HELP ME PLEASE!!! 1986 Firebird 2.8l V6

I had a huge problemb, a starter bolt got loose and when i went to start it it broke and fried my starter. Well i got it all out and got the new starter in and some one turned my dist. cap and now the car just goes and goes w/o fireing. I am very new to cars and i have no idea what todo so i can get this car started again. It started before and now it is all messed up. If some one could help me please email me lol [email protected]

i think i shouldnt be come an auto mechanic anymore..

I know this may sound like a no brainer, but I would make sure you put the plugs back in the right firing order. The 2.8 should have a firing order like this:

If you are looking at your engine from the front. its should be
5 6
3 4
1 2

The #1 spark plug wire should start on your distrubuter cap at the front left, and it goes up in value numerically clockwise. It should look somthing like this:

----3---4---
---2------5---
----1---6---

well thats a start!! i had it all reversed, what do i do to reset the distriburor? some one has turned it on me and i dont know what to do

Once you have the firing order correct on the cap then have someone stand at the distributer while you are cranking the engine. As you crank it have the person at the distributer turn it slowly in one direction or another it should fire. If you would prefer the mechanics way, slowly rotate the crank with a wrench and watch for it to get to top dead center. To do this remove the valve cover on the side with the number one cylinder and wait until both valves are closed. Replace the valve cover now that the No. 1 cylinder is at top dead center on the compression stroke turn the rotor to the number one position on the cap and reinstall the cap. You may have to remove the distributer to do this but if it is only slightly out simply turn the distributer to align it. It should be close enough to start. You will need a timing light to get it set to factory specs but that should be easy. Tighten the distributer and you are ready to run again.

well thats a start!! i had it all reversed, what do i do to reset the distriburor? some one has turned it on me and i dont know what to do
is their an easier way than removeing the valve cover? a friend told me to put a screw driver in #1 and crank it slowly till the screw driver goes up then take out the distrubitor and then alinge the spinny part over the #1 place to put the spark plug wire on then it should start...
im no wheres a mechanic lol i have the tools and some knowledge but not alot. and i wouldnt trust my friends either

make sure if you messed with your distributer the timing is correct to. (just a tip) on the distributer makes sure its all clean and no carbon deposits or nothin like that since you already have it off. definately fix the firing order. haha. always good to have that right. ive had a problem with the chip inside the distributer.. well not inside but next to. you MAY have to check that. i have to replace mine once already. ive got the same 2.8 v6.

You can try it using the dowel/screwdriver method but you risk not getting the piston to top dead center on the compression stroke. You can also align the timing marks on the harmonic balancer to make sure you are at tdc on number 1. This is probably a little less time consuming than removing the valve cover.

is their an easier way than removeing the valve cover? a friend told me to put a screw driver in #1 and crank it slowly till the screw driver goes up then take out the distrubitor and then alinge the spinny part over the #1 place to put the spark plug wire on then it should start...
im no wheres a mechanic lol i have the tools and some knowledge but not alot. and i wouldnt trust my friends either

but how can i make the distrubioror right? The timeing is on the car started fine till someptin happend with the starter and thats all fixed but i dont know how to get the distruboror cap in the right position, you may have already answerd this but i am no machanic. I just need to like rotate it some how?

Hold up, did someone actually take the distributor out of the engine. If so why???

Did you have the spark plug wires off to I noticed in a post above you said you had them backwards but fixed them.

The car should run if the distributor has not been taken out even with the timing off it cannot be far enough off to not start and run. It may run poorly but it should still start.

Also if it just turns over without firing or popping are you SURE that when "someone" messed with your distributor that they did not knock the coil power wire off or unhook it?

Check for spark before you do anything else.

Some one turned the cap like alot and thats it. umm i kinda messed up also. i put a screw driver in the cylinder hole to get when its all set well it did it and broke half of the driver and its loged in the engine. i go to start it and it comes to a dead stop and power shuts off. i cant even move it. :banghead: i have no idea what to do now........

Pull the cylinder head off...

Let me give you some advice. Stop right now and call a mechanic. Please.

Wow that was the best damn advise I ever seen posted on any site

:banghead: lol i cant call a mechanic. I dont have the $$$$$$$$$. I have to be my own mechanic lol.... Wheres the cylinder head and what do i do?

Well in the middle of banging your head because you like alot of us don't want to have to whore yourself for the money to fix your ride. Come introduce yourself in the Community forum and maybe we can somehow help you along the way.

It is hard to help when you don't have all the information. If you actually did what you said, you need to call someone that has some mechanical knowledge because you will never get the engine apart let alone tearing it down. I would love to help you but I can't explain how to tear an engine down and reassemble it on this forum. You may even need a new engine if you broke a screwdriver off inside the cylinder as you probably damaged the piston as well as the cylinder head. My advice is the same as Shortbus@af----CALL A MECHANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree, If your not completely sure on how to complete a repair there is no shame in beggin for the money from your parents or riding the bus til you have enough saved up to have a professional fix it becuase you can actually cause more damage then was originally there like case in point. But since your in it deep I think it would help us all know exactly how bad things look if you can take pics and post them so we know exactly what your talking about.

i found out one thing that may work. i did speek with a mechanic and he told me to save hundreds of dollars just get a magnetic thingy and stick it in their andi may catch the pice of my screw driver he also told me that for the cost to fix it i would be better off buying a used 350 v8 lol so im going to try that and see what happens im crossing my fingers to see if it would work. if not its back to the scrap yard where i got it from. i am very limited in my mechanic abilities and they told me next time i do a stunt like that use a socket rench or an extension somepthing that wont break that easly.

I still can't fathom how you broke a screwdriver off into the combustion chamber. But I hope you get it fixed.

What part of NY are you from, I usually head up into. L.I to hang with some friends on the weekend and can take a look aat it if your on the way or not too far outta the way.

What part of NY are you from, I usually head up into. L.I to hang with some friends on the weekend and can take a look aat it if your on the way or not too far outta the way.


Me im up towards albany ny.. lol.. I found out a relative is a mechanic and turned wrench for a while. Had no idea neither... So hes gonna assist me in getting that pice out and seeing if i caused any more damage. Its nice to know that you have a mechanic in your back pocket. I just with i knew this earlier instead after..

Thanks for your help guys, i still wouldnt know the fiering order even if i looked it up in a book....

You might also check the Local Home Depot. They have a mechanics tool I bought there that is a long thing wire with a claw on the end that opens when you press the end to grab stuff you would normally not be able to reach which came in handy alot time. More than I can count and Also come on man introduce yourself in the Community thread already we have like 10 other member's that have done it already.

i cant help but say that i saw that coming.. i wish i could of saw this thread earlier or i would of said something before that happend. jctech, if the screw driver broke off and is lodged enough to seize the engine up, then u can say good bye to that head and piston. GTP is right, u wont be able to get the engine appart if u dont know what ur doing. and if its seized up, and that starter cant even crank, then u are going to have a very hard time trying to get the head off on your own. if its lodged in it will be stuck, and if u dont lift it up at a right angle to the pistons, ur going to bend somehting. YOUR FIREBIRD NEEDS TO GO TO THE DOCTOR! stick it in nutral, call AAA, and tell them to ship ot off to a mechanic. think of it like this. if you dont take it to a mechanic to get it fixed, you wont have a car to take u to work so u can make more money anyway. its either that or just take the engine out as a whole and plop in a new 1. (please dont do that, i dont want to have to hear that the engine fell on top of the car when u took it out.) oh and be careful with the magnet thing. dont break it off too!