Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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10-13-19 02:43 PM - Post#2777806
I'm trying to replace the coil packs on my 1990 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport Wagon with the 3.1L V6. The bottom bolts on each coil pack come out fairly easy but the top bolts all seem like a different size or all rusted out. The 5.5mm socket slips on one of them and the other two it won't grab onto at all. I have tried metric and SAE from a little bigger to a lot smaller and nothing will grip onto these. I have also tried female torx and still no luck. On one I finally got sick of it and ground the head of the bolt off so that I could get the coil pack out of the way and have room to get the bolt out. The joke is on me, now the bolt is frozen in place and even vice grips won't break it lose. I have had it soaking in penetrating fluid for days but it won't free up. To make things worse the coil packs are mounted on the front of the engine so I am working blind and there is almost no room to get anything in the small space where the bolt head is. Any ideas?
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junkman104
Frequent Contributor
Posts: 1442
Age: 60
Loc: Murphy N.C.
Reg: 01-25-14
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10-14-19 03:15 AM - Post#2777839
In response to Turbo2
I would replace the entire coil packs and module with a used unit.
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Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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10-16-19 01:08 PM - Post#2778045
In response to junkman104
It looks like the same bolts that hold the coil packs in place also hold the module in place.
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paulo57509
Senior Member
Posts: 404
Loc: Tracy, CA
Reg: 07-18-00
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10-20-19 12:34 AM - Post#2778283
In response to Turbo2
I'm trying to replace the coil packs on my 1990 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport Wagon with the 3.1L V6. The bottom bolts on each coil pack come out fairly easy but the top bolts all seem like a different size or all rusted out. The 5.5mm socket slips on one of them and the other two it won't grab onto at all. I have tried metric and SAE from a little bigger to a lot smaller and nothing will grip onto these. I have also tried female torx and still no luck. On one I finally got sick of it and ground the head of the bolt off so that I could get the coil pack out of the way and have room to get the bolt out. The joke is on me, now the bolt is frozen in place and even vice grips won't break it lose. I have had it soaking in penetrating fluid for days but it won't free up. To make things worse the coil packs are mounted on the front of the engine so I am working blind and there is almost no room to get anything in the small space where the bolt head is. Any ideas?
Doing a coil or module R&R on a 3.1 is a pain even when everything goes smoothly. I remove the entire coil/ignition module/bracket assembly from the engine block.
It'll be easier for you to remove that buggered up coil mounting screw if you do this too.
The only issue is the bracket mounting bolt shown below.
For some reason (IIRC, the starter is kind of in the way), it's difficult to next to impossible to see it and get a socket on it properly. I have resorted to removing just the coil that's directly under it in order to get to that bolt.
Before I bolt the assembly back onto the engine block, I make that hole a slot and partially install that bolt into the block allowing me to slide the bracket into place.
And yes, please consider replacing the module while it's on the bench.
1987 IROC-Z 5.0L
1992 Lumina Euro 3.1L
2003 GMC Safari |
Edited by paulo57509 on 10-20-19 12:40 AM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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10-29-19 12:55 PM - Post#2779063
In response to paulo57509
Do you know off hand what size the bolts are that hold the module on?
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paulo57509
Senior Member
Posts: 404
Loc: Tracy, CA
Reg: 07-18-00
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11-01-19 10:48 PM - Post#2779342
In response to Turbo2
Do you know off hand what size the bolts are that hold the module on?
I'm sorry, I do not.
1987 IROC-Z 5.0L
1992 Lumina Euro 3.1L
2003 GMC Safari |
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Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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12-01-19 08:24 AM - Post#2781329
In response to paulo57509
Well I finally got the coil packs replaced and now have a different problem. If I start the car from cold it runs great and even after it's all full temp it still is running well. If I shut it off and go in a store, when I come back out and start it up it runs like it is running on 4 cylinders. It misses and bucks down the road making the car shake and when I park it, it smells very hot (coolant temp is normal). If I wait till the next day it starts up like a champ and will run great again until I shut it off.
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paulo57509
Senior Member
Posts: 404
Loc: Tracy, CA
Reg: 07-18-00
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12-07-19 04:57 PM - Post#2781681
In response to Turbo2
I don't have a good answer for you but a few questions.
Other than the three coil packs, what else was replaced?
Was the battery ever disconnected?
The engine runs fine when started from dead cold. When the engine gets up to temp, does the idle surge and does the engine act like it wants to die?
1987 IROC-Z 5.0L
1992 Lumina Euro 3.1L
2003 GMC Safari |
Edited by paulo57509 on 12-07-19 04:57 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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12-08-19 11:42 AM - Post#2781712
In response to paulo57509
I don't have a good answer for you but a few questions.
Other than the three coil packs, what else was replaced?
Was the battery ever disconnected?
The engine runs fine when started from dead cold. When the engine gets up to temp, does the idle surge and does the engine act like it wants to die?
Spark plugs were also replaced.
Battery was not disconnected.
Starting from cold it runs great and continues to run great even at full temp as long as I keep driving and don't shut it off. The problem only seems to happen after it's up to full temp and then shut off.
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paulo57509
Senior Member
Posts: 404
Loc: Tracy, CA
Reg: 07-18-00
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12-08-19 01:35 PM - Post#2781718
In response to Turbo2
I don't have a good answer for you but a few questions.
Other than the three coil packs, what else was replaced?
Was the battery ever disconnected?
The engine runs fine when started from dead cold. When the engine gets up to temp, does the idle surge and does the engine act like it wants to die?
Spark plugs were also replaced.
Battery was not disconnected.
Starting from cold it runs great and continues to run great even at full temp as long as I keep driving and don't shut it off. The problem only seems to happen after it's up to full temp and then shut off.
I forgot to ask, why did you replace the coil packs in the first place?
For the "new" issue, I'd confirm that all the plugs are firing when it's acting up. I think they still make those pen-like testers that you touch to the plug wires. If the plug is firing, the pen lights up. I've done this same test with an inductive timing light.
If all the plugs are firing, you can look elsewhere for the problem.
Link
1987 IROC-Z 5.0L
1992 Lumina Euro 3.1L
2003 GMC Safari |
Edited by paulo57509 on 12-08-19 01:39 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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Turbo2
Newbie
Posts: 20
Reg: 07-26-16
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12-09-19 09:58 AM - Post#2781783
In response to paulo57509
I don't have a good answer for you but a few questions.
Other than the three coil packs, what else was replaced?
Was the battery ever disconnected?
The engine runs fine when started from dead cold. When the engine gets up to temp, does the idle surge and does the engine act like it wants to die?
Spark plugs were also replaced.
Battery was not disconnected.
Starting from cold it runs great and continues to run great even at full temp as long as I keep driving and don't shut it off. The problem only seems to happen after it's up to full temp and then shut off.
I forgot to ask, why did you replace the coil packs in the first place?
For the "new" issue, I'd confirm that all the plugs are firing when it's acting up. I think they still make those pen-like testers that you touch to the plug wires. If the plug is firing, the pen lights up. I've done this same test with an inductive timing light.
If all the plugs are firing, you can look elsewhere for the problem.
Link
I originally replaced the coil packs for misfiring and rough idle. 2 of the 3 coil packs were out of spec.
I'll have to look into getting a spark tester.
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