1997 Sunfire 4 spd automatic repair & modding

[jcp123]

Yep decent little engines. Nothing exciting but along with Saturn's 1.9 and Ford's 2.0l, both in SOHC form, they gave decent EPA test numbers.

[Daox]

Haha, I guess you do learn something new every day. I find that really quite odd, and I hope I never have to fix it.

In the mean time I hope I can hit 35 on the next tank.

[backpacker3]

How this going. I just thought of this but now that you have the 4 speed you should look into the B&M shift plus it's $30 but it might help some.

[Daox]

For now, I'm just driving it when I need to. There probably is only 30 miles on the tank so far and I filled up a week ago. The mods will have to wait. For now, ecodriving is providing all the mpg boost. I have the Civic to fix up before I even consider touching any other projects right now. Its occupying my only garage stall, and its currently quite immobile.

[Carbon]

Just read through your thread... I'm kind of a GM guy and some things stuck out at me.

First, the 2200 in your Sunbird is a pushrod OHV engine, the DOHC Ecotec replaced it in the J-body in MY2002+.

Second, you're not going to be able to do what you want with the TCC and a simple external switch. The 4T40e is entirely electronically controlled and the TCC is modulated with PWM, if you some how modify it to run with on/off states, you will burn up the clutch and have no TCC. It's not a particularly strong transmission so it is good that it's in the hands of an ecomoddder...

Third, almost ALL GM cars are bottom breathers... the holes in the front fascia are there for design only, not function. The air dam blocks the air moving under the car and forces it to travel through the radiator and back under the car. A lot of GM cars that run hot on the freeway are missing that air dam, and most of them live in snowy states. The car most likely has a standard GM thermostat value of 195F, running up to 210F in traffic is nowhere near overheating. If you think there is a problem though, I would definitely check/replace the thermostat as a first try item as they have been known to get stuck or not fully open.

Last, the e-brakes in damn near every GM car up through the mid-2000s are pure crap.

[backpacker3]

One note about that though is that the Ecotec's first year in the j body platform was 2002 not 2000 and even then it was only an option.

[Carbon]

You're right! Doh! 2000 was the first year of the F23 Getrag manual trans.

Sorry about that!

[backpacker3]

No problem I only know that because my 02 has the Eco. It's a pretty good little engine I'll give it that.

[Daox]

I got the Sunfire back this weekend. I had loaned it out to a friend who had a Saturn. We traded cars while I was working on his. Sadly, I hadn't finished the work on his car when he returned the Sunfire though. He was having problems with it. The right rear brake was locking the wheel up when the brakes were applied moderately hard. It was fairly violent and quite odd when I took it for a real short test drive to see what was going on.

I pulled the drum off the back and it was caked pretty good with brake dust and what I'm going to assume is some brake fluid. I blew it out with air to clean it up the best I could. Then, I wiped the drum braking surface down with brake cleaner.

This seemed to take care of the brake locking up the tire. However, there is still a clicking from the right rear when I left off the brake pedal. The only thing I can think of is its hanging up somehow and it has to be the wheel cylinder which is weeping anyways and caking everything in a nasty brake dust + oil paste. Time to replace that I guess. Ideas welcome.

[2000mc]

If it makes noise when parked, heard when you press and/or release the brake pedal, and you just cleaned everything well with brake clean, and you're reasonably confident the hardware is where it should be.... My thought would be that you actually cleaned things too well. Take the drum off, lift the shoes off the backing plate with a larger screw driver, then with a pocket screw driver I sneak a dab of anti-seize onto the contact points

....might as well wait till you're replacing the wheel cylinders though