I have a 87 camaro rs with the 2.8 liter v6. the car seems to be fine on start-up but after about 100-200 feet the car falls on its face. The rpms drop to nearly nothing, doesn't stall but won't move. Let off the accelerator to about 1/4 and sounds like high idle but will get the car up to about 30 miles per hour. I am at wits end, EGR valve is working, replaced fuel pump/filter, TPS, numerous vaccum lines, MAF. Checked fuel pressure 35 lbs at idle. Any suggestions would be appreciated, i have been trying to fix for days.

 

Welcome aboard thirdgen.org.

Is the Service Engine Soon (SES) light coming on? If so, have you checked the trouble codes that are being set?

I'm going to copy this to the V6 forum, so perhaps you'll have a better chance of getting help.

 

the computer is showing no codes when hooked up to the computer. like i said i am at the end of my rope. everyone that i talk to around here tells me to do all the same things i have already done. IAC valve cleaned, checked vaccum lines, new fuel pump, new fuel filter, checked for leaks in plenum gaskets, I am going to try plugs, wires, cap, and rotor next. aany other suggestions would be a great help right now. One other thing, sometimes my brakes get really hard to apply, i think this would happen if my power booster was going bad, could this be a vaccum problem i am overlooking?

 

You may have a vaccum issue since your brakes are going. Go to a shop and see if they can test for vaccum leaks. Check out your injector o-rings and the LIM gasket.

 

what is an LIM?

 

Sorry what is a LIM gasket? I am new to the whole car mechanics thing but i was an aircraft mechanic in the Navy, so i am not a complete degenerate when it comes to these things. I will go get the vaccum pressure tested and I did pull the fuel rail today the o rings looked fine. I also replaced the plenum gaskets today no change.

 

LIM is lower intake manifold. The one that bolts to the heads. They are notorious for going out on these motors. It would go ahead and replace the o-rings. I had a bad vac leak and it was the o-rings when they looked fine. And see if the shop does a "smoke test" for a vac leak. They basically pump smoke into the intake and wherever smoke comes out you got a leak. I would also soo about if there is a way to get the booster tested for vac leaks.

 

can anyone tell me? will a timing chain skip cause my problem? That is the only thing i can come up with now. To recap: new- fuel pump, fuel filter, distributer, roter, wires, maf, tps- checked - iac, ecm. Like I said the timing is the only thing i have left really. any reply helpful thanks

 

Reread the original post and I think that our fuel pressure should be around 45lbs. I don't think that a timing chain skip could cause your problem.

 

no, timing chain skip causes lack of engine running at all. trust me, i know. maybe your problem is in the drivetrain. just look at it and check to make sure your tranny is bolted onto the crossmember well, that your torque arm is fully attatched and then maybe its a torque converter/clutch not holding. what kind of transmission do you have?

 

I believe it is a 700R4

 

ok, maybe your torque converter is slipping. try reving it up in park or nuetral to see if its the engine, if not i would start looking at the transmission/drivetrain. its not out of the ordinary, my friend drives his around w/out crossmember bolts on the tranny. hahaha, its funny too, every time he slams on the gas the transmission goes up and hits the transsmission tunnel. he doesn't have very good acceleration because of it.

 

i know this is kinda gonna sound dumb as everything but...are you 100% sure that you have the timing right? cause that can cause a motor to run but fall on its face and its a "small block" chevorlet motor which means it will run 180 out and depending on the motor it will run great at high RPM or really bad at high RPM and great at low RPM

 

I know it an old thread... but my kids car is doing the same thing Im leaning towards fuel pump. Waht was the final outcome of this. Does anybody know??

 

I know this is old, but my 2.8 was doing the same thing, it turned out that the tranny wasnt shifting thus leading me to the trans, to where i replaced the governor, now it works fine.......... its a 30 dollar part pretty simple change.......

 

definatly check the tranny, and it could be as simple as its low on ATF.