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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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hey everyone i am new to this form and was trying to figure out a few things with my truck. i have a 97 chevy tahoe vortec 5.7 every time i go playing off road my truck starts sputtering and bogging down when you first try to give it gas. but after 2k rpms it is fine it is very strong and doesnt bog it is just going from idle to 2k please help me with this problem i am tired of having to stop playing and come home when i know my heavy chevy can out do any of the fords and dodges i ride with.
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drifterdude Frequent Contributor Posts 1282 |
06-15-12 01:45 PM - Post#2237498
wet electronics, water/dirt got into intake few different things. How hard to you dive into the dirt/mud/water. If hard enough it goes everywhere on all directions your doing it wrong and its going to cause issues. Enter slow once in gun it. Also do you have the inner splash guards in the engine bay? if not make some or get some the tires slinging junk up on the motor is not helping either.
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Silverado4x4HD Member Posts 188 |
06-15-12 03:30 PM - Post#2237545
As drifter said are you getting the truck really wet in the engine bay? If not do you have more then a quarter tank of fuel? If your tank is low it could be sucking air into the fuel system. You can do a pressure test on your fuel pump, it maybe ready to go out. Does it run good once you get on road?
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-17-12 01:48 PM - Post#2238311
it runs fine once i am done playing when i get on the road. i did have a k&n filter with outbox on it but just went back to the factory air box. i have the covers on the fenderwells about to lift my truck so going to do the gap guards also. i am thinking i am getting the distributor wet because that is where it seems like i am having trouble. so i am going to put a new cap on it soon and put some dielectric grease on it to get a good seal. if you can think of anything else that might help stop the distributor from getting wet please give me some other tips. i never had this problem with my 99 tahoe.
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someotherguy Moderator Posts 23397 |
06-17-12 04:01 PM - Post#2238355
On the Vortec small block like your truck has - when you install a new cap, re-use your existing cap screws, and be very, very careful installing them. The distributor body is plastic and it's ridiculously easy to damage the tabs where the screws go into. The new cap will often have threadlocker on the screws making them too fat for the existing holes, and it tends to crack them - if they're not already cracked. Richard
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rockfangd Contributor Posts 549 |
06-17-12 04:05 PM - Post#2238357
been there done that before. I have seen them just crack randomly. Plastic. Then each time you replace the screws it pushes more threadlocker into the holes. I tighten them just over snug. It is really bad on the astros because all the heat lingers in the doghouse and that is right where the distributor is. I believe I still have a few kicking around with broken ears
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-18-12 09:03 AM - Post#2238677
so dont use the new screws that come with the cap. i dont normally buy the cheaper one due to me using the truck to offroad. i normally spend the extra money and get a good cap and rotor that comes with all new screws.
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someotherguy Moderator Posts 23397 |
06-18-12 11:27 AM - Post#2238733
Yeah but the existing screws "fit" the threads already cut into the plastic. New ones may be slightly different...and new ones almost always have some threadlocker, too. Putting the new ones in is usually what finishes breaking the tabs off the distributor body, leaving you attaching your cap with zip ties until you go to the hassle and expense of replacing the distributor. Richard
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-18-12 12:04 PM - Post#2238766
i got you i am thinking about upgrading the distributor soon also just to get a little more performance out of it but not sure i want to spend the money yet if i can fix this issue first. i dont want to buy a 400 dollar distributor and it do the same thing this one is.
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355Cheyenne Senior Member Posts 3743
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06-18-12 08:01 PM - Post#2238944
My 98 was just having the exact same problem except I wasn't mudding. Twice I went through the car cash and she sputtered and bucked when the "under body wash/spray" shot up into the engine bay. cleared up with a little throttle. I kind of ignored it figuring I had some water in the dist. Cap. Then there was a very wet rainy daiy and it literally shut off on me and I started thinking WTF. Kept getting worse and worse until I came home from menards and it died twice on the highway coming back on within seconds. I checked the battery cables and the + had worked a little loose. May not be your problem but with out a doubt check your battery cables. Hot and cold cycling can work that loose. Also check all your grounds. Batt to body, Batt to frame, engine to frame, engine to firewall (passenger side rear head) I am thinking you have a poor bonding or grounding.
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-19-12 12:50 PM - Post#2239170
that is what i am thinking i checked my cap nothing was wrong with it my plugs were fowled out so cleaned them. i have a striped out positive battery side in the battery so my truck is dying every other day but after i start it i have no problems. except that when it is wet or going mudding.
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355Cheyenne Senior Member Posts 3743
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06-19-12 02:23 PM - Post#2239189
Get the battery replaced, this could very well be the problem.
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drifterdude Frequent Contributor Posts 1282 |
06-19-12 04:25 PM - Post#2239234
A dead or bad connection at the battery and a wet alternator sound like your main issue. If the battery has a poor connection and the alternator gets wet your going to have those issues. I agree with replacing the battery. Battery should keep you going enough that the alternator can pick back up if it gets wet or cuts out of charging for any period of time.
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454cid Contributor Posts 298 |
06-19-12 04:49 PM - Post#2239243
A wet alternator won't cause the engine to run poorly that I've experienced. Any time I've cleaned my engine my alternator has gotten sprayed.
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drifterdude Frequent Contributor Posts 1282 |
06-19-12 11:57 PM - Post#2239348
if the battery is not getting power to the motor and the alt shorts and you get no power then your going to have electrical issues. If all is right you can pull the battery on a running car and the alt keep it alive. Alternators are weather resistance not water proof. If you pull the bat and hose the alt your going to get issues with running when power goes stupid. same the other way around. Have it running and disco the alt and the battery should keep it running till it dies. Poor connection and of course that will not happen. Poor grounds or even power connections can wreak havoc on you with intermittent issues or make you think your chasing a ghost issue sometimes. Trust me on my Isuzu the alternator is at the very bottom of the motor and is not protected from anything even rocks. its the first thing to get wet or smacked. I go through alts on it probably ever other year due to it and that is a street only truck.
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-20-12 11:24 AM - Post#2239482
ok thanks guys you have been a great help going to get the battery today and then go play this weekend i will update from there my cap and rotor looked brand new so it is good. so it has to be my battery stupid interstate new guy screwed me on that one i never let people work on my trucks and the one time someone else puts a battery in it the battery gets screwed up.
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454cid Contributor Posts 298 |
06-20-12 01:17 PM - Post#2239504
if the battery is not getting power to the motor and the alt shorts and you get no power then your going to have electrical issues. If all is right you can pull the battery on a running car and the alt keep it alive. Alternators are weather resistance not water proof. If you pull the bat and hose the alt your going to get issues with running when power goes stupid. same the other way around. Have it running and disco the alt and the battery should keep it running till it dies. Poor connection and of course that will not happen. Poor grounds or even power connections can wreak havoc on you with intermittent issues or make you think your chasing a ghost issue sometimes. Trust me on my Isuzu the alternator is at the very bottom of the motor and is not protected from anything even rocks. its the first thing to get wet or smacked. I go through alts on it probably ever other year due to it and that is a street only truck. You're adding more problems to the equation, to make what you say true. If all that other stuff is wrong, then it's not really a wet alternator causing the problems. With an engine running, the alternator won't be wet for long, either.
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-20-12 06:41 PM - Post#2239627
it is not my alternator test good it is also only 6 months old
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guardian08 Forum Newbie Posts 8
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06-23-12 09:55 AM - Post#2240478
thanks guys everything is good my battery was the problem
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355Cheyenne Senior Member Posts 3743
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06-23-12 01:33 PM - Post#2240515
Thought so, thanks for following up with us.
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