RRT vette

Hello everyone, this car was a daily driver in my younger years before kids. It drove fine up to about 6 years ago. The car has about 54K miles and stock. It started with a idle miss when I came to a stop light. Then the water pump started leaking pretty good. The car sat for years.

About 3 years ago and the car would not start. Found out the fuel pump was done. I pulled it out and it was trashed. I replaced the pump and it ran again. It had a miss in drive while at stop lights and there was a coolant leak from the water pump. So, I replaced the water pump (A.C. Delco), spark plugs (NGK) and wires with (Taylor's), And also the distributor cap (MSD). It stared up and ran fine. I let it sit again til last month.

I go to start it up and no fuel pressure. Pulled the fuel pump assembly and it was almost rusted into. There was tons of varnish in the tank that smelt like paint thinner. I cleaned the tank out to almost new. I put a used assembly and new AC Delco pump and put back in it with a new gasket and bolt o-rings. Put new gas in and flushed the lines til all the brown gas was clean. I have 40 psi fuel pressure and it wants to start for about a second put never does.

I don't have any codes. My guess is the injectors are gummed up but looking for suggestions. Thanks.

hemivett

95? Doesn't that have an opti? Especially if you had a water pump leak, your opti is probably toast! Have you checked for spark? Ive even seen optis only work sometimes when they are going bad. After that, I would look at the cam, and crank sensors. h

RRT vette

Yes it has and opti spark distributor. It was running fine after I replaced the water pump and opti cap. Then it sat for years. I was thinking it might be the opti spark but I don't have any codes. I didn't have time today to check for spark, but it will be on my list maybe tomorrow. I will let you know.

hemivett

Ya, if you had any kind of leak coming from your water pump, it's almost a garauntee the option will go. I've even heard of them going if you go through to big of a puddle. h

Tom400CFI

Guys, he said that he replaced the opti after the water pump leak.

OP if you want to know if the injectors are firing, pull plugs. See if they're wet. OR, charge the fuel pump, check fuel pressure drop. If it holds pretty good, like it ought to, then disable fuel pump and crank -watch fuel pressure. if it drops, injectors are firing.

hemivett

He said he replaced the "opti cap"???? Does he mean the whole unit, or is there some sort of "cap" I always thought it was a sealed unit? h

Tom400CFI

You are right. I read it, but didn't "see" the cap part. Reading comprehension.

Yes, you can change just the cap/rotor, just like a conventional distributor.

So yeah, it could be the opti.

Some diagnostics are in order.


.

1993C4LT1

On that no start, plug in a noid light to a fuel injector connector. If no flashes when cranking, bad opti. You could also take the ICM to get tested.

RRT vette

Yes guys, I replaced the rotor and cap. I pulled 3 plugs (easy ones) and checked them out. They all three look normal and dry. I held one off the exhaust manifold and have good strong spark. Checked the other 5 with my timing light and it lights up like it should. One thing I noticed today was the fuel pressure dropping to 0 within 3 minutes or less. Wonder if it's returning to the tank or leaking thru the injectors? I do remembering the fuel pressure should hold for awhile.

antfarmer2

Shoot some fluid in it I bet it fires. Then call Jon at FIC and get some bocsh 3 and pull the vacuum line of the FPR and smell for fuel.

RRT vette

FPR vac is dry. Also the 3 plugs where dry after I attempted to start it as well.

RRT vette

Oh, yeah it will run as long as I'm shooting starting fluid in the TB.

antfarmer2

Then get a noid light free from from the part store. If they light up I would bet on sticky injectors. If they don't check your injector fuses first.

Easy on the fluid test only.

1993C4LT1

Check the coil fuse as well.

EDIT

My bad. That doesn't make sense because it starts with fluid.

hemivett

If it runs on the fluid, 9 chances out of 10 your injectors are bad. If it sat for any length of time without fuel stabilizer, I would virtually garauntee it. I run stabil in mine all winter, just cause I never know how long it will sit. h

RRT vette

I'm going to try and run by the parts store to rent a noid light may be this evening. I use to have one but couldn't find it. Probably be a few days before I have time to check them but I will report back.

hemivett

All a noid light will do is tell you if they are firing. Not the condition of the injector. They could test fine, and only be dripping fuel. Also your regulator is probably in the same shape, the rubber has parished. That's why it only holds pressure for a few seconds. When I put a gauge on mine, it will still read something the next day. h

RRT vette

Yes, I'm going to make sure the connectors are sending voltage before buying injectors.

RRT vette

Ok, I just wanted to mention that I did remove the fuel rail and injectors previously. I cleaned out the inside of the rail with carb cleaner due to the brown gas what was inside. I inspected the injectors and they looked fine for how old they are. No build up or trash...just a little rust on the tips. All the o-rings were in good shape.

I cleared the fuel line by catching the gas from the feed line that connects to the fuel rail. It took about 45 minutes priming the fuel pump over and over but did eventually get clean looking gas (probably doesn't matter but the fuel filter was replaced about 5 years ago with less than 100 miles on it.). My FPR vac line is dry. I pinched off the return line at the tank to eliminate the check valve and the pressure still drops almost instantly. The plugs I pulled were dry.

I connected the noid light to all 8 connectors and have light pulses on all. I'm wondering if a few of the injectors are stuck open on some of the cylinders I didn't pull the plugs on.

Tom400CFI

Change your fuel filter. Change your fuel filter. Change your fuel filter.


You can't "see" dirty of clogged injectors...but "a little rust on the tips" is no good, IMO. The fact that you can see any contamination (rust) w/the naked eye would be enough for me to get new injectors.



I'd say your injectors are stuck closed. You have no evidence of them being stuck open (no fuel smell, no black smoke out the exhaust, no firing of the cylinders at all)...but you have plenty of evidence that the engine isn't getting fuel (but plugs are dry). The fuel pressure drop could be injectors, but it could also be the fuel pump check valve.