Wish I could come and help, I forgot to check my schedule at work but will be checking tomorrow and letting you know when I'm good to meet up next week,

Believe me, I have been beyond frustrated with my RS, but it gets better, it took me about 6 months to get my stock motor to stay running without having to baby it while driving, but now almost 5 years later she cruises like a dream and to me it was worth my headaches

Have you tried using a go-through ratchet on your plugs? Im about to pick up a set from harbor freight tommorow, suppose to be in similar quality to the craftsman go-through(MAXX access) set at half the cost, should make tight spaces much easier to work in

http://www.harborfreight.com/21-piec...set-67974.html

 

I'm a big fan of stopping, doing lots of reading, and assessing what is actually going on. I'm going to throw this out there as to what I would do if I were you.

1. Get the numbers off of the engine block and run them on the internet. You need to know what engine you have. Your front accessory drive is using V-belts. The power steering pump and alternator are not right for your car. I know you bought an aftermarket alternator, but what did it have when you bought it?. Your car never came with V-belts or those engine brackets or pulleys from the factory. Pull the valve covers and get the numbers off of the heads. Right now you have no idea what is under the hood, other than the fact it is a small block chevy. It has 87-95 heads, and the only original parts appear to be the intake, TBI unit, and distributor. You've got to know what is going on there.

2. Take a fuel pressure reading. TBI engines are notorious for the fuel pump crapping out, and the stock ones suck anyway. You need over 10 psi continuously, and its better if its over 13. If your fuel pressure is crap, then you need to go ahead and drop a much better pump in there. I run the Vortec pump from a 97 GMC truck, VIN code R 350 Vortec engine. My 89 TBI car loves it, and it can support plenty of power for future upgrades. You need to check the fuse and fuse holder (and associated wiring) over next to the battery for the fuel pump. You need to square away all the wiring to the fuel pump relay. You need to buy the proper oil pressure sending unit because it not only runs your oil pressure gauge on the dashboard but it also is the switch that powers your fuel pump while the car is running. The ECM only uses your fuel pump relay to get it going, then the oil pressure switch latches and keeps the fuel pump running. If the fuel pump circuit is not right, it can cause your misfires and popping. I suspect there is a problem since you said that your oil pressure gauge also does not work.

3. Take your ignition module out, take it to the auto parts store, and have it tested. Its free to test. Before you put it back in (assuming it passes the test) you need to use an ohm meter and check the pick up coil inside the distributor and match that value to your repair manual. Please tell me you have a repair manual. ANY manual. Make sure that you really slather the bottom of the module with that heat transfer paste before you put it back in or it will burn up. You cannot use too much paste.

4. Look at cap/rotor/plugs/wires. Check with ohm meter, all parts. Check the ignition coil. This remote mount E-core type coil fails all the time. Mine typical fail by shorting through the bracket. I only ever saw the sparks from the tracking when I had someone crank it up at night with the hood up in the dark. You'll be amazed at the amount of wire shorting you can see in the dark hahahha.

5. Due to your custom underhood engineering (wrong brackets and accessories, wiring, etc...) You need to verify that you have big, fat grounds hooked up from the engine to the frame, engine to the battery, and engine to the firewall. This will help your hard cranking problem and the running issues.

Most of this stuff is low buck, cheap advice, but you need to know this info and do this stuff before you start tearing stuff apart again.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

 

Closer to badass- a Vortec headed, LT1 cammed, single plane intake 305 TBI. I may be free after this weekend- I'll message you on facebook. But in the meantime KrisW has some really good suggestions I hadn't thought of

 

that was a lot!! and i thank you for giving me such input to help me out.

i bought this car exactly like it is. no alterator was on it. these pulleys were on it when i got it. its a 5.0 block and its got the tbi heads. he claims hes pulled the engine out and put an lt1 cam in it. while it is pretty aggressive im not sure what an lt1 cam in the 305 sounds like.

its got solid motor mounts as well incase no body knew that.

the oil pressure gauge does not work and i cant get a socket onto the pressure switch to replace it :/ does anyone have any techniques to remove it? it was much easier when they had them on top of the engine.

the previous owner pulled the serpentine set up and replaced everything seen here except alternator from a 76 chevy pick up.

