What is tragacs!?

It's a Hungarian word for old, not so well running cars. I'm currently working on a truck which is not a tragacs anymore. I dedicate this site to this work and you can follow my experience with this car (actually it's a truck) and hopefully with others in the future.

The truck? Well. It's kinda special one.

91' GMC Syclone. #2613 from #2998. 4.3 V6 turbo charged, intercooled, AWD with automatic. It was advertised with 280BHP@4400RPM and 474NM@3600RPM in stock form. Now, I can't say it's stock any more.

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Site News

The site is under heavy construction. Working on the truck is my favourite sparetime business and I'd like to document it, but I've other things to do. Family, work, dogs etc. Anyway, you got the idea...

• 2003-11-10 I've updated my Performance page the last time this year. With a new best of course, which also gave me a new best at Ave's list. I've also updated my History page to show the current state.
• 2003-10-20 My best friend Pi, bought a 92' Typhoon last week. It's in not a bad shape, but it definately needs a tune-up. I've seen this truck in the past, but had no pictures about it. Now this mistake has been corrected, so you can find this truck in my Hungarian page.
• 2003-10-20 Quite a few things happened the last week. First of all I could manage to go back to first place at Ave's list. Props to Ave! You can also see the log of this run at my Performance page.
• 2003-10-08 Finally I've add the Cooling link to the left side...
• 2003-09-23 I've updated my Performance page with my best run ever. I was also racing two times this month and will at the end of the month too. After the third race I'll update my racing page, so stay tunned.
• 2003-09-05 I've installed a few induction components lately, so I've updated my Intake & Exhaust page. The truck got a BOV and a new throttle body from BBK. I've also updated my History/Plans page with a few new projects comming up and with the updated modification list.
• 2003-08-28 As you might noticed, all of the pictures got a signature in their lower righ hand corner. Thanks to Eric for helping to write the script!
• 2003-08-28 Performance page update again. Nothing special, just a new run... My idle problem is still there...
• 2003-08-17 I'm also figthing against my stalling problem. I've got a erratic idle lately too. My first priority is two solve these two issues now. I'm planning to go racing in the upcoming weeks, so it should be resolved ASAP.
• 2003-08-17 That was quite some time from my last update. However I was busy around ther truck lately, so forgive me my laziness. First I deleted my ABS, created new brake lines and installed new 7/8" rear brake cylinders. The braking didn't change much, but I can hold the truck at the line much easier than before. I've also installed my MSD 6A ignition box. Couldn't notice any improvement idle or performance wise, but it could help in the future. I've also ordered a lot of stuff lately, front brake kit, coilover suspension for the front, TC, tranny stuff etc... I'll write about these as I gonna incorporate them into the truck. This time I've updated my Plans page so it's current now.
• 2003-07-10 Performance page update again. A clean and best to date off idle run. The truck also developped a stalling problem lately, which was getting worse last night. I've a few ideas, we will see it...
• 2003-07-07 I've created a new page talking about Cooling. Also updated my History page with new plans and completed mods.
• 2003-07-03 Ave put the g-meter into the Sy again. I got back my first place amongst the cars on his page. Thanks Ave!Hopefully I'll be able to improve this results later this year. On a side note pls remmember that Ave is using 0 for rollout at all his recordings.
• 2003-07-03 Performance page update again with two runs.
• 2003-06-10 I've updated my performance page again.
• 2003-05-29 I just replaced my ignition wires with MSD 8.5 mm. I've updated my maintenance page accordingly. Also my falso knock problem came back, I'll pick down my exhaust tonight and will see what can I do. Also solved my exhaust leaking problem by the removal of my driver's side SCE header gasket. So I've no header gaskets so far and I could finally leave behind the annoying noise too.
• 2003-05-22 I'd like to congratulate Sz. Zsolt for beating me at Ave's page. He is the fastest recorded cars over there right now. Hopefully not for too long, though... ;-) Good job Zsolt!
• 2003-05-22 I've updated my performance page again. Hopefully I solved my false knock problem... I also updated this year's racing page.
• 2003-05-09 I've updated my performance page. Just solved an ignition problem and I'm still figthing against knock.
• 2003-04-22 I've put back the Sy to the road. The new electric fan setaup in his place and running. I will do a separate page on cooling shortly. At the same time I started to tuning my truck. Check out my performance page. I've a serious false knock issue I'm figthing against currently.
• 2003-04-11 A short update. Yesterday I received the replacement WP from Stewart. I'll put it up this evening or tomorrow the latest. So I'm only waiting for the electric fan and I can continue testing. Hopefully it will arrive soon enough... I've also updated my link page with a pointer to a very nice Hungarian Audi page.
• 2003-04-05 Today we had a short wrenching session with Csabi... We replced the spark plugs and the turbo-to-IC hose in his truck.
  
