no start question on a 87 Oldsmobile with a 3.8 V6

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rte - 19 Mar 2007 05:20 GMT

We found a cheap $200 car for a friend with Little to no money (He
just split from the GF and has two little girls) In the interest of
helping him out we found this car....1987 Oldsmobile delta88 with a
3.8 V6 that we know nothing about. IT was a donated car that does not
start And we picked it up from the PepBoys parking lot (If that tells
you anything)
It cranks and has 40lb's oil presure 1/2 tank of gas(the fuel pump
comes on and smells like there is gas getting to the injectors) It Has
spark and (looking thru the oil filler cap) the rocker arms are
moving. When we go to crank it over With a spritz of ChemTol carb
spray it sounds like it might want to start With a puffing noise from
the tail pipe Along with a puffing from the throtle body (even spits
back/puffs smoke from the throtle body/back fire of sorts.
I Was thinking broken timing chain?? (but the rockers are moving)So
now I'm leaning toward jumped timing OR a sensor But ( the code scaner
only reads the number 12 for good computer)
We are going to check for plug wires in the correct order AS one of
the rear plug wires were not conected at the plug.
Any quick checks to find out what else to do??
(maybe the crank pulley is loose or crank triger is loose messing with
the timing)
Have plenty of tools just need to know where to start looking.
Thanks in advance,Rick

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Guardian - 20 Mar 2007 01:25 GMT

> We found a cheap $200 car for a friend with Little to no money (He
> just split from the GF and has two little girls) In the interest of
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> Have plenty of tools just need to know where to start looking.
> Thanks in advance,Rick

Some possibilities:

Bad coils/plugs/wires....check for tightness of connections, broken wires,
moisture, proper gap and condition of plugs, etc

Fuel pressure regulator

Camshaft/Camshaft position sensor

Leaking fuel injectors

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rte - 20 Mar 2007 05:55 GMT

> > We found a cheap $200 car for a friend with Little to no money (He
> > just split from the GF and has two little girls) In the interest of
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -

Here is todays update.....checked fuel pressure at 36-38 lb's (It's
good)
Put the battery on the charger
Sprayed some carb cleaner at the crank sensor areawithout the
assistance of the spray straw (Might have done something to help clean
some gunk But didn't do much)
Checked firing order and plug order (OK)
Started to check spark with a timing light and on the 4th plug being
checked the car started...We shut it off and removed the timing
light....started it back up.
It ran OK for awile (little surging) and then made a wierd plastic
grinding pulley rubbing vibration noise and died...Did not restart.
Looks like the 3 little crank sensor tabs have some wear on them one
more than the others.
Might have a crank sensor problem? That would cause a no start
condition.
Still no other codes showing.

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Shep - 20 Mar 2007 18:17 GMT

Check the source of this noise may have lost the timing chain and cam gear,
common on this engine.

>> > We found a cheap $200 car for a friend with Little to no money (He
>> > just split from the GF and has two little girls) In the interest of
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
> condition.
> Still no other codes showing.

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rte - 21 Mar 2007 02:30 GMT

We suspect the harmonic ballancer and looking at the 3 triger points
for the timing pick up.....one is worn more than the others and one
looks to have a little nick or distortion on it.
Will probably do the timing chain while we are in it that far.
Rick

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