I HAVE RECENTLY AQUIRED A 1987 TRANS AM WITH A CARBURATED 305 FROM A FRIEND OF MINE. HE HAS FINALLY DECIDED TO SELL ME THE CAR AFTER LETTING IT SIT WITH AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM FOR ABOUT 6 MONTHS. BEFORE THE CAR WAS TOWED AND PARKED WHERE IT NOW SITS IT HAD THE IGN. COIL REPLACED, THEN ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE CAR STARTED RUNNING LIKE SH** AGAIN, ALMOST LIKE IT HAD MULTIPLE MISSES, AND AFTER DRIVING IT TO AUTO ZONE TO FIND OUT THEY COULDNT PULL ANY CODES, THEN TO K-MART FOR SOME HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS, THE CAR WOULD NOT START BACK UP. ASSUMING IT WAS THE COIL AGAIN DUE TO SIMILARATIES IN PROBLEMS, WE REPLACED THAT, WITH NO LUCK, FOLLOWED BY THE IGN. MODULE, DIST. CAP, ROTOR, WIRES, AND PLUGS. NOW, BESIDES HAVING A COMPLETE NEW AC DELCO IGN. SYSTEM, THE CAR PERSISTS TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ALSO REPLACED IN THIS FUTILE EFFORT WERE THE CARBURATOR BASE GSKT, AND THE EGR SOLENOID. THE ONLY THING THAT HAD ANY IMPACT ON THE CARS CONDITION WAS THE EGR SOLENOID, AFTER REPLACING THIS, THE CAR FIRED UP AFTER A COUPLE TRYS, RAN AS GOOD AS IT EVER DID AROUND THE BLOCK, THEN, AFTER CONVINCING MYSELF THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND PARKING THE CAR, AND TELLING MY FRIEND THAT HIS CAR WAS FIXED, IT HAS REFUSED TO START EVER SINCE. NOW THAT HE HAS DECIDED TO GIVE UP HOPE ON THE CAR (HE BELIVES IT IS THE TIMING CHAIN, AND I'M STARTING TO BELIEVE H IT) AND SELL IT TO ME, I HAVE REGAINED THE INTREST IN GETTING IT RUNNING THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY LOST ALONG WITH MY PATIENCE AND TEMPER.
ANY HELP WOULD BE GRATELY APRECIATED.

 

Schank,

I'm presuming that you don't have spark, so you're checking all the ignition components, right?

If so, try metering the resistance of the pickup coil in the base of the distributor. You should read betweem 500-1,500 ohms for a good coil. Also, test the resistance of the filter capacitor in the distributor. If it is near zero, it has failed and is killing the ignition. Inspect the reluctor for crackes and slippage. While the distributor is open, see how much free play is in the distributor shaft.

 

IT IS GETTING SOME SPARK AND SOME FUEL, BOTH ARE PRESENT WHEN CHECKED FOR, AND THE CAR SOUNDS LIKE IT'S TRYING TO START, THERE IS DEFENATELY IGNITION OF THE FUEL IN THE CYLINDERS, BUT SHE WONT START. JUST THE SAME "FFT FFT FFT...FFT FFT FFT" OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WILL NOT START EVEN WITH STARTING FLUID

 

Timing and Fuel maybe?

Pumps all working?

 

I think the first thing you need to do is to check the caps lock key on your key board. it seems to be stuck

 

Sorry, my work computer needs caps for alot of programs, and i sometimes forget to turn them off. i am going to turn it over this evening and see where th rotor lines up w/ #1 on tdc. this is the only way i can think of to tell if it is the timing chain without pulling the cover.

 

Have you tryed the battery...just kidding... try droping some gas down the carb when someone is cranking it and see if it does anything.

 

are ypu sure the carb isn't toast? Try de gunking it by holding a rag thightly over the opening of the carb and cranking the engine over.

 

I didnt make it out there last evening, but i did find my multimeter, so i will will check those resistances today, if i can find out what to measure across. i'm assuming just the two plugs on the module.? I'v tried the gas down the carb thing, but i haven't tried degunking it yet. thanks everybody, i'll post what i find tommorow.

 

O.K., so you DO have some spark. And apparently, you have a new distributor cap, rotor, plug wires, spark plugs, and coil.

You can bump the engine to TDC on the #1 cylinder and check the position of the rotor to get a rough idea of base timing, but that will only give you a very rough idea. The best means is going to be with a timing light. Set the base timing at about 6° BTDC (in case there is some chain stretch or slipage) and try starting again.

If you have been trying to start this for several days and adding fuel while cranking, your plugs may be wet and fuel fouled. The liquid fuel will saturate the porcelain insulator of the plug and shunt the spark energy to ground instead of producing a spark across the gap. Remove a few of the easy ones and check them for fuel contamination. Crank the engine a few revs to clear out any excess fuel, then screw in good (dry) plugs. If there is fuel delivery and your timing is even close, you should be able to get it to run.

 

Thanks vader, using the timing light was the best means. i had to disconnect that 4 prong connector from the distributor to disable the electronic advance, and when trying to find out where my timing was with a friend in the car turning it over, it started right up, ran a little crappy, but hearing it run for the fist time in months was music to my ears. I have to come at it today with some white out, though, i could not see for my life where the timing mark was, but today i will be sure that is set correctly. I was lucky to not have to measure those resistances, though, bucause i'm still not quite sure where i was supposed to measure. i really need to invest in a manual for this thing.!
Now my best guess is that either the computer is toast, or the chain did slip just enough for the dist. to be beyond the range of the computer. Any ideas?

 

Well, first i'd like to thank everybody for their help, mutch apreciated. I do have to admit, though, that i still do not know fully what the problem was. We chacked the timing after using some whiteout on the line, and it was perfect, so i pluged back in the 4 prong connector, told my friend to give it a try, and whadda you know she fired right up and took nicely to givin it the gas. my best inferance is that it was the ign. module, which was the last component i replaced. It explained on the directions that it is best to plug and unplug those connectors a few times, but i was thinking to mutch about getting plenty of that dielectric greese (or whatever it is) on the bottom of the module, and just plugged the plugs in and tried to start it, maybe the connection was poor at the 4 prong, and the additional unplug, plug helped the contacts. but who knows, all i know for sure is that i am juiced now. it may have been months, but shes finally running, and she's mine.

 

Schank,

I may have misunderstood your last post, but if the module is only plugged in and not mounted securely, it won't run. The module relies on the mounting screws for a good ground connection.