thats illegal tho...

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-Matt

I wish I didn't have emissions...Even on my T-type, though it's a high-flow cat, I wouldn't use it if I didn't have to. Pennsylvania is pretty strict on emissions unfortunately or that'd be a simple fix I could take care of for just a couple bucks at Advance Auto .

Jrs3800 - I really wish my Bonne ran like that...And honestly, I don't even know what gears I have in this thing. I never found out if the transmission was replaced when the engine was and I have yet to look at the tag on the transmission to see the code. Didn't the SSE's have the 2.97 gears?

I actually never realized how much the lack of power this car has was bugging me lol. I honestly think a lot of it, along with the cat, was just a shifty engine swap. I'll take L67 donations. My paintless SSE would be the perfect sleeper. Wouldn't it be neat to see an '88 SSEi?

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1997 Buick Riviera - 102,000 miles : Series II L67/4T65E-HD : Intense intake : Ported S/C outlet : Ported LIM : Yella Terra 1.8 Ratio Rockers : LS7 Lifters : PLOG : Hogan Downpipe : INTENSE 3.5" MPS : 180 degree thermostat : AL104's : AC Delco 8mm wires : Shift Kit : STS strut tower brace : Custom Rear Strut Brace : F41 Sway Bars : Monroe HD rear air shocks : HD sway bar links : DHP Tune :
1988 Buick Lesabre T-type - 127,000 miles : Series I L67 : 4T60E-HD : AL 104's : 180 degree thermostat : '97+ Ignition Coils : Intense FWI : Walbro 255 : 2.5" Stainless Exhaust : Flowmaster 40 Series : STB : 'Caddy' braces : hood louvers: Karma Kustoms Ported M62 : Non-walled LIM : YT 1.8:1 rockers : LS7 Lifters : 2.4" S/C pulley : Custom PCV Oil bypass : B&M Trans Cooler : Sinister Tune

I also run the Buick Lesabre T-type Registry

Removing the catalytic converter one of the more illegal mods you can do. Cats are necessary according to the EPA, so it's a federal crime to take them off. Some other things that change the emissions are also somewhat not liked by the law, but they are not federal crimes. At least this is my understanding. Still, removing the cat is one fine way to figure out if your problem is, in fact, that.

Check the downpipe and see if there's a flange. You could probably just unbolt the exhaust and drop the whole thing for a couple minutes to see if your car behaves the same. That doesn't make it all right, but it's one odd way of going about it in the cheapest, least illegal fashion.

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94 SSEi - Project car
99 SLE - Tuned with different parts and such
85 Porsche 944 - Daily driver
68 Chevy C-10 - Free truck! Needs parts.

Deleting the cat is very detrimental for the 3800. It needs some form of backflow to run right. A cheap universal converter can be had off eBay for less than $100. A shop shouldn't charge much to weld one in for your ($40 or less probably). Not horribly expensive.

200k miles wouldn't surprise me if the cat has been killed by now.

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-Eric
"Energy and Persistence Conquer all Things" --Benjamin Franklin
-1989 Buick LeSabre T Type: 220k miles
-1987 Fiero GT: 224k miles
-2012 Honda Civic (boring, but its a good DD)

2.97 was standard for the SSE... GX3 3.33 was an option..

The 2.97 should run harder than my 2.84

Well, my dad and I played around with the Bonneville after I fixed some other things for it from my list (which is still...huge). First thing we did is free up the sticky gas pedal. I'm not 100% sure, but it appears to have been a bent plate where the gas/cruise cables attach and was binding up on itself. Bent it back and it's been about two days and I have not felt any stickage. We also adjusted the TV cable, thinking it would help my too-soon-to-shift into 3rd issue. Well, it didn't at first - I couldn't shift out of first when we adjusted it correctly. We then adjusted it back to where we thought it was since we knew it worked there before, lo and behold, every gear shifts evenly - so we inadvertently fixed the problem. On that test drive, I couldn't but notice that the car had gotten some POWER back. You all know how I was complaining how slow the darn thing is. Well, it seems adjusting that cable (for better or worse - I can't decide which we did yet lol) made a huge difference. The car responds awesome, has much better shift timing, and doesn't drag itself everywhere. It pulls for once! I'm hesitant to say it's 'normal', but man is it nicer now.

I do have to ask for an opinion though - should I check my EGR valve and throttle position sensor anyway? The engine was 'overhauled' but That doesn't mean those things are clean or new. I have a few spares of each, but I'm wondering if I should bother - the reading I did earlier today suggested those could be causes for sluggishness.

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1997 Buick Riviera - 102,000 miles : Series II L67/4T65E-HD : Intense intake : Ported S/C outlet : Ported LIM : Yella Terra 1.8 Ratio Rockers : LS7 Lifters : PLOG : Hogan Downpipe : INTENSE 3.5" MPS : 180 degree thermostat : AL104's : AC Delco 8mm wires : Shift Kit : STS strut tower brace : Custom Rear Strut Brace : F41 Sway Bars : Monroe HD rear air shocks : HD sway bar links : DHP Tune :
1988 Buick Lesabre T-type - 127,000 miles : Series I L67 : 4T60E-HD : AL 104's : 180 degree thermostat : '97+ Ignition Coils : Intense FWI : Walbro 255 : 2.5" Stainless Exhaust : Flowmaster 40 Series : STB : 'Caddy' braces : hood louvers: Karma Kustoms Ported M62 : Non-walled LIM : YT 1.8:1 rockers : LS7 Lifters : 2.4" S/C pulley : Custom PCV Oil bypass : B&M Trans Cooler : Sinister Tune

I also run the Buick Lesabre T-type Registry