strong vibrations and surging after intake install

[mob]

Hey guys, I just changed my intake gaskets because they were leaking, and I finally got the car running today, and I just took it out for a spin. At about 1100 rpm the whole car has a VERY strong vibration, its not like a bad engine mount vibration, I mean my steering wheel, seat, shifter, even my pedals start trembling as if I were driving over a dirt road, this happens when I am stopped or moving. At about 1500 rpm it sputters alittle but past that it runs fine. Any ideas?

And is there any way to pin point where a vacuum leak is? All my vacuum lines are connected and secured, if there is a vacuum leak in the intake I am going to be pissed. I used one of those blue rubber seals on the back of the intake but I forgot to check before I bolted down the intake that it didn't move, would I be leaking oil behind my intake if that wasn't sealed correctly? My oil pressure is perfect. Oh and when I came back from my spin it was surging at idle like 700-900rpm.

Oh and my headers where smoking when I turned on my car, is that normal? I know its normal for when you get new headers, but mine are old, I just didnt run the car for 10 days, idk why they would be smoking, nothing was dripping on them.

 

[jrichker]

Check the ignition timing and the harmonic balancer. Just by concidence, the balancer may have worn out the rubber ring that connects the hub to the outer metal ring. This allows the outer ring to shift position and unbalance the engine. If you set the timing when the balancer was in a slipped state, the ignition timing is off.

Once the balancer has been confirmed to be in good shape, see the "Surging Idle Checklist for help with all your idle/stall problems. Everything you need to find and fix idle problems is in there.

The first two posts contain all the updates to the fixes. At last count there were 24 possible causes and fixes for surging idle/stall problems. I continue to update it as more people post fixes or ask questions.

 

[mob]

Thanks Joe, any way to check the harmonic balancer? And is it possible that I put the dizzy back in a tooth off from what I had it before? It runs alright, it just has those extremley bad vibrations and alittle bit of a surge or a little bit of a sluggish feeling.

I did set the timing to the tick mark I had set years ago, so maybe if it has slipped it didnt just do it over night, but over time, and setting it to the old tick mark put the timing in the wrong spot? How would I fix this? New harmonic balancer and seals? Again anyway to check if this is my problem before I tear it off and get a new one?

 

[jrichker]

If you are still working at Advance Auto, pull a new balancer off the shelf and examine it closely. I am sure that there will be some visible clues as to the position of the inner and outer parts of the balancer.

You'll need a timing light to properly set the timing. Just be sure to remove the SPOUT connector and put it back in when you finish setting the timing.

 

[mob]

Ok weird thing happened. I went to check my timing again. Last time I looked at it when I first got my car running I set it at 14 with my spout out and tightening it down. Then I took it out for a spin and the vibrations started. I went to look at my timing now and my 14 mark was wayyy to the right. So I turned my car off took out the spout, set it again, then tightened it down. Now when I put my spout in and try to start my car, itll start and then shut right off. Is there anyway it went wayyyy to the left until I could see it on the right side of the balancer? Does that make sense? Why would my timing mark move after I set it and tightened down the dizzy?

I still work at advance and I have a timing light also.

 

[JKidd]

My first reaction is that you're firing order is messed up. Did you remove the plug wires when you replaced the intake gaskets? I would double-check to make sure they're all going to the proper plugs (a no-cost fix).

Seems like you did SOMETHING while changing the gaskets...

 

[mob]

Yea I did take out the spark plug wires when I did the swap but I put them back just the way they where. When I took off the wires though all the wires were shifted one spot to the left, but the car ran fine before, should I move them all one spot to the right?

 

[jrichker]

The timing mark is on the part of the harmonic balancer that can move when the rubber goes bad. A shifting timing mark is one of the symptoms of a balancer that has failed.

 

[mob]

Man I really hope its not my balancer. Well I took out my dizzy to restab it, I found tdc, and I stabbed my dizzy back in and pointed the rotor to the number one spark plug wire on the cap, that the correct way to do it right? And it doesnt matter where spark plug one is right? Aslong as the rotor is pointing at it and the firing order is correct? Can someone confirm this because I've seen like 3 different pictures all saying that spark plug one is in a different spot. Now I did something really dumb and started the car and forgot to put spark plug one back in. It sounded like a truck but ran but I turned it off real quick once I noticed. I put the spark plug back in, hooked up the wire, went to start it and now it wont start. Cranks cranks cranks but wont start, once I let off cranking I hear a little poof coming out of my exhaust but thats all. Any idea what happened?

 

[mob]

Ok well I got the car running, I guess the timing was set to far back to start, so I moved the dizzy to the right alittle and it started. But I cant see my 14 degree tick mark anywhere, If I move it as far as I can to the CW itll idle fine, if I start to move it to CCW the engine will start slowing down alot and the idle will be way off. So I tightened the dizzy mostly as far as I could CW but the bad engine vibrations are still there. Should I just get a new Balancer Joe? Is it safe to drive the car like this? How can I figure out where my timing is?

 

[Modular2v]

This is why i never remove the distributor during an intake install......If you tear the distributor apart and just leave the base of it stuck in the block, you dont have to remove it for intake install. It makes it a little tricky getting the intake back on but i have never had a problem doing it.