i have an '87 Formula with the TPI 305 and 5-speed. ever since i got it it has had a problem with detonation. typical 305. so far, this is what i have done to try and eliminate the problem.

1. new MAF sensor
2. new MAF burnoff relay (there is some insulation gone from the black wire going in the back of the plug, kinda has me worried)
3. AC Delco R43TS plugs set at .035
4. MSD Blaster coil
5. MSD plug wires
6. new ignition module
7. new knock sensor
8. new O2 sensor (man the guys at Schucks love me!!!)
9. timing set at 11 degrees initial, computer bumps it to around 33 or so, this seems a tad bit excessive to me, if you guys know why, please tell me.
well, so far here's where im at. i just did an SES check and found codes 33, 34 and 36 stored, i just reset the computer today. as i was doing this i heard the IAC motor running(?) and once i pulled up on the wire it stopped (or got really quiet about it), the car idles like its got a cam from hell, but still has stock L98. its smoking excessively now, the smoke looks blue, but smells of nothing but fuel?!?! while driving normal, if you barely touch the gas, it bucks so bad (sometimes its not real bad at all) you just try and hang on for 8 secs. but as soon as you give it more gas it pulls like a **** until it starts detonating at around 3 grand or so (sometimes its as high as 4). it runs normal temperature (just a hair under 200 (the mark between 100 and 220-the big mark) well, i don't know what else to say, please help if you guys can, i love my Formie and don't wanna put her to rest till i can build my 383. i refuse to sell her and i want to fix her bad, as i can't stand to see her like this. please help.

spark, air, fuel....Everything surrounds the 3! By the sounds of things, i would make sure that your plug wires are in the correct order. It would cause the excess fuel and the bad idle. I would also check the cap/rotor and all electircal connections. Also, do a compression check, that can tellyou a lot. And what is your fuel psi? My fuel psi regualtor went bad and i was runing really bad. Your welcome to stop by next week, I'm MR Mom cuz I work fireman type hours (paramedic) and my wife works M-F. PM me after monday and maybe we'll hook up.

Craiger

cool ill be sure to. i go back to work tuesday, im on leave now, and ill see about swingin by one day after work.

ok, UPDATE..spent all night up with a sick Formula. took off TB to try and clean it, turns out when i tried to take the IAC valve housing cover off i could only get 3 screws out, and broke off 2 of them which are still seized firmly in there. so i just sprayed cleaner in any hole i could find and chased it with q-tips. so i cleaned the whole TB and then ran into my dilemma...I BROKE THE TB GASKET...d@mn!t. so naturally its gonna vac leak like hell. and its 230 in the am, not gonna find a gasket at that hour, couldn't go get it if i could find one, just disabled my wheels! so while i was at it i put my old spark plug wires back on. well, after a while i decided just to put the TB back on w/o a gasket and see how i'd run (if she'd run...) so maybe i wouldn't have to walk 3 miles each way to the parts store. here's the weird part, for some reason, after reinstalling the TB, it starts holding the key for about 2 secs, usually takes about 15-20 secs after first start of the day which is always quick. besides an erratic idle, the car is running better WITHOUT the TB gasket than it did with it but really i think reinstalling my old plug wires did it. the MSD's are junk. i know, i know, everyone says their the best thing since sliced bread, and im sure i just got a defective set, but they made my car run like @$$. but my detonation is almost completely gone, only does it for about 1 sec if you goose it really quick while overrunning a gear. then it stops and will pull straight to 5,000 w/o detonation. this ain't a fluke, i tried it many many times, same thing, no detonation. cranks quick as hell now. still have my MAF trouble codes though, of course. question for you guys though, how hard would it be if i were just to splice (into the vehicle wiring harness) just the MAF wiring and connectors in? where do all the wires lead? thanks in advance...
Josh

I ran into the same problem while refurbishing a TPI to sell. The guy I bought it from had broken off the IAC inside the housing. I then proceeded to break like 4 screws trying to get the bottom piece off. Well here is what you can do. That bottome piece is NOT threaded. Go ahead and take out what you can take out (as far as the screws go) and pry off the cover carefully. SHould come right off anyway. Then you will at least have something to grip as far as those broken off screws go. Then spray a good penetrant around the screws and tap them lightly to help break them loose. Then you will have to find something to grip them with. Pliers were all I had around at the time, and that worked with two of them, but not the other two. For the other two I did something kind of stupid (I wouldn't recommend this), but it worked. I took my drill, took out the existing bit and tightened down the drill itself (where the bit normally goes) VERY tightly on the seized screws. I then put the drilll in reverse operation and backed them out VERY slowly.

Like I said, I probably wouldn't recommend the drill thing. I would probably use vice grips if I had it to do over again, but I don't have any good ones. This should give you a few ideas if nothing else. Hope things get better. Oh yeah, I find a factory service manual helps tremendously. You might want to consider picking one up.




Dustan

That is almost twice the factory recommended base timing, it should be 6 deg BTDC, the base being 11 has advanced your spark curve by 5 deg, back it off.

ok, i understand that, but how did my friend's '89 Formula get away with running 14 initial and never detonated once while he had it? it is basically a carbon copy of mine. not arguing, just wondering how two identical cars can be so different