Hello, first is like to say I'm new to forums and would like some positive feedback, i recently pulled my lt1 (from the bottom) out of my 1996 camaro. While it was pulled I did intake manifold gasket, installed longtube headers, new plugs, and tapped out a stripped out hole I couldn't get to unless the motor was out. The longtubes didnt didn't have the emission hookups and I blocked off the hose with a plate on the back of the intake (I did not put a plate where the egr valve itself was or block off the vaccume lines going from the egr valve to relay on the drivers side of the intake back to the side see of the intake.) I have checked all my grounds, I never touched the opti spark to begin with so i know getting spark and fuel because i was getting both from the get go. My engine just turns over and over and over. I figured it would turn on and may just run like **** with a "faulty" egr (everything that plugs into it is still hooked up so there's no vac leak)

 

Welcome to CamaroZ28.com ! ! !

I guess you missed the "stickied" thread that says "NOTICE: DO NOT POST HERE..... unless". Basically, the "Advanced Tech" forum is not for routine questions regarding an LT1 engine. This forum is seldom used, not a lot of traffic, and limited chances of getting help.

So.... I'll move this thread to "LT1 Based Engine Tech" where you are more likely to get help.

Did you physically check for spark at the coil wire and ar a plug? Have you tried scanning it for codes? Have you checked the fuel pressure?

Not clear from your post.... is the EGR valve still bolted to the intake manifold? You said there is no blocking plate there.

 

Thank you for moving the thread to the appropriate section, like I said im new to this sure, i had no where else to turn though lol. Anyways. Basically i pulled my motor for the sole purpose to tap a leaking hole out so I could get a oil pressure sending unit to fit back where it was suppose to go. I had plugs, longtubes, and an intake gasket I was doing while it was already out just to make it easier. The headers were non emission. No hookups for the egr line on the passenger header so I blocked off the hose on the back of the intake, i have not removed the eve pump though. I figured as long as I put it back together there couldn't be a vaccume leak. Other thank all that i didn't touch anything else on the car so i dont see why I wouldn't be getting spark or fuel when i was two weeks ago before the motor was pulled. I'm hoping it's the egr valve not being taken off. Or the fact my car never started in nuetual or any other gear if the clutch wasnt presses in. Now I have no clutch fluid so I'm kinda thinking that may be it not engaging the clutch and Thats that's why its just tuning over and over and over

 

if you have a neutral safety switch on your clutch pedal and don't push in the clutch, the car will not start.

You could just use a zip tie to close the neutral safety switch if your hydraulics are not hooked up.

not clear from your post about if you have EGR blocked off, egr is off or what. But if you did remove it and headers are non EGR...you need block off plates for the items removed and all vacuum lines connected or plugged so no vacuum leaks

 

Here's where it gets confusing.......

EGR SYSTEM:

When you say you "blocked off the hose on the back of the intake", do you mean you installed a diamond shaped blanking plate over the hole in the back of the intake manifold, where the corrugated metal tube from the #8 primary on the exhaust manifold used to connect?

And to CONFIRM, the EGR valve is still bolted to the back of the manifold?

What did you do with the vacuum line from the driver side of the intake manifold to the EGR vacuum solenoid (the thing you called a "relay" in your first post.)?


A.I.R. SYSTEM:

What is the "eve pump? Are you referring to the A.I.R. pump? If so, you should take the hose that supplies air to that pump off your intake duct and put a vacuum cap on the hose connection on the air duct. Not a vacuum leak, but could allow unfiltered air to be pulled into the engine. But that's not keeping the engine from starting.

NOT STARTING:

When you dropped the engine out of the car, you had to unhook a lot of wiring and the fuel lines. Are you sure all of those were reconnected correctly? Are you sure you didn't knock a harness connector loose, or damage one? Many things that could be wrong.

To sort out the problem, rather than assume you have spark and fuel, because you didn't touch the Opti, you need to physically verify that you have spark and you have the correct fuel pressure. That's the logical way to chase down the reason it won't start. Needs spark, fuel and compression to start. One of those is either missing, or not sufficient to initiate combustion.

The clutch interlock switch is on the pedal assembly. It prevents the starter from working. As long as the pedal is all the way down, it has nothing to do with whether you have clutch hydraulic fluid or not. If the starter is engaging and cranking the engine, the clutch switch is OK.

 

I only put the diamond shaped plate in where the corrugated pipe went to on the back of the intake. The egr pump and all its lines are still connected. I took off the air pump as well.

 

Well. Im not getting spark. Took a plug off and layed it on the header and nothing when I turned it over. So my next question is what all goes into getting spark. Plug wise.

 

There is no "EGR pump".

This is the entire EGR system - corrugated feed pipe, EGR valve, EGR solenoid, and two lengths of vacuum line:

Courtesy of Shoebox:



When you took the AIR pump off, did you plug the inlet hose connection on the air intake duct?

 

Welcome!

Here are a few ideas...

Check the short harness that plugs into the OPTI. It runs along the passenger side of the intake. Sometimes the pins are bent or corroded.

Check the connections to the coil...both low voltage and high voltage.

Check each spark plug wire at the OPTI...they click when fully engaged.

 

What pins are you talking about on the passenger side of the intake? Any pictures would help, and which line on the intake went to the air pump that needs blocked off

 

Cam position sensor in the Opti sends data to PCM. PCM uses data to calculate when to fire each spark plug, and sends a pulse signal to the ignition control module (ICM) telling it to fire the coil. Coil sends spark to Opti, rotor in Opti sends spark to correct wire on Opti cap, wire carries spark to plug.

There are diagnostic codes for cam position sensor and ICM. That's why you need to scan for codes.

If the cap and rotor fail to deliver spark to the plug wire, there are no codes, other than a possible misfire code, but the engine has to be running to set misfire codes. Since you checked for spark at a plug, now you have to check for spark ar the end of the coil wire. Pull the coil wire out of the Opti, hold it near a ground and check for spark.

 

No spark from coil... And a chipped opti spark mount from pulling the plug off..

 

How long have you owned the car? You don't seem to be familiar with the various components of the engine. Visit shbox.com and look at the pictures to familiarize yourself with the various components, and where they are located. Example.... gray connector in center of photo is one end of the short Opti harness:

4th Gen LT1 F-Body Tech Aids

 

I've had this car almost 6 months lol. I've done motor swaps out of other cars before though. I bought this as a summer car just to dick around with and build during winter. And here i am mid summer with a wireing problem I probably won't have solved until winter lol.what are the absolute basics to run this car, what sensors absolutely need plugged in and where are all the grounds for everything motor and transmission related (borg and warner 6spd).

 

Everything came out of the bottom of the car not the top so im sure I missed something and i probably can't see it.