rick lambert

Nice post tigmanned Nice pics 87 Rag I'm gonna be curious how she runs after you replace that bolt? Have you tried spraying a little WD40 on that area while ideling?

87 rag

You are the man tigmaned.
I didn't have a chance to even look at the car today but I will tomorrow and I will have your post printed out and in my hand.

My lovely assistant hopefully will be able to find the bolt for me while I'm at work and I'll get that in there first.

There is no plug over the idle adjustment screw so someone before me has played with it in the past.
I have actually corrected so many things with this car in the last couple of years that previous owners had done.
I'm getting a little excited that when I get this figured out the car should be set up and running better than it has for a long time.

I did get a chance to pick up a bottle of water remover for the gas tank so that will go in tomorrow as well.

I did spray something around all the vacuum lines and the spot where the bolt is missing. I think I sprayed TB cleaner. No change.
Thanks again guys I will report back.

87 rag

Dealership had to order the bolt, should be in today.
Water remover is in the tank.
Haven't played with the TPS or IAC again. I want the bolt in place before I do.
Hopefully tonight.

87 rag

I'm not getting anywhere.
I got the bolt installed and the car won't idle.
I didn't check the timing again because the car doesn't keep running.

It ran until it was warm, then when the idle dropped down it kept going down and shut off.
I tried to set the idle but I would have to turn the screw a few times and start the car again. I must have turned the screw 12 times. I thought I had something at one point because it was sitting at around 900, then it dropped and stalled.
The car shakes hard when it gets down around 600 rpms and I hear some popping like small backfires every once in a while.
I don't think it's running on all cylinders.
What is the best/easiest/quickest way to confirm this?

The other day when it was running I disconnected each of the electrical connections for the fuel injectors, one at a time.
It didn't seem to make much of a difference in how it ran with any one of them disconnected or all of them connected.

Thanks again for all your help and patience.

87 rag

My girlfriend came home so I sat her in the car to keep it running while I checked for spark from all the plug wires.
I got spark from all wires but it seemed to skip.
Instead of getting a steady beat of sparks it was missing.
I guess I'm checking my rotor and distributor next.
If anyone has any advice here please jump in.
Thanks

87 rag

I took the rotor off and the distributor cap. they were both a little corroded on the contacts but otherwise in good shape. I cleaned the contacts and put it back together...no difference.

How do I check my coil? I'm off to work now but will check my helms when I get home. My coil did have coolant on it, this would be from removing my valve covers. Could this dammage a coil? I'm pretty sure my cap and rotor are new within the last 16K miles but the coil may be older.

Does any of this info mean anything to anyone? I keep reporting what I see hoping someone will think of something we haven't looked at yet.

Fuel pressure...I'll check it again too.

AGENT 86

Have you looked at the IAC counts on datamaster
Have you reset TPS
fuel pressure

87 rag

I have not reset my TPS because I was going to do it after I reset my idle speed yesterday but I couldn't seem to get the idle speed and I had to walk away for a bit.
The TPS on datamaster said 0.54 so I didn't think it needed to be reset. I will reset it though once I get the idle speed figured out.

I'm at work now and the datamaster is at home on my laptop.
As soon as I get home I can tell you what the IAC counts are.
I'll even record a new session on Datamaster and send it to you.
Maybe you can see something in it that I can't.

I didn't even mention earlier that I paid $30 CAN for that runner bolt to be couriered to me and it was the wrong one. I have a bunch of washers on it to make it fit until I get the correct bolt. It is just too long.

This thread is getting long, should I start a new one or leave it alone?

I just quit smoking on Monday too.....bad timing.

rick lambert

Keep this one going.Get your self a noid light or a 12V test light and check the injector pigtails for pulsing, sorry the bolt didn't seem to help.
I'd re-check the fuel pressure, when was the last time for a fuel filter?
It's sounding more like a fuel delivery problem.Checking the coil is pretty easy take your ohm meter and put the leads on the battery and tach. connections on the dist. cap-should read 0 or close to 0 ohms-if it's high replace the coil.While you're there check the pick up coil also, that's pretty simple too-just make sure you wiggle the wires to the PU coil while testing. The popping has me looking at timing-might get the assistant in the car, disconnect the esc, and try moving the dist. while it running.

OH yeah,make sure you disconnect your battery before you check the coils.

