Okay, where to start. Haha. I have a 1984 Pontiac Firebird. I got it last July, and I haven't been able to plate it and everything until here recently. But I've drove it down the road and back a few times and have started it in the garage a few days a week. But it's ran great. No troubles at all. The person I got it off of had a new fuel tank, new exhaust, new radiator, and rebuilt the engine. Well my parents own a 99' Grand Am that they have been tearing apart pretty much trying to fix a firing issue with it. Last week or so, they figured it would be a good idea to pull out 3 of my spark plug wires, I guess to test it in the grand am. I came out to the garage while they were working on it, and saw that, and had them put back in.

Now to the point. It started up barely the first time after they were put back in, and it was running really bad, so I shut it off real quick, and tried to start it again. Would just crank. So I had them come out there, and retry the order, every which way, still nothing. I guess while doing that, they twisted it all around and threw it out of alignment. (For some reason you can twist the whole distributor around pretty easily.) We've had the plugs and cap on and off of it trying to get it going. I had my neighbor out yesterday who use to be a pretty good mechanic, and we've lined it up top dead center 2-3 times by the harmonic balancer, and then lined up the #1 plug with the rotar under the cap, and have tried it back and forth on the cap. Closest we can get is it to act like it is just about to start, and act like its about to start for a good few seconds holding down the gas. It just does not want to start at all.

I was just wondering if you guys had any tips. We pretty much gave up on it, and thought it might just be flooded, and that we had it all right, but I let it sit with the carb open with screw drivers all night and today, tried to start it, and wouldn't even come close to as firing as before.

 

the 2.8 balancer is tricky its got 3 slots in it without pulling the valve cover its not very easy it has to be at tdc on the compression stroke of the number 1 cylinder so ehx valve opens closes intake opens closes and stop when intake closes then line up balancer to tdc with the closest mark

 

firing order is 123456 cap is prob marked with an H on number 1 for that dist

 

The PO had highlighted the mark for tdc on the balancer with green chalk. We sanded the stop of the markings a little bit to see the numbers, and crank it a little at a time to line it up to 0 on the marker. We got kind of close the first time we lined it up and tried to get it started. Then We tried it all again, and had it dead on with the 0 marking. This could probably not be tdc? He also suggested we could take out the #1 Spark plug, and place your finger over the whole, and slowly crank it a little at a time until you can feel the pressure build up, and stop as soon as it releases.

 

Also, we are going by:


LEFT RIGHT
6 5
4 3
2 1

Engine Firing order,
And on the cap, 165432, clockwise, or basically 123456 counter clockwise.

 

yes pull number one plug get long straight piece of wire put in hole turn motor by hand not with key until piston comes up all the way 1 is front passenger side and the dist rotates clockwise...... the module in that dist tends to go out a lot too

 

this will help

 

The PO sent me this to go by, and is what ive been using. Is it incorrect?

 

that is wrong your motor is a 2.8 173 ci that diagram is for a 229 use the one i put up it is correct

 

Well i've tried both ways, and still nothing. Im going to try your way for tdc today, and hopefully I can get it dead on. I was told that as long as it's close to tdc, and it's in the right order, it should start up, and I should be able to twist the cap/distributor around until it smooths out at idle. Is this true? Big snow storm coming in today, getting out early today @ 1 o'clock. More time to work. Haha.

Edit: In your diagram you posted, what is the firing order on the cap going? Clockwise or Counter? Also, when I think I have tdc, I've been taking the cap at, and lining #1 plug up with the metal pin that comes out on the rotor. Is this correct also?

 

Yep you can just get it close then twist it around, check your coil signal wire for signs of damage if someone used a squeeze on connector to add a tach, it will break the wire over time.

 

clockwise. it doesnt matter where the rotor is it spins so it will come around to one when its spinning #1 on the dist should be at approx 7 o clock note there are 2 screws holding the dist cap onto the dist #1 is the first post to the left of the screw towards the front of the engine