Hey guys. I have been lurking and reading for a few weeks now. I have had a 350 in my garage for awhile that i pulled out of a datsun that was eaten away with rust and i figured a 3rd gen would be a great low cost car to put the motor in and actually get to enjoy it. So, last night i bought an 83 firebird. The biggest issue i am having with the car is that today i noticed 1 spark plug wire pulled off of the distributor. It was dark last night when i picked up the car and i didnt notice it then. I drove the car 40 miles home and it seemed to be running fine but today when i reconnected the wire the car refused to idle and would die unless i had my foot on the gas. Any help or suggestions you guys could offer would be greatly appriciated. Oh, and the engine is a 305 v8 crossfire injection. Thanks in advance.

Shawn

 

Full tune up and see if & where she "fouls out."

 

I dont really see how reconnecting one plug wire would cause this problem, i agree with bitchin buick, new plugs, wires, cap and rotor button, just so you know what you are dealing with now and see what happens from there. Check the inside of your distributor cap for moisture, that may be an issue

 

In a car this old does a "full tune up" involve anything more than plugs and wires?

 

Id start with plugs wires and distributor cap, your issue seems to be a spark issue.

 

And rotor.....

 

yeah its just as well, its a cheap piece and takes about an extra minute after you have the cap off.

 

Thank you all for your replies. Is there a perticular brand of plugs that work better than the rest in our cars? I only ask because in my work truck (a ranger) people say that autolite are noticably better overall.

 

AC Delco is what the car came with, and i (as well as alot of other people on this forum and friends of mine) tend to stick with them. I've heard people say AC Delco is best in Chevys, maybe thats true. I've never had any problems with them. But some people also use bosh. If its a stock setup tho, AC's are fine.

Im not sure what the reccomended gap is though? (for performance)

I will never use autolite again, while changing my plugs in my firebird 3 of the 8 snapped right in half, leaving the other half still in the head. NEVER AGAIN. lol