I am not familiar enough with the 3.8 to know if it's similar to the Windsor motors that have it on the timing cover. I just double checked on 351 on the stand.
Looking through the '88 shop manual it appears there is a timing cover and Google searching '83 3.8 shows the fuel pump on the passenger side on the front but not sure if it is on the cover but would make sense.
At this point in time, I am thinking of removing that plug because it is garbage and jumping the wires together until I find a replacement plug and inertia switch.
I can see if the fuel pump continues to run while the car warms up and if it loses power then it is either the relay or pip?
About a month or so ago I thought my fuel pump went bad so I replaced it with a Walbro 255 lph that I had waiting to install. Ran fine for a few hundred miles until yesterday 1/2 mile from home.
Replaced the TFI cause it was erratic on running / not running yesterday. Thought I was gonna need a tow but it started and ran perfect to get it home.
I tried to warm the car up to set the timing after replacing the TFI (It's easier to remove the distributor to change TFI on the 2.3). Runs for a few minutes and dies. Timing light is flashing so I know I have spark. Fuel pump does prime when i turn the ignition on for starting. Doesn't prime every time I cycle the key back to back.
I get the car to run for a few moments to see the fuel pressure at 35 psi at idle then drop and the car dies.
I found the inertia switch and the white button is floppy. Doesn't seem to do anything either direction.
The intermittent thing has me thinking it isn't the inertia switch, but not sure. Should the button be floppy on the switch? What next to check?
Are you sure its the fuel pump and not the piece of rubber between the fuel pump and the pickup assembly? They rot out and crack causing fuel pump fail symptoms. Cannot remember if you have already had the tank out and what not but thought I would throw it out there.
I am not certain. Thanks for the tip and I will check while I have the tank and pump out. Picked a syphon up today to start emptying the tank although with all this rain nothing is going to happen unfortunately because I am working in my driveway this time.
The slot for the hood hinge needs to be widened so the middle SR Fab piece can fit flat. There is a gap at the front of the sheets and the nose. Not too bad though.
The priority list changed last night.......Fuel Pump to the top of the list after it died!!!
I went to a cruise in last night where the engine just shut off as I was pulling in. After trying to restart, I popped the hood to check the fuel pressure with the ignition on that read zero. Cycled the key a few times to hear the pump whine and got it to start so i could get into a parking spot and rechecked the fuel pressure where it showed about 30-32 psi at idle. The car needs to be cranked twice when starting cold of late and started pinging in 3rd gear recently so I have been driving it very mildly thinking I needed to do the plugs. Kinda of an "Ah ha" moment.
So relisted: 1. Fuel Pump 2. AFR gauge then everything else.
Gumby & Chuck, Thanks for the tip on not blindly drilling the holes where marked. Gumby, I like the idea of tucking the cover under the fender tab and the radiator brackets rather than drilling more holes.
Funny about mentioning the car is clean. It's been a New England car it's entire life and has some scars from it Started off with the original owner in Massachusetts and then to my Step mother and Dad. My Step mom used to commute into the Bronx as a school teacher with the car for a few years. About 2008 when gas prices went up and her back started hurting from the clutch, she got a Prius for the tax deduction and save on fuel. There's dings on the car and some tree branches fell on it in 2011 from Sandy(?) so it has some dents. It's in good shape but no where near a garage queen.
The spoiler is about 1/4" taller than the one that is on my car and that may be do to the bottom of the original being ground off from all the years. The wider wrap around area should benefit too.
Thanks for reminding me to clean out the fins of the evap and radiator. I am going to hold off on that for when I get the FMIC since I will need to take the bumper / nose off for that.
Thanks for the tip to look at Gumby's thread for the frame connectors. That thread is a black hole of time.
I bought that SN95 spindles and stashed them away a couple months ago. I have been watching the market for a while and the prices for the spindles are climbing. These were $100 directly off the car with the caliper and rotors along with the struts that I am not sure if I will keep any of the extras.
The extra E6 that i bought has a stich weld repair. Not sure I should send that one out to be ported. If I can get the T6 to spool as quickly at the IHI with the .48 that would be perfect for me at this stage.
Tbird232ci, Thank you for all the help and knowledge.
