First post

I tried to keep fairly comprehensive notes as I went along. My Scan9495 (OBD 1.5 ) hardware should be here soon to read some useful codes.
I have a '95 Camaro loaded with jen-u-wine blk leather, Bose, T-tops, etc. and a crappy 3.4L with 125,000 miles. It hasn't been started in prolly 6 years. Needed/needs a new cam. Number 1 intake cam lobe had worn prematurely but it still started, grant it, on 5 cylinders, but it still started. I used to start it every week until I stopped caring. I didn't want to spend $1500 to replace it at the time and I was pissed.

That said:
⦁ I live in a very humid area so interior fuse block/fuses was pretty corroded. The new pump wouldn't even purge after install until the pump's 10amp fuse connection was cleaned at the fuse block. I had to scrub every individual connection and stuck electro grease in each slot just in case. I've been using tons of those little dehumidifier containers from dollar tree for the last 5 years to absorb most of the humidity.

⦁ I put a relatively new 15 gallon tank with 4 gallons fresh gas in it, a new battery, a new TRQ pump, and a new fuel filter.

⦁ The relay tests good (resistance & power). I also used a different relay from my other (running) '94 just in case.

⦁ The first new TRQ fuel pump I installed had 40+ lbs. pressure to rail at 3 second start-up then back to 40+ while cranking. However, after 6 or 7 seconds of cranking, pressure dropped to 0 and stayed no matter how long you kept cranking. However if you turned key back and then on again (re-priming), 40 lbs came back again momentarily as b4.

⦁ After putting in second new TRQ pump in, pressure also went to 40+ lbs but this time it stayed at 40+ the whole time while cranking. Strange. However, pressure still drops immediately when you stop cranking.

⦁ Not ever having ANY pressure retention since starting this project, and to eliminate the pump check valve from the list, I setup my own little modded fuel line tap. I bypassed the plenum/rail system (return line, etc.) completely. I was curious to see if the pump and the single stretch of supply line from the tank/filter to the rail quick connect would hold any pressure at all. It did. It went to 70lbs pressure and stayed. Initially, I accidently held the jump wire to power too long at first to charge the pump. For some odd reason, in my brain, I guess I thought since I never saw the pump go higher than 40 lbs, that it would magically stop all by itself, even though I had just bypassed all/any safety measures to protect the pump, duh. The homemade rig I made was solid except that the 8"piece of fuel line I needed from O'Reilly's didn't seat super tight in the supply line quick-connect "spring". All of their (O'Reilly's) short steel lines have that soft vinyl protective coating which was probably why it wasn't as snug as it could have been. Ironically, the lack of snugness was the only reason I monitored "holding" the power supply wire lead to the battery post at all. I didn't know if that little piece of fuel line would pop out or I would have just attached the alligator chip to the terminal as before during previous troubleshooting and overcharged it even more.

⦁ The rail Schrader valve does have a leak but its not gushing. At first, it looked like it was leaking around the Schrader valves base but I think its just leaking through the needle seal and its just creeping up and over external threads onto the base.

⦁ The "Canister Purge Valve" near the fuel rail was completely clogged with what looked like hard-packed charcoal granules. Easily cleaned though. Its just a vapor line so that may affect with the idle later but it should not be relevant right now, I assume.

⦁ I've used about a half can of carb cleaner over a few different attempts and she sucks it all in and coughs like she really wants to start. I don't have a noid set in my toolset so I'm definitely going to get a set manana. The needle valve in the Schrader was a bit corroded on the end/tip when I pulled it check on the seal.

⦁ The steel line side of the quick-connect at beginning of the rail system was a bit rusty inside. Not flakey chunk rusty like the fuel tank was but oxidation in something that's supposed to be oxygen-free is no bueno. The whole rail system needs to be removed and cleaned obviously. I can't imagine the injectors aren't beyond saving either.

⦁ Can you give me some advice on anything else I should do or expect beyond the by-the-book instructions while tearing into plenum? Btw, if the noid(s) light up the injectors then the ECM is probably functioning correctly, yes?

