as some of you might know, i have been putting my car back together.... the engine is in, intake is on, everything put back together, minus the driveshaft, till its running good.

for the past week, it's been turning over fine. but it wont start... if both wires are plugged into the distributor (on the bottom) it will turn over, but every couplke seconds, it sounds like its having problems turning over.... like it's about to stop.... if i unplug the smaller connector to the starter, it sounds like it's trying to turn over prety strong.... but she still wont start.... i assume im getting spark because i arked the power using my hand (OUCH!). and ive tried numerous times to set the timing.... ive never done it before, but read a few things on this site about setting it....

oh, i have a 350 tpi, iroc-z, 87, t-5. the car has been sitting since early-mid spring... and i had to take out the engine and take the heads off, and put them back on.

also, when the car had a rough time turning over, after about 10 seconds, it would spray something out on the drivers side.... i dont know if it was exhaust, or gas or what.... i dont know where it came from. i was the only one their, and by the time i got out of the car, the cloud was gone, and it left no sign of it.... the valve covor for the drivers side was off at the time....

i believe i have everything hooked up right.

anyways, if anyone has a clue as to what is keeping my car in the garage, please tell me.

thanx

jon

 

Sounds like it might have backfired on you.. I would pull the distributor, put the engine with #1 at tdc, and replace it. Timing is such a huge deal on these cars. When the engine is at tdc, make sure the rotor points toward the third cylinder, or the #1 connection on the cap. 8 and 1 should be parallel to the front of the car.

Im not sure if it sat long enough to hurt anything, but to be sure..did you leave gas in the tank, and use any gas additives?

 

i didnt use any additives, the gas seems fine to me, cause i disconected the fuel lines to see if they where on right, and i assume they where, cause after getting gas all over my hands by disconecting them and trying them the other way, the gas got all over my hands and it smelled like it was good. now i know they wont fit the other way.

i didnt know it mattered what direction the distributor cap was facing, as long as the rotor hit the right terminal at the right time, in the right order....

why would my engine be hard to turn over when that wire connectgion was plugged in, and it was easier after i unhooked it?

jon

 

well, it runs, for about a second, then it shuts off..... ive been messing with the timing for about 2 hours now... and stil the same thing... during witch, i shorted it with my fingers again (ouch).

putting the engine back in wasnt THIS hard!

jon

 

anyone have any ideas?

 

Did you put all the sensors back on and plugged them in? Does your '87 have a MAF sensor? Make sure you keep the timing ref wire unplugged when you mess with the timing so the computer doesn't interfere.

 

whitch one is the timing ref wire? im sure i plugged all the sensors back in, at least all that i could find....

 

The timing ref wire is located along the firewall above the AC tubes. When you look at it you would wonder why they have a connector there. When you unplug it and start the car your computer will set a code for losing the connection. I can't remember the code... I think it's 45. You need to disconnect this to set the base timing with a light and engine running. Once it's set, shut the engine off, plug the conn back in, remove the ECM fuse for 30sec (to clear code) and restart the car. If the car won't run with the wire connected you need to take a closer look at your ign control module. Good Luck

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1985 Trans Am - 305TPI AT
SLP Cat-Back - Welded subframe conns
misc engine mods

 

i cant even set the timing close enough with or without it connected (the wire is the bigger of thwe 2 connections, right?). the most i can get iut to run is for a second or two, and sounds like its beating the hell out of itself.... kinda a hard sound to describe, i hard thumping noise, i guess...

anyways, if you yhave anymore idea, i would apreciate it

thanx
jon