 

haha... my camaro came with one emissions controlled header and one edlebrock non emissions header... I ended up buying a y pipe on rockauto.com and cuttingit apart and welding it back together to make everything fit...if you find something to fit that edlebrock let me know..

 

i will check the codes this weekend for you guys! i have the car at a different place than i live :/

 

haha thats really odd. it makes you wonder what goes through someones mind when they put these cars together like that

 

Ok, he CLAIMS so now we both know that nobody really knows what you have there. Like I said, get the numbers off the block, should be on a machined pad behind where your alternator is. it will be on the top of the block, right in front of the cylinder head. Write all the numbers down and then do a search on the net. That will tell you what you need to know as far as the short block. Honestly, you don't know what you have. God forbid you have a 1976 305 in there hahahah, or an old 307 from a Nova. You just won't know until you get those numbers.

Ditto for the heads. He SAYS they're TBI heads, but you don't know. They could be 350 TBI heads which will lower your compression, or who knows what. Just a quick removal of the valve covers, get the casting numbers off of BOTH heads and post them up. You could have two different heads on there, too.

As for the oil sender, there is a special socket that you need to get to remove it. A regular socket doesn't work. They sell it at Auto Zone. Just go buy it and then you'll have it forever. Go ahead and pick up a new sending unit while you are there, too. Keep in mind that all these replacement senders are Chinese crap and they suck. I replaced my original because it was leaking oil from the electrical connector part. I had to buy two different new ones before the oil pressure gauge worked properly. There is a really high failure rate of these things straight out of the box. The good news is that they are cheap (like 10 bucks) and most of the time the parts store will take it back if it fails immediately. Sometimes they won't though, so be ready for that.

I'd be wary of that power steering pump. The newer pumps use metric stuff and the older ones (from 76) use SAE. Not sure if yours is leaking or not, but the new pump should still bolt to the old style bracket. I'd get a complete setup from another 3rd gen at the wrecking yard if it was me. Then you'll know its right.

Did you check your fuel pressure yet? I had to go on eBay and buy the TBI adapter to allow me to check the fuel pressure. It was like 10 or 15 bucks but I consider it an essential tool to have with one of these cars. it is just an adapter that hooks to the back of your throttle body where the fuel line goes in and then you hook your factory line straight to it. You can just leave it there forever if you want, but I wouldn't.

 

ok i have not had the chance to get the numbers off the heads yet or off the engine block. i went today to drop off some more parts for it. i got some stuff to give it a bath!! i will definitely post some pics of that as well as the numbers i obtain off the block. i think im going to go to the local scrap yard they have a formula there with a serpentine set up im going to grab.

thats so funny that you say that about the sending unit. mine has a leak too and is all over the connector... do i have to replace the connector too or can i spray that with electrical cleaner and wipe it off?

i have not been able to check the fuel pressure yet. i do notice that the line that sends the fuel to the tb is a little bit smushed... once i get paid this friday i will certainly invest in the fuel pressure tester.


also!! updates from yesterday that i forgot to post. i replaced the cap and rotor with the accel kit. i tried to go about a tdc while doing the cap and rotor replacement. that did not work. i had it at 0 and i took the cap off and the rotor was pointing to where 6 goes on the cap. THERE IS NO FRIGGIN WAY THAT I AM THAT OFF so i refused to put my number one there then putting the rest of the plugs in order for the sake of it backfiring and scaring the f--k out of me. NOW i dont really notice it making the backfiring noise anymore but it idles really really low(around 500 rpm) i adjust the timing and when its around 1000 like it use to be i can hear the popping noise. WTF ?! i think as frustrated as this is making me i want to take the wheel off put my head under the rotor and let the jack down...

my check engine light is also on and i tried the paper clip trick and it doesnt work!!!

someone please!! before i pull all my hair out

 

Well with headers and an LT1 cam you're making at least 50hp over stock. That could be responsible for throwing a code right there- some tuning is really needed. Maybe the popping sound is due to maladjusted rocker arms? Who knows if the guy who had the car before you did everything right- I'd check them out

 

that could be very true. i will try that as well. but the light didnt come on until i plugged in the knock sensor... infact now that i think of it thats when it started running like ****

 

my engine

what is this wire? it comes off of a white connector

whats this connector?

this is the next headache im dealing with along with the radio wiring

 

Wow the P.O really did a number on your wiring

 

You can just clean off the connector for the oil sending unit. It will be fine when it is clean and dry. Use some sort of electrical cleaner that won't start to make the plastic in your plug melt or turn greasy. Some electrical QD contact cleaner should do it.

