1982 CHEVROLET CAMARO engine coolant

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 465

Fig. 12: Muffler hanger attachment
ENGINE RECONDITIONING DETE RMINING ENGINE CONDITION
Anything that generates heat and/or friction will eventually burn or wear out (i.e.
a light bulb generates heat, therefore its life span is limited). With this in mind, a
running engine generates trem endous amounts of both; friction is encountered
by the moving and rotating parts inside the engine and heat is created b\
y
friction and combustion of the fuel. Ho wever, the engine has systems designed
to help reduce the effects of heat and fr iction and provide added longevity. The
oiling system reduces the amount of fr iction encountered by the moving parts
inside the engine, while the cooling system reduces heat created by friction and
combustion. If either system is not main tained, a break-down will be inevitable.
Therefore, you can see how regular main tenance can affect the service life of
your vehicle. If you do not drain, flush and refill your cooling system at the
proper intervals, deposits will begin to accumulate in the radiator, thereby
reducing the amount of heat it can extrac t from the coolant. The same applies to
your oil and filter; if it is not changed often enoug h it becomes laden with
contaminates and is unable to properly lubricate the engine. This increases
friction and wear.
There are a number of methods for evaluat ing the condition of your engine. A
compression test can reveal the condition of your pistons, piston rings, cylinder
bores, head gasket(s), valves and valve seat s. An oil pressure test can warn
you of possible engine bearing, or oil pump failures. Excessive oil consumption,
evidence of oil in the engine air intake area and/or bluish smoke from the tail
pipe may indicate worn piston rings, worn valve guides and/or valve seals. As a
general rule, an engine that uses no more than one quart of oil every 1000
miles is in good condi tion. Engines that use one quart of oil or more in less than
1000 miles should first be checked for oil leaks. If any oil leaks are present,
have them fixed before dete rmining how much oil is consumed by the engine,
especially if blue smoke is not visible at the tail pipe.
COMPRESSION TEST
A noticeable lack of engine power, excessive oil consumption and/or poor fuel
mileage measured over an extended period are all indicators of internal engine

