Picked up a NICE 1987 Firebird, A/T, VIN H motor, all the goodies installed. Problem is, I get a crank but no start.

I was told that I was "dumping" fuel into the engine, so I swapped the carb with a known good carb from my 86 Camaro. Still no start. Then I was informed that it might be plugs and wires. Swapped those as well from my 86. I have increased my cranking RPMS from about 500 to about 900 now that I put the plugs and wires in, but she still won’t start. If I hold the accelerator pedal all the way down and crank her over she "sounds" like she wants to go but as soon as I let go of the key or pump the accelerator it dies.

When I took out the plugs on the 'Bird I cranked the engine over each time to get any possible fuel or crap out of the cylinders. There were times during this process that the car seemed to fire up, but with a missing plug and wire it would die quickly.

I checked the spark at the coil and it looks nice and strong. I looked in the carb and I can see fuel squirting into the intake. Am I missing something? It seems to me I'm not sparking in some of my cylinders, and thus getting a misfire that pushing fuel back into the intake instead of getting it down into the cylinders. Does this sound right?

Stephen

 

Have you checked to see whether your distributor is sparking on all lines? If you're getting fuel, it's going to probably be that you're not getting spark, so it might be your coil, the cap/rotor could be cracked, or maybe the ignition module - which I'm not a 100% sure that your distributor has.

Also, when you say that she "sounds like" she's about to start - does she actually start or does she just "bubble/sputter"? If I remember correctly, a buddy of mine blew his timing belt and the car did just that - when he'd keep his foot to the floor it "sounded" like it wanted to start in that it sputtered a bit. If that's the case, then you may need to rebuild that motor.

 

more than likely its in the distributor..either timing is off or 180 degrees off or a spark issue like the above member said

 

When I said "she sounds like" she wants to start, I mean that she DOES start and I can goose the throttle and get a few revs out of the engine, but becuase the spark plug is not in the cylinder head I get a putt-putt after 1 or 2 rev's and the engine dies.

I don't think the timing chain is bad.

What I THINK is that the fuel in the cylinder isn't combusting (because of lack of spark) and the accumulated fuel is being pushed out of the hole when I remove the plug...which is why the engine tries to start...but when their is no spark and the plug is in the hole the fuel just builds up until it's pushed back into the intake and I get no joy.

 

you sound smart

get the haynes

check the coil resestance

check the pickup coil

take your ign module to the auto parts store

buy a spark checker and a multimeter for like 20 bucks and learn your car

 

I already have a Fluke meter and a spark tester. Spark is good at the distributor and at all the plugs. I think the firing order is off...I can see where the distributor has been messed with.

Dont need the Hayes or Chilton manuals. I have access to AllData, GM Service Information, and I have the service technician manuals for the car. It's just a learning curve since I've never worked on an "older" car this much in depth before.