I figured I should make an official project thread for my Z/28, so here it is!
I have a rough idea of how I want to do it in terms of sequencing, but I'm open to suggestions. Now to start off, I'm useless mechanically right now, but I'm hoping to learn. The most I can do is change the front bulbs on my car and the tires, so that's a solid starting ground. With that being said I want to start off with easy things and work my way up.
My Camaro has the LB9 305 with the automatic transmission and is in need of some love. The car sat for a few months before I bought it and it shows. Under low throttle it seems to stutter a lot. I don't really know how to describe it, but it seems to jump forward then slow down over and over quickly. I assume some of this is due to old gas, so on the way home I added 3/4 of a tank of new gas to the 1/4 of gas it came with, and that seemed to help a little. The next step, I think, is to check the start plugs and wires to ensure they are doing what they are meant to do. But the question is, where are the spark plugs? And if I need to change them, what model number are they? Or is there a document or something that will have part numbers for me? I assume to change the spark plugs I just disconnect the wires and use a ratchet to taken them out, or is there more witch craft to it then that? The car drives fine under medium to heavy throttle, and shifts beautifully.
What computer does my car use? I would guess it is an OBD1, but I'm not sure how to check. The reason for asking is I want to sync an app from my phone to my engine to monitor different gauges, as the ones in my Camaro don't seem to be the most trustworthy, and the temp gauge is broken.
The next steps I plan on taking for the car, if the spark plugs and wires fix the issue, is to get a better manifold and air intake system, as I heard these engines suffer from lack of air because of the emissions standards of the time. After that I plan on following up with a full exhaust system.
Once that is complete I want to beef up the suspension with coilovers and make the rear brakes disc brakes. The upgrade the fuel delivery system and driveline parts, then swap the 305 out for a 350, 355, 383 or LS series engine (haven't decided on that yet).
You'll need a 5/8" spark plug socket, not a regular socket. The spark plug socket has rubber built in to it to help from breaking plugs.
Just pull the wire off from the boot, do not pull the wire.
I use a piece of rubber fuel line to get them started again.
I wouldn't do the exhaust system until you're sure about the motor situation.