Once you figure out what block and heads you have, you need to pull your distributor and set base timing. Follow the instructions in your repair manual.

That wiring under your dash looks custom to me. Probably for some awful stereo equipment or amplifier power or something like that. Test it to see if its hot and then just tape it off for now.

 

yeah the wiring is terrible i will have to get some pictures of the wiring for the stereo too. i cant figure that one out. none of the wires in the stereo console are normal looking from my 89 firebird or my 88 formula...

i will try to clean the connector off. its in such a tight place i wish they would have left it on top of the engine...

 

in that last post i meant to say none of the wires are normal looking like in my 89 firebird or 88 formula they dont look the same as my 91 does

 

oh yeah the po had a vats delete thing with a resistor on the wires. i replaced that and got it to work on the original key.

does anyone know why my door chim might not be working? where is the location of the device that makes the flat line sound? i love that noise in these third gens

 

what do you guys think of the wrap around spoiler? i found a formula at the local scrap yard and decided to pull it since its my favorite type of spoiler. i still have to fill the old holes and then sand that terrible trunk lid down to repaint it.

i guess everyone lost interest in this thread?

 

I love the wrap arounds, and to be honest I never recieved an email about you posting until this one, I was just about to send you another PM about meeting up or me coming to help you out

I just picked up an 89 Camaro shop manual that would be very similar to the bird anyway, some wiring is different but everything else is the same, I'll take a look at it to see if I can't answer your questions if nobody else chimes in

 

Oh and I believe the flat line noise just comes from a buzzer plugged in under the dash I think to the right?, I'm pretty sure that's where mine comes from

 

Looks sick!

And I just got a 1990 Camaro service manual (much like Caveman) if I can remember to, I'll see if I can find something in there

 

Were you as surprised as I was to see just how much info they packed into the shop service manual? My eyes about popped out of my head with how many "exploded views" this manual has

 

Thanks! and great a plug. shouldnt be to hard to find unless its something that was chopped out. i have the wiring pretty much figured out and repaired. still working on the radio harness and i cant figure out where this yellow wire goes that has a male terminal end on it.

 

I can go either way on the spoiler; I've had them both and they both work well for me.

Glad to hear you got the vats thing figured out.

 

I sure was! I thought I was getting something that was about the thickness of a Haynes or Chilton's manual, not a phone book lol. My build definitely got a bit easier when that manual came in

 

good news and bad news.

good news - i am going to go with a new weiand action plug short style high volume aluminum water pump, 3 core aluminum radiator, new power steering pump bracket with new power steering pump, and all new aluminum pulleys. i also got a new oil sending unit with connector from summit, and a new radiator fan switch. now i just need a new connector for the radiator fan switch so my fans will work properly as they would if the car was standard.

bad news - i havent been able to work on the car for a while. i also have to rip the driver side of the engine apart to get my oil sender off with a pair of pliers. i have spent 20+ $ in tools that claim to remove that darn thing but none of it works :/

on a brigher note ))) i have my corvette servo kit in the mail and i have looked at a lot of swaps on them and it seems very very easy. i also was wondering do the replacement imperial brand fans at advance auto fit our fan shroud thing? also will that black piece still fit with a 3 core radiator? THANKS EVERYBODY FOR ALL YOUR HELP SO FAR

 

A regular O.E. aluminium radiator with a stock sigle or dual fan and stock type water pump, works like a charm.

 

For such result, fueling and serious tuning need to be done first.
Headers and LT1 cam on the stock tune will not trow a code, usually idles like stock but makes less power then the stock LO3 and drives a little lame.

 

Which deep socket did you get? I got the one from Auto Zone and it worked great on my 89 TBI 305. Also, there was LOTS of room to get at it under there, once I had the front tires up on ramps. What is in the way?

 

Do you think it would be worth using the l99 crank to build a modern day 302 vortec or lt1 style engine i know there are a couple of these engines in the local junk yard i could get the cranks cheap. any thoughts would be great.

 

mmorely1024, welcome to the forum.

