1987 olds 88 im lost!
otter814
04-11-2009, 06:56 PM
hi all im new to this site! it seems to be a great place to get info. i have a 87 d88. it has a 3.8 motor. the problem is it wont start. it has spark and fuel to the rail anyway. but im thinking it the timing chain. is this common? im going to check the injectors with the light bulb trick later. just wondering if you might have an idea ? and if its the t chain where can i get the tool for the crank senser? or is there a way to get around using it? ive done lots of chains over the years but never one on a 3.8 . thanks for lookin ......tom
maxwedge
04-12-2009, 01:27 PM
Welcome to AF, make sure you have strong spark and injector pulse first, the how to on the CPS can be found at autozone.com, repair guides.
otter814
04-12-2009, 08:51 PM
thanks max w i do have strong spark and spray. i pulled a v cover today and have no movement up top when i turned it over. so i guess i'll be puttin in a timming set. thanks again! .......tom
brcidd
04-12-2009, 10:00 PM
You'll probably need some lifters and pushrods as well- gotta love those interference engines.....
thisnametooktolong
05-03-2009, 03:14 AM
I know that this message has been up hear for a long time with no response or solutions so
When turning an older 3.8 over by hand after it has not run for a long time, you will not get any lifter movement, or very little. No oil, no lifter movement. Don’t ask me why but that is the way my 1987 Electra was, and my newer 95 88 that has the roller lifters moves very very little. After they fired there was no ticks bangs or clangs.
that little board under the coil pack/packs will not fire the coils until after there is at least one crank pulse and one cam pulse. Then it hands the job over to the ECM when the RPM is above 500 or 550 RPM. If you have spark and injector pulses, that means that the timing chain is turning the cam. It does not mean that it has not jumped. If it has jumped that means that you will need a tension shoe and probably a new cover.
Depending on the year of the car you can pull the sensor and see the magnet on the cam sprocket. It will line up either at TDC on #1 fire, or it will line up 180 out. (Number 4 TDC fire???)
I have fixed number of older engines with a no start condition and no codes and good spark. 1.) Bad fuel pumpor filter. Check the pressure at the fuel rail, and don’t worry, about the pump making noise. 2.) Bad fuel pressure regulator. Again check the pressure on the rail. 3.) Bad MAF sensor. If you monkey around with the gas peddle it may fire now and then. 4.) bad fuel injector drive block
When turning an older 3.8 over by hand after it has not run for a long time, you will not get any lifter movement, or very little. No oil, no lifter movement. Don’t ask me why but that is the way my 1987 Electra was, and my newer 95 88 that has the roller lifters moves very very little. After they fired there was no ticks bangs or clangs.
that little board under the coil pack/packs will not fire the coils until after there is at least one crank pulse and one cam pulse. Then it hands the job over to the ECM when the RPM is above 500 or 550 RPM. If you have spark and injector pulses, that means that the timing chain is turning the cam. It does not mean that it has not jumped. If it has jumped that means that you will need a tension shoe and probably a new cover.
Depending on the year of the car you can pull the sensor and see the magnet on the cam sprocket. It will line up either at TDC on #1 fire, or it will line up 180 out. (Number 4 TDC fire???)
I have fixed number of older engines with a no start condition and no codes and good spark. 1.) Bad fuel pumpor filter. Check the pressure at the fuel rail, and don’t worry, about the pump making noise. 2.) Bad fuel pressure regulator. Again check the pressure on the rail. 3.) Bad MAF sensor. If you monkey around with the gas peddle it may fire now and then. 4.) bad fuel injector drive block
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