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 467
8. According to the tool manufacture
r's instructions, connect a remote
starting switch to the starting circuit.
9. With the ignition switch in the OFF position, use the remote starting
switch to crank the engine through at least five compression strokes
(approximately 5 seconds of cranking) and record the highest reading on
the gauge.
10. Repeat the test on each cylinder, cranking the engine approximately the
same number of compression stroke s and/or time as the first.
11. Compare the highest readi ngs from each cylinder to that of the others.
The indicated compression pre ssures are considered within
specifications if the lo west reading cylinder is within 75 percent of the
pressure recorded for the highest readi ng cylinder. For example, if your
highest reading cylinder pressure was 150 psi (1034 kPa), then 75
percent of that would be 113 psi (779 kPa). So the lowest reading
cylinder should be no less than 113 psi (779 kPa).
12. If a cylinder exhibits an unusually low compression reading, pour a
tablespoon of clean engine oil into the cylinder through the spark plug
hole and repeat the compression tes t. If the compression rises after
adding oil, it means that the cylinder's piston rings and/or cylinder bore
are damaged or worn. If the pressure re mains low, the valves may not be
seating properly (a valve job is needed), or the head gasket may be
blown near that cylinder. If compressi on in any two adjacent cylinders is
low, and if the addition of oil doesn' t help raise compression, there is
leakage past the head gasket. Oil and coolant in the combustion
chamber, combined with blue or const ant white smoke from the tail pipe,
are symptoms of this pr oblem. However, don't be alarmed by the normal
white smoke emitted from the tail pipe during engine warm-up or from
cold weather driving. There may be evidence of water droplets on the
engine dipstick and/or oil droplets in the cooling system if a head gasket
is blown.
OIL PRESSURE TEST
Check for proper oil pressu re at the sending unit passage with an externally
mounted mechanical oil pressure gauge (a s opposed to relying on a factory
installed dash-mounted gauge). A tachom eter may also be needed, as some
specifications may require running the engine at a specific rpm.
1. With the engine cold, locate and remo ve the oil pressure sending unit.
2. Following the manufacturer's inst ructions, connect a mechanical oil
pressure gauge and, if necessary, a tachometer to the engine.
3. Start the engine and allow it to idle.
4. Check the oil pressure reading when cold and record the number. You
may need to run the engine at a specified rpm, so check the
specifications chart located earlier in this section.
5. Run the engine until normal operati ng temperature is reached (upper
radiator hose will feel warm).
6. Check the oil pressure reading agai n with the engine hot and record the
number. Turn the engine OFF.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 476
Before attempting to repair a threaded
hole, remove any snapped, broken or
damaged bolts or studs. Penetrating oil ca n be used to free frozen threads. The
offending item can usually be removed with locking pliers or using a screw/stud
extractor. After the hole is clear, the thread can be repaired, as shown in the
series of accompanying illustrations and in the kit manufacturer's instructions.
ENGINE PREPARATION
To properly rebuild an engine, you must fi rst remove it from the vehicle, then
disassemble and diagnose it. Ideally you should place your engine on an engine
stand. This affords you the best access to the engine components. Follow the
manufacturer's directions for using the stand with your particular engine.
Remove the flywheel or fl explate before installing the engine to the stand.
Now that you have the engine on a stand, and assuming that you have drained
the oil and coolant from the engine, it's ti me to strip it of all but the necessary
components. Before you start disassembli ng the engine, you may want to take
a moment to draw some pictures, or fabr icate some labels or containers to mark
the locations of various components and the bolts and/or studs which fasten
them. Modern day engines use a lot of littl e brackets and clips which hold wiring
harnesses and such, and these holders are often mounted on studs and/or bolts
that can be easily mixed up. The manufacturer spent a lot of time and money
designing your vehicle, and they wouldn't have wasted any of it by haphazardly
placing brackets, clips or fasteners on t he vehicle. If it's present when you
disassemble it, put it back when you asse mble, you will regret not remembering
that little bracket which holds a wire har ness out of the path of a rotating part.
You should begin by unbolting any accessories still attached to the engine, such
as the water pump, power steering pump, alternator, etc. Then, unfasten any
manifolds (intake or exhaust) which were not removed during the engine
removal procedure. Finally, remove any covers remaining on the engine such
as the rocker arm, front or timing cove r and oil pan. Some front covers may
require the vibration dam per and/or crank pulley to be removed beforehand.
The idea is to reduce the engine to the bar e necessities (cylinder head(s), valve
train, engine block, crankshaft, pistons and connecting rods), plus any other 'in
block' components such as oil pumps, balance shafts and auxiliary shafts.
Finally, remove the cylinder head(s) from the engine block and carefully place
on a bench. Disassembly instructions fo r each component follow later in this
section.
CYLINDER HEAD
There are two basic types of cylinder heads used on today’s automobiles:
the Overhead Valve (OHV) and the Over head Camshaft (OHC). The latter can
also be broken down into two subgr oups: the Single Overhead Camshaft
(SOHC) and the Dual Overhead Camshaft (DO HC). Generally, if there is only a
single camshaft on a head, it is just referred to as an OHC head. Also, an
engine with a OHV cylinder head is also known as a pushrod engine.

