ss400hp

O.k., this is what my car is doing....


Last week my car started cutting out under a load, whenever I'd pull a hill fast or accelerate to get on the interstate it would lunge and lose all it's power, just choke up really bad and want to die. It sounded like it wasn't getting any fuel so I cleaned the fuel filter and ran some of that carb / fuel injector cleaner through the tank, I even checked the fuel pressure and it was pumping good.
The car has a brand new Edelbrock 600cfm 4bll, Edelbrock performer intake and MSD billet HEI distributor. The fuel pump is new as well, I heard these cars have an electric in tank pump too, is that true??

Another thing the car is doing is the timing keeps getting off after a week or so of driving to and from work. The motor has 210,027 miles but runs very strong other than these few problems. I was told that the timing chain could be stretched and worn out causing the loss of power, lunging and timing getting out of whack. Tell me what you guys think and if you've encountered this problem before, thanks..


87 camaro
5.0L Roller 305

Damon

Timing slipping back? Check the distributor hold-down. Either it's too loose, installed upside-down, bent, the bolt is bottoming in it's thread before applying engough pressure, one of the "arms" of the hold-down has slipped off the distributor flange or it's just one of those chrome pieces of junk they sell in the "shiny parts aisle" which I wouldn't give a cup of warm spit for.

The timing chain will stretch a couple degrees and then stay stretched, it won't work back a few degrees per week again and again. Now if it's stretched enough that it's actually jumped a tooth then it will NEVER run right from that day forward, even if you bump the ignition timing back up (becuase the cam timing is still way off).

Other issue could be a lot of things, although it doesn sound like a fuel issue of some king. Could still be a lot of other things.

bulletboy29

I had the same problem recently. I pulled the electric pump out of the tank and threw it in the trash. I installed an electric pusher pump by the tank behind the rear seats. It pulls hard through all the gears now. They started putting the electric pumps on in '87 and some cars got them before that because of complaints of vapor lock.

ss400hp

I checked the hold down and bolt, they were both tight and I used the factory hold down because like you said, the chrome one's are junk. So the carbed cars had a in-tank pump and a mechanical pump?? That might be my problem then..

ss400hp

Just talked to GM and they said that the carbureted cars did not have an electric fuel pump or inline fuel filter. I can't figure this out, what the heck could cause all this??? It runs fine for a while but when it get's really warmed up and put under a load it throws one hell of a fit and dies. Everything is new and has been replaced as far as the fuel and ignition goes, only the motor has 210,000 on it. Could it have a clogged CVS somewhere not allowing it to vent??

bulletboy29

The carbed cars did have a pump in '87. Check the wires going to the tank under the carpet at the rear seats. See how many you have. I think there is a fuse for it on the panel too.

ss400hp

I'll check it out tonight, thanks and hopefully this will be the problem.

Keith_Indy

Have you checked to make sure the choke is operating normally.

Perhaps the choke is closing for some reason when it's not supposed to...

Also, not all 87s with carbs have electric fuel pumps. Mine certainly does not.

305q_ta86

iTrader: (1)

.

oops nvm.

bulletboy29

Five7kid


That is the response I got from Five7kid when I asked if my '87 had a pump. I dropped the tank and guess what....I had a pump!

Marc 85Z28

iTrader: (3)

Did you talk to GM or did you talk to some wet-behind-the-ears service advisor at a local GM dealer. If it was an advisor tell him you'll pay for removing the tank only if the pump isn't present. If it is, you (the advisor) will eat the labor cost! He'll back up quickly! Most advisors are clueless. The 87s did have an electric pump, and so did some other vehicles, in which GM installed a TSB pump in the tank for vapor lock issues.

I'd bet this IS a fuel delivery issue, as it was for me, and several others here on the board. Replacing the mechanical pump solved nearly everyone's problems.

The intank pump is not really necessary. A good mechanical pump is all you need. Or, you could install and electric pusher pump outside of the tank if necessary. But that would help more in high fuel demand engines, which a stock LG4 certainly isn't! My recommendation would be to replace the mechanical block mounted pump. Removing the intank pump would be a good idea, but is a lot of work.

Keith_Indy

Another thing to check is the float level.

I've bought 3 carbs and the floats were off on all 3.

street_carnage

just curious, didnt your car come with a computer controlled quadrajet? i heard that just changing the carb to an edelbrock or holley without changing the computer will be a problem?

ss400hp

yes it came with a computer controlled quad but changing to a Edelbrock will not hurt it at all, actually it will give it a little more response with a good intake. I got the car fixed and it runs like a scalded dog, especially with all the upgrades I did to it..

sellmanb

Looks like everyone's jumping the gun....

When was your last full tune-up (spark plugs, plug wires, dizzy cap, rotor, oil, oil filter, air filter, PCV valve at the minimum)?

ss400hp

who are you referring to? My last full tune up was last summer, all new fluids, filters, plugs, etc.. before it started giving fuel problems which was the intank fuel pump going bad, the strainer was clogged as well

street_carnage

so you got your problem fixed? what was it, im curious?


maybe this should be on a different post, but i always thought that it would be stuck in open loop or whatever if you changed your carb. so your telling me you can change the cc quad to a non-cc carb and it doesnt affect your computer at all? you just have to change your distibutor right? Thats pretty cool, i never knew that

ss400hp

It ran fine with the factory distributor but I replaced it with a billet HEI mallory distributor since I had a brand new one laying in the garage. The car runs a whole lot better, especially at WOT, it will flat out run. I changed the intake to a Edelbrock performer and done some other mods but it is alot more responsive and fun to drive, the only bad part is the gas mileage sucks now...

As far as the computer is concerned, it doesn't do anything for the car anyway other than emissions so I done away with it. No need for extra B.S electrical stuff you know.

muncee01

If you disconnected the computer and changed you distributor from the EST wouldn't you loose the lock up on the transmission ?

zed-028

this is a 12-13 year old thread mate...

zed-028

and yes you would