Been in the market for a cheap fiero to use as a daily driver and found one not to far away, it was a '86 with 2.8 and 4 sp manual. The motor was recently rebuilt, the guy bought it from the guy that rebuilt it. It didn't run when he bought it but found the muffler to be plugged. He then took the motor back out and pulled the heads to verify it had been rebuilt and put a new waterpump and timing chain in it in the process. He also mentioned that he tightened the valves springs 1 3/4 turns (said the manual said to do this... is that correct?)
So anyway when I went to start it it fired instantly but had a miss to it. I revved it up a couple times and can say it did not pop and crack but did have a miss. I'd think this guy would've been smart enough to check plugs/wire but wondered if there would be any particular common issues? I didn't take the car because of the miss, since I wasn't sure of what the problem could be.
So my main question is, what would cause the miss, and how drastic of an issue could it be? If it wasn't for the miss, the car would be in my garage right now. Still pondering buying it but would like to know what I could possibly be getting into if I was to buy it.
What is he asking for the car? Is everything else good but the miss?
It could be anything really from a simple dist cap to a bad rebuild. You just never know til you get it in your garage. Read jetman's thread about finding his stumble on a newly acquired car.
If it is cheap enough consider it an engine swap platform.
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08:34 PM
Xanth Member
Posts: 6886 From: Massachusetts Registered: May 2006
How would you describe the miss? Is one cylinder constantly not firing or does it seem more intermittent?
That can be as simple as poor spark plug or wire, could just need a tune up. Dizzy cap, rotor, etc. Do you know what was done for the ignition system? Is it possible it was not replaced after the rebuild?
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Was asking $1795, I said $1000 cash and he accepted. Car is in amazingly good shape for it's age and price. Decent paint (not show quality by any means), good seals, no cradle rust, Interior is a 7 or 8 (no tear in either seat, but has crack in console where your elbow sets and headliner starting to drop in a couple spots) sunroof, headlight go up and down. Body panels and bumpers solid, straight and no cracks (has GT ground effects).
I'm not interested in it for any motor swap, just a cheap daily driver to keep miles of the Avalanche. I want to be able to do very little to it to make it run and just drive it..... I have a '68 Camaro Pro Touring project that all my $$ is going into.
What part of a "bad rebuild" would cause the miss?
How would you describe the miss? Is one cylinder constantly not firing or does it seem more intermittent?
That can be as simple as poor spark plug or wire, could just need a tune up. Dizzy cap, rotor, etc. Do you know what was done for the ignition system? Is it possible it was not replaced after the rebuild?
Welcome to the Forum.
The miss to me sounds simply like a bad plug/wire (one cylinder constantly not firing), but he replaced plugs and the wires look new. He things it's a timing issue (thinking he might have not set the timing chain in the right place). But it doesn't pop or crack as one would think of the timing is off (not that it couldn't be). I'd have to go back over and pull one wire off at a time to find which clylinder is missing (assuming it's just one cylinder) and take a timing light to see if timing is off.
Was asking $1795, I said $1000 cash and he accepted. Car is in amazingly good shape for it's age and price. Decent paint (not show quality by any means), good seals, no cradle rust, Interior is a 7 or 8 (no tear in either seat, but has crack in console where your elbow sets and headliner starting to drop in a couple spots) sunroof, headlight go up and down. Body panels and bumpers solid, straight and no cracks (has GT ground effects).
I'm not interested in it for any motor swap, just a cheap daily driver to keep miles of the Avalanche. I want to be able to do very little to it to make it run and just drive it..... I have a '68 Camaro Pro Touring project that all my $$ is going into.
What part of a "bad rebuild" would cause the miss?
Bad rebuild was probably overstating it. Like setting the valve lash too tight or timing chain off a tooth or reusing a bad valve. Something like that. It could go either way. Its just that someone you do not know has been inside the engine. I'm probably being too paranoid.
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09:49 PM
tjm4fun Member
Posts: 3781 From: Long Island, NY USA Registered: Feb 2006
while anything is possible on a rebuild, I would looka at an ignition component first. did you drive the car? does it have reasonable power and pull well? could also be a collapsed lifter, sticky valve. (btw, 1 3/4 turns is correct, assuming he started a a true 0 lash, which is a subject of user feel and skill)
while anything is possible on a rebuild, I would looka at an ignition component first. did you drive the car? does it have reasonable power and pull well? could also be a collapsed lifter, sticky valve. (btw, 1 3/4 turns is correct, assuming he started a a true 0 lash, which is a subject of user feel and skill)
I did not drive it, as soon as I heard the miss I had no intensions of taking it any further. But may go back over and take a closer look at it now that I have the firing order printed off.
My fiero had what felt like a miss and it turned out to be a fuel injector that the dealership service people didn't plug in all the way. It would run great when cold, but once it warmed up the injector would lose contact. Too bad I had to rip the plenum apart to find this out!
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09:49 AM
PFF
System Bot
2farnorth Member
Posts: 3402 From: Leonard, Tx. USA Registered: Feb 2001
My fiero had what felt like a miss and it turned out to be a fuel injector that the dealership service people didn't plug in all the way. It would run great when cold, but once it warmed up the injector would lose contact. Too bad I had to rip the plenum apart to find this out!
I had an injector do something very simular, I narrowed it down to #5 cylinder and swapped out that injector with one I had on hand. It ran perfect after that.
