ajmcmahon

hey fella, first off this is an awsome site, just registered - First post.

ive been having some trouble with my 84 Trans Am lately...

1- its been smoking ALOT, not just when i start it, but all the time ( out of the exaugst )

2- in the mornings, it takes forever for me to take off, ex- i start the car, let it warm for a couple minutes, put it in Drive, step on the gas, and it will stall.

3- the one that makes me sad-----crusing along, i will floor it, and it no longer has that throw u back in ur seat feel... There is always a delay between when i floor it, and when it actually kicks in.....3 - 4 seconds maybe..

SickSleeper

hey dude i was having a few of the same problems, everyone u have besides the smoke that yer getting outta yer exhaust, of course i went ahead and put on all new plugs wire rotor and cap (which im sure my car needed judging by all the build up in the cap) and still had the same problem, car took a while to start, no low end power, felt like it was struggling to get up to speed, then after cruising it lacked any get up power, so finally ended up changing the inline fuel filter (located under the car back near the gas tank jus follow the lines and ull find it) after this it felt like my car was brand new lol, mite be ur problem might not jus thought id tell u before u got too into replacing things do to the fact that the filter is only 5.98 at advanced auto. if this dosent work maybe others will have a diff approach. good luck and yes this is an awesome site
-Jon

ajmcmahon

hmmm inline fuel filter eh ? does that sound like my best bet?

how is installing something like this..... ( im not the best auto mechanical person around )

TA5LiterHO

If you have an 84 TA with a carb, the fuel filter is not under the car. It is behind where the fuel line threads into the carb. You can get a replacement at the autoparts store pretty cheap. It's just a paper filter.

You may need to rebuild the carb if everything else checks out and the problem still persists. I had to get a new QJet replacement carb when I had that setup on my 84. I also went through 3 new ECM's whicj is why my new setup is not computer controlled.

Another thing that made mine delay like that when my car was all stock was a clogged cat. The original exhaust was still on the car from 1984 when I bought the car with 45,000 miles. It was so clogged that the car had no power and when I hit the gas anywhere hard the car would stall out.

It is more likely that it's a fuel /carb problem though. I would first get a fuel filter, second make sure the carb is clean, and third do a tuneup as SickSleeper said. Plugs, Cap, Rotor, maybe wires. Stock replacements will work fine for all of those.

Good luck with everything. If you have any other questions on the 84 feel free to PM if you don't get an answer.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

A carb'd 84 isn't going to have an in-line filter back by the tank like the '90 does.

Since you say it smokes all the time, I'll assume it's black smoke because that fits my theory. Sounds like your choke isn't operating properly. Do a search on the Carb forum on "choke", and you'll find enough info to understand how it's supposed to work and why it may not be working.

ajmcmahon

Negative, its white smoke. And im 90 % sure it isnt the choke thats messed up.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

White smoke is water (coolant) in the combustion mixture.

You may have a serious problem.

ajmcmahon

elaborate please.

Stekman

Is it smokey just at startup or a constant white smoke?

If its constant, like stated earlier, youre burning coolant. Is there a sweet smell to the exhaust? There would be if youre burning coolant. My guess is either the intake gasket(s) are shot or the head gasket(s) are shot. The thing to do is a compression test on all 8 cylinders. That will tell you whats going on. Do to the complaint in power loss, i wouldnt rule out the head gaskets.

ajmcmahon

its all kind of odd since-

last week the car was at the shop to get an oil leak on the left valve cover gasket fixed... 150 bucks.

how do i tell/fix it if its leaking coolant ?

havent had the chance to go back there to confront the mechanic.

Stekman

You paid $150 to replace a valve cover gasket? Not trying to sound like an a**, but if you brought your car in for that, and it truly IS a blown head gasket, get ready to dish out some major $$$. If youre burning coolant, you wont be able to visually see the leak on the exterior of the engine. A compression test will tell you if theres a leak related to the head gaskets.

White smoke = burning coolant
Bluish smoke = burning oil
Black smoke = excessive fuel

Like i said, run a compression test on all 8 cylinders. That is the best way to tell whats going on. A few other things you can do is check your dipstick. Look for a milkshake-looking color. That indicates coolant mixing with oil. I still think the intake/headgaskets have taken a turn for the worst.

Oh and id check that compression ASAP. driving with a blown headgasket isn't fun.

SchwarzCamaroRS

i completely agree with stekman... check that compression... with my 305tbi i had a blown head gasket, not really bad, just white smoke at startup, but nonetheless a BIG problem.. with something like that going wrong, its a good chance thats why its lacking the getup it used to have

ajmcmahon

for some strange reason guys, the smoke suddenly stopped this morning, i dont know if thats a good thing or bad thing.... but the car still lags, and doesnt run like a true bird you know


where/ how much possible, could a compression test cost me

ajmcmahon

could it be a my mechanical fuel pump , or fuel pump filters that are holding the car back ? or carb ?

Stekman

just because the smoke stopped, doesnt mean the leak went away.

Get a compression test done

ajmcmahon

i understand there may be a leak, that caused the smoke, but does a coolant leak mean powerloss ? with what its doing now.

Stekman

well, think about it. If you have a leak, thats some place where coolant can get into the chamber (head gasket-wise). But think about it, where coolant can get it, that means cylinder pressure goes down as the pressure can bleed out that leak. Loss of cylinder pressure can cause for a loss in power

ddn69

ya have it checked out by a reputable mechanic.

Nate

Gumby

First thought is the shops is screwing you. Not picking at you but anyone who pay $150 for some v cover gaskets is a sucker waiting to be milked. They may have loosened a head bolt or two, intake bolts anything. picked at your valve seals with a screw driver.

call local TV station till someone will believe you. say all you need is a good running car and a valve cover leak. Lots of shops create work.

Its not as easy but try to find a backyard mechanic that will let you help, learn and watch what is done. but some places like sears n others will let you watch. It not a good idea to drop it off n leave. its harder to do but I don't know any honest mechanic shops. Everyone has been screwed over by them at least once. The old guy who do it on the side seam to be the best. I hardly know anyone who has a mechanic they love.

Mechanics are like chiropractors. They seam to find way to brink you back every week. Nothing is ever really fixed.

ddn69

Some mechanics are honest. But sears for one isnt one I would trust fixing my car. Tires are one thing but Ive heard some bad things like what youve mentioned. Creating problems on purpose. Like he said. Your best bet is to find a backyard mechanic or one that you can trust.

Nate