Firebird_Racer

Ok. So I bought a new project, an 88 GTU.

I Put a new batt in, and had to hardwire the 80amp main fuse to get it to crank because the fuse was blown, wouldnt come out, and the batt was old and dead.

--Problems --

Some trouble cranking (though its been sitting almost 6 months), dies at idle. Not erratic, dies everytime.

Revs incredibly slowly (im talking like 4 or 5 seconds to redline, its rediculous). NO POWER. Way worse than any port problem, it just simply doesnt have any power throughout the powerband. Accelerates like a powerwheels car at any throttle imput from 10-100%. Doesnt matter.

Smoked from behind block for awhile (I assumed this was a bad rear coolant seal, but...)

Car wont warm up. Barely stayed above the cold mark from the 17 mile drive from where I bought it. I thought maybe it was getting too much gas in rotor 2 and just keeping the motor cool and not firing, but no backfiring as though it was overly flooded.

Not the pipes smoking, I pulled in my driveway and the hood was smoking bad (I didnt cook the motor I dont think). MOTOR FIRE!!! Woohoo... -_- ... It was on fire under the intake plenum just above the exh mani and under the TB.

WHAT THE F*K IS GOING ON!!?!?!

I only paid $200 for the car knowing it had "power issues", but lord. The bodys in great shape and so is the interior.

I got the fire put out in under 60 secs and I think most of the stuff is ok, I mighta burned some wiring, but I think thats it. This all happened at night so itll be tommorow before I can check it out and see all the damage.

I wanna save this motor if I can until I can sell my other truck and buy a new 13BT for this GTU.

Please, gurus....I need your help!

DerangedHermit

Don't just ******* hardwire a fuse... They're there for a reason.

How far above the cold mark? N/A's don't run very high up on the temperature gauge. Mine's usually around 1/4th.

Leaking pulsation dampener will cause that fire.

Blade8r

the pulsation damper definatly caused the fire. if the smell of gas everywhere wasn't apprent enough then you weren't showing caution. the motor isn't toast but the harness and every plastic piece of the car is.

you got to consider your choices. either way your going to have to go through massive headache's of correcting all the foul wire that has been burnt up. or just part off the car all togeather.

Firebird_Racer

Hardly much, maybe 1/8th full temp.

Firebird_Racer

So I did a basics check today to see how much was fried. The fire was short lived luckily. The primary fuel rail and injectors were untouched. The FPD and FPR look pretty toasted though. The wiring in front of the fire, though the outer black covering was slightly damaged, all the visual wiring was intact. The O2 sensor on the top of the exhaust manifold was damaged, so I know that will have to go. I wont get a chance to pull the intake manifold and see just how much damage to the vacuum lines and wiring underneath was caused.

Do you think the FPD would have caused such a severe power loss like that?

(Also, the idle problem was fixed. Simple idler adjustment)

RX drift

Odd, mines usually around 1/2, is this bad?

DerangedHermit

As long as it doesn't go higher, I wouldn't call it bad. Mine goes between 1/4th and 1/2, but it's usually at 1/4th.

Do you have the radiator tray (big flat plastic thingy, yes thingy..., under the radiator that diverts air into the radiator instead of allowing it to go around through the path of least resistance)?

hanman

The main fuse has a small screw/bolt holding it in place. Replace the fuse before you do anything else. If it is blowing that fuse, you need to find out why.

The FPD has nothing to do with your power loss. It could be a lot of things. Try a tuneup with a fuel filter change before you do anything.
I would also check the compression.

Firebird_Racer

To Hermit, yes, but its a little haggard from the previous owner. Its drooping about 1inch below the edge of the front bumper. Btw, it was roughly 70*F and apx 35% hum. when I drove it home (I live in Alabama, spring and summer nights are always humid as hell).

To hanman: The basic 60k tuneup was on the to-do list once I get this fuel leak solved. Im also thinking its a combination of TB out of alignment and the 5/6 ports being stuck open from sitting (or closed, either way). But its gonna be next week before work allows me the opportunity to devote any solid down time with my new FC. I didnt keep the old one long enough to learn too much valuable info on my fuel/electrical system. Shame on me

Oh, one more thing. The 02 sensor. There is one on the exhaust pipe leading out of the engine bay. The sensor I was describing earlier that is toast is on a block coming out of the endine sitting next to some sort of what appears to be a pressure regulator. What is this?

Pics soon...