Engine power loss

**Pitchlock** · 09-22-2011, 02:42 PM

Any ideas. 1999 LS1 82,000 all factory. I had no issues driving. Stopped and turned off the car for about 10 minutes. started again with ruff idle about 500 rpm. Had a hard time accelerating into first with the car jerking like someone who doesn't know how to drive a stick. Pressed down the pedal and could only get about 2,000 rpm to the floor. second gear was a struggle to accelerate. I was able to get through the gears but never over 2,000 rpm. Eventually the car would only produce 800-1,000 rpm all gears. Towed it home. I place the key to on and I can hear the fuel pump run and the car started with the same ruff idle. I could get about 3-4 revs up to 4,500 easily and back to the never over 2,000 and slowly losing power. After some trouble shooting the car has a hard time starting but again I get a few good revs and back to no power. Don't know if this is relevent but over the last month around 2,500-3,000 rpm in low gears I would have a very almost unnoticeable hesitation in power but never seemed to be a problem. Changed to PVC valve about 3 months ago. Any help would be appreciated.

**Cutlass** · 09-22-2011, 05:26 PM

Sounds like it could be a fuel pressure problem but it could be a TON of other things. Like a bad Crankshaft Position Sensor. Can you get a hold of a fuel pressure gauge and test the pressure?

**Knight** · 09-22-2011, 05:29 PM

Agree with Cutlass. It could be a number of things, so it's best to start with the easy, common items first. Fuel pressure being one of them.

Any chance the SES is on? If so, you could get the codes read, which will help narrow things down.

**Pitchlock** · 09-22-2011, 06:40 PM

I do have a SES light. I am borrowing a code reader tomorrow. I have been doing a lot of research and I am thinking its the EGR. What do you think? I plan on cleaning it out tomorrow I also changed out the fuel filter. When I do get it running it revs those few times and when I have the back pressure build up that is when the car has trouble and I have read on the linear EGR's carbon can get stuck and cause the engine to lose a great amount of power. Let me know what you think.

**cammed goat** · 09-23-2011, 07:23 AM

Let us know what you find.

**Cutlass** · 09-23-2011, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Pitchlock

I do have a SES light. I am borrowing a code reader tomorrow. I have been doing a lot of research and I am thinking its the EGR. What do you think? I plan on cleaning it out tomorrow I also changed out the fuel filter. When I do get it running it revs those few times and when I have the back pressure build up that is when the car has trouble and I have read on the linear EGR's carbon can get stuck and cause the engine to lose a great amount of power. Let me know what you think.

Possible...not really common. If you take it off and the little pintle valve doesn't look stuck, then its probably not the cause.

**Pitchlock** · 09-23-2011, 02:53 PM

I got a fuel pressure gauge from Auto Zone. When I turn it to on I get 20 PSI and then it drops down to 0. I started the car and it stays at 20 PSI. So looks like a fun job of a fuel pump. Any suggestions on this one. Any advice and is this a realistic job that I can do in the driveway? I understand I must lower the rear end, exhaust and drop the fuel tank. Looking at the Airtex pump for 264 dollars.

**Knight** · 09-23-2011, 03:04 PM

Has the fuel filter been changed recently?

**Pitchlock** · 09-23-2011, 03:08 PM

Had the problem before the filter change and changed it last night with no luck. Another question: Where can I just buy the pump, my sending unit is fine or do you recommend changing the whole unit. I seen someone mention a walbro pump on this site and I think that is an external pump, is that an option? Again thank you everyone you expertise and experiences are greatly appreciated.

**Lunatikgixxer** · 09-23-2011, 03:14 PM

usually i see people replacing their stock pumps with an external pump. check out one of the sponsored sites there should be a handful of pumps on there

**Pitchlock** · 09-23-2011, 04:28 PM

If I go with a external pump do I need to still remove the internal pump?

***SMWS6TA*** · 09-23-2011, 10:11 PM

Racetronix has a damn good pump for about $280. It will fit your current and future needs.

**Pitchlock** · 09-24-2011, 06:14 AM

Has anyone put in the racetronix f99 / PFA-016 pump. I am thinking about going with this one. And is there anything extra I will need. It sounds like I can pull the old one and plug in the new one and put the car back together.

**Cutlass** · 09-25-2011, 05:17 PM

I hate to suggest or even recommend this, but some people cut an access panel in the floor for the fuel pump. I would never do it to my car, but here's a link for you if you'd like to:
f-body intank fuel pump install 99+ 99 walbro camaro transam ls1 lsx

**jsmith564`** · 09-25-2011, 07:22 PM

^^ haha... that would be scary to cut over the fuel tank. Call me crazy but if my pump shits, i'm going the easy way out, i tried it the right way the first time.

it sucked

**35th-ANV-SS** · 09-25-2011, 07:59 PM

I have had the Racetronix pump in my car for about 3 months now. Can't say I really have read anything bad about Racetronix. Their pump is made by Walbro, which is widely used.

**Pitchlock** · 10-02-2011, 05:39 PM

Well it was the fuel pump. I got one from Racetronix for 138 shipped. I couldn't bring myself to cut an access lid, so I dropped the tank. It wasn't as bad as I was thinking. Did it right in the driveway with 2 sets of jack stands. 1 set for the frame and when I lowered the rear end I let it rest on the other set. Also I only disconnected the exhaust after the cats and didn't fight it off the axle and had plenty of room to drop the tank. The biggest pain was cutting the clamp off the exhaust as it formed into one big chunk of metal. Thanks everyone for your inputs and advice throughout the site.

**cammed goat** · 10-02-2011, 06:23 PM

You take the car for a spin yet? How does it feel?

**Pitchlock** · 10-02-2011, 06:33 PM

Went for a short one (had to get more gas). I did get on it after the fill up and I think the pump was slowly going over the last 6 months or so because there seems to be a little more get up in the car. Or that just might be me dreaming. Either way I am happy its back on the road. I'll get to play more on the way to work tomorrow morning.