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Fig. 13: Checks should also be made al ong both diagonals of the head surface
Place a straightedge across the gasket surf ace. Using feeler gauges, determine
the clearance at the cent er of the straightedge and across the cylinder head at
several points. Check along the centerli ne and diagonally on the head surface.
If the warpage exceeds 0.003 in. (0.076mm) within a 6.0 in. (15.2cm) span, or
0.006 in. (0.152mm) over the total length of the head, the cylinder head must be
resurfaced. After resurfacing the heads of a V-type engine, the intake manifold
flange surface should be checked, and if necessary, milled proportionally to
allow for the change in its mounting position.
CRACKS AND PHYSICAL DAMAGE
Generally, cracks are limited to the comb ustion chamber, however, it is not
uncommon for the head to crack in a s park plug hole, port, outside of the head
or in the valve spring/rocker arm area. The first area to inspect is always the
hottest: the exhaust seat/port area.
A visual inspection should be perform ed, but just because you don’t see a
crack does not mean it is not there. Some more reliable methods for inspecting
for cracks include Magnaflux, a magnetic process or Zyglo, a dye penetrant.
Magnaflux is used onl y on ferrous metal (cast iron) heads. Zyglo uses a spray
on fluorescent mixture along with a black light to reveal the cracks. It is strongly
recommended to have your cylinder head c hecked professionally for cracks,
especially if the engine was known to have overheated and/or leaked or
consumed coolant. Contact a local shop fo r availability and pricing of these
services.

