I have posted about my daughters 86 camero w/2.8 ltr.engine, not starting after a tune up. I have replaced the fuel pump,cleaned the gas tank and reinstalled everything. I have also put in new plugs gapped at .045, installed news wires put on a new coil, new distributer, rotor bug, cap and battery. I have pressure on my fuel rail(fuel injected) and great spark through my plug wires I set the distributer on #1 TDC. I can not figure why the thing won't start. I can't even get it to back fire. I can check the plugs after trying to start it and they are wet from the gas not being burnt. Do you think it may be something with the computer????[sm=bangbang.gif]

 

ok, if it wasnt the plug gap, are you sure you are wiring the #1 cylinder on the right side. i have noticed some the #1 cylinder is on the drivers side and others on the passenger side.i ran into this on my wifes 96 grand am 3.1l the chilton manual stated the outside bank was #1 and i checked my cahill quick cards and it said the inside was #1. if it were not a transaxle the # 1 cylinder would be the left or passenger side of the engine. i scrathed my head for about an hour on that one. i just had put head gaskets on and decided to put plugs in before i set the heads, if you have tuned a 96 grand am 3.1l you know what a pain it is. any way put everything back together and nothing. checked the wiring with the chilton manual ok. put the old plugs back in (1 1/2 hours) still nothing. checked my quick cards and the guys at chilton made a typo (******) ran the wire the right way started right up(damn had to put the new plugs back in now) i can check my quick cards tommorrow when i get to work and tell you for sure which side is #1 drivers or passenger. most of gm's is drivers side but there are a few engines that use the passenger side or left bank. it wouldnt be too hard to change the wiring at the cap to check it out, i mean it seems you have done everything else and i havnt fooled with the 2.8l

 

Thanks miner man. The chiltons shows the #1 on passenger side.According to them passenger side from the front is 1,3,5 and driver side is 2,4,6. I will go ahed and switch them tonight. What the heck, I have tried evrything else. I have also pulled the console out between the seats waiting for carpet and can't think of any saftey I could have unplugged, Only the window switches and trunk release

 

hey bubba, you ever find your problem? if so let us know so we don't run into the same thing. i hope you have it running by now.

 

You should not even have to look at a book to find number 1. Look and see which head is the farthest forward. That will be the number one side. EASY!
Then did you use #1 on the dist and go clockwise?
1 should be towards the fron of the motor and as looking at it from the front of the car the should be a screw to the left of it. And the firing order, so damn easy, 1-2-3-4-5-6

 

Yes it should be easy but when I did the tune up it would not start. So I turned to Chilton's hopeing they could help me,but that hasn't helped. I looked to this forum for help and saw people has had problems in the past with misprints from Chilton's. So I asked this question. Thanks for your information, that confirm's that Chiltons is correct and I need to look at something else causing the problem.
Miner man; Im going to get some new different brand spark plugs today and try that. I tried hooking it up with the #1 on the drivers side and going counter clockwise and all it would do is backfire. I will hook it back the way it is supposed to and change to a different brand plug and see. I know I am missing something and it will more than likely be something simple.

 

i didnt mean for you to run the wiring counter clockwise just use the opposite bank and then wire it clockwise in your firing order, sorry if what i said confused you. madmikez28, that all well and good if you have a distributor, the 3.8l is distributorless ignition and the firing order is not 1-2-3-4-5-6, but 1-6-5-4-3-2. i am not sure about the 2.8l as far as it being distibutorless or not or if you meant all v-6's in general. that is a good approach if in deed you a distributor and your firing order is indeed 1-2-3-4-5-6, but not all v-6' are. which brings me to a question for bubba, is your 2.8l a distributorless ignition? it being a '86 model i doubt it but a good question if it is you could have a crank sensor problem. the only thing that bugs me is it did indeed run before the tune-up so i would think its something you missed or one h*ll of a coincidence.

 

It does in deed have a distibutor because I have even replaced it in the venture of trying to fix this danged thing. Chiltons does show on a EFI 2.8 86 chevy camero to be 1,2,3,4,5,6 with #1 piston on the passenger side.I did try both clockwise and counter clockwise just to try but it still did not work. Let me ask this? I am getting plenty of fire I have seen this and plenty of fuel because my plugs get gas soaked could there possibly be some kind of saftey holding it fron starting. I have pulled the center console and seats so I can put in new carpet. Maybe a nuetral saftey or something or would something like that not let it fire at all.
I guess what Im saying is in my mind I have all the componants to run they are just not working together. I am tempted to pull the timeing cover off and check the timing chain and go from there. If Im heading in the wrong direction HELP!!!!.Thanks

 

Minerman
I am familure with the 2.8 V6 and know it has a distributer. I also know all V6 do not start of 1-2-3-4-5-6 I have been installing a 4.3 and it goes 1-6-5-4-3-2. But if you look at it, it is stil 1-2-3-4-5-6 in a different directionWe call this even fire.
Bubba
Do you have a l.e.d. test light or a noid light to check injector pulses?

 

I do have a 12 volt test light and a volt meter but not sure about how to do this test. Last night I checked and rolled the engine around to the 10 deg.top dead center by useing the timeing mark and the #1 piston was still down. WhenI rolled the engine around to top dead center the timeing mark was at the 6 ocklock position. That makes me think I have jumped time or my chain is broken???
I am going to pull the timeing cover tonight and check, the car has over 100,000 milesso it won't hurt to put new chain and gears anyway.