firebird904

Ive been getting my camaro road worthy after sitting for close to 10 years only being started once in a blue moon. Anyways Ive already replaced plugs,wires,IAC motor,MAF, cap&rotor, air filters and vacuum lines. Once I get my license back (long story) ill be using it as a daily driver. On my to do list I have upper and lower radiator hoses,injectors, oil change, tranny fluid&filter, change out gear oil in rear end, and ignition coil. I'm going to be driving this car for around 500 miles or so round trip a few times a month and would like to replace anything that could fail due to sitting for so long. I noticed the distributor to be kinda rusty when i pulled the cap off so i may replace it or should I just put in a new ignition control module? Any input would be much appreciated I apologize in advance for my post being kinda long.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Basic tune up. Check the vacuum lines for degradation by feeling them. If they leave your hands black, they need to be replaced. Check the shocks and the tires, also the suspension bushings. Check the brakes. The brakes could be perfect in spots but poor in others, causing pulsation and stopping problems once the pits and pockets fill with the brake pad material. Check the parking brake for stuck cables. And, last but not least, check both the engine and transmission oil pans (if the trans has one) for rust. If they are really rusty, you might want to look into new ones (had a car that had a severely rusty oil pan... One rock hit it, and every drop of oil in the pan ran out a pinhole).

skirkland1980

iTrader: (2)

check for rusty fuel tank. if its an auto tranny those seals get brittle over time.

firebird904

Thanks for the input, I have already done a basic tune up, changed out vacuum lines they were all rotted out,has new tires, have new brakes and front brake lines to put on,i checked out the oil pan and transmission pans and they are both good,has a new fuel tanks in it and a fuel pump that looked new from the junk yard. I am having trouble with it when it first starts though it sputters and backfires through the intake till it warms up but i think its the injectors. Im probably going to put ford injectors in there after reading on here how much better they perform.Also before the car was mine my dad was messing with the throttle positioning sensor and broke both screws that hold it down, anybody know how to get the broken screws out?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

How far down are the screws broken? If just the heads are broken off, you can remove the TPS and try to get them out with locking pliers. If they're broken inside the TB, you have 2 choices. You can either try to drill them out VERY carefully, or you may want to look for a throttle body on eBay (saw one there last week) or in the junkyard.

Drew

iTrader: (58)

If it were me, I'd probably very carefully drill the TPS screws, then tap for standard replacement hardware. 4-40 or 6-32 machine screws and a matching drill/tap set shouldn't cost much and it'll work just as well as the real thing. A little anti-sieze on the screws might help to prevent that problem in the future.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Also sounds like you'll want to check the MAF sensor... Waiting until warmup is a good sign of a MAF going bad.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Seals in the rear end may weep.

JamesC

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

You're referring to the axle seals, right?

firebird904

I'm going to try and drill out the broken screws before i go and get another throttle body. The MAF is brand new i replaced it thinking that was the cause of the start up but it still does the same thing.When I change out the rear end gear oil I'm going to go ahead and put new wheel bearings and seals too so i wont have any trouble with that later down the road I did that when i had my firebird only took about two hours. I appreciate the help guys thanks a lot.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Did you get a parts store reman MAF? If you did, take it back and log onto eBay... There may still be a couple BRAND NEW AC/DELCO MAF sensors on there. I've gone through 2 of the cheapo parts store (brand new with lifetime warranty) MAFs in the last 4 years. They're junk.

:edit: Also check and set the timing and have the injectors cleaned if you can't clean them yourself.

JamesC

iTrader: (5)

Yes.

JamesC

firebird904

Took the car out for a drive today and the SES light came on gave me a code 32 and i floored the car and got a burning smell after wards but when i got back and checked everything nothing was burnt. What could this be?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Check the vacuum hose running to the EGR solenoid on the coil bracket. It may have melted to the EGR transfer tube running to the intake plenum. Code 32 is an EGR system failure. Check to make sure the valve moves freely (with the engine cold, of course, as that sucker gets hot).

firebird904

Well this morning I checked everything vacuum line is good I replaced it when I switched out all the lines. The egr moves freely I opened it and closed it a few times and started the car up and the ses light turned off. Maybe the solenoid is going bad. I had my hand under the egr and I reved it up and it wouldnt move im not sure if its supposed but when id push it in a little by hand the engine would sputter a little bit and drop in idle.

Project 3.4 Camaro

I believe EGR doesn't feed into the engine at WOT, I may have it the other way around such that that is when it is fully open. Also, I think it has to be a consistently higher RPM, not a quick rev.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Right on both, but the ported vacuum is controlled by the ECM, hence the solenoid, otherwise the valve would pop open every time the throttle was opened (the way it used to be done before computers were put in cars). And the ECM won't open the EGR for a period of time even when it does see required manifold vacuum, air flow, vehicle speed, and engine coolant/intake air temperatures.

:edit: There should be a 4-wire connector on the box that is connected to the solenoid both by wires and by a vacuum line. This box is both the switch for the solenoid and a sensor that detects vacuum in the EGR valve tube. Remove the connector, hook up a vacuum gauge to the sensor, and probe the wires on the sensor. 2 of the wires will be a switch, the other 2 will have some thousands of ohms resistance as they are for the solenoid. Checking the switch wires, apply vacuum to the solenoid. The switch should change state (either provide infinite resistance or none at all, been a while since I had to test one) with vacuum applied. If not, the solenoid is junk.

Also check the vacuum hose between the sensor switch and the solenoid for breaks or clogging.