popping high rpm to 2nd gear

[Mirage]

i figure since this site is all grand am guys (esp. 3400 owners) they can figure out a multititude of problems i have been having with my 99 "guinie pig" car

in april of 2006, i had to bring my car to a dealer to have the upper intake, lower intake, and ignition module replaced, becuase they all shit the bed at once. i dont know why, but there was oil pouring out the block, coolant leaking like they all do, and the ignition module had burned out some of my coil packs. so basically they tore everything apart down to the bottom end.

So right after that once in awhile when i really hit the throttle hard at low speed (probobly in first?) when it gets to high rpms the engine "pops", like a poppity pop pop noise till it gets into the next gear and the rpms slow down. I do not understand why it would possibly do this, unless it is going too high into the redline for some reason. I do have some mods that give me faster revvs, but i wouldnt think it would be fast enough to put it too far in the redline? anyone else ever had this problem?

My other problem is sometimes when i start the car, esp. when its cold, it stalls out the first time and is fine the second time. For this, and maybe the first problem, i thought about plugs. but i changed the plugs to bosch platinum 2 a few years back, and they only have like 7,000 miles on them if that.

im kind of stumped and i really hate this engine. it has given me more problems than any car ive ever had almost, and it only has 58,000 miles on it. its almost still a baby..:(

[rixGAphx]

Well, Bosch Platinum +2 plugs are very good for many applications.
Especially 4-valve DOHC engines.

But NOT for dumb ol' 2-valve pushrod GM V6's.

Listen to everybody on this board:
This engine ONLY likes 'conventional ground electrode' plugs, not SplitFires or Dual-grounds (like the Bosch +4's) or 4-grounds (like Bosch +4's).
AND, because of the large gap/high voltage/high-heat of the V6's ignition coils with 'waste-spark', you must have plugs with platinum (or iridium) tips on BOTH the center electrode and the ground electrode.
Therefore, replace your Bosch's with ACDelco 'Professional' double-platinum plugs, gapped to .055 or .060.
At the very least, use ACDelco 'RapidFires' with single platinum (center electrode only).
* * *

Stay away from the redline!!!

This is an old-fashioned pushrod engine, and the maximum engine speed is limited by valve float.
Kind of a toss-up whether the valves can't close quickly enough, or the hydraulic lifters don't react quickly enough.
6000 rpm = 3000 compression strokes per minute.
= 50 per SECOND.
1/50th of a second is asking a lot of your valve train, which is essentially the same as V-8's with hydraulic lifters of the early '50's.

Not to mention the excessive wear you're putting on the bearings.
It's easy to starve this engine of oil, especially with the small sump.

And with an automatic tranny, there's no reason to redline it.
You'll get more torque out of the tranny if you let it upshift about 5000-5500 rpm, due to the torque converter's action when the rpm's drop in the higher gear.

Hope this helps,
-Rick

[Mirage]

it just seems to get there much quicker now, and doesnt want to change to the next gear soon enough...
guess i should also put in different plugs, which sucks becuase those back three are such a pain in the friggin ass