When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
well this car was my grandpas he bought it around 90-93 and the guy who had it didn't take care of it, it was running on 6 cylinders and just trashed. Grandpa got it and got it running good swapped the block with a block out of a same generation corvette. Well he barely drove it. But he didn't just let it sit and rot. He constantly was doing something to it. When my uncle got older he started driving it more, my grandpa got cancer and passed away and the car was given to my uncle. Well few months ago my uncle sold me it for 1800 bucks. It wasn't starting and flooded it's self out before I got it. And had been sitting for a little while. My uncle took out the injectors and cleaned them. And still did nothing. My uncle had a 92 gta parts car that we pulled computer out of and put in the bird did a complete oil change since we figured probably some gas in oil. And it fired right up. Took it for a drive. Stopped got more oil and a filter did another oil change. Gave it a bath and the next weekend *i live 6-7 hours away from him* me and a buddy went down and picked up the car drove it for a bit and did a oil change again. Got some new tires got it registered and drove it home later 6 or 7 hours.. well my oil pressure when she starts up cold is almost to 60. As it warms up it slowly drops over the first 30 mins to 30 or little above when cruising at 55-65 and when it idles it's usually around 15. If it's really hot out it will drop down to nearly zero at idle. It has some random high idle. It's not a real beat on car. It was takin care of and everything. Once I got it up home my rear differential went out. Went and pulled one out of a junkyard got it put in. Realized I had a oil leak on rear of motor and a few coolant leaks so we ordered the intake gasket kit and did the intake gaskets and new distributor and coolant hoses and everything. Well as soon as we got it done and got it all timed it ran great. Just as I remembered it oil pressure was fine for a while and everything. No hesitation. Nothing. Also when we had fuel injectors off I realized one wasn't shutting off and leaking so we replaced it with some my buddy had for his gta. It was a different style but same pressure and resistance and for a 350 tpi. I just don't have money for fuel injectors right now. Newborn baby and just not enough mula right now at this moment. I'm afraid cam bearings are going bad. Random high idle, hesitation in acceleration, and oil pressure when car is fully warmed after 30 mins it drops slowly to 30 or little above (depending on outside temperature) and idle is usually around 15 (depending on outside temperature)
also, my buddy and I put in that oil luminescent stuff that shows where leak is coming from, and it is coming from my distributor. It's tight and snug. Also my gas tank bubbles on hot days after I shut off my car.
Last edited by Dylan E White; 05-07-2017 at 10:24 AM.
Borrow or buy a mechanical oil pressure test gauge. The electrical gauge, sending unit, and wiring are all 30 years old and were not accurate parts to begin with in 1988. They are little more than idiot gauges and could be WAY off after that much time. Circuit resistance, charging system voltage, and gauge calibration are all unknowns at this juncture.
Right on man. I will do that! Forsure. Also forgot to mention it's running really rich if you're 10 feet from car you can smell fuel. Instantly. Think it's them fuel injectors? They are aftermarket I believe.
The Southbay injectors come with o-rings. And in any case with a top feed injector, a bad o-rings will only result in fuel spraying on the outside of the engine or an intake air leak around the injector base. Which would cause the ECU to trim rich for a perceived lean condition.
I haven't really done anything with injectors except replace the one that was leaking. So idk how old injector o rings are. And i will order those hopefully this week or next weekend. The hesitation in it has been driving me nuts. And what about the leaking oil at the distributor?? New gasket and everything. Tightened down good and snug
Alright thanks guys! Really appreciate it! I know basics but really getting down in it don't wanna mess it up! Fairly new to the whole muscle car life. But I love it and It's my baby.
My issue is every day life. Sell the rusty '86 to pay for the restoration of the new '87 thats been in a barn full of mice for years. Meet someone, fall in love, buy a bigger house, renovate the bigger house... Mom has to move in with us after her stroke, motor goes out in the daily driver, spouse needs a new car.. All the while the iroc gets pushed to the bottom of the list of where money is going to be budgeted.
In no time 3 years have gone by and the car still isn't ready to run. It's close, but not quite there yet. So I tinker on it when I have time and weather permits. It'll get back on the road someday but until then it'll sit in the garage and look pretty.
Yup sounds spot on.. actually. Lol tell ya the truth red is my least favorite color. But my grandpas favorite so it's staying.. but I just so happened to get a bike that's also a 88 and red lol but it wasn't running. I got it running for 10 mins then it kicked off and won't start again just a ninja 500.
oil pressure when car is fully warmed ... 30 or little above (depending on outside temperature) and idle is usually around 15
That's well within the reasonable range... on the low side of normal but entirely adequate.
I would strongly recommend AGAINST futzing around with the mechanical gauge and all that. Not because it doesn't work, or won't read right, or anything of the kind; quite the contrary; but rather, because it won't tell you anything you can't figure out some other way MUCH EEEEEEZIER AND CHEEEEEEEEEPER.
Just replace the oil pressure gauge sending unit. The gauge itself doesn't go bad; and if the engine isn't behaving as if it's in low OP distress (lifters clattering, oil black and stinky within a few miles of changing it, engine is overall mechanically noisy, evil-smelling smoke coming out of the crankcase breather, etc.) then it's ... NOT in low OP distress. Odds are, whatever the absolute number of psi is, it's fine.
Alright I will get one this week and get it replaced asap. Thank you. That makes sense and the type of answer I want to hear. She still runs good. Has a miss but I need to get it under a timing light and some new plugs and wires. My buddy whose a small time mechanic just scared me mentioning cam bearings.
I will check the regulator lines. And I don't have it on hand but it is retrievable. I wasn't either but these actually look decent. I will try to refrain. Lol
05-07-2017, 10:20 AM
just a ninja 500. 
