I've been having a sort of rev limiter issue on a oval track '98 cavalier 2.2 5 spd. the past couple months. its like its hitting the rev limiter around 5100 rpm or at least thats what it sounds like. It started intermittently just in the heat races but the past month its been doing it in heat and feature. it does it in neutral and all gears, at least all the gears I run. I have changed fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, changed injectors, O2 sensor, checked for vacuum leak, did a comp. check and all were good, changed coil pack/ ignition module, changed plugs and wires, changed battery, tried a different instrument cluster, changed the head thinking it was a valve issue, tried a different computer, hooked up a handheld autoscanner and no codes came up. Not sure if it could be anything in the motor maybe like a flattened cam but wouldnt that show up on the compression test? Any ideas on what it could be? Also, I broke a valve spring a couple months ago, it was doing it intermittently before that but it seems its been doing it pretty much ever since I put a new set on.

are you running an open exhaust? if not have you checked your cat? Have you checked your tune? maybe you accidently changed your fuel shut off to a lower rpm.

Yes, running an open exhaust. I tried a different computer thinking it was something with the rev limiter or something in it and still does it.

Would a throttle position sensor cause this?

I tried a different throttle body thinking it might be a sensor on it and still did it. Think I have it narrowed down to a mechanical issue. Nothing showed up on a diagonistic test and it showed it was still getting fuel around the 5100 point. I had an issue with valve springs as I ended up braking one. I put a new set on and its done it all the time since then. Thinking the cam lobe/lobes might be flattened alittle. Maybe just enough that it runs fine up to 5100 but once there the valves don't open as far as they should and it makes the rapid popping/rev limiter like sound. Make sense to anyone else?

Im guessing here that its either spark timing is way off or cam timing maybe? or possibly not high enough octane fuel? I have no clue. did you check your cylinder pressure after you fixed your valve?

I didnt damage any valves, just broke the spring. All cylinders had good compression. I'm not running a higher compression motor so the octane of the fuel shouldnt be an issue.

i would check your tune. if your tune checks out. thern check your cam timing.

I have the same kind of problem. Did you ever have any luck resolving the problem?

Ended up being 6 of the 8 cam lobes were flattened approx. 1/8". The valve spring pockets needed to be cut down for the kind of valve springs I was using and I didnt realize it. Luckily it didnt bend any of the pushrods or valves and didnt damage any of the lifters.

Thanks for the response. Was the problem obvious when you pulled the valve cover? Where did you get the new cam? Did you have to replace both or just one cam?

Thanks,
Michael

This was on a 2.2, not the 2.4

Are you saying you don't think mine would be the same problem?

I guess you have over head valves not over head cams.

Not sure if its the same problem or not and yes its an overhead valve motor