No start
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Bluegrass State
Car: 85 Trans Am
Engine: LB9
Transmission: Finally Fixed (T5)
Axle/Gears: 3.27
No start
Okay, so I've tried nothing, and I'm all out of ideas (not really). Car has been off the road since 2014 when it started running pig rich after the battery came disconnected, and arced when it was reconnected. I've been slowly trying to get it back up and running with no success. The car is an 85, LB9 with 226k on it. While I was working on it, the intake came off for some port matching, and it got a used BBK throttlebody since the stock one had worn out throttle shafts. I've also done the following in the past 6ish months:
New fuel pump, filter, and regulator (5 gallons of fresh gas at this time, just put another 5-6 gallons in it today and cycled the pump several times trying to get it to mix some)
New ECU
New timing chain
New harmonic balance (old one was ~40 degrees off what the new one is for the timing mark, new one is at TDC mark with the timing chain at dot to dot)
Injectors swapped with stock ones that ohm out at 16.8-17.3 ohm
Verified spark, and cranking timing is at 6 degrees
Fuel pressure hold around 43psi
TPS is at .43v
Before I swapped the timing chain and balancer, it would backfire out of the exhaust. Now it will only crank, and I can smell gas. No coughing, or sputtering. I have not tried to use any starting fluid on it as of yet.
If anyone has any thoughts before I go and try to find a professional mechanic, I'm all ears.
Edit:
Forgot to mention new plugs were just put in as well, so they shouldn't be fouled out.
New fuel pump, filter, and regulator (5 gallons of fresh gas at this time, just put another 5-6 gallons in it today and cycled the pump several times trying to get it to mix some)
New ECU
New timing chain
New harmonic balance (old one was ~40 degrees off what the new one is for the timing mark, new one is at TDC mark with the timing chain at dot to dot)
Injectors swapped with stock ones that ohm out at 16.8-17.3 ohm
Verified spark, and cranking timing is at 6 degrees
Fuel pressure hold around 43psi
TPS is at .43v
Before I swapped the timing chain and balancer, it would backfire out of the exhaust. Now it will only crank, and I can smell gas. No coughing, or sputtering. I have not tried to use any starting fluid on it as of yet.
If anyone has any thoughts before I go and try to find a professional mechanic, I'm all ears.
Edit:
Forgot to mention new plugs were just put in as well, so they shouldn't be fouled out.
Last edited by nomind; Jul 4, 2020 at 08:02 PM.
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 175
From: Milwaukee
Car: 92 Firebird, 77 Trans Am SE, 86 Z28
Engine: 5.7 HSR, T/A 6.6, empty
Transmission: T-5, TH350, T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.08 posi, 3.23 posi, 3.23
Re: No start
You won me over with the Simpsons ref. Few thoughts. Take them as you like.
I wouldn't just say the injectors are good from an ohm check. Could be stuck open.
Get a noid light, see if the injectors are being told to open by the ecm.
Pull each plug, see if any or all of them are wet.
TPS should be set closer to .54v I don't think it's causing a no start but it doesn't help.
I wouldn't just accept the timing being at 6 degrees, move the distributor a little in each direction to see if anything changes.
And because vacuum leaks are a tuned port's arch enemy, you may want to smoke test the intake just so you aren't fighting other demons once it's running.
I wouldn't just say the injectors are good from an ohm check. Could be stuck open.
Get a noid light, see if the injectors are being told to open by the ecm.
Pull each plug, see if any or all of them are wet.
TPS should be set closer to .54v I don't think it's causing a no start but it doesn't help.
I wouldn't just accept the timing being at 6 degrees, move the distributor a little in each direction to see if anything changes.
And because vacuum leaks are a tuned port's arch enemy, you may want to smoke test the intake just so you aren't fighting other demons once it's running.
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 445
From: Northern NY
Car: 1988 Trans Am GTA and 1979 Trans Am
Engine: 5.7 L98
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Borg Warner 9 bolt 3.27
Re: No start
Just throwing this out there, have you checked out the MAF sensor? Disconnect and see if it runs?
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Bluegrass State
Car: 85 Trans Am
Engine: LB9
Transmission: Finally Fixed (T5)
Axle/Gears: 3.27
Re: No start
I have not put a test light on the injector wiring yet, will try that this weekend, however I did pull 2 plugs, and both were wet with gas. The injectors worked well when I pulled them out, and stored them, but I get what you're saying. I'll adjust the TPS sensor, as for the distributor, the timing mark on the balancer was at 0 after I installed the new timing chain set, so I would think it should be close. Unless I effed up the timing marks on the chain. I'll dig out the fog machine this weekend as well, and see what it shows me, but I've capped off most of the intake vacuum ports, and the intake is on new gaskets, but you never know.
I have not tried to pull the MAF wire yet, I'll add that to the next round of work.
I have not tried to pull the MAF wire yet, I'll add that to the next round of work.
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 2,095
Likes: 175
From: Milwaukee
Car: 92 Firebird, 77 Trans Am SE, 86 Z28
Engine: 5.7 HSR, T/A 6.6, empty
Transmission: T-5, TH350, T-5
Axle/Gears: 3.08 posi, 3.23 posi, 3.23
Re: No start
You could be 180* out on the distributor. Super easy to accidentally do.
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