A New Formula In Our Stall

[TopNotch]

I tested the fuel pressure -- it's OK. So now I'm thinking it could be the throttle position sensor. With no way to get reliable trouble codes, I'll just have to take it off and measure the resistance. Or maybe just replace it.

[TopNotch]

I did a test -- pulled the connector on the TPS while the engine was running. It behaves exactly the same way. I recon I need to get a new TPS.

[Fierofool]

I have 2 or 3 you can try.  One of them came off GTB 308's Mera and proved to be good. 

DUH!  I forgot that the formula is a 3800, not a 2.8.  Sorry.

[TopNotch]

I put a new TPS on the car yesterday, and it definitely makes a difference. But there's one more problem to solve. It's missing on one cylinder. I pulled off the wires from the ignition "brick" one at a time, and with one wire, there is no change, so that wire's cylinder is the problem. I pulled the plug at that cylinder, and another plug, and they looked about the same, so I'm thinking it could be the spark coil.
And BTW, the engine, or at least the throttle body, is a '96, not '95 or earlier. In '96, they changed the throttle body, and therefore the TPS. The car has a '96 TPS. I don't think it can be later than '96 because of the OBD 1.5 system.

[GTRS Fiero]

I thought there were 3 spark coils, and each coil has 2 plug wires on it.  If the spark coil was bas, wouldn't 2 cylinders fail to fire?  Either way, the next test would be to check for spark on the failing cylinder, by pulling the plug again.  The problem could be the injector for that cylinder, or that plug should be wet.

Just my $0.02.  I'm not the expert.

[GTXVette]

  Yes, you my think that the Whole Coil would cease working, But It's Much More Common to Lose Just one Side of the Coil, And that itself Makes for a Tougher Diagnosis . I'll Use a Spark Tester to Help In this Situation, Fits /Into the Plug Wire and Connects to the Spark Plug. You can Learn to Notice the Brightness of the Spark( Like a Circuit test probe/light) to determin a Weak Or Just plain No Spark.

[Fierofool]

I think I have one of those out here in the garage.  In the package, never opened.  If you want to use it on our loaner tool program, Pat, you're welcome.

These things come in handy to prevent other damage.  Pennock's pros say that pulling a plug wire while the engine is running can damage the ICM.  They're a little more costly on the DIS engines than on the distributor engines.   

Judging by what we found in the Formula Fastback's fuel tank, I'm skeptical of the condition of the 3800 tank.  It had been sitting about as long as the fastback. 

Pat, look through Lee's notes he has inserted into the service manual.  He was pretty detailed on his conversion.  The throttle body information and other surprises may be included. 

[Raydar]

...Pennock's pros say that pulling a plug wire while the engine is running can damage the ICM.  They're a little more costly on the DIS engines than on the distributor engines.   

I have heard that. Don't know, from experience. But DIS ignition (assuming it's NOT failed) can really light you up. (The Ogre's words were "potentially lethal".)
(Subliminal message: be careful.)

OTOH, I have seen a fried coil pack apparently caused by a shorted (burned through on the exhaust manifold) plug wire.
It was my mother-in-law's Ranger truck, but still...

[TopNotch]

Pennock's pros say that pulling a plug wire while the engine is running can damage the ICM.

My procedure was to pull a wire, start the engine, stop the engine, replace that wire, and go to the next one. I don't monkey with spark plug wires on a running engine.

[GTRS Fiero]

When I was testing plugs on mine, I pulled a plug wire off the coil pack.  My hand was about 3 inches from the coil pack.  I can verify that that spark packs a whallop.

[GTXVette]

 A Yea Baby Moment!

[GTRS Fiero]

I was fully awake afterward, for sure!  I think lights got brighter with my approach, for the rest of the day.  I didn't get knocked on my butt or anything, but I sure didn't want to repeat that.

[GTXVette]

when we were Kid's  (20's)I was Holding  a Joe Hunt Magneto,  My brother wanted to Look at It , As he reached for it I gave the Gear Drive a Quick Spin, Yes It Lit Him Up you could hear the CRACK across the Room, If He had Caught up with Me He would have Beaten me With That Mag. Really that Spark Jumped a Foot, Looked Like a Flash Bulb Going Off.  I still think it's Funny, if he was Alive I would call him Right Now Too Remind Him . Lol

[Raydar]

We used to charge up capacitors, bend the leads so they were near each other, and parallel, and then toss them to other folks. "Here! Catch!"

[Fierofool]

Done that!.  One memorable incident was at a garage where my Uncle and I had gone.  Kind of a local hangout for the car crowd.  There was this 1 bully that my Uncle baited.  He charged a number of capacitors off a spark plug wire and set them on a work bench, side by side.  He asked Thomas if he knew what they were and to bring them to him.  Thomas scooped them all up in his hand justs as he was saying "Aw, they're nothing but capacitors".  They all bit him at once.  He let out a scream and started crying.  It kind of softened his bully side for a while. 

Mel's Dad had an old telephone generator.  It would actually light up an incandescent bulb.  I've heard some interrogators used those, connected to the toes of the interrogatee. 

Something that can curtail a man's springtime fancy is to get hold of an ignition spark while leaning against the car body with the pelvis.