1986 T/A with 2.8 swap by a previous owner, run good for a while after I bought it, and then the motor blew up and I put in another 2.8 and got it going and blew it up again, scrapyard junk
Then I went to Scoggin Dickey and bought a 2.8 crate and dropped it in. it wont run run long, it just starts and stops immediatly.
I've already tried:
*NEW distributor
*Fuel injectors out of a 1989 Corsica 2.8 v6 that I drove home (85+mph all the way back from Lamesa to Lubbock, trip took 32 minutes, and my freind couldn't keep up with me even with him driving my pickup...)
*Reman Alternator
*NEW Knock Sensor
*NEW Fuel Pump
*NEW Fuel Filter
*NEW Starter (I burned the old one up cranking on it before I got the injectors...)

Parents are threatening to sell the car if I don't get it running good soon.

 

I am in the same position you are at... with putting a new 2.8 in that is. I was amazed how much the vacuum system does with the MPFI! thats what i would look at. My system was leaking very little but when i got that fixed the engine performance was really noticable. also make sure its hooked up right... sometimes there is a diagram on the hood.

start simple and work up!

good luck... That intake is FROM HELL eh

 

almost sounds like its not getting air, fule, or spark (one or the other or a combination there of) timing perhaps is off? are your plugs gaped correctly?

I'm not much help but just some things to think of.

 

Did you try to disconnect the EST and run it?

The ignition module controls timing while cranking. If it runs while in "crank" but as soon as it hits the "run" threshold and dies when the ECM takes over, the timing may be very far off. Disconect the EST and see if it will run. While you are there verify timing.

Apart from that...

You need to figure out WHAT is changing when it dies. Invest in an inline spark tester (you can see it from the drivers seat) and a light that you can strap on one of the injectors to make sure they continue firing. Also, check the fuel pressure, both before and after it dies.

 

The car sat for about 2 weeks (with out anyone touching it.) and then Its started and ran longer than usual, it still died, but it run about a minute and it done it twice and hadn't done it again.

 

Cars only die for one of two reasons...either it is not getting spark, or not getting fuel. When it sputters and dies pull out a plug and see if it has spark still when you crank it. If it does then check the fuel pressure. I am not sure if there is a fitting on the 2.8 or not, but somehow you need to see if it has fuel to the injectors.

 

Hi, I just got a 88 v6 Camaro the other day that has been sitting for many years. It had a bad fuel pump, which I replaced, but it does this same thing, It starts and then dies right away. It starts easy every time, but just falls off immediately. I have been working on it during the weekends and have planned on bringing my fuel pressure gauge with me this weekend to make sure it doesn’t have a stuck injector or fuel pressure regulator, when I go up there, but it doesn’t seem like it would fire up so easy if it had a fuel problem like that. Can anyone tell me where the EST is located? I am assuming this stands for electronic spark timing or trigger. If I unplug it and it stays running then is the ECM bad?

 

Sorry, I don't mean to thread jack, just figured we might be working on the same problem.

 

The est is right infront of on top or bottom of the blowe moter. It has a gray plug with a single wire going to each end. Got to autozone and it will tell you exactly the location.

I can say if you unhook it and the cpu doesn't kick out a code then there may be something wrong with the computer or programing. When mine was unhooked the engine light came on immediately.

 

Birdsong, did you ever get it running? I think mine was a different issue. My fuel pressure was 38psi. I unplugged stuff, didn't help. Finally got frustrated and just kept cranking it and would imediatly floorboard the throtlle and it finally acted like something opened up and the engine started idling. It sounded bad at first like just a couple of cylinders and gradually smoothed out. I took it for a run up the block and by the time I was back it was idling smooth. I don't know if the injectors were sticking and just freed themselves up, or maybe something had built a nest or something in the exhaust somewhere and it blew out. I know yours has not sat as long so probably not your problem.

 

Do you have the intake tubing on tight. Sometimes when they are off or really loose they will do that. Check your fuel filter. Vacuum lines... Make sure your dist cap and rotor are good. Make sure you have all 6 plug wires on the whole way. And make sure to check the timing also. Just a few things to try.

 

According to the shop manual, you should check the pickup coil in such a situation.

However, have you tried to start the engine with another ecm? I had the same problem on my camaro, turned out to be the ecm getting wrong data from the thermal sensor and let the engine running too lean (visible by the color of the spark plugs), but sensor and wiring was good. Bought another used ecm, mounted it, and the engine fired up immediatly on the first try.

nfortunately, the new ecm got another damage in the spark timing circuit, producing massive backfiring ...

€dit: Oh, and bash your parents!

 

I've been working on it alot lately, I've sealed and resealed the intake, set the dist. twice, another new coil, cap and rotor, regapped the plugs and redone the vacuum lines again.
It will try to start, and some times will (rarely )
The other day I pulled off the breather hose and tried to start it with starting fluid, and still it would only crank over and not even hit...

 

Does it take up to a few minutes of cranking to start? If yes, it sound very much like the mixture is too lean, so the engine only starts when it finally got to a high enough temperature.

But plain wildcatting wont help out here, so when you manage to get the motor running, drive for a few minutes and then check ecm error codes. This should get you closer to a solution.

http://www.transamgta.com/ECMcodes.html

 

when it "Stops" will it turn over right after that? At normal speed?


I've seen rod journals out of round slightly cause the engine to lock up after about 30-60 sec of running. Happened on a 3.4 i was working on a month ago. was a fresh rebuild, turned out to be the #5 rod.

