Throttle Postion Sensor

[Chris89turbo]

I am trying to locate a TPS for a 1990 SE. I have looked at three different units & I have run into the same issue with all three.

The Three I have looked at are:

1. 1988 Pontiac Grand AM 2.3L Quad 4 (Dont have the Delco Number Handy)

2. 1993 Pontiac Lemans 1.6L. Delco Number 213896

3. No fitment on this one, but was piulled random for late 80's Pontiac

All three looked identical and plugged right up to the car, but the problem was the clocking angle of the mechanical internals on the back side of the sensor (See Pictures). All three units I looked at had this same incorrect clocking, but they all bolt up fine & have the correct electrical connector.

SO, the interesting part is this: I took the 88 Grand Am 2.3L Quad 4 Sensor out of the box & plugged it into the car. I held the sensor on to the engine at a 90 degree angle & fine tuned the sensor to the proper volatage (using Freescan), and for the first time ever, all of my issues went away (No more srtong fuel & emmissions smell, no more stumbling on acceleration, and no more miss fires). So I am confident the sensor is going to solve a lot of problems. I just need to know which sensor I need to get.

Any ideas???

Chris

[andydclements]

A devious person might adapt the bits in one of two ways.

1) a plate that sits between the TPA ans end of shaft, that rotates the TPS 90 degrees and bolts into old bolt holes and provides new ones fro new TPS.

2) adjust end of shaft so that it has the newly placed grooves for the new TPS.

I'd try the former first.

Andy

[Chris89turbo]

True, but there has to be a good part out there somewhere?... This one was only $32 from the parts store. And if the OE switch is $40-$50 (or in some reasonable parice range), I would like to do a direct bolt fitment to keep it simple.

Do you know what the price is from Lotus?... Or possibly JAE?

S&J Sportscars is 37 British Pounds (Or around 50-$55 US Dollars). For that price, a direct bolt up is the way I would like to go.

But this is a Delco system, so it has to be a common part that I can get at the parts store.

Chris

Edited November 29, 2009 by Chris89turbo

[Chris89turbo]

I found one that is $70, and the clocking is correct. However, this HAS to be a common Delco part that I can get for the same $30-35 range at the auto store, and save me 4 days down time for shipping.....

Any ideas yet?... :-)

[ragingfool35]

I bought one from JAE last month for $65

[andrewp1989]

The clocking issue can be easily solved when using the 1991 ('88 to '93) Pontiac LeMans 1.6 SOHC TPS unit. I did not know the Quad 4 one has to be rotated so much for it to work.

The vertical alloy flange that the Lotus piece bolts to can be marked to fit the LeMans unit and then drilled and tapped (M4 size, I think). I did this when cleaning my intake manifold a few years back . . . it was out of the car at the time. The spare set of threaded holes are invisible when the stock Lotus unit is installed and are blocked by the plastic back of the TPS. No water entry issues here. The stock Lotus holes are mostly covered when the Pontiac piece is installed. I keep one LeMans spare with me so if the original TPS should fail (on the road) I can still drive home. These cost me, maybe, $2 at a wrecking yard.

AP