Ok, I am brand new to this site but have been doing an extreme amount of research here and this is the first time I have posted. I've read alot of like mine posts but really want direction on my particular situation.

I have a new project I am working on. An 87 Yellow Iroc-Z 305 TPI that has been setting for some time. It has not run for at least 3 years and I know very little about it other than it won't start. I'm trying to bring it back to life and wondering if I can get some input from you on the path I need to take next.

Thus far I have tested the resistance on the injectors with the following readings.

16.3
16.2
16.2
16.2
16.3
16.2
16.2
16.2

All seem fine as far as I have learned. Just got through checking fuel pressure. Hopefully I done it right. Cranking it over, it pegged out at 43psi with a very slow loss in pressure after several minutes.

The oil looked good when I got it and I cranked it over to no avail before finally dropping the oil and discovering lots of gas in the oil. I don't have a compression check guage yet but plan to get one tomorrow and check all cylinder compressions as I'm afraid of the worst, finding the gas in the oil pan.

Tonight I reset or double checked the basic timing of the engine just to make sure there wasn't a huge timing issue. It is making spark of which I have checked the plug in cylinder one on, but not the rest as of yet. When cranking it over, it just basically backfires through the TBI.

Any help as to what you think would be greatly appreciated. This is a learning project for me but really want to get this thing restored to original. I figured on the worst case scenario being a new engine but hoping that maybe this is something simpler than that.

I do know that this is the 2nd engine in the car and was built by a reputable speed shop in our area so hoping maybe rings are not bad but what are the possible explanations for the gas in the oil?

Thanks for any help!

 

Also wanted to mention a couple other things. There are 2 engine codes showing, 32 and 33.

Probably should have drain the gas from the tank before attempting this whole thing bought there was very little in it and it did not smell varnishy, so I added new 94 octane gas to it. Prob should have got rid of that old gas.

Also there is no exhaust from the headers back. Someone stole the catalytic converter.(cut it right off the car)

 

Another thing I'm wondering about. Should I be able to hear the injectors spraying while the fuel pump is pumping up to pressure. Just turning the key, the pump kicks on and I hear injectors spraying for what seems to be too long. Smell lots of gas.

 

Anybody?

 

suppose to be 60 psi ok probably pump or regulator

 

Really 60 psi? Thought I read on here someplace around 40+ on fuel pressure.

 

Anybody else? Last night I had time to check compression on number 1 cylinder. I just took out the plug, and screwed in the compression guage. Cranked the engine over and guess what...NOTHING. No reading. I had it finger tight. So....valves stuck? If timing chain was broke, engine probably wouldn't even turn over right? Also had it running for about 10-15 sec. Sound like only about 2 cylinders firing. Guess I'm going to take off valve covers and see what is going on there???

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

That is more than enough fuel pressure to get it running. You need to see if it is not getting fuel or spark...

Pull a plug and hook the spark plug back into the wire. Turn the car over and hold a screwdriver to the end of the plug. If it is sparking you have spark. As far as fuel you can't feel or hear the injectors when you are turning the car over to well...

IF you have spark spray some carb cleaner in the intake and see if thats enough to get it to start. If it is you are not getting the injectors to fire...

Try those things and check back in

 

I have checked that and yes it is sparking. It's firing but just sounds like on 1 or 2 cylinders. I had it actually running last night for about 10-15 seconds, but it sounded like it was just hitting on a couple cylinders. The no compression on cylinder one bothered me. Put some Seafoam in tank and throttle body. When you pull out plugs, they are black and WET with fuel. Wouldn't I have gotten some sort of compression reading?

 

Last time I took off the air cleaner stuff and sprayed ether into throttle body it back fired and started a small fire burning up the ether. Makes me nervous, but I do have spark.

 

Well, I got it running last night after some carb cleaner, seafoam and new plugs. Wow, new plugs made all the difference. Other than a leaky water pump and power steering pump I think I'm on my way.

I'm getting 2 error codes now after letting it run for 45 minutes.

22 and 34.

Can I get any input on these 2 codes?

The car currently has no exhaust from the headers back.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...l-gm-obd1.html

There is a list for all of the codes...

Yours indicate TPS(on the throttle body that tells you how much gas you're giving the car) and MAF(Mass air flow). It can be the sensor itself or one of the relays that are near the drivers side firewall.

I say get it running, clear the codes(pull the battery cable), fix the small things, and then see if they come back. Things act funny when they have been sitting for 3 plus years.

Luckily both of those things are generally easy and relatively inexpensive to replace

 

Ok, that's what I kind of thought too. I will update further once I have fixed all I know it needs currently. Thank you so much for your input thus far.

 

Ok, I'm back and still need lots of help with my ongoing project. Got the car to start and still several issues. There is no exhaust except for the manifolds so it is very loud and sounds like s***. One thing I am currently wondering about is my SES light has stopped working with the jumper wire or even when I turn the key. Bulb or ECM?

 

Also one quick stupid question. Is it ok to put the battery ground wire directly on an alternator mounting bolt? Didn't think this should be a problem. My battery gets drained now just sitting over night. New battery and can't figue why it's doing this.

