It's been a while since I've posted, but I'm having a problem. When I first start my car and drive it for a while it runs fine. But after the engine heats up and I'm driving for a bit it starts to run kinda rough and at times it will load up and backfire with a big cloud of smoke. Its even stalled out after a backfire a few times. I thought it was from one of the spark plug wires being burned through since I've had that happen before, but I changed the wires and it is still doing it. I have an 89 formula with a TPI350. Anybody have any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

How many miles does it have on the motor?
Is it stock ?

 

It's stock and it has around 137,000 now.

 

Have you had your fuel pressure checked ? You might have a fuel pump on its way out the door.

 

I'm going to try to check the pressure tomorrow. If it's the fuel pump going wouldn't it run bad right from the start? In other words...when I first start my car and drive...it runs fine...in fact at w.o.t. it has plenty of power. It's only after I drive for a while that this happens. I have never had problems with a fuel pump before so I really wouldn't know what to look for. It seemed to be worse today, there is definetly a loss of power and I know if I give it too much gas it will backfire...kinda like one of the cylinders is just loading up with gas.

 

Well your way past due for a fuel pump. (Its a possibility)The reason I gave you that assumption is I have had several fuel pumps go out on a couple of 3rd gen cars . My car was surging,sputtering but it seemd to correct itself except for the fact that when it got really hot it got worse.
When I started my car in a quite garage I could also hear my pump buzz with breaks between the buzzing sound.
So I did a fuel pressure check and the pressure was in the upper 20's just enough to keep the car running.
Buy a pressure gauge from auto zone there cheap around 20 or 30 bucks.
If it is the pump hit me back and Ill show you an easy way to replace it with out breaking your back.
Rob

 

i need to change mine as well causemy car is doing the same thing and like u said i can hear my fuel pump break inbetween surging like ir gurrgling...i one have bout 25 to 32 psi. so whats the easy way to change it??????

 

By pulling up the carpet from the very back of the car up to the back seats. I drilled a small hole and used tin snips to cut out a section of the metal in the center of the hump over the gas tank.
I cut along the front and the two sides of the center section and peeled the metal back with my hands(only cut 3 sides). Then got the smallest tubing cutter I could find and cut all the lines blew the top of the tank off with hi pressure air to keep debris from falling in and picked the whole fuel pump assembly straight out of the tank .
I used 3/8 fuel hose and double clamped every where I cut. I also pushed the metal back down and used Bondo to re seal and keep any possible fumes from the exhaust from finding an easy way in as an extra precaution.
Did the whole thing in probably 1 1/2 hours.

 

Ok, just wanted to update here...it turned out my problem was a distributor going bad...I checked the fuel pressure and it was fine..right on the mark..so I decided to do a tune up..changed the plugs, wires, cap and rotor...I noticed that the old rotor was super hard to get off..I mean it was practically welded to the distributor...In taking it off I noticed a crack in the reluctor, but it was very small so I figured it would be ok...started the car ran ok for a minute then shut off...it wouldn't start again. took the cap off and the reluctor was shattered in 3 pieces...Got a new distributor put it on and it runs better than ever.