Car is a 1988 Trans Am w/ the 305 TPI and a 5 speed. It has been dieing on me where the engine would just shut off. However, that isn't my problem now. Now the engine won't start at all. It has spark, checked using a timing light and stuck a spare plug in one of the wires. It has gas. Here is what worries me. I turn it over for awhile, then pop... kinda, it like gas releasing. So I pulled off the intake tubing and watch. It shoots a cloud of vapor out the intake mixed with some oil (valve seals are shot) and it smells like gas.

What would cause this? I am pretty sure I have some mechanical damage to the motor, as the last time it died I was on a street and it died in traffic, so I put it into first and dumped the clutch (I was rather heated at the time) and it make a loud popping noise, a bunch of black smoke came out the back, and it hasn't started since.... I don't think I overrevved it, I couldn't have been going that fast, but I could have broken something in that manuever.

Thanks!

 

Have fuel pressure? To test if it may be MAF related, unplug the MAF or swap the relays and see if you can get it to start.

 

Yup, fuel pressure in check and the MAF isn't the problem. Been having issues w/ the MAF, but it didn't make a difference if it was plugged in or not.