1982 CHEVROLET CAMARO gas mileage

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) 468
7. Compare your hot oil pressure reading
to that given in the chart. If the
reading is low, check the cold pressu re reading against the chart. If the
cold pressure is well above the spec ification, and the hot reading was
lower than the specificat ion, you may have the wr ong viscosity oil in the
engine. Change the oil, making sure to use the proper grade and
quantity, then repeat the test.
Low oil pressure readings could be attributed to internal component wear, pump
related problems, a low oil leve l, or oil viscosity that is too low. High oil pressure
readings could be caused by an overfilled crankcase, too high of an oil viscosity
or a faulty pressure relief valve.
BUY OR REBUILD?
Now that you have determined that your engine is worn out, you must make
some decisions. The question of whether or not an engine is worth rebuilding is
largely a subjective matter and one of per sonal worth. Is the engine a popular
one, or is it an obsolete model? Are parts available? Will it get acceptable gas
mileage once it is rebuilt? Is the car it's being put into worth keeping? Would it
be less expensive to buy a new engine, have your engine rebuilt by a pro,
rebuild it yourself or buy a used engine from a salvage yard? Or would it be
simpler and less expensive to buy another car? If you have considered all these
matters and more, and have still decided to r ebuild the engine, then it is time to
decide how you will rebuild it.
The editors of this information feel that most engine machining should be
performed by a professional machine shop. Don't think of it as wasting money,
rather, as an assurance that the job has been done right the first time. There
are many expensive and spec ialized tools required to perform such tasks as
boring and honing an engine block or having a valve job done on a cylinder
head. Even inspecting the parts requires expensive micrometers and gauges to
properly measure wear and clearances. Al so, a machine shop can deliver to
you clean, and ready to assemble parts, saving you time and aggravation. Your
maximum savings will come from perf orming the removal, disassembly,
assembly and installation of the engine and purchasing or renting only the tools
required to perform the above tasks. Depending on the particular
circumstances, you may save 40 to 60 perc ent of the cost doing these yourself.
A complete rebuild or overhaul of an engine involves replacing all of the moving
parts (pistons, rods, crankshaft, camsha ft, etc.) with new ones and machining
the non-moving wearing surfaces of t he block and heads. Unfortunately, this
may not be cost effective. For instanc e, your crankshaft may have been
damaged or worn, but it can be machined undersize for a minimal fee.
So, as you can see, you can replace ev erything inside the engine, but, it is
wiser to replace only those parts whic h are really needed, and, if possible,
repair the more expensive ones. Later in this section, we will break the engine
down into its two main components: t he cylinder head and the engine block. We
will discuss each component, and the re commended parts to replace during a
rebuild on each.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 477
Most cylinder heads these days are made of
an aluminum alloy due to its light
weight, durability and heat transfer qualit ies. However, cast iron was the
material of choice in the past, and is st ill used on many vehicles today. Whether
made from aluminum or iron, all cylinder heads hav e valves and seats. Some
use two valves per cylinder, while the more hi-tech engines will utilize a multi-
valve configuration using 3, 4 and
even 5 valves per cylinder. When the va lve contacts the seat, it does so on
precision machined surfaces, which seal s the combustion chamber. All cylinder
heads have a valve guide for each valve. The guide centers the valve to the
seat and allows it to move up and down within it. The clearance between the
valve and guide can be critical. Too much clearance and the engine may
consume oil, lose vacuum and/or damage the seat. Too little, and the valve can
stick in the guide causing t he engine to run poorly if at all, and possibly causing
severe damage. The last component all cylinder heads have are valve springs.
The spring holds the valve against its s eat. It also returns the valve to this
position when the valve has been opened by the valve train or camshaft. The
spring is fastened to the valve by a retainer and valve locks (sometime\
s called
keepers). Aluminum heads will also have a valve spring shim to keep the spring
from wearing away the aluminum.
An ideal method of rebuilding the cylin der head would involve replacing all of
the valves, guides, seats, springs, et c. with new ones. However, depending on
how the engine was maintained, often this is not necessary. A major cause of
valve, guide and seat wear is an improperly tuned engine. An engine that is
running too rich, will often wash the lubric ating oil out of the guide with gasoline,
causing it to wear rapidly. Conversely, an engine which is running too lean will
place higher combustion temperatures on the valves and seats allowing them to
wear or even burn. Springs fall victim to the driving habits of the individual. A
driver who often runs the engine rpm to the redline will wear out or break the
springs faster then one that stays well below it. Unfortunately, mileage takes it
toll on all of the parts. G enerally, the valves, guides, springs and seats in a
cylinder head can be machined and re-used, saving you money. However, if a
valve is burnt, it may be wise to replace all of the valves, since they were all
operating in the same environment. The same goes for any other component\
on
the cylinder head. Think of it as an insurance policy against future problems
related to that component.
Unfortunately, the only way to find out wh ich components need replacing, is to
disassemble and carefully check each piece. After the cylinder head(s) are
disassembled, thoroughly clean all of the components.
DISASSEMBLY
Before disassembling the cylinder head, you may want to fabricate some
containers to hold the various parts, as some of them can be quite small (such
as keepers) and easily lost. Also keeping yourself and the components
organized will aid in assembly and reduce confusion. Where possible, try to
maintain a components original location; th is is especially important if there is
not going to be any machine work performed on the components.

GM – CAMARO 1982-1992 – Repair Guide (Checked by WxMax) 710
•

Check the pump passages and the jet(s) for dirt, improper seating of the
discharge checkball or t he temperature bypass disc and/or scores in the
pumpwell. Check the condition of t he pump discharge check ball spring,
replace as necessary
• Check the pump linkage for excessiv e wear; repair or replace as
necessary
HARD STARTING-POOR COLD OPERATION
• Check the choke valve and linkage for excessive wear, binds or
distortion
• Test the vacuum break diaphragm(s) for leaks
• Clean or replace the fuel filter
• Inspect the float valve fo r sticking, dirt, etc.
• Also check the items under "Flooding"
POOR PERFORMANCE-POOR GAS MILEAGE
• Clean all fuel and vacuum passages in the castings
• Check the choke valve fo r freedom of movement
• Check the Mixture Control (M/C) soleno id for sticking, binding or leaking
• Check the air valve and secondary me tering rod for binding conditions. If
the air valve or metering rod is da maged or the metering rod adjustment
is changed from the factory setting, the air horn assembly must be
replaced. Also check the air valve le ver spring for proper installation
ROUGH IDLE
• Inspect the gasket and gasket mating su rfaces on the casting for nicks,
burrs or damage to the sealing beads
• Check the operation and sealing of the mixture control solenoid
• Clean all of the idle field passages
• If removed, inspect the idle mixture needle for ridges, burrs or being bent
• Check the throttle lever and valves for binds, nicks. or other damage
• Check all of the diaphragms for possible ruptures or leaks
After cleaning and checking all components, reassemble the carburetor, using
new parts and referring to the exploded view. When reassembling, make sure
that all screws and jets are tight in their seats, but do not overtighten as the tips
will be distorted. Tighten al l screws gradually, in rotation. Do not tighten needle
valves into their seats; uneven jetting will result. Always use new gaskets. Be
sure to follow all assembly and adjustment procedures.
Before performing any service on the carburet or, it is essential that it be placed
on a suitable holding fixtur e, such as tool J-9789-118, BY-30-15 or equivalent.
Without the use of the holding fixture, it is possible to damage throttle valves or
other parts of the carburetor.