BUILD THREAD 86 GP 2+2~Blown 6.0

81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Thanks for the comments guys!

I originally intended to just get this car back on the road and sell it BUT its part of the permanent fleet now. It's too unique and fun to send it down the road at this point.


I ordered a yard of grey carpet from stock interiors last week to re-upholster my center console sides. That showed up Friday last week. I'll pull the console when I pull the seats and swap them with the W body buckets and redo it then.

In actual progress news last night, I hooked up power to my flex fuel content sensor and swapped the PCM to the 02 tahoe flex compatible one, along with copying all the old tune data into the new PCM. Car still ran after I flashed the tune so I gotta mix some ~E50 up tonight and see how it runs.
 
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UC645

Royal Smart Person
Apr 20, 2020
1,075
3,044
113
Kittanning, Pa
Yeeowza man! I’ve only read a few tidbits of this thread and I’m absolutely blown away by your work!
If you do get the itch to paint it, got anything special in mind?
 
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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Yeeowza man! I’ve only read a few tidbits of this thread and I’m absolutely blown away by your work!
If you do get the itch to paint it, got anything special in mind?

Thanks!

I'm going to go back to factory color. As much as it would be interesting to play around with the colors a bit, there is too much identity being the two tone silver and grey with the stripes.
 
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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
So more rambling.

I tried getting the flex sensor to read today and it is stuck at 38% or (37.6) so close enough. I have 91 in the tank now so the only E left over is the few gallons of E10 87 I had in it before I filled up with 91 last. It should read less than 5% E for sure.

The tune is correct for flex since it is a factory flex PCM
I checked power, ground and signal continuity at the PCM
I guess the sensor could be dead but I am going to assume its OK.
It should be working

The tune does have 38% as the default if the sensor is not working, so it's good news that the PCM is configured for flex, I just can't figure out why the sensor isn't reporting to the PCM (or the PCM isn't updating.

I phoned a few friends and one of them said to
a) let the thing run, the PCM's polling rate for the sensor is very slow and they take a long time to respond. I have not let the thing run for over a few minutes so take it for a spin around the block and see what it does
b) check to see if its throwing the DTC for content sensor actually being dead
c) flash the stock non-speed density tune that was on the PCM when I got it and see if it adjusts to check if I screwed up something in the tune when I copied my old 01 non flex PCM data to this 02 flex enabled PCM

I can see why people drop the $1000 for a holley or other standalone PCM. Troubleshooting stock stuff is tough!
 
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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Come to the dark side.... We have lazy instant tuning programs and infinite adjustability.....

Funny you mention that, the guy I chatted with to try and troubleshoot went with a Holley term on his Turbo LS regal over the winter. BUT, he is still running the stock ECM as a piggy back unit to run the cruise, AC, fans, ect.
 
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Texas82GP

Just-a-worm
Apr 3, 2015
7,981
18,676
113
Spring, Texas
The flex fuel sensor on my truck (08 Sierra) has done some strange stuff before, like thinking it has E85 in it when it doesn't. This is on the custom tune that's in the PC. If I fuel my truck while it's running (I know, I'm not supposed to do that), it will start to surge and stall. A key cycle or two might help you.
 
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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Well I fiddled more with with the sensor and I think it's dead. I have power and ground at the sensor, it's on the right pin on the PCM, and I have a DTC for a low sensor reading. I could check the sensor for hz output (50-150hz) but my darn multimeter doesn't read hz. I think I'll call Pace tomorrow and see if they will send a replacement. I don't know what else to do.

In other news I fiddled with the AC wiring and got the compressor clutch wiring hooked up along with the heater blend doors. Thats right, I've been driving this car for 3 years with only foot and defrost vents! I hooked up the pink vac line to the intake vacuum and wiggled the blend doors in the dash and nothing happened, swapped the lines under the hood with the white one assuming I did it wrong. Still nothing. Searched the ole g body forum and yep, it is the purple one. Hooked it back up and let the car sit a minute on vent and I heard a loud pop, and then the door adjusted. I guess 20+ years of the heater blend doors not moving made them a bit sticky!

I dug through my parts bin to find my heater shutoff valve and realized how big it is (odd L shape). I know my turbo wagon has a nice compact linear one so I gotta order one. The 84-87 turbo buicks have the most compact valve that will tuck in nice. Probably order the rest of my AC fittings too and get a window washer pump and get the window washer working. If I do manage to fix it, it will be the 1st G body I own with a working window washer pump, lol.

I am attempting to keep my word and not spending all my time getting the car to go faster and instead be more comfortable!

I also was planning to leave the car with Dad for a few weeks for him to plug away at the AC lines but a friend of mine is doing an LS swap on his 2nd Gen F body and bought one of those mastercool AC line crimping sets. I think I am going to use the excuse to buy the tool and crimp them here, just because the tool looked cool and is reasonably priced ($150).


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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
I borrowed a multimeter that reads hertz today and tried checking my sensor, I don't know. If I touch the lead from the pin to chassis ground it jumps around a lot at like 5.5 khz (which it should be 50-150). I asked my electrical engineering buddy and he said its probably noise. It seems like it reads normal 80 hz when i touch one lead and leave the other one in air, but that doesn't seem right that it works with one lead of the multimeter. I'll have to try one more thing (flash a stock tune on the PCM) and then I'll condemn the sensor.

In other news I fiddled with the AC hose routing today. I had some leftover old hose that I test routed for length and routing. Looks like it will clear well. I have a bundle of snakes in this corner of the car with 2 fuel lines, 2 blower cooler lines, 2 heater lines, both rad hoses, power and ground battery cables, and now 2 ac lines, but its the cost to pay for luxury!

And if the google can find it, because trust me I searched and didnt find squat. If you have a g body receiver drier, the 4 seasons part numbers for the upper suction hose is a -10 to 1 1/16-14, 15620 for a 90 and 15420 for a straight. There is no 45 which is what I needed and is what the factory used. A straight will hit the coolant overflow so I went 90.

The fitting to attach to the pressure side of the condenser from the compressor is a -8 hose to 3/4-16 straight, 14008

I had to make a spreadsheet to make heads or tails of all the options.

Rock auto sells ac hose by the 10ft roll for $25 for both -10 and -8 so I got that ordered. I just need to buy the ac hose crimp tool and I'll be in business!

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81cutlass

Comic Book Super Hero
Feb 16, 2009
4,639
13,542
113
Western MN
Ran to the yard today and grabbed seats out of that 96 ish highly optioned 2 dr cutlass. ALso grabbed some drivers door insulation and vapor barrier, passenger side inner fender extension, and some misc. trim for my wagon.

Brought my old 12V dewalt impact battery with to jump the wires and move the drivers side
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and were out
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Other random stuff
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Found out early 2dr s10 blazers have a nice half console
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Couple Non AC Bu's
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Pretty clean crew cab
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Sweet jet black interior lemans
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