Ok i have tons of questions that i suppose after doing as much research as i have, still remain unanswered, and I need them answered, because, well, i want my third gen GTA to work, and its not.
Tech Specscar is all stock.no performance, all parts installed are just replacement and not performance)
1987 Pontiac Firebird Trans AM /w GTA sport package
350 ci V8 B2L/L98 (1987-1992) T.P.I.
180K Miles on the Engine
Ok, so heres the deal:
Bought the car from a guy, who I believe had no idea what he had on his hands, and it had sat still for going on a year. So, :the fuel pump's dead" he says, he also says he had the engine rebuilt 3 years ago(2000, car purchased 2003). Turns out, I didnt know what I had on MY hands. Thing is, me and my dad, we wanted a project car, but not a complete resto-thing. Just somethin to have for me to drive/tinker with. So, we go out there, and we put in the fuel pump. Thing is, its my best guess that the person before us had to do the same thing, and had cut a hole in the sheet metal of the floorpan right on top of the fuel sending unit. So, when we went in there to fix it up, using that same upper hatch (if thats you want to call it) Monstrous mistake. So in the process of removing the fuel sending unit, we bent the sending unit, to the point of crimping it at the part that fits over the hole in the gas tank. However, we did not know this at the time, attached the new pump, gave it a battery, and we were on our way. It sounded rough, and drove pretty rough. On the way home about halfway, car starts acting funny, everytime you pucsh the gas down, you get nothing but continual deceleration out of the car, with sporadic bursts of acceleration. But we got it to my house in the en, and I was happy and proud. So, we're trying to figure out the problem. We figure it couldn't be the parts we just installed. So, we put in a new fuel filter, new MAF sensor, new Distributor, rotor, distributor cap, spark plug wires, and put in new Bosch +4 spark plugs. All of this to no avail. Car wont even start now. So we take off the plenum and upper engine assembly down to the fuel rail, remove that, and end up taking out the fuel injectors, and cleaning them in a sensitive cleaner designed for the job. Get everything back on with relatively ease again. Still nothing... So were gettin kinda mad, and we have a friend come out and look at it. He does, and points out our fatal error of the fuel sending unit. WHOOPS. So I take it to a mechanic to have a new one installed properly. Which he does, for a relatively small price, and heppy go lucky me, im on my way. IT STARTS, im so happy. Get it home again, but as the day goes on, the car starts less and less easily, and stays running for even less time. So we get another friend out there who has worked on Pontiacs for a majority of his life, and we comes out, we get the engine properly timed. WHich helps out a lot, the problem is that the battery keeps losing its charge very fast, so we fnd several short in the wires, and recrimp them. Batteries doing better, but still losing charge. So now we get to the meaty part, where i am right. What he ends up telling me, is that one of the 8 cylinders is not firing, at all. And that the fuel injector is also having problems, and dumping fuel into the cylinder. But since its not firing, when it is on the upper stroke, and the exhaust valves come up, fuel is being pushed into my exhaust system. Which eventually lights on fire. So im saing up some more money, and im going to be taking it to another mechanic to find out what the very specific problem is, and to fix it.

Now for the Questions:
#1 Should the mechanic be able to fix the problem, and if he does, should the car run well afterwards.

#2 If you install a high power ignition coil on a car that is not performance, does it have any effects that are detrimental to car operation?

#3 Is rebuilding the engine worth it? Or should i just get another engine? If i get another engine,are there places that will install it?(I do not have means/time/tools to perform an engine swap)

#5 If i do not rebuild the engine or get another engine, what performance parts can I start installing over the obviously crappy ones in there?

#6 When installing performance, do the car's computers etc... reconfigure to accept them, or do you have to go in and start reconfiguring yourself.


And these are the down the road questions

#7 Does installing turbos/twin turbos put undue stress on the engine?

#8 Is it expensive to have someone install all braided S.S. lines in the car?


I think thats about it, I know its a lot to ask, just hope you guys can help me out. If i can get this car working soon, i am going to have to sell it, and i have no other car to fall back on, plus im on a very tight high school age budget.

 

Um, wow.


#1- It is rather easy to troubleshoot a SBC, who knows how it will run? I certainly couldn't venture a guess.

#2- no, so long as it isn't an MSD pro-power which is only for drag use. It also may wear distributor caps out faster.

#3- It sounds like you do not want to fool around with rebuilding, and a crate motor would give you better performance than a stock rebuild, so I would go that route. It is going to be expensive to have someone install it, but it can be done.

#4- ? no number 4

#5- Nothing you put on a lemon engine will make it faster without the thing breaking. You can't polish a turd.

#6- It all depends on how much "performance" is being added. Exhausts, intake mods, some cams etc... usually don't require any computer mods. However, high compression high-flow motors do require computer mods.

