its the 305 rebuilt 20k mi ago

we cant seem to get it started and keep it started
it has been started in 3 months we charged the battery
and it would take a while to get it started. THen it if i did it would stay started for a few seconds while pumping the gas pedal and it would either cut off or backfire a few times. Any ideas on whats wrong. My grandparents were thinking it could be the timing...

Any ideas?

 

Welcome to tgo!

It could be the timing, have you checked it recently? It could also be a fuel delivery problem. It could be a few things.

Something that may help: what engine is this? Sure it's a 305. But that says nothing more than what the bore and stroke are.

 

im not sure which exact engine it is.... i know its carbed

im not familiar with carbed engines too much...i am going to buy the car but i currently own a ford mustang

anyways how do you set the timing back to stock on these

i know the engine was cammed and has a 3.83 rearend ...its auto

ill try and get the vin tomorrow so i can find out which engine it is

but its a trans am and im pretty sure it only had 2 engines available both 305 err

 

You have an LG4. That's the base model carb'd 305. No need to grab the VIN or anything else like that.

To set the timing, you need to unplug the 4 pin weather plack connector. It comes out of the back of the distributor. IIRC, it is between the bellhousing and the trans tunnel. You've got to dig around for it. Unplug that, it's a must. That is the EST plug. That's part of the electronic timing setup. If you don't unplug it, your timing will be REALLY messed up. Might want to check the timing before you go digging for the plug. If you do have to set it, I have my LG4 set for 6° advanced.

If it's backfiring and all that good (or not so good) stuff, I'd say timing is the first thing to check.

 

ok could you simplify this some...so the 4 pin black connector is behind the distributor., How hard is this to reach from the engine bay. Once unplugged then what do i do to check timing degree and then how do i set it? Sorry for being a newb...trying to learn.

Then after it is reset. I just plug it back up then try and start>?

Have any pictures of this connector?

 

Sorry, no pics. But I can be as specific as possible.

This is a 4 prong weather pack connector. It exits the rear of the distributor and heads back into the abyss known as the trans tunnel. If you look at the cap, you will see the 3 wires that lead up to the 3 pring connector in the cap. Once you find this, go to the backside, almost directly opposite of this 3 prong promary connector. You will see the other wires leading off. Follow these wires and find the 4 prong you need. A flashlight or touble light helps.

Correct, just set the initial timing. Factory is 0° advance, or TDC. I have mine 6° advance. I have a aftermarket cam and a few other odds and ends. If yours is bone stock, start it at 0°

A side note, on mine, once I found the 4 prong weather pack, I tied an 18 gauge primary wire to it, bright yellow. Tied it to the non-distributor side (the side that leads back to the trans tunnel. I led it (the wire) off to the side and but if off. I drilled a small hole and put a little ring terminal on the end. I bolted this to the firewall. Any time I want to mess with the timing, I just pull on the wire a bit and follow it right to the connector. Cuts down on digging for it; I really don't like to work too hard on setting the timing.

 

Probably not the timing, its not going to change just sitting there.

I'd do a tune-up, replace the fuel filter, sparkplugs, cap and rotor and maybe the wires if they are old or bad.

 

Also backfiring is caused by fuel delivery problems (lean condition). Do a tune-up and get some new gas. Sitting over the summer all the volitiles in the gas would have evaporated and left a varnish in the carb.

 

It's not the timing. Leave it alone.

And before somebody pipes up and throws out the other universal newbie-type bugaboo buzzword, it's not the EGR either. Leave that alone too.

"Codes" won't help either. Leave that alone as well.

Backfiring usually isn't caused by timing. Most often, it's caused by insufficient fuel. A lean condition.

Your problem is fuel delivery.

Spray starting fluid into the intake, or just pour in a little bit of gas, and see if it starts up. If it starts right up, runs for about 2 seconds, and then dies, then it's pretty obvious, you've got a fuel delivery problem.

Leaving a car sitting around allows gasoline deposits to accumulate in the filter sock in the gas tank, and in the pickup tube that the fuel pump has to draw through. Fuel pumps have very little suction, and so any significant buildup of crusties in there will cause problems.

 

any ideas how to clean up the fuel without dropping the tank and all

we added about 2 gallons of 87 yesterday he said it was low on gas when he let it sit soo it shouldnt have that much to deposit crap in the fuel lines or filter

so how should i go about fixing it without ripping the tank out and etc

 

Depends on what it needs....

If it's funk in the tank, then it's pretty tough to get it out while the tank is in the car. Kind of hard to remove the pickup and run a coat hanger wire through it and stuff like that.

Sometimes you can blow it out with compressed air, and clear it; but not usually.

Might just need a new fuel filter (in the fuel inlet nut, where the steel line hooks to the carb). Check that if you haven't already. You'll need a 5/8" tubing wrench and a 1" wrench to hold the big nut still; then once you get the line off of the big nut, use the 1" wrench to remove the big nut from the carb.

Best thing to do to check the lines is to put some gas in it, and see what the fuel pump can pump. It should be able to move several quarts a minute at cranking speed.... like, fill up a 16 ounce cup in about 20 turns of the engine.

 

Along the lines of what RB83L69 mentioned... From what it sounds like it is a fuel delievery prob. If you get nothing from the flow test mentioned, and it does run if you dribble fuel down the carb or use starting fluid, then I betcha that the fuel pump will need to be replaced.

If that is the case, Just make sure that you get a pump that is right for your car. When I got one from Pep Boys, they gave me one for a Canadian car, which has the wrong threads.