Post LIM Problems - Starts but quits

[golfdude0316]

Hello everyone, I just finished two days worth of work for the Lower Intake Manifold Gasket. After everything was buttoned up I reconnected the battery and tried to start the car. I was frustrated that the car started but died. Here are the facts that occur when it tries to start: (1) the car won't run loger than 2 seconds on its own without gas, (2) the car backfires, (3) the car has a bad smell out of the exhaust and a little smoke, and (4) the rpm gauge fluctuates wildly. I really need additional help/advice. Thank you for your replies!

[golfdude0316]

I meant to say that the car will not run longer than 2 seconds without pressing on the throttle for number (1).

[graden]

did you drain the anit freeze before you opend the intake?

if you did great, there might have been a little bit of left over and it got in to the pistons. It will take a few compression strokes to burn it off.

If you did not.
Chances are you flooded the pistion chambers with it and its going to take a while to burn it off.

If its stalling after that, I would say that you have not sealed the intake properly and you have a vacume leak.

Also check to make sure you have pluged im all your connections
and sensors properly, reatached your vacume lines and hooked up your air cleaner box properly.

[daman]

Got the plug wires on right.

also can you put your car info in your avatar..

[rixGAphx]

What manual or guide did you use as instructions for the procedure?
What year is your car??

It makes a difference, because the electrical systems changed in '99, and I think some of the engine sensors might be different with the 3.4.
'94-'98 = 3.1
'99+ = 3.4

Anywho, your symptoms of the stalling at idle, backfiring, and bad exhaust smell (I *assume* you mean strong smell of unburned gasoline) point to one problem:
Bad camshaft/valve timing.
But this can't be the case from a simple LIM gasket change, since you didn't even touch the cam or timing chain.

However, you DID remove the pushrods, for which you had to loosen some rocker studs.
Then you replaced the pushrods, and torqued the rocker studs; right?
The exhaust and the intake pushrods are two different lengths, about 1/4" difference. Sorry, I don't recall which are longer.
If long rods were installed where shorts were required, they would be holding the respctive valves open when they should be closed.
This would prevent complete combustion, allow backfiring, and provide insufficient power at idle to maintain engine speed.

You could verify if valves aren't closing by doing a cylinder compression test.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

[Teamlino21]

You weren't the only one doing their LIM that weekend!

Install the pushrods in their original location.
Coat the ends of the pushrods with GM P/N 1052356 or the equivalent.
The intake pushrods are identified with yellow stripes and are 5 3/4 inches long.
Exhaust pushrods are identified with green stripes and are 6 inches long.
Ensure that the pushrods seat in the lifter.
Install the rocker arm bolts. Tighten the rocker arm bolts to 14 Nm (124 inch lbs.). Use an angular torgue gauge to tighten the bolts an additional 30 degrees.

Hope this helps

[daman]

Originally posted by Teamlino21

The intake pushrods are identified with yellow stripes and are 5 3/4 inches long.
Exhaust pushrods are identified with green stripes and are 6 inches long.


You guy's with these newer cars got it good,the older 31's
don't have nothing marked, so you need to be very careful..:)

[Teamlino21]

Actually, I copied that right from "ALLDATA.com". When I took out mine, I didn't see any stripes, must have worn off. I second what Dan said....."you need to be very careful"