#7- Yes, anytime you add power it will put more stress on an engine. A twin turbo engine will wear out significantly faster than a N/A engine.

#8- Yes, probably cost more than the car is worth. S/S line covers are (in my opinion) very taco-bell employee.




In my opinion, you need to get a beater car and make this your project. The first 50 dollars you should spend should be on David Vizard books. How to rebuld the small block chevy, and Small blocks on a Budget. Study those 2 books cover to cover. Do some of the work yourself and it will be very gratifying. I get the sense that you just want to have someone else put your car together and you want to go race it at the high-school challenge. Do yourself a favor, and do the work yourself. It will be cheaper, then you will have something to be proud of instead of something someone else built. Start reading and good luck!!

 

Well ive done all the work, but like I said, I dont have the time/money/tools to actually take out the engine, and do work on it. I mean, im working out of my driveway, with limited tools, and what time i do have is spent leaving at 6:30 in the morning going to school, and then i got to work at either of my two jobs after that to get enough to pay off the loan i took out to get the job, plus the parts i have already purchased. I have to ask off of work to get time on my car. See, i didnt think that id be working this much when i bought the car. i dont have enough money to buy a beater...... Parents in financial trouble, so i got nothing comin in on their side. Yea, so, ill definetly go check out those two books, and then look at the other stuff as well, thanks for the input.

The only work i wont someone else to do is install/rebuild the engine if ABSOLUTELY necessary....
P.S. Sorry bout 4

 

Did you gap the plugs to .035? I didnt when I did my first plug change on my car... ended up having detonation occur and here I am now with 3 spun bearings a month later (and 3 months after THAT here I am).

If I was you, I'd have your battery and starter tested at a local parts store. (assuming that you have another car you can use). Also try adjusting the TPS and IAC as shown in this link

https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/tpimod2.shtml

buy any tools that you'll need, they'll pay for themselves eventually.

Also, is the original catalytic converter on the car still? If so, you should atleast kick that out and see if the car idles any better... backpressure is bad!

If your injectors are leaking bad enough you will just flood the cylinders, and fuel wash your plugs (and you'll need new ones or the car wont fire right).

Also if you have a leaky injector then when you shut the car down, it will dump fuel into the cylinder, making it very hard to start... once you get this fixed, change your oil and filter, cuz you probably have fuel in your oil... and bearings DONT LIKE FUEL .

So if you have time, get the alternator and starter tested... if you dont, that's okay dont bother. But do go take your injectors to the chevy dealership and ask them to either clean them out, or sell you a new set... neither will be cheap, but should fix it.

 

ok, thanks sellmanb, ill see if i can take those two out. see the other thing is that we already took one battery back to advanced auto parts, and they said it wasnt broken, but gave us a new one anyways, so we think its a short in the car somewhere thats draining the battery.

have you seen any cat. converter removal technical documents?

 

may sawz-all be your guide

unless it's bolted in.

 

You REALLY don't know enough about this engine to judge whether or not it NEEDS rebuilding or replacing.

You and your dad already took it down to the fuel injectors.

Get your buddies to scout around and find you ONE fuel injector and replace the one your mechanic buddy said was bad.

That may be about all it needs at this point.

Then you can DRIVE it and become familiar with the car/engine and learn if it needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

At this point I don't see that you could make that decisionan at all.
I couldn't if it were mine and the only things I had experienced with it was what you wrote.

Very detailed description of your experience with the car, by the way.

But don't be so quick to judge it with the few facts you've gatherd so far.

Don't even THINK of high performance modifications until you become very familiar/intimate with your car and engine combination.

Just get it so you can drive it and so the engine runs properly.

Oh, do a search on this site or the web and find how to do the ohms test on your injectors. But yourself a 20 buck ohmmeter at Radio Shack to work with.

All else can come later.

 

He speaks the truth. I meant to mention it, but figured you'd probably do it anyways, but here's my go anyways...

Your engine doesnt need a rebuild. A rebuild includes getting new pistons, new rods, new bearings, new crank, having a ton of things bored and honed and machined... it has nothing to do with your general driveability, if these things fail then your car will knock like crazy and it will simply not be driveable.

You've got problems with some of the more basic things I think.

The reason that I suggested you go through all of the above is that the prior owner cut a hole in the back in order to change the fuel pump... there's no telling what other shotty repair jobs he's done, and has probably never serviced the injectors ever.

The alternator and starter might be on the fringe, and taking them out to have them tested now before you start driving your car everywhere would be a good idea. so you know what is on it's last legs.

Like VetNutJim stated, get to know your car better... after you get these simple issues figured out, take time to get to know the feel of your car.

I remember driving my mom's car all the time, and when something would go wrong with the car it all felt the same to me... now, if I drive it and something happens, I have fixed so many things on it that now I can pinpoint the general area where it's not working out so well... it all just comes with time.

Welcome to the boards BTW