Possible issues left:
1. Bad regulator (no fuel in regulator vacuum line but it could be that not enough fuel ever circulated through rail to indicate faulty diaphragm, idk).
2. Fuel injector O-ring leak
3. Schrader valve O-ring leak? UPDATE: Replacing today before I tear into fuel rail/injectors.
4. ECM or other electrical issue?

 

 

Yeah a little slow on this one but there's a few that usually reply after a bit so hang in there.

 

Just a couple of thoughts. Fuel pumps should make more than needed fuel pressure. It is the job of the regulator to drop the line pressure at the ejectors. If you have high pressure then it is the regulator or a restriction in the return line. Imagine if 40PSI was the max pressure of a pump then as soon as you started using any real volume of fuel the pressure would drop.

If you think there is a build up of resistance you can do a voltage drop test. You need a volt tester with long leads or some new wire that you checked. Hook the negative lead of your test meter to the positive battery post then pin (poke) into your power wire as close to the pump as you can. Turn on the pump. In a perfect world you would get .01 volts. In the real work .5 (half a Volt) would be fine. You should not really see an issue in the pump until 1 or more volts.

I agree that a tiny leak in the Schrader valve is not normally a big deal but if your return line/regulator is not working then it could allow air in the system. Without flow there is no way for air to get of the rail. You may want to do a flow test. I would start with the return line near the tank . I forget where the connection are.

Have you tried to start the car on starting fluid/carb cleaner? If you have a fuel only issue it should start right away if you spray carb cleaner in the throttle plate. You need a noid like to check to see if you PCM is firing the injectors. A relay supplies the positive power and the PCM give the injector the pulsing ground signal. Do you have spark at the plug?

GL

 

Sry, I should have clarified: I accidently let the jump wire charge the pump to 70lbs by mistake. I didn't tap into the rail system (return line, etc.) at all. I was just curious to see if the pump & just the single 3/8 stretch of supply line from the filter to the disconnect right b4 the fuel rail would hold any pressure at all. For some odd reason, in my brain, I envisioned the pump magically stopping at 40 lbs. or so, all by itself, even though I had just bypassed all/any safety measures to protect the pump, duh. The homemade rig I made with my fuel pressure gage accessory kit was solid but the straight piece of line 8" fuel line from O'Reilly's didn't seat super tight in the supply line quick-connect "spring". All of their (O'Reilly's) short steel lines have that soft vinyl protective coating which was probably why it wasn't as snug as it could have been. Ironically, that was the only reason I slowly tapped the power supply wire to the battery or I coulda/woulda overcharged it even more.

 

Sparks fine. I've used about a half can of carb cleaner over a few different attempts and she sucks it all in and coughs like she really wants to start. I don't have a noid set in my toolset so I'm definitely going to get a set manana. The needle valve in the Schrader was a bit corroded on the end/tip when I pulled it check on the seal. Also, the steel line side of the quick-connect was a bit rusty inside. Not flakey chunk rusty like the fuel tank was but oxidation in something that supposed to be oxygen-free is no bueno. The whole rail system needs to be removed and cleaned obviously. I can't imagine the injectors aren't beyond saving either. Can you give me some advice on anything else I should do or expect beyond the by-the-book instructions while tearing into plenum? Btw, if the noid(s) light up the injectors then the ECM is probably functioning correctly, yes?

 

After consulting some local career GM guys, the consensus is that the bald cam lobe (intake valve) for the #1 cyl is probably stuck open and not seating. Hence the immediate pressure drop. I just picked up 3 cans of starting fluid so hopefully I can get enough compression to get it started. I got the usb cable together for the scan9495 app but I'm still troubleshooting the com port recognition issue.

 

Why not replace the bad cam first with new lifters? I mean what's the point of starting it on 5 cylinders?

 

I don't know if I want to fix it or sell it. Right now I just need to move it to different part of my land, preferably on its own power.

 

Well either way if it was mine I'd do what I could to get it firing on all 6,it'll be a hard car to sell with motor problems.
Even if you can source a used cam from an otherwise junk motor just to get'er banging on all 6 you've probably doubled the value of the car from a selling point.