My friend's 86 TA 305 TBI is giving him problems, I'll tell you guys what I know, and you tell me if you can think of anything.
He drives it and it runs just fine till it reaches around 180, then it dies. It won't start back up (turns over) until he lets it cool down again. Also, it looks like he has a fuel pump (I thought they all had in-tank pumps) right behind his smog pump, and it all of a sudden leaks gas out of the top when this happens. He said that he found out that his Coolant Temperature Sensor is bad, and that's all he knows. His smog pump is unhooked BTW in case that matters. Any ideas are appreciated, I'm not sure what it is. Only thing I can think of is that the CTS is giving bad readings to the ECM causing the air/fuel mixtures to be off, but the gas thing confuses me.

 

in 1986 they didn't have a tbi they had tpi

 

I know the difference between TBI and TPI, it's definately a TBI. The motor could have been swapped, I suppose.

 

Or maybe he's off on the year?

 

Not to muddy the waters any further, but I didn't think that a stock TA or GTA EVER had a TBI. Either TPI or carburetor (unless you count the twin TBI on the CFI systems, which is really a different animal and not available in 1986). 1986 offered a carbureted engine or TPI. That was the last year for a carbed TA, too, IIRC.

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Later,
Vader
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"Get UP - Drop the bombshell!"
Adobe Acrobat Reader

 

I think it must be a 4BBL because the pumps not in tank. All TBIs have an electric fuel pump.

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89 Trans Am Turbo 3.8L All stock 43,000 miles #1053 of 1555

Past Thirdgen:
86 Trans Am w/ built 355TPI with SLP goodies and too much other stuff to List. One sweet *** car, wish I would have had a good enough Job to pay insurance on three cars so I could keep it, but for a 89 Turbo Trans Am w/ Low miles, I think I made the right choice!

 

Not on the topic but im from Longview also and its neat to see some one from the same small town!

 

Yes TA's had TBI, wtf. GTA's never had the L03. No fbody got TBI until '88. Formula's got the L03 til 92 so I'd think the non GTA TA did too.

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1989 Pontiac Firebird Formula LO3/700R4
-180 degree stat, Hooker Cat-Back, Wonder Bar
Waiting for install: Open element 14x3, 95 vette LT1 cam
**Coming Sometime**
4th gen seats, 3.42/torsen(posi), Edlebrock Performer TBI intake, headers, y-pipe and cat, afpr
http://www.geocities.com/krt80/

[This message has been edited by Keith5 (edited September 05, 2001).]

 

OK back on topic here

"His smog pump is unhooked BTW in case that matters."

Does he have a gutted/no cat? If he has a regular cat this can clog it.


"He said that he found out that his Coolant Temperature Sensor is bad, and that's all he knows"

That sure can't be helping, I'd replace that right away its pretty easy.

"...it looks like he has a fuel pump (I thought they all had in-tank pumps) right behind his smog pump, and it all of a sudden leaks gas out of the top when this happens."

Thats sounds like the problem. If it has a mechanical fuel pump it must be a cc'd carb. And it sounds like somethings boiling the fuel, which would explain why its not running when its hot. (Air bubbles and stuff in the fuel is bad) I'd trace the fuel lines around and see if they're close to anthing (line exhaust manifolds) that could be heating them up too much. That or maybe the fuel pump is screwed up. I'm not much of a fuel sys. expert thats just my guesses.



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88 Camaro (The mighty LO3 SC!)
305TBI/700R4/2.73/123,XXX miles
14" Open Element and Flowmaster 80 seires

Next up: headers and gears