Just joined up today. Saw all the great help you gave to others, and I'm hoping that I might be able to get some as well (and more importantly, maybe even someday contribute to helping others). Some info about the car to start off. It's an all original 1986 TA with the 305 (engine code H) with 4BBL and auto tranny. Someone has done some work apparently to keep it running, but didn't do it correctly, imho. As of right now, the distributor is a vacuum advance style, with no vacuum hooked up, which I'm going to change back to the ECM controlled distributor (assuming I can find one). Pretty much all of the emissions vacuum hosing is missing. The only thing that was hooked up was the vacuum sensor off the carb, and the PCV is hooked up to the carb and that's all on that vacuum line, the T is blocked off with a screw. So, currently I've gathered that I need an EGR solenoid, EFE TVS, Purge TVS, Canister Control Valve and 2 check valves. However, I do not know what the part numbers are for these items, nor do I know what they look like so if I am shown the part at the parts store I won't know if it's correct. I'm attaching a few pictures that I'm hoping someone can tell me what the things are. 2 of them look like some form of check valve, and the other I believe is the air management valve (I think that's what it says in the book). The one item is right behind the alternator bracket, other is in the water next, and the other is the large thing off the passenger side of the engine with a couple large rubber hoses and a few small vacuum lines off it (which are capped). My ultimate goal is to restore this car to pretty much out of showroom condition in order to show, but I need to get engine work done to get the SES light off. As of right now it's giving me code 41 because of the distributor, and that seems to be it, but I would like to get the emissions stuff right as well. Thanks for any help in advance.

Some wrecking yards have vehicles which still have the engines in them. Might get lucky and find one like yours and you could then take pictures of how everything is routed.

And might be able to goto google.com, click on images, then search for that year/model vehicle and find some engine pictures.

Then also you can get a factory service manual set and these would have vacuum, wiring diagrams, and how various things work. Troubleshooting.

With older factory service manuals, there might be a service manual book, an electrical and vacuum diagrams book, an emissions systems book, and a unit repair book. Sometimes they come out with a book for say emissions which covers several model years. So need to do some hunting/searching on the internet to find all the documentation.

Might try here: http://www.helminc.com
But for the same year, look at what documentation is available for other similar vehicles. And might try looking a couple of years forward/back for the same vehicle. This is where you might find an emissions service manual which might cover multiple years and is not listed for your year/model.

If you can get the exact name of a service manual, then you can search google.com for that with the name in quotes. Sometimes used bookstores will have these.

For example there is a GM 1996-2000 Emission Diagnostic Manual.

And an old GM book: Fundamentals of Computer Command Control- General Motors Service Technology Group

Here is a good place to search for used books. It searches many books stores around the world in one search...
http://used.addall.com

For Author: enter General Motors and that will weed out a bunch of listings.

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

The first two pictures show thermal vacuum switches (among other things). The third picture is the A.I.R. diverter valve.

There isn't a clear picture of the carb, but the throttle position sensor connector is laying there unconnected to anything, so it's a fair bet that you don't have an electronic carb on there. You need to keep those two as a pair or neither will work properly.

I can help you with some of the emissions parts, but I don't have a carb available anymore (or, yet). I do have a distributor and the complete vacuum system.

Thanks for both the replies.

I've been googling for information (I'm a systems administrator, so Google is my friend by nature), but so far I haven't found any specifics on this car. I have read what the different emissions functions do, so have a good understanding of the purpose, just no good diagrams (sticker and books make it hard to see where there are T's and where the lines are just crossing over each other).

I have the Hayne's and Chilton's books for these cars, but they don't have any good pictures of the vacuum lines on the car either.

I did find the harnesses that are unplugged in the wiring diagrams though, so I did know that was the TPS harness. I've also found the EGR solenoid harness, distributor to ECM harness, and Idle Air Injection Valve harness (I believe).

I've also attempted going to the local auto parts stores, and most of those people aren't sure what I'm even looking for, which also doesn't help me much. And the junk yards I've gone to around here don't have much for F bodies, and the few they have are pretty much completely gutted and the one with an engine has the TPI, which doesn't help me out much.

Thanks again for the input and I always welcome more if it's available. Just trying to save another 3rd gen car from the scrap heap.

Ok, so I've been looking for parts, and I think I've found most of what I need.

But I'm still trying to figure out for sure what the valves are in the pictures. The one is in the intake on the front passenger side, and I have yet to even get a clue about what that is.

The other, in the water neck, I'm thinking is the early fuel evaporation thermal vacuum switch.

If anyone has any more information on the emissions on an 86 TA with H engine code, it would be greatly appreciated. The Hayne's and Chilton's books so the same emissions diagram as the sticker, and so not much more help than it is.

Again, thanks in advance for any help.