Dave M

I installed headers/y-pipe and a highflow cat over the winter and when I went to start it up, it didn't. It cranks hard, but just won't turn over. The plug wires are putting out spark, and the cylinders are getting fuel (just drained and refilled the tank) and there's obviously air there.... all the ingredients are there but it just won't fire. The plugs are gapped at .040" and the distributor was never removed so the timing couldn't be off, and the coil wire is on tight. The only weird thing is when the key is in the "on" position, or when trying to crank the car, you can occasionally hear what sounds like a hot, bare wire touching metal. I can't be sure that's exactly what it is, that's just what it sounds like. It's not constant, just occasional and seeminly random. I would think if we missed a connection while putting everything back together, the car either wouldn't crank at all or start and run rough or die immediately, but to crank and not fire confuses me. Anyone have any ideas on what we might've done during installation to cause this?

The car is an 88 GTA, 350 TPI, auto, basic bolt-on stuff.

Thanks,
Dave M
88 GTA

Rob P

iTrader: (1)

The only thing I can think of is to double check your connections to the starter. Perhaps a hot lead to a junction box is not tight.
Pull the dist cap and check for corrosion after sitting so long.
Sorry I'm not much more help.


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Rob P
89RSconvtZZ4TPI
Edelbrock Hi-Flow Intake
SLP Dual Cold Air Intake
1 5/8" Headers
Semi-Siamesed Runners
MSD6AL/AdjFPR/IROC frnt@rear swaybar/wonderbar/steeringbox/alum drvshaft/ Alston SFC/3:23posi disc rear/MAC LCA/H.Adams Panhard Rod/KYB struts/ shocks/
92Z28convt5spd
71Impala convt 402BB
BETTER DRIVING THRU SUPERIOR HORSEPOWER!

Mark W. Winning

Make sure you have 12 volts on the ignition wire going to your HEI. I knocked mine loose one time while doing a tune up.

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1992 Pontiac Firebird 350/Six Speed
1987 Toyota Pickup 383/500+ HP

82camaro

A full tank doesn't equate getting fuel to the cylinders. If it's sat for a while, crank it over for a little bit then pull some plugs, they should smell like gas. Crank it some more and recheck the spark, should be strong--grab the plug if you want to be sure, good spark should make you jump, lol. Get some of your mechanic buddies to take a look at it(beer might be necessary). The more opinions and people that look at it the greater your chances of finding the problem.


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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

86Tra/maro

when i bought my car in December the guy that owned it said that it was sitting in the same spot for 2 years & never cranked but he said that it was running before he put it up. I had the car towed home & began working on it. I had the same problem your having! What I had to do was loosen one of the fuel lines on the tpi manifold turn the key on (without starting it), let the fuel pump cycle = (the inital fuel pressure priming that the computer tells the fuel pump to do when first starting the car) until the fuel starts to flow out of the fuel line. Once i got the fuel to come out of the line I re-attached the line & it cranked & ran! Hope that this helps ya
njdaewoo

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86 Tramaro 90% Trans Am/ 10% IROC/Z (nose, hood,& fenders)
Trans Am Mods as of 1/10/01
3inch
T.E.S/Flowmaster setup,gutted cat,gutted maf,relocated mat,373 gears,upgraded factory chip,255 liter h/press. walpro f/pump & throttle body coolant bypass
njdaewoo@excite.com

Dave M

I should've been more specific. When I said the engine is definately getting fuel and that I just refilled the tank, those are two seperate thoughts. We already pulled plugs to check for fuel in the cylinders (there was plenty), but I thought the gas might have gone bad, so I just drained and refilled the tank the other day, but the car still does not start.



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Dave M
88 GTA