fishingsteve

I've got a 88 GL Wagon 4x4 with about 280K miles. I put a nubile young engine in a couple years ago (it only had 167K miles). Today, my center exhaust pipe broke at the welded joint, where it attaches to the y-pipe. My question, is there an inexpensive way to fix it? Thanks, steve

I swapped out the entire coil and ignitor (on the coil bracket) with my runner. Still no go. I must have a broken wire or something. The timing marks are 180 from each other. I lined up on the center of the three hash marks, positioned left cam at 0 deg., rotated engine one revolution, lined up on the three hash marks again and set the right cam sprocket at 0 deg. Is there a wiring diagram I can get online? I think I need to ring out a few wires.

Now that i think about it, the engine is grounded at the transmission forward of the starter. Tomorrow I will double check all the ground connections.

I just went out and looked at the battery connections. There is not a ground going from the negative terminal to the body. But, I also looked at the running GL. It doesn't have a direct wire to the body either. There is a ground wire running next to the battery's negative terminal, from the top of the core support to the engine. Should I pursue this further?

I swapped distributors with my running car and still no spark. What feeds the coil? Why don't I get a spark? It is probably something really simple. I just can't find it. HELP:banghead:

I bought this 88 GL wagon from a guy who had let his kids learn to drive with it. They had a head gasket go out. The dad made a deal with the 18 year old to rebuild it. The kid tore it apart, had the heads machined and checked, and rebuilt it. They were never able to get it to run again. They left it sit for a few months, then ended up moving. I bought it from them. When I got it home, I found one of the right side cylinders full of antifreeze. I pulled the engine, replaced the head gasket again and reassembled. I think the antifreeze came in through the intake manifold. Anyway, I've got it together but, can't get it to fire. I thought it might have been my ECU. I put the ECU from my runner (another 88 GL) and it still won't fire. My runner started up with the ECU from the dead GL. Hey, General Disorder, how do you change out the ignition module? Is that the wire coming off the disty?

Ok, I hot-wired the fuel pump and still no fire. I'm getting no spark from the coil. I tried 3 different coils (one off my running GL) and no spark. Any ideas? Fusible link and fuses look ok. Does the distributor make the coil fire? Could I have a problem with the pickup on the disty?

I've never been schooled on reading the codes. How do you do it and what will it tell me? As far as listening for the fuel pump, I don't hear it. Had the wife turn the key on while I was down listening. Even tried my Sooby that runs and didn't hear the fuel pump. However, I didn't listen while cranking. How can I tell which way to hot wire the pump so I know its pulling? I may have heard it making bubbles in one direction, I could pursue that again.

Thanks for the info. I haven't had an assistant to try for power when the key is turned on or engine cranking but, I did hot wire the fuel pump. It works fine. Not sure which way its spinning the right way though. I spun it in both directions. Next, (if I don't find an assistant) I'll hot wire the pump and try starting the car. Can't wait to hear the SOB (I mean sooby) run. Still would like to know which transistor to changeout in the ECU if necessary.

I checked the relay above the ECU. It clicks in when the ignition is turned on. I'm thinking its the ECU. I read about someone who changed out a transistor in the ECU and everything started working normally. I would like to know which transistor. I've got the ECU apart on my bench and have no idea where to look. HELP!

I've got an 88 GL wagon that I just replaced the head gaskets and went through the heads. I have never had this vehicle running. I'm not getting power to the fuel pump. I checked the fuse. Is there a relay or something I'm missing?