Ok guys, i'm new here to the board. Just bought a 86 trans am, 305 v8 4b, over the weekend. It hadn't been started in two years. Although with a little topping off of some fluids and some octane booster in the tank, she fired up. She actually ran really well without much hesitation. I've read a lot of mixed opinions on driving on old gas, so given my car situation as of late, i needed to get her on the road. my plan was to gradually top of with 93 to dilute the old gas.
So she ran fine when i took her home (i didn't want to do any work in the ladies garage i bought it from), so I thought i would be ok. I drove it a good 20 miles to work the next morning with no problems yet again. So now comes my problem. I go to leave work to go home and it starts but then stalls under giving her some gas. started back up, then stalled again when given gas. then she wouldn't start at all. She is turning over and firing, so being an amateur, i diagnose fuel since she won't STAY started. I'm planning on replacing the fuel filter and draining the old gas in the morning and putting in some fresh gas with some engine cleaner. I thought i would check if the fuel pump was turning on by turning the key on but not cranking it, and i'm getting a rapid clicking noise from under the hood with a SES light. Could this all be fuel related? Any help would be greatly appreciated! I need to get this puppy up and running again!!!

 

You can grab a paperclip and pull the codes for the SES light: https://www.thirdgen.org/service-eng...ht-error-codes

Is the pump priming when you turn key on but don't try to start?

Maybe the fuel pump relay is bad, thus making the clicking noise?

Is battery fully charged? Low battery voltage will make all kinds of things click.

 

The fuel pump is mechanical, not electric. However I took the hose off going from the pump to the Carb and cranked it to drain the gas, and got nothing. Fuel pump bad? It should be pumping some gas out a bit at a time because me trying to siphon with all the baffles was a joke. Clog in the lines maybe? Other ideas?

 

i say it might be the ignition coil it is giving weak spark.
i had the same symptoms.
new spark plugs and ignition coil is a good idea anyway better power and better fuel consumption.

 

Would be a starting point.
Pull the line of the the other side of pump and try blowing back to tank to make sure supply line not blocked

 

Don't remember the years, but there was a year or two in there where they had an electic assist pump in the tank as well - are you sure there's no pump in the tank?

 

my 86 trans am didnt have a booster pump in the tank, but its hard to tell which cars got it and which ones didnt.

anywho, try the filer and the fuel pump, probably dislodged a wad of crap left over from sitting and clogged things up. At least its inexpensive to replace these parts, which are pretty old by this point and should be changed anyway.

 

Thanks guys! I'm gonna try to unhook the other side of the pump, might as well replace it while i'm at it, as well as blow the fuel lines out and drain the old gas. While i got her jacked up, i'll go ahead and flush the cooling system and change the old oil. Is it easier to get the spark plugs changed from underneath? I got a new set of platinum tips to install that should help with spark. I'll keep everyone updated, i refuse to take this to a shop yet when i'm so close!!!

 

Ok guys so i replaced the fuel pump and did the fuel filter too while i was it...bang. . .started right up. Fuel pump was the issue. Thanks everyone for their help!!! This forum is great!!!

 

was just about to post and didn't realize that you fixed the problem already.