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Again, rotate the engine, this time
to position the number one cylinder bore
(head surface) up. Turn the crankshaft until the number one piston is at the
bottom of its travel, this should allow t he maximum access to its connecting rod.
Remove the number one co nnecting rods fasteners and cap and place two
lengths of rubber hose over the rod bolts/studs to protect the crankshaft from
damage. Using a sturdy wooden dowel and a hammer, push the connecting rod
up about 1 in. (25mm) from the cranks haft and remove the upper bearing insert.
Continue pushing or tapping the connecti ng rod up until the piston rings are out
of the cylinder bore. Remove the piston and rod by hand, put the upper half of
the bearing insert back into the rod, in stall the cap with its bearing insert
installed, and hand-tighten the cap fasteners. If the parts are kept in order in this
manner, they will not get lost and you wil l be able to tell which bearings came
form what cylinder if any problems are discovered and diagnosis is necessary.
Remove all the other piston assemblie s in the same manner. On V-style
engines, remove all of the pistons from one bank, then reposition the engine
with the other cylinder bank head surface up, and remo ve that banks piston
assemblies.
The only remaining component in the engine block should now be the
crankshaft. Loosen the main bearing ca ps evenly until the fasteners can be
turned by hand, then remove them and the caps. Remove the crankshaft fro\
m
the engine block. Thoroughly clea n all of the components.
INSPECTION
Now that the engine block and all of its components ar e clean, it's time to
inspect them for wear and/or damage. To accurately inspect them, you will need
some specialized tools:
• Two or three separate micromet ers to measure the pistons and
crankshaft journals
• A dial indicator
• Telescoping gauges for the cylinder bores
• A rod alignment fixture to check for bent connecting rods
If you do not have access to the proper tools, you may want to bring the
components to a shop that does.
Generally, you shouldn't expect cracks in the engine block or its components
unless it was known to leak, consume or mix engine fluids, it was severely
overheated, or there was ev idence of bad bearings and/or crankshaft damage.
A visual inspection should be performed on all of the components, but just
because you don't see a crack does not mean it is not there. Some more
reliable methods for inspecting for cracks include Magnaflux, a magnetic
process or Zyglo, a dye penetrant. M agnaflux is used only on ferrous metal
(cast iron). Zyglo uses a spray on fluoresce nt mixture along with a black light to
reveal the cracks. It is strongly recommended to have your engine block
checked professionally for cracks, especia lly if the engine was known to have
overheated and/or leaked or consumed coolant. Contact a local shop for
availability and pricing of these services.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 512
5. Make sure the ring gaps are pr
operly spaced around the circumference
of the piston. Fit a piston ring co mpressor around the piston and slide the
piston and connecting rod assembly do wn into the cylinder bore, pushing
it in with the wooden hammer handle. Pu sh the piston down until it is only
slightly below the top of the cylinder bore. Guide the connecting rod onto
the crankshaft bearing journal carefully, to avoid damaging the
crankshaft.
6. Check the bearing clearance of all the rod bearings, fitting them to the
crankshaft bearing journals. Follow the procedure in the crankshaft
installation above.
7. After the bearings have been fitted, apply a light coating of assembly oil
to the journals and bearings.
8. Turn the crankshaft until the appropria te bearing journal is at the bottom
of its stroke, then push the piston a ssembly all the way down until the
connecting rod bearing seat s on the crankshaft journal. Be careful not to
allow the bearing cap screws to stri ke the crankshaft bearing journals
and damage them.
9. After the piston and connecting rod assemblies have been installed, check the connecting rod side clearance on each crankshaft journal.
10. Prime and install t he oil pump and the oil pump intake tube.
CAMSHAFT, LIFTERS AND TIMING ASSEMBLY 1. Install the camshaft.
2. Install the lifters/followers into their bores.
3. Install the timing gears/chain assembly.
CYLINDER HEAD(S) 1. Install the cylinder head(s) using new gaskets.
2. Assemble the rest of the valve tr ain (pushrods and rocker arms and/or
shafts).
ENGINE COVERS AND COMPONENTS
Install the timing cover(s) and oil pan. Re fer to your notes and drawings made
prior to disassembly and install all of the components that were removed. Install
the engine into the vehicle.
ENGINE START-UP AND BREAK-IN
STARTING THE ENGINE
Now that the engine is inst alled and every wire and hose is properly connected,
go back and double check that all cool ant and vacuum hoses are connected.
Check that you oil drain plug is instal led and properly tightened. If not already
done, install a new oil filt er onto the engine. Fill the crankcase with the proper
amount and grade of engine oil. Fill the cooling system with a 50/50 mixture of
coolant/water.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 513
1. Connect the vehicle battery.
2. Start the engine. Keep y
our eye on your oil pressure indicator; if it does
not indicate oil pressure within 10 se conds of starting, turn the vehicle
off.
WARNING - Damage to the engine can result if it is allowed to run with no oil
pressure. Check the engine oil level to make sure that it is full. Check for any
leaks and if found, repair the leaks be fore continuing. If there is still no
indication of oil pressure, y ou may need to prime the system.
3. Confirm that there are no fluid leaks (oil or other).
4. Allow the engine to reach nor mal operating temperature (the upper
radiator hose will be hot to the touch).
5. If necessary, set the ignition timing.
6. Install any remaining components such as the air cleaner (if removed for
ignition timing) or body panels which were removed.
BREAKING IT IN
Make the first miles on the new engine , easy ones. Vary the speed but do not
accelerate hard. Most importantly, do not lug the engine, and avoid sustained
high speeds until at least 100 miles. Ch eck the engine oil and coolant levels
frequently. Expect the engine to use a littl e oil until the rings seat. Change the
oil and filter at 500 miles, 1500 mile s, then every 3000 miles past that.
KEEP IT MAINTAINED
Now that you have just gone through all of that hard work, keep yourself from
doing it all over again by thoroughly maintaining it. Not that you may not have
maintained it before, heck you c ould have had one to two hundred thousand
miles on it before doing this. However, you may have bought the vehicle used,
and the previous owner did not keep up on maintenance. Which is why you just
went through all of that hard work. See?

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 549

Fig. 2: Negative backpressure EGR valve
DIGITAL EGR VALVE
The digital EGR valve, used on 3.1L (VIN T) engines, is designed to control the
flow of EGR independent of intake mani fold vacuum. The valve controls EGR
flow through 3 solenoid- opened orifices, which increa se in size, to produce 7
possible combinations. When a solenoid is energized, the armature with
attached shaft and swivel pintle, is lifted, opening the orifice.
The digital EGR valve is opened by t he ECM "quad-driver" (QDR), grounding
each solenoid circuit individually. The fl ow of EGR is regulated by the ECM
which uses information from the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS), Throttle
Position Sensor (TPS) and the Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor to
determine the appropriate rate of flow for a particular engine operating
condition.