So, I've been working on this since Sunday, I was driving home, than boom engine dies on me coming up to a stop sign. Got the car towed home and checked everything out, I wasn't getting spark at the plug wires, so I checked the rotor and the distributor and they were bad. I went out and bought a new cap and a new rotor and sure enough the car started up. However, the metal the cap screwed into was somewhat stripped so the distributor cap wasn't staying on tight, and one of the spark plug wires were melting through. So after getting the car started up I went out the next day and picked up spark plug wires and some screws that were a little bigger and would hold the cap on tight. I hook everything up and the car won't start again. I ended up taking one of the plugs out and it was soaked in gas, so I pulled them all out and let them dry off and let the engine air out overnight, now I went back today put all the plugs in and wires back on and double checked everything, than I go to start the engine and BOOM! There was a big backfire, than the engine turns over and sounds like it's about to start but it never does. Could the engine still be flooded? Or could this be something else?

 

Have you checked your timing at all?

 

Yea, I advanced the timing and delayed it but its not the timing I set it back to where it was

 

Your going to have to give more info on car, year, carb,tb,or tpi engine size, this would help people help you

 

It's a 5 speed 1987 Pontiac firebird with a 5.0L 305 v8, carburated

 

disconnect the main fuel line pull the plugs and turn the motor over tryn possibly blow it threw - are u sure u dont have any wires crossed or the distributor clocked the wrong way for the rotor to be on point with num 1 tdc

 

I've battled that for 2 days. Could be several things. First I would check at grounds. And check the esc wire on the passenger side next to the firewall. Should be a brown wire with connector. Disconnect this and see if the car starts.
additionally I would disconnect the MAF sensor and attempt starting. Bad MAF will still allow the car to start. If you unplug it without change it's likely not the MAF sensor.

3 things to check for no spark.
ICM in the distributor - last thing I would try to verify based on location.....
Esc connection - disconnected this bypass the computer spark advance table. - Allows base timing configuration.
Grounds. - contributes to no spark
Battery voltage. - contributes to weak spark.

If your getting fuel it's possible your injectors are stuck open flooding the engine. have you checked fuel pressure and got pulsing injectors?

I'm just asking because I had to diagnose my no start issues.
I changed all wires, cap and rotor button, another set of wires and was still having problems.

I got a in-line spark tester from harbor freight for dirt cheap n started on cylinder 1 and worked 1 side. 1,3,5, and 7.
all the while my helper turned it over. Id check for the flashing light at the plug. All was good both sides. Also installed a brand new ignition coil. I forgot to mention that up top. Nonetheless, after my verification of all wires. She fired right up with slight issues. I didn't do anything I didn't think I had done differently. Literally just checked for spark with the tester and reconnected everything. Maybe I was in a rush the first time....idk. Now she runs but I'm tuning so I will bake this another time out 2 I'm sure.

Just take your time and don't let your anxiety rush you through it. Check out my post for what I done and am currently still doing....lol

 

jmeese, please read the date of the posts you respond to, this one has been cold for 10 years now and I'm betting in that time he's got it sorted.....

 

I have a 87 Firebird and unless I fixed it, it is probably broken. Rebuilt the hydromantic transmission. It ran before but not after the rebuild. I have no spark at the coil. I plan on using a volt meter to see if the coil is getting power, then change the coil, distributor, wires, spark plugs. It is a LG4 or H vin engine. Oh I think the rings on one or more cylinder are stuck closed. I should of junked it but am stubborn.