Hello, I'm new to the site.

I have a 1985 Z28 with a 305 TPI and 700/R4 Trans.

I bought it a couple months ago for 1,300, and have been unsuccessful in trying to find out what's wrong with it.

If I clean the spark plugs up, it will take right off and stay that way as long as I keep the RPM's up. As soon as it begins idling, the plugs start to foul out and it dies.

The engine runs REALLY WELL if the plugs are clean.

Anyone come across a similar problem?

Can you tell me what might be wrong?

Thanks.

- Falcon

 

get new plugs, wires and distributor cap and rotor???
im having the exact same problem but on a different car. but its carbed so i think its a carb problem. getting to much gas that the engine cant handle it.
maybe its bad injectors? not really to sure.
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my 305 tbi didnt like to idle. it kept going down below 700rpms.
and just about die. found out that one of the sensors was toast. have you done a code test on your car? maybe a bad connecton or bad sensor?

 

Yesterday, I put in a new distributor.

The car came with brand new autolite spark plugs and new plug wires because the previous owner had the same problem - thats why he sold it.

I put the new plugs and wires in shortly after purchasing the car.

I don't know how to do a code test on the sensors. Could someone explain?

I also did a test on whether the injectors were maybe stuck open, and they all appeared to be good. I hooked them up to an air tight tube and pressured them up with air - none leaked.

I've noticed that there are a couple sensor plugs just hanging loose, and I can't find where they plug into. I'll post some pictures of the plugs when I get home. I think they might have just been extra wires that came on the IROC camaros and GM just used the same wiring harness for all the 305's.

Me and my dear ol' Dad were going to do a compression test on all of the cylinders, but decided against it because the engine ran so well when the plugs were clean.

- Falcon

 

i bought this code reader thing at wal-mart for GM cars with the year up to 1995 so i bought it. it was only $20 and it works wounders for me.
i think there is a way to do the code reading with out the code reader. have to wire something togeather wher you connect the code reader under the dash. i was reading it up on somewhere but not to sure.
do you have a book for the car? ike a chilton or haydens book? it should have codes in there that tell you what could be the problem.
the engine light will flash so many times. i would have to look at my book that came with the code reader. it tells you how many flashes are what and how to do the code reading. i havnt done in in along time so i would have to refresh my memory on that.

i one left my code reader pluged in and whent for a drove. it didnt drive to well lol. i was like whats going on?!?!?! till i found out why hehe.

i have afew extra plug wires hanging that arent pluged into anything eather on my 305. i was woundering the same thing if they pluged into anytning but im pretty sure they dont. extra plugs??
anyways. i had to replace the sensor at the front of the engine on the intake manifold. not to sure wha its called if forget. something to do with the tempeture. cost me $18 at the local auto store. it seemed to run better. it still has afew problems but i dont have a error code or the check engine lkight doesnt come on eather. so not to sure whats up with that. i think it could be a bad fuel pump thats starting to fail on me.

im sure if you search the internet about the code reading thing for the 3rd gen camaro it should tell you how to do it. or maybe look on the forum. im sure theres something there.

 

I'll see what I can find out with a code reader.

I think that when the car is turned on, the CHECK ENGINE, and BRAKE lights appear.

Another thing, possibly unrelated, is that the fan doesn't seem to come on with the stock computer. If I hook up the ECM from a 1988 IROC that I pulled, the fan comes on as soon as I turn on the car. I have the regular ECM hooked up right now- it seems to run better with it. I figure if I can manage to get the car hot enough, the fan will come on with that ECM.

Do you think I can get a code reader from a Carquest?

 

im not to sure what carquest is.
with my 305. the fan turn on when the engine gets hot enough.
lets see.
is the gas really old??
maybe it has bad gas in the fuel system. does it seem to drive fine after the car warms up and everything? my car seem to work alot better once the car gets warmed up.

 

I'm afraid to take it for a test drive - just in case the fan never comes on, and the engine overheats, I'm stuck.

Also, there's a leak on the power steering, which needs to be fixed before a test drive.

The fuel is new. The tank was empty when I bought it, so I filled a gas can and put in 5 gallons. I've also replaced the fuel filter.

I also don't want to run it for too long, otherwise the plugs will fowl out again, and it's quite annoying taking out and cleaning all 8 every time I THINK something might be fixed.

 

maybe the car needs a tune up.
maybe some oil is getting past the pistions into the comustion chamber and clogging up the plugs.
or maybe get some plugs that spark really hot. i put in some really hot plugs in my car and i love them, also you could hot wire the fan stright to the battery so its always running. or wire a switch to it so you can manually turn it on inside your car. have you checked all the vaccume lines to make sure none are leaking or missing a line??

 

I know that there are several vacuum lines that are broken, but about half of the lines on my '88 bird are busted, and they don't seem to make much of a difference. Then again, I suppose I never hooked them up AT ALL after the rebuild of that engine.

I think the vacuum line that attaches to a "T" on the bottom of the intake manifold might not be hooked, up and that seems like something that might make a difference. I'm going to go check it out right now.

 

i would plug in all the lines in lol.
you never know haha.
i would check the electrial stuff to make sure all the plugs are pluged in. and check the fuses to make sure none are burnt out eather.
when you start the car up. does the engine light turn on and stay on?? the break light will only stay on if the E-brake is ingauged. i think i spelt that wrong.. oh well haha. im having some funky electrial problems on my car that i have to fiddle around with.

 

I've attached some of the lines with hose, but I ran out of it and I'm going to order some aluminum lines from McMaster Carr.

Until then, I suppose I could try to acquire a code sensor and check some stuff out.

I might just bite the bullet and take a test drive tomorrow without power steering. It might be worth it diagnostic - wise.

Thanks for all your help, I'll give this thread a bump when I get somethin'.

 

alright let me know how it goes.
could take it to a shop and they can do the code testing and they can tell you what needs to be replaced. where i live its $75 for them to look at the codes. thats why i bought my self a $20 code reader thingy