I really just need someone to verify my thoughts before I pull the tank again. When its really cold out my car won't idle untill I start it 6-8 times and keep revving it till it warms up. Today I listened for the fuel pump primer and while it stays on for 3 seconds like it should before I turn the engine over, once i start the engine and it dies I can hear the fuel pump trying to regain pressure for a good 60 seconds. Their are no visible leaks and if I had a stuck injector it would've Locked the engine up so I'm assuming the leak is in the return line somehow? Or in the tank in some way. My fuel pressure gauge reads 43 when the pump is priming then quickly drops to 15 and seems to hold ok. Any ideals as to what exactly it coul be and why?

 

If the fuel pressure is dropping that quick you either have a weak pump or the damper or line is leaking in front of the pump. A stuck injector or the regulator is bleeding off. You can pinch the return line to see if pressure is maintained at the rail or cycle the key several times for the 2 second prime and start pulling your plugs to look for wet plugs. It take quite a but of fluid to hydro lock a engine.

 

Get a factory HELM service manual
Most all of my cars won't hold PSI after they shut off. They all start right up.
When its cold and you start your car it needs waay more fuel then when its warm out.
I'd look at the MAF sensor wire. If you run K&N filters the maf wire could be covered in oil. Make sure its clean.
If that doesn't work, look at the coolant temp sensor.

 

you need another cup of coffee Anthony

 

Short, sweet and to the point! lol

 

so your saying a maf or cts will cause a drop in fuel pressure

 

No, saying the MAF or CTS could be causing the injs to not give enuf fuel to the motor on cold start and during warm up, causing it to die. The fuel pump will continue to run until oil psi switch is de-energized from lack of oil PSI.
The Key Off fuel PSI drop happens in a bunch of cars.
It could also be doing weird stuff, like bad pump, hose, voltage to pump. But he said its fine when it warms up. That was my clue to point me elsewhere 1st.
I guess I could type the whole section of the service manual but since I use the hunt-n-pecker typing style, I'll just give one place at a time to look..

 

gotcha helm is the way to go I have it in on pdf

 

Well I just replaced the pump a year ago and ditched the dampener and replaced it with a peice of hose it's been a while but I can't imagine just half hazardly putting the hose on knowing if its not tight I'll have to drop the whole tank again.... And the fact that it works when its warm is deffinatly weird but I do agree with tuned performance that's its a fuel line issue.

 

And I do realize that the psi should drop but usually it's a slow steady drop over a few minutes. This is within ten seconds.

 

Do you have K&N filters that you clean and oil ? Try cleaning your maf wire 1st. Its easy.
Is your fuel PSI solid at full throttle no loss of PSI?
The fuel PSI drops on mine fast. Some do, some don't.
No pulsator, just a hose on mine. I replace the rgulator a few times when it was TPI, no change. I have a mini ram now, No change in the 20 years I've owned the car. Starts right up.

 

Can download the whole 1988_Pontiac FSM as a pdf here

http://depositfiles.com/files/ty1vrpu5x

 

thank you vetteoz, I have the 90 camaro fsm pm me if anybody needs it.

 

It's possible the regulator could be going but isint the tell tail sign of a busted regulator gas leaking into the plenum through the vacuume line running from the regulator to the plenum? Its so weird because the problem is so intermittent. It's happened like 4 times in the last 3 weeks and only when the engine is really cold.