You should probably start a new thread to get more responses. Remember, "there's no replacement for displacement"

 

forced induction trumps displacement ! lol

 

I don't think so.

Your forced induction is just a crutch to make up for lack of displacement when you say that. For example, if you have a Vortech gear charger, say S-trim, all set up for your Camaro, that's great! After you blow up your stock 305, are you gonna rebuild it, or go to the wrecking yard and get a really cheap take out 350 Vortec engine from a 1-ton van, and then use THAT engine with your gear charger? Of course, you'll rebuild the 350 when performing such a maneuver because there is no replacement for displacement, even with boost.

 

the socket i bought was an "oem" tool brand from autozone the 1 and 1/16th size turns out that was a tad small. i said the hell with it returned all the tools went home tool the header off(major pain in the *** when your jack goes to ****) grabbed the hammer knocked the sending unit and the first half popped off took some pliers and removed the rest of it.

CAUTION DO NOT BUY THE SUMMIT RACING STANDARD BRAND OIL SENDING UNIT. IT DOES NOT FIT!!!! such a waste of time waiting for that thing. i had high hopes of seeing my stock third gen gauge working but the piece did not fit PART # SMP-PS245

THE PART THAT DOES FIT IS summit racing part number SMP-PS228

such a let down that i made such a mistake ): i will send this one back and order the other one from a local auto parts store since it is only gonna cost a few bucks more.

however upon doing all of this work i have came across something that is VERY frustating.

she isnt running right again. i put everything back together with the sunpro gauge installed to check my oil pressure and its below 40. its right around the 30-33 marks on the gauge. i also have a leak where it connects to the block its a slow drip. the other thing thats wrong is the car isnt idling right. its right around 500-700 range. and doesnt sound good its got a slight misfire AGAIN and idles rough. i adjusted the timing and it either catches on fire or just doesnt start or when it does its really really aggressive. i noticed that in doing so it was hard starting light the battery or starter could be bad but it would eventually catch and start. i have it to where it starts up now but has some idling issues. what could be the problem? :note that i put this prestone injector cleaner in it that my friend gave to me claiming to be good stuff so to make him happy i put it in: im not sure if that would have anything to do with it or not. but someone anyone if you know whats wrong any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

 

You need that oil pressure sending unit to run the fuel pump properly. Along with making your gauge run, its also the switch that turns the fuel pump on to let the relay not overheat.

Have you checked your fuel pressure yet? TBI engines are notorious for low fuel pressure due to crappy stock pumps.

 

i know im returning that oil pressure sending unit tomorrow and ordering the right one with the longer neck.

could you send me a link to that kit for the fuel pressure tester? i looked on there and found one thats for like 100+$. if need be i will just replace the entire fuel system. pump lines filters everything.

 

i also installed the corvette servo kit today and my god is that a task to do on your own. lots of accidents can occur to ones hands and fingers unfortunately i did not manage to get the entire thing in since it seams the cross member has to come out

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TBI-Throttle...sories&vxp=mtr

 

definitely going to invest in that, i also gotta replace the line from the body to the tb. its got a really bad pinch in it and im afraid thats why it doesnt run properly as well. over time i do plan to drop the tank and replace the fuel pump. i should probably replace that since im gonna have the rear dropped to install the intermediate pipe.

today was the maiden voyage, after the timing tuning and some adjustments with the transmission. the corvette servo definitely has a major impact on the way it feels. unfortunately the car does NOT hook. all it does its spins until it very aggressively bangs into 2nd gear then it pulls pretty hard.

 

If you're going to replace the pump, get an aftermarket port fuel injection pump, or at least a stock turbo trans Am, or Vortec, pump if you're on a budget. Replacement TBI pumps are not good.

 

is the walbro summit pump for like 100 a good pump? its a 255lph. is that like liters per hour or something? i was going to do an external pump with all braided lines but i think that -6an is equal to 3/8 which is stock size line. but id like to keep the car as stock looking as possible. aside from under hood things to make it look good..

does anyone know the size for the fittings on the back of the tbi?

 

install a TPI pump in it. the pumps for tbi run a lot better.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-AC-DELCO...ht_1844wt_1270

 

is that a good pump? i looked that pump up at where i work(advance auto) and the bosch part number had two bad reviews one about not working and both claiming it didnt come with the proper wiring harness. i sure hope the ac delco part is a great part for the price...

anyone use that pump before?

