73-87chevytrucks.com

73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Engine/Drivetrain => Topic started by: Skunksmash on May 19, 2012, 01:04:53 am

Title: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Skunksmash on May 19, 2012, 01:04:53 am
What RPM should my engine idle at? 87 TBI 5.7L/700R4. It seems to idle at about 700 RPM. Is that about right?

Also, what RPM should it shift at? Depending on how much I have the pedal depressed of course. I usually try to drive the truck like a granny would. It seems to shift at about 1600 RPM when I depress the pedal about 1/4 of the way. This seems a little low to me. Most of the engines I've had would shift at anywhere from 1900-2100 RPM. But, then again I've never had a tach in one of these old trucks.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Fairlane514 on May 19, 2012, 09:29:41 am
Do you run A/C?  My 84 is has a quadrajet with A/C and 700 rpm is a little too low while its in gear with the A/C on. 850 seems to work better for me.

I just put a new tv cable in my 700R4 and did the adjustment like the experts explain. I then drove it and it shifted a little too soon and somewhat soft, alsmost felt like it was slipping into gear.  I increased the pressure on the throttle valve by pushing the tv cable adjuster towards the firewall a few clicks and it shifter later and slightly firmer.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: bd on May 19, 2012, 02:29:41 pm
87 TBI generally idles about 600 RPM in drive (as high as 700 in park/neutral).  87 700R4 shifts earlier than 350 or 400 for slight improvement in mileage.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Skunksmash on May 19, 2012, 09:16:48 pm
No my AC doesn't work right now so I don't run it. Just another thing on the long, long list of stuff to fix
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Stewart G Griffin on May 19, 2012, 10:38:51 pm
i think 700 is ok.    i thought you couldn't adjust TBI idle?
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: rickyharp on May 21, 2012, 08:39:06 am
My throttle body unit is sealed off from adjustment,had to use my snap-on scanner to adjust the idle speed.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Skunksmash on May 26, 2012, 03:15:32 pm
Ok where should it shift at? If I'm giving it say, 1/4 throttle, it shifts at about 1600 RPM. But if I really floor it, it will shift at about 2200 RPM. The weird thing is, I couldn't get the RPM gauge to say I was doing any more than 2500 RPM, at any time. I just wanted to give it a test so I floored it for a little, and it would just barely get up to 2500 RPM for a second then go back down to about 2100 RPM. Seems kind of strange. Maybe that's just how an old TBI motor acts?
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: werewolfx13 on May 27, 2012, 12:07:47 pm
Should go higher than that, i'd suspect a faulty tach if it actually sounds like its revving past that.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Skunksmash on May 27, 2012, 03:24:25 pm
Well it sounds like its revving way past that... but then again I've known old motors to sound like they're trying to move the world, and then be doing a relatively low RPM.
Title: Re: What should my engine idle at?
Post by: Skunksmash on May 28, 2012, 04:48:23 pm
I'll just borrow another RPM gauge from a buddy or something and hook it up real quick under the hood, and verify if mine is working right.