1986 Camaro dies after warm up

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I recently purchased for my son a 1986 camaro 2.8 MFI v6 the car had been sitting for over a year in the previous ownters back yard becuse it would not start.
I have had a mechanic do the following: heads redone, replace the distribitor, replace the timing chain and gears, new wires, and emptied the fuel tank and replaced the fuel filter.

I picked up the car and it ran for about two week no problem. Then it started dieing occasionally when you let of the gas to come to a stop, so he replaced the fuel relay switch thinking that it may be going bad. The next day he had been driving it about 15 miles when it just died and would not restart. We shot a little starting fluid to see if we could get it to start and get it back home. it fired up and ran all the way home and died when turning into the driveway. and would not start again.

We replace thew fuel regulator the car started right up and he took it for a test drive. The car ran about 4 miles, long enough to warm up and died again and would start. and again we were about to get it started with starting fluid to get it back home. pulled in the driveway and it dies. again it would not start, let it sit all night and the next morning still would not start finally got it to start with a squirt of stating fluid and moved it into the garage. shut if off and then tried to start it and it worked 5 times in a row.

Help I have pulled my hair out until I am bald trying to resolve the problem. Anyone have any suggestions that may help?

Thanks in advance.

2

@collegeprof

Unless I’m missing something, you never actually diagnosed the fuel pressure system, correct?

The first thing to do is hook up a fuel pressure gauge to the rail. You may very well have a bad fuel pump.

It certainly sounds like a fuel pressure problem, but it needs to be diagnosed.

3

Has anyone checked your fuel pressure. It kinda sounds like a failing pump, but check the pressure first because it could easily be a number of other things.

4

The problem might be with the Idle Air Control valve.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=46625&cc=1035560

The IAC valve allows air into the engine when the accelerator is released so the engine is able to idle. The IAC valve also allows air into the engine when starting the engine.

When you were adding the starting fluid the throttle plate had to be open. If the throttle plate is open, you’re allowing air into the engine that the IAC valve is failing to do. So the engine starts.

The next time the engine doesn’t start, slightly step on the accelerator to slightly open the throttle plate and then try starting the engine. If the engine starts, the problem is with the IAC valve.

Tester

5

Thanks guys! I will try these.