Help! L81...Back to stock

[Moser28]

ok, here's what I've got:

L81 w 53,ooo miles
1. Headers with no O2 bung. Connector wire hanging in engine compartment.
2. Aftermarket air cleaner. I have the original air cleaner but will need the plastic intakes in front of radiator and on the side.
3. EGR does not have vacuum line hooked to it.
4. electric choke is being held open. (with a wire...you have to see a picture of that.)

The car runs fine but I know it will run better if I fix this stuff. The question is where do I start? I would assume that I would start with the O2. Any opinions you have would greatly be appreciated!
Thanks!
Todd

 

[bill81vette]

IF you want to put the 81 back to stock,you will need a set of the
exhaust manifolds...these were a one year item,they can be had but they are rare....or you can have a fabricator/welder drill a hole and weld a nut on the headers to get the O2 sensor to work.

air cleaner parts can be had from most of the corvette parts houses.
if you have a service manual or AIM (assembly instruction manual)you can find out where the vacuum line is coming from to reconnect it.
is the electric choke parts even there?????
if you have any more question don't hesitate to ask!!!!

 

[Moser28]

The electric choke parts are there. Maybe I just need to replace the choke. I will keep my headers so I will try to find somebody to weld in a bung for me. After that I should be able to plug that right in. I am wondering though, since the carb has been adjusted to run without the O2, will I end up having to tune the car again? I'm new to all of this and learning as I go. I will be ordering the rest of my parts to complete the air cleaner assembly. I've been told by many that the original is way better that the aftermarket air cleaners. Any help you can give me would be great.
Thanks!
Todd

 

[Moser28]

btw...my car is very close to yours. My number is 03368. I think it was made in September 80 as well but I'm not sure.
Todd

 

[bill81vette]

btw...my car is very close to yours. My number is 03368. I think it was made in September 80 as well but I'm not sure.
Todd

do you know how to read the date code in the door jamb plate???

 

[Moser28]

Are you talking about the plate on the body or sticker on the door? I also have the original window sticker.
As far as my O2 is concerned, I am having problems finding someone to weld a bung in for me because my car doesn't have cats and nobody will work oanything related to the exhaust. I may put cats back on in the future but I want to take care of this first.

 

[bill81vette]

inside the drivers door,on the front of the body,there is a metal tag affixed to the body with the date code of when your vette was built.

 

[Moser28]

September 23, 1980, Tuesday.

Thanks for the info!

 

[centsless]

I have the air cleaner plastic parts, let me know if you are interested. I also have a carb, but not sure if I want to part with it yet. I could probably be persuaded into it, though...lol
Bob

 

[LannyL81]

Headers

Two things:
1. Can you take one of the headers off and then take to a shop for the O2 bung welded job?

2. The original O2 sensor most likely will not work in the header collector due to heat loss. You may have to go to a heated or four wire O2 sensor.

Also, if the carb has been replaced, has the distributor? If so, then I doubt the CCC system is connected and connecting the O2 sensor is worthless as there is nothing the CCC will be able to adjust.

 

[Moser28]

I have removed the header and I have someone welding a bung for me. The carb is original and really only needs a new choke. The distributer is new and correct for the CCC. Where is a good place for E4ME carb parts?

 

[LannyL81]

I have removed the header and I have someone welding a bung for me. The carb is original and really only needs a new choke. The distributer is new and correct for the CCC. Where is a good place for E4ME carb parts?

I have used two places in the past. I just did a google search on E4ME and found several places that had parts. The most recent was a guy off of ebay...again do a search for E4ME, he is the retired carb rebuilder one, slow to answer email, but good prices on parts. Best to call him...actually his wife answers the phone.

Would like to see a picture of that electric chock with the wire.....

 

[Moser28]

ok...here is the way I found it.

 

[GerryLP]

ok...here is the way I found it.

Todd,

The wire for the choke actually crosses over from the driver's side of the car on the inner fender. It is green, and has a funky connector at the end. If you find the wire, but do not find it with a connector, then order Ac-Delco P/N PT102 or GM# 12085480. It comes with a pigtail that should help you reach the choke.

Perhaps all that it is wrong with the choke is that the heating wire (the green cable I just mentioned) is not connected?

p.s. It looks from the image that the choke element was perhaps replaced once at least.

 

[Moser28]

Your information is very helpful. I am somewhat new to all of this but I have decided I can do anything I need to do to this car myself, I just need the right information and direction which this forum is the best for that. Anyway, I did some digging and found these two wires. The green one that you spoke about and a black one with a green stripe. I don't know what that one is for. Why would these be disconnected anyway?
Thanks!
Todd

 

[GerryLP]

The black one is for your idle stop solenoid. The solenoid pushes on the throttle just a bit to compensate with added idle speed whenever the air conditioning is cycling on and off (otherwise, whenever the compressor kicked-in, the idle rpm would drop to an almost stalling speed, such as conditions found in city stop-and-go traffic with the A-C on).

The green one is your choke. If you place a voltmeter connected to it (red on the green cable and black on ground), it should read 12 volts with the ignition switch in "on".

 

[Moser28]

Do you know where most tap the 12V supply for the heated O2 sensor? I have an OE sensor but I am taking it back to get a heated one.
Thanks
Todd

 

[Peer81]

I would say the left (green black) wire is your choke wire. As Gerry says, it commes from the left fender, by the generator, with all the vacuum tubes over your left cilinderhead, in front of the carb and it connects then to the choke. If correct (at least the connector I have) slides on the choke, does nog lock and it slides on it on the right side so to say

Right wire is strange to me, looks some what like the wire for you CCC (dwell meter connector).
I hope it helps.

Groeten Peter

 

[GerryLP]

Do you know where most tap the 12V supply for the heated O2 sensor? I have an OE sensor but I am taking it back to get a heated one.
Thanks
Todd

Todd,

The "BAT" terminal wire on the distributor cap is normally a switched point. The wire that connects at that location is Tan colored EDIT:I LOOKED AT THE WIRING DIAGRAM. iT IS SUPPOSED TO BE PINK, BUT THE WIRE ON MY CAR IS FADED, and you can always verify this by connecting a multimeter in the volts scale and turning the ignition key to the "on" position. I remember that I used that same spot sometime ago when I had the MSD box connected to the ignition system.