N
nickioto
Guest
Good evening, fellow Corvette enthusiasts!
Unfortunately, I am in a bad situation and need your help. I love my Corvette, but I have not been blessed with the extensive knowledge you have regarding the specific mechanics and solutions to problems that may arise. Here is my situation:
I have a 1976 Stingray with 105000 miles. There was a period of about 8 years where the car was not driven a whole lot and just sat. I drove it every couple of months, but not much more than that. Recently, I started it up and had the desire to bring the best back to life. I have a handyman that used to work on cars, and he agreed to give it a tune-up so it could drive like normal again. Let me mention that the car idled very rough and just needed a tune-up. I spent about $3000 on the following repairs:
Changed spark plugs, changed oil, changed air filter, replaced all engine belts, 4 new tires, changed all 4 brake calipers, Bled the brakes, sanded down one pad, replaced central exhaust system, cleaned fuel system with Shell V-Power premium gasoline and fuel system cleaner, got new shocks, changed the speakers, fixed a cracking bumper, re-weatherstripped the entire vehicle, attempted to fix a leak on the passenger side in the carpet (did not work), minor interior repairs.
HOWEVER, for the first time in 33 years, my Corvette failed the emissions test after this tune-up. It passed all tests except the exhaust portion. Also, the car still idled very rough. It is a little weird to me, at least. When the car is cold, it accelerates smoothly and idles alright. When the car warms up, the idle gets VERY ROUGH and the acceleration sounds like there is a golf ball stuck in the tail-pipe. Sometimes, the car dies if you do not let it warm up for a little while. But the main issue is the failing of the smog test (never happened before) and the extremely rough idle. Otherwise, my Corvette is running ok.
I brought the Corvette to a second mechanic, and he said the problem was the EGR valve, but he could not "find" the part and had to bypass it. So, he said he adjusted the carburetor to pass the smog test and cleaned out the EGR valve as best as he could. This cost me an additional $450.
Now, the idle is WORSE than before, and I do not feel confident to take it again to the Smog test. In your seasoned opinions, what do you think the problem is? Is it the carburetor? Would getting a new EGR valve solve this problem, and if so, where would I find one? Is is something that I have not already described? I am definitely going to take it back to this mechanic and have him reverse the damage he may have done, because I did not pay $450 for nothing.
BUT my main question to all of you is if you know what may be causing the problem that would cause my Corvette to fail the smog test for the first time and have a rough idle when warm, and not when it is cold.
IF you could please help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. I just need to overcome these two last problems, and my Corvette will be running great! I have 12 days left before my free second smog test expires.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Unfortunately, I am in a bad situation and need your help. I love my Corvette, but I have not been blessed with the extensive knowledge you have regarding the specific mechanics and solutions to problems that may arise. Here is my situation:
I have a 1976 Stingray with 105000 miles. There was a period of about 8 years where the car was not driven a whole lot and just sat. I drove it every couple of months, but not much more than that. Recently, I started it up and had the desire to bring the best back to life. I have a handyman that used to work on cars, and he agreed to give it a tune-up so it could drive like normal again. Let me mention that the car idled very rough and just needed a tune-up. I spent about $3000 on the following repairs:
Changed spark plugs, changed oil, changed air filter, replaced all engine belts, 4 new tires, changed all 4 brake calipers, Bled the brakes, sanded down one pad, replaced central exhaust system, cleaned fuel system with Shell V-Power premium gasoline and fuel system cleaner, got new shocks, changed the speakers, fixed a cracking bumper, re-weatherstripped the entire vehicle, attempted to fix a leak on the passenger side in the carpet (did not work), minor interior repairs.
HOWEVER, for the first time in 33 years, my Corvette failed the emissions test after this tune-up. It passed all tests except the exhaust portion. Also, the car still idled very rough. It is a little weird to me, at least. When the car is cold, it accelerates smoothly and idles alright. When the car warms up, the idle gets VERY ROUGH and the acceleration sounds like there is a golf ball stuck in the tail-pipe. Sometimes, the car dies if you do not let it warm up for a little while. But the main issue is the failing of the smog test (never happened before) and the extremely rough idle. Otherwise, my Corvette is running ok.
I brought the Corvette to a second mechanic, and he said the problem was the EGR valve, but he could not "find" the part and had to bypass it. So, he said he adjusted the carburetor to pass the smog test and cleaned out the EGR valve as best as he could. This cost me an additional $450.
Now, the idle is WORSE than before, and I do not feel confident to take it again to the Smog test. In your seasoned opinions, what do you think the problem is? Is it the carburetor? Would getting a new EGR valve solve this problem, and if so, where would I find one? Is is something that I have not already described? I am definitely going to take it back to this mechanic and have him reverse the damage he may have done, because I did not pay $450 for nothing.
BUT my main question to all of you is if you know what may be causing the problem that would cause my Corvette to fail the smog test for the first time and have a rough idle when warm, and not when it is cold.
IF you could please help me out, I would greatly appreciate it. I just need to overcome these two last problems, and my Corvette will be running great! I have 12 days left before my free second smog test expires.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
