gutless

[streetdreams]

okay I've got the 88GP se 2 door 2.8 for about a year now the mileage is pretty high at 266,000kilometres. I've driven many 2.8's, 3.1's many with high mileage and they got guts! not hot rods but they GO when you put the hammer down. now mine is very slow when I put the hammer down the computer sends it into 'wide open throttle' but even then it seems very sluggish compared to many 2.8/3.1's I've driven. it hasnt had a tune up since I got it (keep saying next month) but now its starting to get to me. I'm gonna do a tune up and try to clear her out a bit but what would you guys recommend? ever had a lamedog 2.8? I'm gonna do plugs,wires, fuel filter,pcv, de carbon the fuel rails/intake. Anything else come to mind?. I never beat on her and I wouldnt even if she had guts cuz she's old and I love her so much but its just piece of mind knowin shes running 'right'

 

thanx in advance guys

this site is a god send,

and yes I know she's a heavy car

[SigEpCutlass]

well my grandma's 88 Cutty International has a 2.8 60* V6 and it isn't so bad. She doesn't drive it that often except around her small town, and the thing has less than 15,000 original miles on it. Whenever my dad or I go up there we end up driving it around a bit. Most times that I go up there I put in a fuel system cleaner. I only go up maybe 1 or 2 times every 6 months, so it's not overkill. I would suggest that you start by getting one of the super concentrated fuel system cleaners. It's something inexpensive that might make a good difference before you start a full tune up.

[Prospeeder]

That seafoam stuff it suppose to be good, u can add it to the oil to get rid of sludge and sticky lifters, to thef uel to clean the injectors, or through the brake booster hose, and the vacuum will suck it down and compltely clean out the top end of the motor, but do it in the open if u do that, it will smoke pretty bad

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

I would also suggest using Seafoam or AC Delco "Cleens" just as Prospeeder said.

 

On my 88 GP 2.8 which had 280,000km I found that the throttlebody and IAC got real dirty and quite often, something that's nessesary to keep clean on those engines. I would suggest (even moreso than the Seafoam) would be to take off the airhose and spray TB cleaner inside there (scrub it with a toothbrush), and take off the IAC and clean it really good. Hell, I soaked mine in a can of gas and it didn't hurt it.

 

If you can run at least a low 18s/high 17s at the track (assuming you don't have lots of weight in the car) then it should be running the way it should.

 

PS don't hesitated to beat on these cars.. I beat the piss out of my 2.8 and it always asked for more. 40+ runs at the track. They're extremely reliable!

[fastbird232]

I used Seafoam on an '89 GP 2.8 that had been in a field for two years, and it woke the motor up enough to get me pulled over for laying rubber. Pour it in the gas tank, intake, and crankcase. Also, I changed plugs, o2 sensor, air filter, and trans fluid and filter. Seemed to work pretty well.

[streetdreams]

sounds great I hope we sell it in canada. one question though. the one product works in both cleaning out the fuel system and the oil? I mean if its not oily than it theoretically will do damage in a crankcase and if it is oily than it would slime all over the insides of your intake,TB etc?

 

thanx in advance guys

[Prospeeder]

well, oil spray from the crank case gets into the TB anyway, so oh well, and in the gas, theres so many gallons of fuel compared to 16fl Oz that it will be so mixed it wouldnt matter if it was oily, and the oil part, it doesnt say if its lubracnt or not, im not sure, it smells more like WD-40 oil than anything else, i dunno, i doubt it would do any damage

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

sounds great I hope we sell it in canada.

 

Check CarQuest

 

If you can't find it just buy AC Delco "Cleens" at a dealership or wherever...

[fastbird232]

Change your oil a couple of miles after dumping it in the crankcase. DO NOT put it in just after an oil change! Instructions will be right on the bottle.

[Aaron]

I've driven many 2.8's, 3.1's many with high mileage and they got guts! not hot rods but they GO when you put the hammer down.

 

HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!

 

That is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yah they move ok, I bet it is somehting simple though, like plugs/wires. Do you have any service engine codes?