87 rag

The girlfriend is telling me that she will pay to have a shop fix the car.
She sees how it is driving me mental. I thanked her for the offer and told her that I had to do it myself at this point.

I'll keep this thread alive.

Both Fuel filters were 2 summers ago. About 15K miles ago.
I'll pick up a noid or 12V test light for the injectors.
Ohms for coil, around zero, got it. Battery disconnected.
Whats a pick up coil? I only know of the one big coil on top of the distributor cap.

I'll check the timing agian, fuel pressure again, Frig, I'll check everything again.

rick lambert

PU coil is another part to the ignition system-easy to check-just use your FSM, and make sure you wiggle the wires while testing. I'm still leaning toward a fuel delivery problem now-and your fuel filters are past due!

87 rag

15000 miles on a fuel filter is past due?
Man, the one is like $80 CAN.
I'll take a close look at the fuel pressure tonight. I'll check it every way I can, and report back. The car doesn't have a problem revving, just idleing. Once the rpm's get above idle the car seems to run fine. Won't a fuel problem rob the car of fuel all the time?

I checked my fuel pressure before pulling the car out this spring and I was having a problem keeping pressure. The pressure would hit 44 when I turned the key and go back to 0 just as fast. The problem seemed to correct itself and it would hold pressure perfectly. This was weeks ago now so I'll check it again and the injectors.

I just went and picked up a 6-24V automotive test light. Will this work for testing the injector pulse?

87 rag

How much play should there be in the distributor gear?
I don't know if I'm calling it the correct name. When I took off the cap and rotor I wigled the thing that the rotor attaches to.
How much play should there be in this? If it is supposed to be snug, it's not. It could turn a little and could go up and down a little. It would turn a little more if I lifted it while turning.
Thanks

rick lambert

A few things-yep, 15000 is past due-especially with your problems, yes there is typically play in the dist.both ways. Don't know what you're referring to $80?, the inline filter is cheap. BUT-I think you've pinpointed your problem-just don't realize it. You need to check your fuel pressure regulator vacumn hose-see if any gas is in in it, second, you need to do the pinch test on your fuel lines-see if that's where you lost pressure-could be the check valve in the fuel pump.Do you Fuel pressure test again.I'm still thinking fuel delivery problem!!!!!!and when you said pressure fell-that, at least in my mind says you have a problem there.I think I could almost explain the idle versus reving but I'll hold on that.

87 rag

Auto parts in Canada are 2-3x what thay cost in the US. Plus that was from a chev dealer.

I'll check around for a better price on the filters (I should do both right?)
and I will follow the fuel pressure and see what I come up with.

Thanks again Rick

87 rag

Wow, the fuel filters are cheap. I may have paid $60, not $80 but man did I ever get raped. I'm still waiting for my local Napa to call me back with Canadian pricing but I found it on their US website.

Just got the price. $8.74 for the inline filter.
The guy couldn't find the return filter, am I dreaming, is there only 1 or are there 2?

rick lambert

If my 87 has two filters-I've never seen the other, just the filter in the feed line, and if I remember correctly-the filter was less than $10. I'm sorry, but I believe you have either a bad fuel pressure regulator or bad fuel pump. Check the regulator hose like I suggested-no gas in the vacumn hose-do the pinch test on the fuel lines-you lost pressure somewhere and we need to pinpoint this.

87 rag

There was no gas in the hose yesterday when i pulled it off the FPR.
Lots of vacuum though, it never had so much vacuum before. I could hear the air whistling into the hose when I pulled it off.

I'll do the pinch tests. I usually pinch the rubber lines at the tank.
If I check the fuel pressure and it drops I will pinch the send line.
If it holds pressure the problem is likely the pump, the pump connection or the send line in the tank. If the pressure still drops I pinch the return line. If the return line holds the pressure I know the problem is the likely the FPR.
If pressure still drops I should look at the injectors.
Let me know if I have this wrong.

Thanks.

88BlackZ-51

Hope you figure this out Jeff. Wow! After reading those posts, my head is spinning. But then again, I am still waiting for my U-joints gremlins to repair themselves.

87 rag

Thanks Rick,
I'm picking up my new fuel filter on the way home tonight. sounds like it is a PITA to change on a convertible. Oh well.
I also have a new O2 sensor that I'm going to change even though I don't think that is the problem. It was running rich all last year as well.
I have a full page of notes like a checklist in my pocket. I'm just going to start at the top and stop when it works or I snap.