is the time. Just throw the elbow coolant elbow away. You will use the hose from the other side of the t/b to connect back to the steam pipe. This will bypass the t/b and has shown 5-7 real world hp gain over stock.

On the RTV, I would get "Right Stuff" RTV. Once you have the intake manifold ready to reinstall, use two wooden dowels or pencils kitty corner from one another in one forward intake bolt hole on one head, and one in the rear of the other. This will help guide the intake down strait. Once you have it on, torque in three sequences, 15ft-lbs, 25ft-lbs, and 35ft-lbs. and then let it sit for about an hour.
Retorque one final time at 35ft-lbs.
Once all back together, it would not hurt to let it sit overnight to allow the RTV to fully cure before you drive it. I always do.

but is there any way to check to see if it's that first before I start tearing into it?
Like, spraying starter fluid around the intake?

chapel wrote:

but is there any way to check to see if it's that first before I start tearing into it?
Like, spraying starter fluid around the intake?

You need to scan it. See what your 02s are reading. Remember. Your MAF is your first reading. Your 02s are the last. Your MAF tells the PCM how much air is coming in so the PCM can deliver the correct amount of fuel, your o2s tell the PCM if everything was done correctly, and what needs adjustment. Check spark, check coolant temp sensor, exhaust manifolds (leak),

I spray carb cleaner or even brake cleaner along the line were the intake and head meet. If it is leaking, you will see it. Fo that matter, you could use a spray bottle of water.

Well, I'll start this weekend by cleaning the MAF and throttle body out
I still need to remove the secondary air pump too

Exhaust almost smells a bit coolanty

Leeeeeeeeeeeeeaky iiiiiiiiiinnnnntaaaaaaakkkkkkeeeeee!
Lol

Damnit

chapel wrote:

Damnit

They're really not that bad. I did them in my car. Only took 2 hours maybe?

And that's with an L05 engine with hard metal gas lines, a distributor that's stuffed under a 6" cowl, and alot of other nonsense.
Lt1 you have 2 quick disconnect gas lines, no messing with distributor or wires or timing, no cramped room. And not a ton of stuff to move.
I gotta do mine in the black caddy. This time I think I'm gonna do a pictorial....
I like the idea everyone had about the tutorials. Since I have a lot of work to do on the lt1 AND l99 and possibly on an L03 I might start documenting and typing out everything step by step. Maybe we can start a tutorial section specifically for posting step by step instructions with notes.

Thats a great idea.
Hard part is remembering to take the pics.

Do it as a team. One shoots, the other works.

Oh....the Tom Sawyer principal..

sdstick wrote:

Oh....the Tom Sawyer principal..

Works great for me. It's what I did when I worked for Bentley Publishers working on the BMW E30 service manual.