[94CutlassSLCoupe]

i'll bet your fuel filter is clogged...my '88 CS Base with the 2.8/440t4 could lay about a 5' patch with about 200,000 miles on it. before i changed the fuel filter it was real sluggish

[streetdreams]

today I cleaned out the IAC, TB and intake. lots of gunk came out but no real improvment other than it sounds quieter at idle obviously.

 

"That is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time!!!!!!!!!!"

 

why? my close friend who works for another pontiac dealer has a MINT showroom floor OEM

91 Z24, only thing not stock is the K&N filter and he hollowed out his catalytic. that thing is gutsy as fk and he's taken 'done' integra's many times. yeah theyre not 5.0's but they do sound suweett and have torque when theyre running right dont you think?

[Supreme Cutlass]

A new fuel filter will give a world of difference...It did for me...

[GP1138]

today I cleaned out the IAC, TB and intake. lots of gunk came out but no real improvment other than it sounds quieter at idle obviously.

 

"That is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time!!!!!!!!!!"

 

why? my close friend who works for another pontiac dealer has a MINT showroom floor OEM

91 Z24, only thing not stock is the K&N filter and he hollowed out his catalytic. that thing is gutsy as fk and he's taken 'done' integra's many times. yeah theyre not 5.0's but they do sound suweett and have torque when theyre running right dont you think?

 

If you're smart, you'll ignore Aaron.

 

Really, a 2.8 isn't that ballsy of an engine. The main advantage to it is it's bulletproof. K&N dropin, keep it tuned up, STP injector cleaner, some seafoam once in awhile, and it'll treat you right.

[Aaron]

Ya they have some power, but after driving a 3.4 for the past 4 years, my 2.8 Fiero, which is much faster than the 3.1 W-bodies, feels really slow, not quite 'guts.'

 

I hope you figure it out tho, I know how much it sucks to have a car that should be a lot faster than it is.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

"That is the FUNNIEST thing I've heard in a long time!!!!!!!!!!"

 

why? my close friend who works for another pontiac dealer has a MINT showroom floor OEM

91 Z24, only thing not stock is the K&N filter and he hollowed out his catalytic. that thing is gutsy as fk and he's taken 'done' integra's many times. yeah theyre not 5.0's but they do sound suweett and have torque when theyre running right dont you think?

 

 

First off a 91 Z24 would have a 3.1... yeah I have actually drove one of those once (with a 5-speed) and they're pretty damn quick for what they are. I'm sure even a 2.8/5-speed j-body would keep up fine with a 3100 w-body.

 

However a 2.8 w-body is slow no matter what. I'm not putting them down cause I owned one and it was a great car for me, and I loved the sound..but the best time I ever ran was 17.999.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

i'll bet your fuel filter is clogged...my '88 CS Base with the 2.8/440t4 could lay about a 5' patch with about 200,000 miles on it. before i changed the fuel filter it was real sluggish

 

I really should get around to changing the one on my car. When I got it last year it could spin the tires a couple more feet than it can right now. I have a filter that's been sitting in the garage for months, fuck I'm lazy!

[streetdreams]

well today at lunch I ran some delco cleens thru it and changed the fuel filter

how do I put this...I noticed it revs higher when at speed. I mean at my usual throttle it will now move thru the revs past 3000rpm effortlessly thus it gains speed easier. its funny because I used to joke that this POS car only had 2 speeds 1)idle and 2)3000rpm's. It was like any amount of throttle other than pegging it always resulted in 3000rpm. once I'm above say 30mph I notice a difference but at a light it's still the same car. maybe its just me but it 'sounds' better from idle all the way thru the revs. some carbon came out when I ran the cleens, not ALOT but enough to satisfy me. overall I think it was a total of 14 bucks well spent. when I get paid I'm gonna run some STP injector cleaner thru it and change the plugs. than the week after that I'l drop the tranny pan and install new dog bones

and I should be happy then.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Did you let the Cleens sit in the engine for 10min before starting it up? I had a HELL of alot of smoke, and my engine wasn't even that dirty!! I know that 2.8s get gunked up easily.