My girlfriend is getting her dad's 84 T/A. The car has 50k miles. Besides changing the oil, transmission fluid, flushing the radiator and checking for bad hoses. What all do I need to check out. I was told it needs a new carb. Did this car come w/ a q-jet. It's a 305. I was hoping that the q-jet off of my 86 IROC would work, is there any reason why it wouldn't on this car.
Should I drain the gas tank and put in some fresh gas. Any help w/ this is appreciated.

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'86 IROC
T-TOPS, TINTED WINDOWS, BRAKE LIGHT BLACKOUTS
GM GOODWRENCH 350
EDELBROCK TES HEADERS
FLOWMASTER
EDELBROCK 600CFM CARB.
KN AIRFILTER
UNDERDRIVE PULLEY
ACCEL HEI DISTRIBUTOR
2:73 GEARS

 

Yes...change gas, fuel filters too.
check wires, plugs, distributor and rotor for any cleaning. Carburetor should work.
Once started you can go from there as far as how it runs. Rings or valve guides may need replacing. I'm sure your going to need some WD-40!



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Gunmetal 89GTA T-Tops L98
700R4 with 3.27 gears, street tires
Best 60 ft: 1.996
Best 1/8th mile: 9.02 @ 76.5mph with 60' time of 2.14
With these mods: air filter, hypertech chip, 3" exhaust (no cat.)

 

Yea it has a Quadrajet (if it's stock). Also check the condition of the tires, make sure they haven't rotted out.

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--Steve S--
1984 Trans Am 305 LG4, 5 speed
Daily Driver, Flowmaster 80 Series
Holley 600 cfm & vacuum advance

 

Mark,

If the car has been sitting and hasn't even been started for six years, you might want to take a few more steps before starting the engine to minimize any damage.

Your start up kit should include spark plugs, oil, oil filter, grease gun, air filter, tools, coolant, belts, a good replacement battery or starter/charging unit, and any other fluid that might be low.

There is a chance that the valves will stick. There is a very good chance that the cylinders will have some rust scale forming on the walls. There is also a good chance of a lot of oil smoke and that the plugs will foul almost immediately on startup. There will probably be no fuel in the carburetor, and if there is, it will have zero volatility (it won't ignite). You'll need to get fresh fuel to the carburetor, and be prepared to change the fuel filter. Don't be surprized to find creatures living in the air cleaner and almost anywhere else.

Make sure the battery is charged. Plan to remove the spark plugs, wet the cylinders with light oil or penetrating oil (2-cycle oil worke very well for this), and crank the engine for several revs to make sure the rings aren't rusted in place. If the engine cranks well with no unusual noises, crank for another minute with no plugs to get some oil moving through the engine and scrape the rust off the cylinder walls.

Install the plugs plugs, top off all fluids, and remove the radiator cap and leave it off. Check the battery to make sure the charge is close to full. You don't need to strain the battery, starter, and charging system right out of the box. Toss a stack of newspapers in the passenger's footwell area to help watch for drips from the core. Inspect the intake ducts and air cleaner for rodents, reptiles, insect nests, and debris. Take a quick look under the car to make sure you haven't lost any fluids or gained any visitors.

Prime the carb with fresh fuel if necessary and attempt to start the engine. If it starts, you're lucky. Be prepared for smoke. Only let it run at idle for a couple of minutes, then shut it off. Don't touch the throttle if you don't have to. If you have to operate the throttle. try to keep the engine RPM as low as possible.

After the first startup, make sure all fluid levels are topped off, and pay close attention to the cooling system and heater core area. Check for oil, transmission, power steering, and other leaks. Check the oil again and feel/smell for contamination.
Make sure the tires are fully inflated, and be prepared to deal with a sticky parking brake.

Start the engine again and let it idle without "wicking" the throttle up. Be prepared for a little more smoke on startup. Allow it to warm fully, watching for leaks and other problems. As the engine is warming up, lightly apply the brakes a few times, making sure the pedal remains firm and steady. A sinking pedal means you are likely losing fluid somewhere and need to start looking for puddles. Check lights and accessories while you wait for the engine to warm up. If the cooling system doesn't have any apparent leak, install the radiator cap and allow the system to build pressure. Watch the heater core area closely, since I'm betting that it will be on your shopping list within six months.

With an auto trans, put the trans in gear a few times and operate it through the ranges then back into neutral or park. Let it fully engage, then select a different range. Check the fluid when it's warmed up. For a manual trans, run the shifter through the ranges and partially release (feather) the clutch to remove the inevitable rust from the flywheel and pressure plate.

When everything is ready, start moving the car slowly. Try the brakes lightly at first to clean the rust from the rotors/drums without destroying the pads/shoes. Roll the car around at low speed, allowing the differential lube to spread to the gears and outer wheel bearings. Steer lightly in
both directions while moving to spread the grease around in the steering joints and pivots. Do not accelerate or stop hard if you can avoid it to minimize loading any system until it has had a chance to move freely.

Plan on a regrease of the steering/suspension as soon as possible. You should also plan on an oil and filter change, cooling system flush, probably axle service and a trasnmission oil change. Repacking the front wheel bearings would be a good idea as well.

Your 1986 E4ME should work on the '85 engine without any problems if you feel it's necessary to change.

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Later,
Vader
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"I'm'a do Things My Way - It's My way or the Highway."
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