Someone is getting the wiring on my new camaro fixed, after i get it back it greatly needs a tune up and i have a question.
Im going to replace sparkplugs, wires, oil filter, air cleaner, oil, ditributer cap and roter, and redo the brakes on the rear end.

Thats all i need for a tune up correct? other than the fuel filter which i tried replacing on my moms toyota with my dads advice and that turned into a mess so im a little intimidated by it... Do i have to replace the fuel filter? and does it improve gas mileage having a clean one? also does getting injector cleaner for it improve my gas mileage if its all gunked up?

 

You don´t have to replace the fuelfilter, as it cleans itself. If I remember correctly our cars have the fuel filter located in the fuel tank.^As for the tune-up, your plan looks good. If you encounter any other parts that need replacement I´d advise to do those asap as well. Have a look at the suspension. Mine wasn´t that good anymore, so I had to replace most of the bushings and tie ends as well.

 

The fuel filter isnt located in the gas tank. Its located by the frame rail in the rear right next to the gas tank on the driver side. Its not hard to change at all, if you can get the car up in the air. It just screws on. I would recomend changing it since you have no idea if its EVER been changed at all in the 22 years that car has been around.

 

And the fuel filter doesnt clean itself. To clean itself would have to purge the particulates it has filtered out, and the only place to purge them would be into the fuel line. That would make having the filter there in the first place pointless if its dumping particles right back into the fuel line that it just filtered them out of.

The filter youre thinking of in the tank is known as sock, and they go bad over time as well. but they mainly are there just to keep large particles from cloging the fuel line and stopping fuel flow completly.

 

Definitely do the fuel filter! Get a set of line wrenches (instead of being open ended like a regular wrench, they have a C shaped opening that just has enough of a space to get around the fuel line then slide up to the nut) ... in other words they get ALOT better grip without rounding the edges of the nut. And grab a can of PB Blaster (any auto parts store) - spray the fuel filter connections at both ends once or twice a day for a few days beforehand - it will greatly help loosen the filter connections. And make sure you use two wrenches, one to hold the filter still on filter side, and the line wrench to loosen the connector from the filter. Fuel filter needs changed every 2 years at least.

Nothing fancy on the plugs - good old AC/Delco plugs are the best, no matter what else you might read.

You mentioned brakes - change the two front rubber brake hoses as well. They get old and 'balloon' rather than transferring the fluid efficiently -you'll be amazed at the increased braking after changing those out for new.

 

I took care of the brakes, my rear cylinders where leaking so i replaced everything. im only 17 so i dont have much cash on hand especially without a job. im privaleged to even have this car. i can handle the tune up there is on problem im going to run into though, my friend has a newer corvette 350 boared to a 385 in his and he said he has tro take a bunch off to change the plugs. can i get them from the bottom pretty easily?

and also as far as the fuel filter goes, last time i tried to change on on my moms 90 something toyota my dad said to take the gas cap off the depressurize it but when i went to change the fuel filter i ended up in a mess with gasoline running down my arm for a half hour. it said to depressurize it i hads to disconnect two wires from the fuel pump but thats in the fuel tank on fuel injection isnt it?

Either way im just asking how to properly change the fuel filter so i dont run into the same problem again..

 

Plugs can be a pain, but not impossible, some are easier removed from the top, some from the bottom. And takin the fuel cap off will help minimize the fuel leakage, but its gonna leak a little no matter what, so just have a rag handy for that.

 

so how do i depressurize the system? if the pump is in the tank then do i have to drop the tank? or do i have to just deal with the fuel coming out? when i did my moms toyota the fuel leakage didnt stop coming out for a second the whole time and after i couldnt take the pain on my arm anymore i gave up and put the old fuel; filter back on and left it alone. Her tank had just been filled as well if that has any effect?

 

think of it this way, the pump is located at the top of the tank, so your only going to lose whatever gas is in the fuel lines, a small rag would soak it right up. on my car i can get the first 2 plugs on each side but after that its easier to go under the car and remove them, the one where the 02 sensor is will probably be the toughest. glad to know theres another 17 year old with a 3rd gen, and not another riced out civic

 

the only thing that should come out would be the fuel left in the line (not under pressure), if you pop the bottom fitting off first and just let it drain, you can pop the top on off and not have to worry about holding the filter up having gas run down your arm

 

also be sure to spray some wd 40 or pb blaster on the fuel filter, if it has never been changed it might be rusted together

 

okay so i need to drain the tank? i didnt know that... ive never played with fuel tanks much. all i was trying to do was replace the fuel filter and this is my first injected vehicle. so i need to drain the tank then is that why i had problems last time?

This is definatly my dream car but im lucky to have it other than its costing me a fortune but i hope its worth it after its running again. would something involving how to replace the fuel filter be in my chiltons manual?

Also speaking of rice burner my first vehicle was an 87 mazda b2000 pickup and thats how i kinda learned because i dont have someone to teach me./ i traded it strait across for this car!

 

you dont need to drain the tank....only a little bit of gas is gonna leak out from the fuel line when you pop the filter off

 

i dont know why but i took the cap off on my moms yota and when i started undoing the lines and got one side off the gas continued to pour out, it never stopped for 30 mins! i think maybe theres something small im missing here..

 

it could have just been the way that tank was set up...the way our tanks are set up, the gas wont just flow out of the tank by gravity, it needs some kind of pump going to get the gas out. when changing the filter (as long as you dont try and do it with the car running) the only gas that will spill is the little bit of residual gas still in the fuel lines

 

alright well thank you for ur help travis. Im new to the site here and is there anything i can do as far as giving you a good review or anything?

I appreciate the help guys and i have just one more question.

A couple months down the road from getting it running i want to put a new exhaust on it. It has dual exhaust and all i want to do is mufflers but i want it to sound like a demon..it has a 305 and my buddy suggests 40 series flowmasters, i want it to have like a deep rumble to it so it will sound beefy but i dont have any experience with exhaust either.

Anny suggestions?

 

i had my 3" cat back with a flow master 40 series on my stock 305 (before i ripped it out). its a nice sound imo...and no theres no sort of reviews on here for giving good advice....

 

oh alright well i appreciate your help. I think my exhaust is probably 2 and a half or 2 inch sincei think its stock so ill go with the 40 series then. thanks again.

 

the 3" cat back system has a pipe that bolts the stock cat, and expands up 2 3"

 

No, the filter is between the tank and the engine. When it starts clogging up there will be a progressive loss of power.