Ok, I have a 1989 305 tbi trans am. It's been sitting for a couple years and I'm finally in a position to start working on it. When I bought it it ran fine only problem was a wobbly steering wheel, I fixed that. One night i went out for a ride i puched the gas got up to 60mph and the car went absolutly dead. I replaced the timing chain, distributor cap, the small chip under the cap (cant remember the name of it right now), plugs & wires and the fuel pump. Now I can get it to turn over but it wont stay started unless i feather the gas and there is alot of back-firing...it can be driven but again feather the gas and a lot of backfire. I'm pretty sure there is somone on here that can get me pointed in the right direction.

 

Timing or you did something wrong with the tune up. That chip is a module.

Did you take the distributor out for any reason? Did you turn the motor over at all with the timing chain off? Did the chain break?

 

I replaced the distributor numbered the wires so i didnt screw it up chain didnt break and i didnt turn the motor with the chain off. I was also told that the cam and lifters could also be a possible problem.

 

You replaced the actual distributor? Or just the cap/rotor/module?
Their is a very big difference between the two. If that distributor was taken out of the motor or you losed the bracket that holds the distributor tight against the intake manifold, your timing is out. That would explain why it is backfiring like crazy and doesn't want to run.

If your distributor at all spun left or right we found your problem. If you didn't mark it, it was dumb luck you set it in close enough to let the motor fire up at all. You need to check it with a timing light.