 

I personally wouldn't put a ground cable on an alternator bolt. As for your s.e.s. light not coming on, I'd check the bulb if the car hasn't changed in any significant way since it stopped illuminating. The battery draining seems to imply that something is being left on in the car and draining it. Maybe a burned out dome light that's still on, or something of that nature.

 

Ok, I will move that ground wire and check the bulb tonight. It (SES) had been working up until I was able to move the car under it's own power into my barn. Now that it is in on cement I also have 2 pretty good oil leaks at the front of oil pan or timing chain cover. Checked bolts to know avail. Also have a good leak at the back of the engine. I removed the frozen up smog pump since running it last and was reading on here about not putting the bolts back into the block that it would throw oil out. Any truth or info on this?

 

The other main issue I was working on now that it's running before having these issues was it sounds like there is a cylinder on the drivers side that is not firing all the time. Spark at every plug. Just sounds rough. Throttle response very sluggish.

 

Ok, so now it looks like I'm going to need to change my intake manifold gasket. Think I will probably just change injectors at the same time. I sprayed carb cleaner around intake and the engine sped up when i sprayed a couple spots towards the back. I also have this oil leak that I think is coming from there. It's running down the back of the engine as best I can tell, then drips off the area where the dust cover for the flyweel goes. Dust cover not there. Any input as to if I'm pursueing this correctly? Also, any input or links you could provide on changing this gasket and sealing it correctly. I keep having this error code 34 (MAF) that I think is due to this also. Would the intake leak contribute to this error code? Still have not ruled out bad MAF. Cleaned it with MAF cleaner last night to no avail. Still getting error. Also brakes don't seem to be working correctly and I feel like it is due to this vacuum leak. Am I chasing ghosts or does that make sense? Thanks for any input!

 

Sounds like you are going in the right direction. Where are you located? Sometimes it helps to get on your local regional boards and ask some of the guys in your area for help. A lot of these guys like to help out a neighbor and fellow thirdgen owner! Someone who lives nearby might bring a spare maf sensor over to try or a spare relay. To me, it sounds like the ses bulb is burned out, your tps needs adjusting and the maf relay is bad. Good luck! Always nice to see someone bring one of these cars back from the dead!

 

Thanks for responding. I'm in Indiana about an 1 1/2 hrs east of Indy. Yeh, 2 nights ago I realized my stupid alternator was not even plugged in so explained why my battery wasn't charging or holding a charge. Dumb me. I knew that plug had to go somewhere. My SES light has been working ever since I found that. Guess it needs full charge on battery to function properly. Going to start putting on some new exhaust tonight to try and quiet this thing down so I can hear the motor better. Know I have a vacuum issue and think it's that intake gasket. It's amazing what will just go bad on a vehicle if it sits and is not driven. Yeh I'm leaning towards a bad MAF also but want to try and verify that more after I figure out the vacuum problem.

 

Ok, I'm back again after getting heads completely reworked and putting in new injectors, plug wires, dist cap and rotor. Now its hitting on all 8 cylinders, and sounds much, much better. Only way I can get it to idle though is with the MAF unplugged. Getting code 32. Guess I'm looking at something wrong with EGR system or valve. Am I thinking correctly? Sounds good revving it up with slight missing but will barely idle and will definitely die putting it into gear without a little throttle. Where would you suggest I head from here? Only codes I get is the 32 and I will get 42 after unplugging EST and checking base timing, but after ECM reset, only get the 32. I prob should have just replaced the EGR while I had the Plenum apart. Seem to have good vacuum anywhere I pull off a line and check and brakes seem much more reactive now instead of just rock solid. Thank you for ANY help you can provide. My wife and kids think I'm off my rocker as much time as I am spending on this and I am feeling the frustration starting to set in. Just want to drive her.

 

Ok I have tested my EGR valve with a hand vacuum pump and the valve is opening/working and holding vacuum. One question if anyone has an answer is with the car running, vaccuum line pulled from valve and plugged, hand pump on EGR valve, I cannot keep it open. Will not hold vacuum. Does this mean the valve is bad, or should it do that?

 

It means that the vacuum of the engine is greater than the vacuum applied from the hand-pump. Either that, or it has a bad seal and needs to be replaced.

I'm sure you've read up on this, but in case you haven't, EGR stands for exhaust gas recirculation. To decrease combustion temperatures, exhaust gas is allowed back into the incoming air stream to be combusted again. It should only operate at high engine vacuum, so when you're idling in traffic, or on a long cruise on the highway.

I used to get an EGR code after 20 or so minutes driving on the highway, and it was because the valve was constantly open at my particular engine speed/highway speed/engine load.

Good luck. Ever get the compression on all 8 cylinders up?

 

As far as the compression question, have not actually ran any compression checks since the new heads but I know it's different now. It sounded extremely better and where I had no compression on cylinder one I do now as I can tell when I set my initial timing. I couldn't even get the puff of air before and now it's strong and I heard it on all cylinders as I was rotating the engine by hand.