will not start (Page 1/2)
treborerellim AUG 12, 11:58 AM
Greetings, I have a problem and don't quite know where to begin. I have an 87 GT 2.8 5 speed that was running just great when I put it in the garage Friday. Went out this morning and all it would do was crank away. I could spin it fast enough to develop 40 pounds oil pressure. I'm kinda guessing I have a spark problem. What I'd like to know is what should I look at 1st and so forth. I always turn to the forum when I have a problem because there are so many great people on it.

Thanks, Bob Miller
Gall757 AUG 12, 12:40 PM
If your tachometer does not move when you crank the engine, the primary ignition is bad.....usually that means the ICM (or wiring nearby) has failed.
cebix AUG 12, 01:22 PM
Yep, check your spark first.

You might have also just flooded it. Does it smell like fresh gas from the exhaust? Try cranking it with the gas pedal floored.
FX AUG 12, 01:48 PM
Are you getting fuel? Put a stethoscope, or length of hose to to your ear and the fuel fill/gas tank. you should be able to hear the fuel pump with the key in the run position...

[This message has been edited by FX (edited 08-12-2019).]

treborerellim AUG 12, 04:45 PM
Started to check things out and the coil has no spark coming out of it. It's a new coil but I check it against 2 other coils I had laying around and no cigar. I guess the ICM is my next check. Being 72 years old I'm not quite sure what the ICM is and where would be located. As you can tell I need all the help I can get.

Thanks again, Bob
treborerellim AUG 12, 04:49 PM
Put a plug on the coil wire and crank it over and saw no spark. Tried another coil got the same result. I guess the ICM is next. Being 72 I'm not quite sure what ICM is and where it would be located.
FX AUG 12, 05:01 PM
The Ignition Control Module is under the distributor cap. A flat plugged in unit screwed to the base plate...
treborerellim AUG 12, 06:52 PM
Thanks, I'll get to it after I mow the yard wife says the yard comes 1st. I'll let her keep thinking that
treborerellim AUG 13, 02:27 PM
Well I swapped out the ICM in the distributor with one I had laying around from another engine and it's started right up sort of. Would not idle and if you held it at 2000 RPM it popped and cracked till you left off on it then it would stall. The connection on the back of the ICM, the plug was gone. The connectors were taken out of the plug and plugged in separately. The connection wasn't pretty. Could this possibly be the cause of my cracking and popping and stalling. Or should I turn my attention do something else?


Thanks, Bob
treborerellim AUG 13, 02:28 PM
Well I swapped out the ICM in the distributor with one I had laying around from another engine and it's started right up sort of. Would not idle and if you held it at 2000 RPM it popped and cracked till you left off on it then it would stall. The connection on the back of the ICM, the plug was gone. The connectors were taken out of the plug and plugged in separately. The connection wasn't pretty. Could this possibly be the cause of my cracking and popping and stalling. Or should I turn my attention do something else?


Thanks, Bob