Unfortunately this is not my car but I would love to have it

It's an 87 Corvette all original with auto trans
I believe its a zr51...not 100% sure but I know its zr something

Customer brought the beauty to me with a misfire after pulling it out of storage
Looked it over and we agreed on doing a tune up and intake gaskets due to leakage
On a better inspection I found the headgaskets where seeping
Tore it down to bare block and my suspicions where corrcect driver side headgasket had blown between cylinders 3&5

Sent the aluminum heads out for a rebuild.
They got milled, valve seals, springs, locks and retainers...all work was performed by a good machine shop

Got it all assembled
Engine turns over great but it doesn't want to start
List a new parts;
Battery
Ignition module
Ecm
Plugs
Wires
Caps and rotors

I adjusted valves per chilton manual but only tightened rockers down a quarter turn due to valves beginning to open
Installed distributor by taking out #1 plug and felt compression
Looked at balancer and its spot on zero
Installed dizzy with button pointing dead at number 1 post installed

Have 42 psi not cranking and pressure goes up to 45ish cranking

Have nice blue spark when placing spark plug on manifold with wire attached
Car will start on starting fluid but will die as soon as starting fluid runs out
When it does run on starting fluid the motor sounds great
Compression is good
Raised fuel rail with injectors intact and cranked engine over
There was no fuel spraying
Checked each injector connector with noid light and all blinked bright
Checked voltage at each injectors connector
12 volts on all pins ...while cranking voltages drop down to 9.32
Now to me having 8 bad injectors out of the blue is like winning the lottery but anything is possible
Resistance checked all injectors...my ohm showed 30-60 ohms on all injectors
Checked again with fluke meter from work and they show 12-13

I can smell fuel now but I believe injectors are just leaking

Also egr tube is not installed due to the crimp came uncrimped so the its a plate on intake manifold and a bolt temporarily shoved into exhaust manifold

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

When cranking the motor, turn the distributor counterclockwise. Sounds like you need some advance.

 

..... Double check all your wiring connectors , particularly the engine coolant temp sensor and the four wire weatherpack off the distributor to the main harness ..... spark fuel air in the right quantities AND at the proper time ................... Check timing ...........

 

I have tried that with no success
Motor doesn't sound like its trying to catch

Also I removed grounds on drivers of motor on the backside by oil filter
Replaced 3 eyelet connectors and cleaned battery ground
Cleaned engine block ground mating surface

Is the ecm ground at that location?

 

garbage in the gas

 

Oil pressure cranking shows 42psi cranking
Unhooked oil sending unit and jumpered wires together to keep fuel pump running

I'm thinking I will need to remove and inspect engine harness

Both temp sensors on front of manifold are plugged it
Has no brakes in harness cover
Dizzy 4 wire plugs are in good shape
Clean with no oil residue, corrosion or bent pins

Would a bad temp sensor keep car from starting

I put in 5 gallons of 93 octane
Previous fuel level was 1/4 tank now its at half
So half old and half new gas

 

if it starts on starter fluid , it will start with good gas

 

Well I just tried to start it on starting fluid and now it won't start

I'm stumped on this 1

Thanks again for replies

 

......... Temp sensor is important for start-up air fuel ratio ... not as critical in warm ambient temps but still important ... I'm sure you've done it already but verify the distributor - rotor position - #1 compression stroke ... moving the distributor around should produce a pop or two ... lets see some smoke .....

 

I adjusted distributor everyway it could go and nothing
I know for a fact its set dead on number 1

Last night if I let the car sit for about 30-45 minutes
It would almost catch but then back to just cranking

Where as today it just cranks and nothing happens
Not even catching on starting fluid

I did have a POP and some smoke coming from back of intake
I'm thinking it had a backfire through the intake?

 

check the hot wire on dist. make sure it hasnt come loose

 

Hot wire would be the big red wire going to the dizzy cap correct? B+

 

it may be the module in the dist. went bad or was going bad, I have an 87, everything you've done and mentioned looks like it should run.

 

wire goes to post closest to fire wall , other one is for tach,.

 

Thanks that's what I wad thinking
I replaced ignition module and ecm yesterday with no success
So today for ***** and giggles I put the old module in and that's when it stopped catching on starting fluid
Going to test both modules tomorrow

I'm going to list all the connectors I connected...let me know if I'm missing something
Afm
Tps
Iac
Ait
Dizzy 4 wire
Dizzy 3 wire to cap
All 8 injectors
Cold start injector
Vaccum line from plenum to fuel pressure regulator
Alternator
Both front temp sensor
Passenger side head temp sensor
Driver side overheat sensor
Oil pressure switch
A vaccum connector mounted to t stat housing...unsure what its called
Power wire to dizzy cap
Tach wire to dizzy cap
Smog connectors

 

reread your list, how bout a terminal board? part # 1986260-PD ecklers has it as #37876 says it needs to be replaced at least by 75,000 miles or could leave you stranded

 

I have no clue what a terminated board is or where its mounted

Please explain

 

Just looked it up
Yes 3 wires are hooked up to ignition module and other 4 plug end is connected as well
Module also has a 2 2 wire connectors that are hooked up as well

Thanks

 

I don't understand this comment from your original post. If you're on the heel of the cam (where you should be, or close to it) there's no way the valves are going to start opening. How did the chiltons manual say to adjust the valves?

Do a compression test on a few cylinders to see whazzup.