  
  That's half of the Hungarian Syclone population. I've also updated my Hungarian specific page with a few pictures on Csabi's truck.
• 2003-04-05 A short update on the water pump issue. I'm still waiting for parts. I got the radiator and the shrouds so far. The pump and the fan should be on its way...
• 2003-03-27 I've to give credit where it belongs to. Stewart stood off for their product and offered me a free radiator and a replacement pump. Now, that's what I call customer support...
• 2003-03-26 Well, I don't know how to start. At the end of my last testing trip the flange, which holds the water pump pulley, the fan's clutch and the fan itself came off of its shaft. The fan went orbit and destroyed the radiator and the lower and upper shrouds around it. Most of my coolant went away in matter of seconds I stopped the truck when water temperature was at 220F. Hopefully the engine lived through this. Here is a picture of the aftermath.
  
  
  The last two day I was thinking hard, searching for possible replacement options. Finally this morning I ordered a stock replacement radiator and a electric fan from a Ford Taurus 3.8. I've talked to a bunch of people, but couldn't find any alu rad, which could do the job and cut the bill. Once I finished this whole stuff I;ll shoot up a separate cooling page about this. Wish me the best if you can...
• 2003-03-26 I created my Performance/Tuning page for this year, you can find the first testing there.
• 2003-03-17 I've also updated my turbo page with the picture of my new turbo-to-IC hose.
• 2003-03-17 Yesterday we made a big step with my Sy. She meet the sunlight first time in the last five months. It was a really nice weather, sunny, temperature in the high 40's, so we rolled around the block.
  
  
  This picture could be familiar for you, but note the changes, small license plate, new paint on the bumper and the Momo wheel. Anyway, since first time out, I didn't push her, was recording with DM, found nothing exeptional. I can still hear a bit more valve train noise than I would like to, don't know what to do with it. I've poly lock lying around now, so might switch them in. Beside this I had no problem on that short run so more to follow. Will have to do emission testing this week or next week the latest too.
• 2003-03-17 I've created the new racing page for this season.
• 2003-02-03 I've updated my engine page. Will create a separate Cam/Valvetrain page, so removed that kind of information and also add a few new remarks.
• 2003-01-30 Following Dig's advice I put up the updated WB O2 hack for our ECM on the WB O2 page. Thanks Dig!
• 2003-01-27 Maybe the latest and greates news that I could start the Sy last Sunday. It started at the first try and run smooth enough thanks to the new open loop bin. The first of the rocks rolled away over my shoulders. I've a water leak at the back of the block on the passenger's side, which I couldn't track down yet, hopefully nothing serious. So currently I'm waiting for a little better weather to go out and test the Sy on the road too. I've a few things to work on until then. I've to fabricate a new metal turbo-to-IC hose. I'm also ordered the new non A/C blower housing and a few silicon lines. Beside these the truck is ready to roll on the streets again. I'm really excited to drive it again, on the other hand I'm affraid of these first trips too. Let's see a picture on the current state of the engine bay.
  
  
  
• 2003-01-27 A month passed by again. Well let's see a few updates. First I could buy a spare engine at the of the last year. It's from a 91' Blazer, which ate two of its rods.
  
  
  Will I be able to make this work again? Will see... The plans are to slowly build a mild configuration on the engine stand using this block and maybe the crank too. However that's not first priority now...
• 2002-12-28 First of all I'd like to wish Happy New Year to everyone. I archived the new starting page, which you can still find here. I haven't updated the site for a while, but in the back I worked on the Sy real hard. Hopefully I'll be able to complete my current project ina couple of weeks now. Everything arrived now and I've already started to put things together. L35 heads, with new rockers, valve springs, pushrods, PT52 turbo, external WG, Mike Lee's downpipe,50's injectors, Stewart water pump, a lot of shinny stuff, polishing, porting just too mention them in a list. Will cover all the new stuff on their appropriate sections soon. Already updated my History/Plans page.
• 2002-12-28 Older news

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