I have a little problem with my 86 TA. At first I thought it was my transmission. The car won't shift until about 4000-5000 RPM. Below 2500rpm there is barely any power. Can't do a break torque can't even spin the tires. The day before this started happening I could roast my tires forever. Anyway I thought it was my transmission, but I called a guy from Pontiac and he said it had something to do with the lack of power making the transmission not shift. Does anyone have any ideas?
Here is what I have done so far.
I have looked at the outside of the trans. Everything looks good.
When I snap the throttle quickly from in the engine compartment, it stalls. I know my MAF sensor is bad, but I am not sure if that has anything to do with it. The guy from pontiac said it could be caused by a misfire also. I put new plugs and wires and injectors in about 4000 miles ago. The only problem with my injectors are they are 24# and not 19#. The fuel pump is about 2 years old also. I noticed that a few bubbles have risen out of my coolent over flow tank, so Im not sure what that means if it is normal because I was just beating on my car to get it to shift.
If anyone could help me out I would really appreciate it, because this is my daily driver. I need it to go to work and to school
Thank you.

 

Please guys. I need to fix this soon. I haven't been able to go to school because this is my only car.

 

those 24#'s are over kill for and otherwise stock engine and no tuning. if the maf is infact bad that will cause a **** load of problems. change it out ASAP. not only power loss but stumbling and stalling. the best thing to do is to get some 19#'s and throw them on there. set the afpr back to the stock setting. people have gained power by switching back to stock size injectors instead of oversized injectors. start with the basics. check your timing. it is possible that the distributor moved a couple or more degrees if it's not tight enough. check and make sure that the timing is advancing as it should. check for, of course, vacuum leaks.

 

I would guess that a combiantion of the 24# Injections making you Pig Rich, and the "bad maf" Are causing your problems.

Replace the MAF, and either get a Chip burned for the injectors

http://www.speedtoys.com/~bort62/PROM/ <-- Shameless plug

or Go back to the stock 19#'s.

 

The part I dont get is that I have had the injectors for a while now, and no problems. Do you really think that all of the sudden it wont shift right because of the injectors? ONe more thing I noticed is that the exhaust kind of smells like a lawnmower exhaust.

 

I don't think the injectors have anything to do with it not shifting right. That aspect sounds like your TV cable is out of adjustment.

I was more targeting the fact that your engine isnt running right at all.

Smells like lawmower exhuast.... You mean it smells Rich ?

Obviously caused By the injectors, IMO.

Not to mention the bad MAF.

Got to take care of the basics, First.

 

Replace the MAF since it was determined bad.

 

Ok, the mass air flow sensor is the least of my problems I believe. I would replace it if I had the money. But for right now, I just want to get my car to drive to and from school and work. I don't beleive it is the engine anymore. The smell that I was talking about is coming from the bottom of my car. NOt the exhaust. Also I can hear a lashing sound coming from the bottom of my car.
I can't afford to take it to a shop and It is getting very cold out now so I need to fix this ASAP.

 

 

What is the problem? My car drives fine. It only has a rough idle when I start it up and about 5 seconds later it is fine. I am not sure what is going on, but I think it is my trans thats in making my car shift.

 

If your MAF is bad, it is paramount in your problems.

It is the primary sensor wich the 165 computer uses to Measure airflow and distribute fuel, and calculate spark.

If it is not reporting correctly, Nothing will work right.

The car WILL NOT run right with a bad Maf. With a bad maf you are running in Limp Home Mode using default values.

You want to be able to drive you car, Fix the MAF.

As for the transmission not shifting, is this under WOT or part throttle ?

Parth throttle is most likely related to the TV cable being out of adjustment, follow the tech article on this site to adjust it properly.

Under WOT, then thats not a problem.