 

It wont stay running long enough to drive anywhere, and I have to crank on it so long that I worry about burning up my starter, again. It will turn over normally as soon as it stops and some times will even start back up for a few moments...
When it is running, it will only rev up a little bit, 2500-3000 rpm-ish never get a good chance to see...
It smells pretty rich sometimes and others I can't even smell gas.
But it is throwning a code 54.
I still have the original oil press switches on the car.

If I buy a carb intake, does it have to be for a 85-86 or will any 2.8 work?

 

That was the same problem my '89 5.7 TBI Camaro had when I bought it back in april 2006, that was a good car, shame I couldn't have kept it...

 

54 - Low voltage at either fuel pump or fuel pump relay OR output failure at quad driver module.

Since the motor starts sometimes, the fuel pump should work. My shop manual dont say something about a relation between code 54 and the quad drivers, but if there is one, i would guess you have found your problem. The quad drivers are responsible for triggering the fuel jets. A malfunction in this circuit means the jets cannot work properly or not at all, this could result in a too lean mixture and the starting problems youre currently confronted with.

As i mentioned before, i strongly suggest you get another - working! - ecm (get one on ebay or borrow it from a buddy) for testing purposes. As an alternative, ask someone who got deep into electronics to check your ecm and maybe fix it.

 

Got a reman ECM and it still won't start.
$92 down the drain...

 

Have you checked your fuel pressure and what voltage you're getting at the fuel pump when cranking?

 

Fuel Press is 45 at the rail
Fuil Pump is 10 volts cranking and 12 not cranking.

 

I talked to a buddy at Oreilly's and got 4 new sensors, ain't had time to put them in yet, but I will in a little bit...

Oil Press single plug
Oil Press dual plug
Coollant temp left head
Cooling Fan Sensor

 

The oil pressure sensor could be the cause, maybe....

Perhaps it's doesn't give a proper signal to the fuel pump relay or something?

This would cause the pump to prime, but then cut out at/after cranking, when the lack of signal cut current to the pump?

 

The oil pressure switch is in parallel with the fuel pump relay (if the fuel pump relay fails, the car will still run when the oil pressure gets over about 3 lbs)

If his relay was also failed and the switch was dodgy then MAYBE it could cause his symptoms.

 

Okay new fan coolant switch, left head water temp, and the two oil press switches, and it still won't start, and we took a step backwards, after I put in all the new sensors, it aint getting no fire anymore...

 

It's a dead ringer symptom of a bad pick-up coil. I noticed someone mentioned that above already. The pick-up coil in case you are not aware is NOT the ignition coil. It is the contact points under the distributer cap and is what distributes the spark from the ignition module. It can go intermitant and cause the problem you are having.

The same basic symptom but with backfiring is the ignition module.

 

That plus I had problems with the distributor. for me its a pain to line it up good on these motors.

I THOUGHT I had it in correclty buit I was dead wrong. I turned it clockwise like everyone to try said but nothing. I tried moving the wires one ahead clockwise too.....but still nothing. It would start and run then die after a short time and then not start up again. I played with the distributor a LOT but still nothing. Then I tried turning it counter clockwise, and noticed it would run a little better on the rare occasion I got it to start. I tried rotating all the wires on the distributor one back and bingo. Fired right up! Try play with the firing order and dizzy!

 

So it all came down to having the wires in the wrong order? Now it runs fine?

 

Well, actually, orignially, I had the wires in the correct order. I had the rotor pointing towards cylibnder 1 etc...

Turns out however that my wires were correct, but my distributor, although I had it pointing exactly at cylinder 1, was somehow way off. I played with the distributor (turning it etc..) and it would start ,run rough, sometimes run good, and then die. And then it just wouldn;t start

I posted here and they said to advance the wires one place clockwise meaning put plug1 on point 2, 2 on point 3, 3 on point 4 etc....

That didn't work, so I put everything back how it was, and then I put the wires one back counterclockwise, meaning plug 1 on point 6, plug 2 on point 1 plug 3 on point 2 etc...

Started right up and ran smooth!

I mentioned this because I noticed he replaced the distributor, so perhaps he put it in incorreclty liek I did. Hope this helps!

 

Yet another new pick-up coil, still no fire...

 

don;t know if i missed it, but what about a new ignition coil? Its pretty cheap to replace anyway

 

If i can suggest, if you dont mind trying, disconnect your air intake and spray a little starting fluid in there. if you can keep it running long enough, see if the motor will fire long enough on the starting fluid and try to keep it running for 5-10 seconds just to see if its actually a fuel or spark problem. if it will run off the fluid, look into an injector problem since your spark will fire the fluid..and it doesnt seem to be fuel pressure problem (maybe a restriction? keep a gauge on it) if it doesnt run, you know you have a spark problem...since almost anything w/ a good enough spark can run on starting fluid. if your going to use a spark tester..be sure to test all cylinders!! just because the easiest one will fire, doesnt mean its right. If you want to avoid b/sing around with too much more money, you might want to have it towed to a shop that can check the ignition system with an ignition scope. This seems like one of those problems that will kill you if you dont get some outside help. It'l be like 90 for the tow plus 90 for a 1 hr diagnostic..a good tech should be able to figure it out and fix it within a day. Besides, you could probably make the cost back by selling some of the good parts that were replaced. We wont think less of you if you take it to a shop, and at least youl be able to use your car