@#$@#$@#$ S10 timing issues!

On my way to work last Monday morning my little S10 decided to just stop running. From the way it died it seemed like it was outta gas, gas gauge said over a 1/4 tank, so I didn't think that was it. So after the 12 mile hike home, (the ringer on phone at the house got shut off somehow.....) I gathered up some tools and a flashlight, oh yeah I goto work around 4 am, called into work to let them know that I wouldn't be in that day, I was gonna take the day to try and fix the truck, I head back with the car, and pull the in line on the fuel filter, fuel comes pouring out, pull the line on the throttle body fuel barely dribbles out, ok fuel filter clogged up. NO PROBLEM.....right?? ever tried to change the fuel filter on a 2.8 v6 s-10? not going into descriptions, but it took the better part of the afternoon to get in, turn the key off and on a few times to prime the line and get fuel back to the throttle body, crank crank crank pop pop pop vroom, cough...... no amount of cranking would get anything more than a pop through the throttle body. ok jumped time.

Tow it home when my old man got off from work. let it sit for a week, get out this morning and bump it over to TDC, check timing marks on the balancer, yup lined up, check piston in the hole, yup, rotor isn't pointed quite right, so I loosened the distributor clamp and moved the cap around trying to crank it every few degree's I can get it to fire up easily but it won't stay running, then it's a @#$@# to get restarted. I'm frustrated ready to yank the motor out, and drop a small diesel or 305 in it and call it a day, only prob is money is tight right now, so that would be a long time off, I need a second car now, it's getting to be a nightmare sharing one vehicle between my wife and I.

I understand the computer is prob playing with the timing at the same time I am, any suggestions as to how the computer and I can get on the same page? I'm trying to avoid tearing apart the front of the engine to retime it but that may be the only answer. It's an 88 S-10, 2.8 v6, 5spd. ANY SUGGESTION? HELP?!?!?!!?! thanks guys

Gene

are you sure it's timing?

I've had fuel pumps do that same thing.

How far off is your timing? Did you get in and check it with a timing light?

I feel your pain. I had an 84. S-15 Jimmy. The distributer was a bitch to get in and tweak on. Compounding that was the "many tentacled octopus of doom" that sat on top of the engine. Talk about vacuum line hell...

I had a feeling it was slightly off when we got the truck, (freebie from my brother in law ("runs great! I'd drive it anywhere." notice on the trip home with it, coolant is disapearin.......hmmmm baby it home, and it's got a blown head gasket) BUT HEY IT RUNS GREAT!!!!) I've just never gotten around to adjusting it(A.D.D. combined with a bad case of procrastination,or maybe it's just being lazy...) as far as I can tell I'm only a few degree's off, but I guess I could check the pump. it primes when u turn it on it just may be loosing pressure or just getting old. as far as a timing light, doesn't it have to run in order to use one of those? I can't keep it running for more than about 5 secs. I guess I could do it while it's cranking. and yeah "octopus of doom" is about right with all the dang vacuum lines and everything else under there.

yes, timing light requires the engine to run

go to your nearest parts store and "rent" and fuel pressure guage.

Does this have tbi type injection or a carb? Should be TBI if memory serves correctly. You could have a bad fuel pump from the describtion of the problem as you described it. Check the fuel pressure with a gauge if possible. A faulty pump sometimes can push gas through an open line, but not through a closed system. Try spraying carb cleaner into the engine and see if it runs on that. you can keep an engine running on carb cleaner alone for a while if lack of fuel is the only problem. If it is infact an ignition problem it might not start at all with carb cleaner.

You can use a timing light to check timing on a non running engine as long as a decent spark to the plugs is present. Its not the best way to do it, but you should be able to see if the timing is close enough to let the engine run. on some engines I have even been able to do this while hand turning the the crank.

TBI, if a decent 2 barrel carb didn't cost an arm I might consider changing it over to carb.

Check fuel pressure, the guage is cheap if you don't have one and works on your other GMs (and then some) for future troubleshooting. Once you've confirmed fuel pressure, you should be able to watch the injectors spray as you crank it over. Next check for strong, consistent spark. Ignition module failures are pretty common on those and they're very cheap and easy to replace...if you're not getting good spark, I'd start there. If you're getting consistent spark but it's not strong (loud and blue!) then it's possible that your coil needs replaced. All of these parts (module, coil, fuel pressure gauge) should be less than $100 at your local parts store.

If it's the fuel pump, make sure you use lots of penetrating oil on the tank brackets/hardware before you start pulling it, those can be a PITA if they're rusty.

Bryce

Fuel pump from advance without sending unit is 55$ Gotta go grab oil and such from there tomorrow on my lunch break guess I'll grab some parts and see if I can get it fired off tomorrow night.