I have been slowly getting the car back to where I want it [running and driving], posted a lot when I started, but with work schedule and limited time to work on the car it's been lagging.

Rewind: Car sat for a few years after original trans went, put new trans in and fired the car up...ran rough from some "bad" fuel. Changed plugs, and drove the car 15 minutes home. Car sat for the rest of the week, fired it up to take the family for a drive, got about 6 blocks from the house and it just shut off...little puff of smoke from under the dash. Checked wiring and the fusable link at the starter was fried, ecm fried, alternator putting out a little more than 18 volts.

New parts:
IAC, spark control module, plugs, ecm, wires, rebuilt original distributor with new internals, alternator [root cause of all my problems], egr solenoid, fuel pump.

Things checked:
noid lighted injectors, firing. checked resistance of injectors, all were within spec and no variance greater than .1 ohms between all injectors. Getting fuel and at appropriate pressure. Checked for spark at all the plugs and all are getting spark...lots of it. checked tps, can't remember where it's at, but within spec. Timing checked about 95 times and it's always where it should be, at least by timing marks...pulled valve cover to confirm as well, I haven't pulled the front cover to verify cam timing, but it's the only thing that's left...didn't have anything unusual happen to make me think it's jumped a tooth though.

At wits end...getting ready to do what everyone else has done with unresolved tpi issues and getting ready to swap to a carb...ideas are appreciated, also if I do switch to a carb, can I just use a regular small block intake or is there more to it than just putting a carb and intake on the car.

It's going up for sale as is at the end of the day either way...would like it to be running for the next owner.

85 Z28, original engine, 23k original miles, might be 150 miles on trans. Interior is as near perfect. Victim of crappy gm paint, so it needs paint, but no rust through...would like it to go to someone that would save it. pm me with offers if interested or wanting pictures I also have a 94 lt1, trans and full wiring harness that will go with the car. Car is located in Charlotte, MI [ just south of Lansing, MI]

TIA

Josh

 

Ok...been plugging away at it...pretty sure that it's all timing related at this point...don't want to go carb...if I do I'll get a carb car to mess with. I am not actively selling the car, just frustrated with messing with it...I'm sure that I'll change my mind again when I hear it running...

Thanks,
Josh

 

Just a word of encouragement. Hang in there, you'll get it figured out. A carb would require an adjustable FPR to lower the pressure if you go that route. Looking at everything you have checked / changed, how about the distributor itself? I had to replace mine. It worked fine at idle, but was so worn out that it wouldn't run at all going down the street. Put a new one in and she ran like a brand new car.

 

jtsk, Thanks

Have been thinking about getting a totally brand new distributor...my original one was trashed... I put another one in that was from another tpi motor and changed all of the internals before I put it in to refresh it...we'll see...trying to get one and not wait is the problem...the local parts stores have hei distributors, but they are vacuum advance. Could I feasibly put one of those in instead...or how would I go about wiring in a new one with external coil?

TIA,
Josh

 

I am not sure about putting a vacuum controlled distributor in with a computer controlled engine. I am going to lean towards no on that though. I found my distributor at the local O'Reilly's, but the other parts stores didn't carry it in stock. I think it was like 139.00 and it was complete, cap, rotor, and ignition module. Richporter Technologies brand. It's no MSD, but it works just fine.

 

none in stock anywhere close... really not looking forward to pulling the front cover, but I may not have a choice just to see. I was thinking that the only thing that I haven't replaced is the maf and maf relay... but even if the maf is bad it should still run...just poorly like in limp mode.