 

I've used it and its fine for a stock car.

I use this one for the warmed over combos up to 400HP or so:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-AC-DELCO...item2318c5c049

Its the Vortec truck pump and I'm running this exact one in my mom's 89 TBI bird. Its a great pump but just a little noisy since its whatever "turbine" style that the Vortec engines use for a little higher pressure. My engine sits about 15psi with this pump, which is great. It hasn't done anything to my system except run good.

I typically do not replace all the wiring inside the sending unit unless I see some damage or get a bad reading with the DVOM. If I do replace it, I only solder and shrink wrap, never use butt connectors. You're better off just running the old stuff than doing that, in my opinion.

This pump has run turbo Buick engines for me in the past in stock or a mild tune, so I think you'll be fine with it. The Walbro is good for the most part, but I have heard some people complain about a large batch of them being wrong a year or so ago. I never get that with the Delco pumps. If I plan on putting serious HP down in the near future, I'll run the Aeromotive Stealth 340 or something similar to that.

Hope this helps.

 

ok great i will order this fuel pump since im gonna have the rear pulled anyway for the exhaust! would you recommend that i replace the fuel lines under the hood. the feed line is pinched which im sure is starving it for fuel. would it be easier to go with a stainless steel braided set up or just a factory thing?

 

I'd call the guys at either Summit or Jeg's for this part. I know I saw a guy on the forums around here who replaced all his fuel lines from the tank to the engine with AN style stuff. Apparently the guys at Jeg's showed him some pieces of the black braided hose where they had an adapter to fit the stock GM TBI fittings.

It would be worth calling Jeg's or Summit (whichever one you like best) and talking to the guys there about which ones you need. They're pretty helpful and then you won't have to do it twice.

 

at the hard line on the driver side for the return line its a 14x 1.5 o ring adapter and the feed line is a 16 x 1.5 o ring. on the back of the throttle body for the return line its a 12 x 1.5 o or 1.25 and the feed line is a 14 x 1.5

but i was wondering what everyone else thinks for the price of all the stuff for braided lines and fittings is it really worth it or is there no benefit besides looking good? i mean -6AN IS 3/8 which is what the stock fuel line size is

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPI-TBI-FUEL...sories&vxp=mtr

That should get you started with AN fittings and hose.

For the most part, I like AN lines because you can replaces parts of it, sort of a mechanic friendly solution. I know lots of people like one piece stainless stuff too, but I like to be able to tinker with it.

 

i bought the hard line today from the local parts store and soon realized how much of a pain in the *** it is to bend it. im definitely going to be getting a stainless braided an fitting set up for it.

i finally decided to check out that seafoam stuff. i poured half into the crankcase and half into the gas. as soon as i started the car i noticed a difference in the idling and throttle response.

it seems as if i still have some bugs to work out. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING AND ACKNOWLEDGE IT PLEEEEEASE....

when it starts up after a complete night of sitting it idles around 1200 and 1000 rpm and sounds like its misfiring with the way it sounds. its like a popping noise. could that just be the way my cam sounds?

once it warms up and the idle goes down it sits around 500-700 rpm and the popping noise goes away.

the oil pressure gauge STILL doesnt work. i replaced the oil sending unit and i get nothing. the gauge moves up a really tiny bit and after that it stays in place.

the wires work. when i cut out the old connector for the sending unit each wire had power. when i grounded out the wires i could hear the fuel pump prime. it just seems like the gauge does not want to do anything.

 

I don't think you should run the engine very long with seafoam in the oil. I have used it in the fuel, and if you use too much of it, it will do such a good job cleaning that it knocks all of the sludge loose in the tank and clogs the filter. Ditto with the lucas fuel stuff. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but be prepared to change a filter soon anyway.

So, you are having a rough time running when cold, but it runs well enough when it warms up? That sounds like an ingnition tune up problem, possibly with the coolant temp sensor for the ECM (not the gauge) maybe not being the best as well. I'd do a standard full tune up (go to the TBI forum and look up the Ultimate TBI mods, it has a great guide for getting everything back to 100% stock, then modifying) and go from there. Your throttle body could probably use a full cleaning too. If it runs well when warmed up the injectors are probably fine.