hi gang. just got my 89 bird running the other day and have a few questions.

the car wants to sputter until it is warm. it has aftermarket air cleaner. do i need to have the heat riser(?) installed for it to keep the temp sensor warm at startup? I also noticed that the pipe in front of the convertor is leaking from previous owner's hack job to replace convertor. think that may be the problem?

i got the SES light, so I followed instructions to check it. Comes to be 54, low volts at fuel pump relay(?) it runs fine after it is warmed up, so im not too sure. But i just bought the Actron TBI test gauge and adapter kit from AZ, so i can test fuel pressure. but it says to install the adaptor before the fuel filter. are the rubber lines on the frame rail the same thread? and which one id the inlet hose, the top one (driver's side tbi fitting), or bottom (pass side tbi fitting)?

the 700r4 trans does not want to go into low 1 when i try to manually shift it there. it just keeps popping back into 2nd. Is there an adjustment to fix this?

Also, the car shifts at 4,200rpms at WOT, is this normal? what would let it shift to like 5,000? the transmission? or is it the cam, or maybe the ignition?

sorry for all the questions, I just wanted to see if you guys might know some of these answers before i go spending tons of cash to a mechanic.

 

I think I can help.

* You don't need that "heat riser" installed. Plenty of people have put on aftermarket air cleaners and not had any problems at all. Don't worry about it.

* What pipe is leaking before the converter? Is is an exhaust pipe or is it the small AIR tube that runs into the catalytic converter? Either is not a serious problem, but it should definetely be fixed. A muffler shop can fix it if it's an exhaust pipe that's leaking.

* I have a Haynes manual with me, and this is what I get for a code 54:
Code 54- Fuel Pump Circuit-Defective fuel pump; defective fuel pump relay; defective oil pressure switch; poor electical connection; open or short in circuit; defective ECM.
Don't worry about most of those suggestions, it's best to check fuel pressure first.

* To check the fuel pressure with your kit, hook up the adaptor in between the metal fuel line on the framerail and the rubber fuel line. The feed line (the one you will want to test on) is the larger fuel line, and ends on the driver's side on the TBI unit. Fuel pressure should be between 9-13 PSI.

* I would try checking the fluid level in the tranny and try adjusting the TV cable. I'll send you an e-mail on how to adjust it so I can send you a diagram, if you want.

* I'm pretty sure 305 TBIs should shift at about 4500 RPM, that's exactly where mine shifts. It could be possible that your stock tachometer is off, which is not uncommon. You can check it by installing an aftermarket tach or use a scan tool to check the difference between those and the stock unit. It could be a tranny problem, but I'll bet it's the stock tach.

Hope this helps.

 

Hey, just an update.
I've gotten the fuel pressure gauge kit installed. I also replaced the fuel pump relay.
Okay, so now I get the click from the relay, and the pump primes to probably around 6-8 psi. The thing that is, the pressure bleeds right off if not started right away.
I started the car, (long cranking time still) and the pressure went up to around 9.5 psi. So I guess that is in the normal range. When I turn the car off, the pressure drops back down to zero. It only takes a few seconds to drop down.
Any ideas? I'm thinking the fuel pressure regulator(?)
Oh yeah, I also disconnected the return line for a second, and all I heard was this gurgling sound. But no fuel coming out. Is that normal?