smoke in 3rd....alot

[Steve Wood]

Why don't you ohm out the coil packs before spending money?

[Shimy87]

How do I test them

[Steve Wood]

Run the engine, get it hot, turn it off.  Then pull the plug wires across each coil pack and and measure the resistance between each pair of plug wire terminals on each coil.

Resistance should be about 12,000 ohms on each pack.

[daveismissing]

asking-If the springs are floaty it should show up in all the gears at that RPM?

[Shimy87]

Well that is one problem! the 2 outside coils read 14.22 and 14.28 but the center one wont even show a reading. repeated test and outside repeated the numbers and middle wont show reading.
 
Wheres best place to get replacement? Would this be causing my boost problem??
 
Additional stupid question, how does car even run like this?
 
Thanks alot Steve!!!

[Steve Wood]

Car's running on 4 cylinders when the combustion chamber pressure comes up under boost. Check the vendors,  or see if summit still sells the Accel coil pack for our cars

[daveismissing]

If you can't find the Accel
Glen has the Delco
http://www.nos4gn.com/servlet/the-1/Buick-Grand-National-12353801/Detail

[Steve Wood]

http://www.summitracing.com/search/product-line/accel-magnavox-style-dis-super-coil-packs?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&autoview=SKU&keyword=accel%20coil

or the one Dave listed

[Steve Wood]

When you install the new one, be sure the module is well grounded to the mounting bracket and the bracket is well grounded to the back of the engine...don't paint the mounting surfaces

[Shimy87]

Thanks so much for all the help! The accel is on back order everywhere til late OCT.. A local parts store has a Master-Pro ( Orilley Auto Parts store brand) that I can get in the morning. If this fixes my problems ( very high hopes!!) I'll be able to get to the track this weekend. I can swap it out this winter for an Accel.
 
Thanks again!!   

[Steve Wood]

 might work... Not much luck with junk parts

[daveismissing]

which where the aftermarket parts where the tach wouldn't work?

[Steve Wood]

which where the aftermarket parts where the tach wouldn't work?

Not sure about that Dave.  Aftermarket modules will not work with Casper's Coil and Module tester.  the GM module is not made by any one these days.  Standard makes one that works pretty well and it is cheaper than bob Bailey's unit...but not as good long term, I suspect, altho I saw something about one of them being bad as well.

If there is something that renders the tach inoperative, I would say it had to be the module as that is where the signal comes from.

Problem is that when a coil does not read the right resistance and is run long enuf in that condition, it weakens the module as well.  I tend to forget the basics when it comes to trouble shooting because I assume that everyone knows to check to see if the coil packs read between 11-13k ohms, if the maf reads right at idle and wot as well as around 3000 rpm in park, etc.  I watch the vacuum all the time to make sure it looks normal and has not changed.

I think I am getting too old for this stuff  

[Shimy87]

Well new coil worked to get it to rev and shift nice. Smoke problem back and will still only push 20 lbs boost with boost controler and wastegate arm maxed out. The smoke is from it pushing oil out the drivers side valve cover breather and maybe even the dipstick tube, hard to tell from the mess in the same area So im assuming that either the drivers side head gasket is going or the rings on the low cylinder are letting boost into the pan. I dont see how a head gasket could cause this so looks like rebuild time??

Still dont understand lack of boost?

[Steve Wood]

A leak down test will prove if the cylinder is causing the problem.   An intake gasket that is not sealing will also cause a ton of blow by as the boost will blow straight into the engine valley and pressurize the oil pan. 

I would probably start by verifying that the intake bolts are set to about 30-35 ft-lbs in hope that I found one or two that were not compressing the gasket properly.

If that did not pan out, I would pull the valve cover, remove the rocker shaft so that the valves are closed, remove the #5 plug, thread a air hose fitting into the plug hole and connect my air line to it and do a poor man's quick and dirty leak down.  give it a 100 psi of air pressure into the cylinder and, if the rings are gone badly, you should have air coming back out the oil drain holes in the head.  (or you can buy a leak down tester and do it properly)

a badly leaking intake gasket will bleed off your boost

If I heard air coming back out of the crankcase thru the drain holes in the head, you know it is rebuild time.  If it was not obvious, I would pull the intake and see if the gasket was not sealing.