1987 2.8l sputter but not run right

[pontiacguy1988]

hello,
I have a 1987 se 2.8l auto fiero and she just does not run right.
When you turn the distributor enough you can find the right spot where it will run at about 1900rpm and your foot is almost to the floor. It does not run like a normal engine, it is backfiring and making popping sounds.
I have changed:
spark plugs, dis cap, feul pump, pickup, and map sensor new
coil and ignition moduel used
I dropped the engine and yes the timing is correct. I replaced all the valve lifters thinking that mabye some of my valves were not opening all the way.
The car has been sitting for quite a while but was not running when parked.
Any help would be great!
Thanks
- andrew

[goatnipples2002]

try new coil and ignition module...they die all the time.

[pontiacguy1988]

Thanks for the speedy reply, and i was afraid that would be the first suggestion because the ignition moduel is too damn expensive lol

[Old Lar]

Did you short out the A-B terminals when you reset the timing?

I don't think it would be the coil or module as when they fail the car usually won't turn over at all. You may need to hook it up to a computer that can see what all the sensors are reading.

Are there any codes present?

O2 sensor, IAC sensor, and TPS sensors may be bad.

[pontiacguy1988]

I dont think I shorted anything out. And yes I have connected a scan tool and there are no codes present.
However when I first tried with the scan tool it told me that it could not connect to the ecm. So I followed all of the harness wires and found a fusable link broken right before the link, this wire was located right by that big block of wires by the battery, after fixing that it was able to comunicate to the scan tool.

[goatnipples2002]

Well when my coil or module (changed both at the same time) went bad it would stall and even shutt off completely then after 15 minutes started like normal...it studered a whole bunch as well.

[pontiacguy1988]

ya, but i am not getting any normal engine sounds at all! Like no running at all, the sputtering doesnt sound right... It sounds as if the timing or spark is off, like it is super retarded but I just cannot figure out how.

[Old Lar]

Are the wires hooked up correctly. My last tun up I mixed two wires. The car ran.... horribly, but it ran. Could the distributor be 180 degrees off?

The first time I fiddled with the distributor it was rotated 180 off, but the wires compensated for it and the car ran. When I corrected that, the car wouldn't start. Reading the Helms manual, first thing it said was to disconnect the battery. Did that and everything worked. Unless you short the A-B terminals or disconnect the battery, the ECM remembers all the settings. When you disconnect the battery, it will relearn the new settings when the power is restored.

[pontiacguy1988]

I dont see how the distributor could be rotated 180 degrees :S...

[southerngent56]

Is your car equipped with a catalytic converter? When my cat rotted out on the inside (looked fine outside) it clogged it to the point that it would run, but ran like it had a bad plug wire or bad rotor. Replaced the cat and it ran fine.

[pontiacguy1988]

The cat has been hollowed out. Plus at one point when we got it kind of running there was plenty of exhaust comming out of the tips.
So I bought a new coil and ignition module today, to no surprize they did not make a difference. In fact nothing happened at all no popping or anything.. I put my old coil back on and I atleast got the popping back.

[hotrod_chevyz]

timing chain?

[herwig]

Hello,

Did you check your EGR valve or maybe the EGR-tube is cracked .I had the same problem with my vacuum-system and now it runs very smooth again !
Good luck !

Herwig

[pontiacguy1988]

Timing chain is correct, and the egr valve and all of its vacuum lines were sealed by a mechanic.

[hotrod_chevyz]

Originally Posted by pontiacguy1988

hello,

it is backfiring and making popping sounds.

either it has a burnt valve, the plug wires are crossed, or the timing is off. popping and backfiring isnt natural. When a car does that it means a valve is partly open when the distributor orders the ignition of the compressed gas in the chamber, or it hasnt evacuated the already burnt emission pressure inside the combustion chamber before the intake valve opens.

All signs point towards valve related issues or crossed plug wires/dist. timing.