I am "cleaning up" the way the car runs. It's been fully tuned except the timing which was right on when I started all of this...it's an 87 GTA w/ the 5.7 TPI. Anyways, it's been running great the last two days. Today I went out to start it and it just cranked...would act like it was going to kick over a couple times. It was getting fuel, I could smell it, and the pump ran before i fully turned the key....I took the other car and got back home about 20 min later...unhooked the battery, waited 5 min, hooked it back up, and it started fine...drove it 20 min to reset the ecm then shut it down and cranked it right back up. Any ideas? No codes.

 

After running errands it has started fine all day..about 6 times....any ideas what would cause that...cold start valve?

 

After letting it sit it won't start again..just keeps cranking..I put a plug on a wire and it has spark..haven't done a fuel press test but has a new pump on it and i can hear it priming...anyone!

 

Is it cold out? gen 1 sbc s dont like cold weather...until warm.

 

It was 50 this morning and 65 this afternoon...OK..soo..After the spark test I switched the fuel pump relays around..nothin..switched'em back...unhooked and hooked the battery..nothin....soooo...I took off the fuel cap and released teh pressure in the tank...put it on and VROOM..back to life...shut it down after 15min and started right back up...is it possible the vent is clogged somehow creating a vacuum lock after it sits? I am thinking I am smelling gas out the tailpipes from whatever is in the fuel rail when I crank it but then it starves itself.

 

not sure why that would have anything to do with it... might take longer to start but that would be all... sbcs are fine in cold weather, aarons 92 starts up first turn of the key in windshields of -30.

at that temp you will be fine....

check your IAC, they tend to get dirty and cause start up problems just wipe it down and that might take care of the problem.

 

Check your ignition control module. When they are starting to go bad,they tend to act up under heat. Or that is, when they get warm from the engine heat. Any parts store like Auto Zone or Advance will check it for free. It is located under your distributor cap. If you do take it off , make sure you use the special thermal glue that goes on the bottom of it.

 

Not the ignition module..I changed it not to long ago...appears to be either an isolated problem where something to clogged in a vacuum line, gas tank not venting causing the pump not to prime on the first start of the day, or the solonoid for the charcoal canister. Not 100% sure yet since it started fine yesterday and today. Hopefully it was a fluke since I'm driving 400 miles tomorow...wish me luck

 

Whatever gremlin was in there must have blown through the lines. Everything's ticking along...400 miles today no issues.

 

I said they dont -LIKE- it....ever rev a cold motor or try to start 1 thats been sitting over night.