1980 733 Reviving from the dead

[mayhem100]

I was backpacking on someone else's thread and figured I ought to just start my own.

Picked up a 1980 for cheap last spring, it had to sit for awhile before I had room in the garage and life keeps getting in my way. Over the winter I got it inside, put it on some dollies so I can push it out of the way and pull it out to work on when i have time. Its rusty underneath and I'm skeptical it'll ever be fully restored, right now trying to see if its a project I want to keep going on or not. Car sat for 17 years, ran when parked story, 226k miles on it, one owner. 4 speed with an extremely nice beige leather interior...the 4 speed was what got me interested enough to bother with it.

Got the tank emptied, replaced both fuel pumps, hoses, etc, put a new battery in it, figured out that the fuel wiring at least seems viable. I get fuel up to the rail, how plugged up the injectors may be is unknown but I've been avoiding pulling the intake off thus far, most likely that's the next step though so I can get at the injectors without this spider's web of aluminum in the way.

Pulled the intake and AFM off, sprayed ether in and it fired right up on the old plugs, wires, cap and rotor and runs for as long as I spray ether in there, so I think its overall a viable engine...didn't hear any loud clanks or knocks. Try to fire it on just its own fuel system and it coughs then dies within a second or two. Sprayed some carb cleaner into the throttle body and let it sit to see if it might clean any or all of the injectors enough to start the fuel flowing better and I had some limited success in that it will then fire and I can rev it some with the gas pedal, but it backfires out the throttle body and then dies with a big jet of flame. I feel like I'm probably dealing with a fuel delivery issue, probably other issues too but one thing at a time I'd say...I suppose I could just pull the plug boots off and crank it and then see if the plugs are soaked in gas, that'd tell me which injectors are getting fuel into the chambers anyway. It kicks over and runs longer since I did the carb cleaner so I might be onto something and just have only gone partway.

Might have a clogged exhaust, lord knows what might have made a nest in there over the years, except when it did fire I got a ton of smoky exhaust out the tailpipe, so maybe it flows enough to be good enough.

I bought new plugs and wires, etc...unfortunately they won't mate up, the new wires have a narrow plug end and won't fit over the electrode on my new NGK plugs. Bosch R6 plugs are in it now, and they seem to be out of production, haven't dug into that issue yet, but based on how it seems to run on ether, I think I've got good enough spark to not worry about it until I'm further along with perhaps making it a running and driveable car.

So, start pulling a million bolts off and get that intake out so I can pull the fuel rail and injectors to examine, clean/replace them? I was able to test the frontmost injector with some battery clips and I can hear it operate when I put 12v on it...can't reach the other injector plugs easily so I can't say for certain if they all work or just that one. I probably ought to just yank it apart and be done with it...the intake is self explanatory...lots of nuts to get off and a few vacuum and fuel lines, once I can get at the fuel rail do I need anything special to get the injectors out without ruining them?

Thanks.

[Mikebear79]

Where’d you get the in-tank fuel lift pump? I thought it was NLA. - Mike

[mayhem100]

Based on another's recommendation, I picked up a Carter in tank pump thats very close to the OEM and popped it in.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And this:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[TowJamma]

My 80 has different injectors than the newer cars. Hard to find. Think I ended up with some Subaru ones. They are also a different resistance than the ones we are used to.
Don't have part numbers, sorry. Just a heads up to be aware when you are removing them, as they may need to be clean/ rebuilt because of availability.
There are a boat load of bolts on the early style manifold. They look so cool though.

[mayhem100]

Thanks TowJamma.

Did you remove the intake in 7 pieces with all the air tubes one by one or did you just take off the lower bolts pull it as a unit? I'm assuming as a unit is easiest but maybe just pulling the 6 intake tubes is all I really need to do?

[TowJamma]

I pulled it off in in pieces, as there was a vacuum leak. All new gaskets, injectors, even replaced the bolts. Ended up with a cracked front manifold from a PO. Right next to the thermostat. Runs better, but not perfect yet. People thinks its a diesel, lol

[mayhem100]

Started pulling it all apart. Took awhile to move the things that were in the way of some of the nuts, but it eventually all came out. I got most of the injector bolts loosened and will try to get the rail/injector assembly out tonight or tomorrow and see how it all looks. I need to test my injector wiring as well as the injectors, make sure they're all getting signal and replace any that are sketchy.

Intake is pretty gross, especially those air tubes, I'll give it all a good thorough cleaning while I'm at it.

[mayhem100]

Towjamma, you wouldn't happen to be in possession of a vacuum diagram, would you? Want to make sure I replumb it correctly when I slap it back together.

[CPHES]

look here - pretty complete - http://3.23.88.137/index.php - not mine, but it was mentioned on a different thread here.

[mayhem100]

That's great, CPES, thanks!

[mayhem100]

It lives!!

Pulled the intake and fuel injectors out over the weekend. I'm on a mission to spend as little as possible so I don't get myself too upside down if I get to a point where its time to bail out of this car...part keeping my spending reasonable, part self challenge. I hesitated to pull the injectors off the rail so I hosed the injector ends off with carb cleaner, then put the whole thing into a vice and basically filled the rail up with carb cleaner and started hitting each injector with 12v to work the solenoids and get some cleaner through each one...basically ran about a half can of car cleaner through the assembly and each injector was at the point where I had a steady drip of fluid coming out when I opened the solenoid...wouldn't spray but I wasn't too concerned since I also wasn't operating it under any real pressure.

Reassembled everything, got as many hoses as I could back in (some are old and brittle and I'll need to figure out what they do and get the appropriate replacements), plugged the AFM back in with a screwdriver propping the door open, turned the key on, let it sit for a few seconds to build some fuel pressure, hit the starter and that thing fired up INSTANTLY and ran hard at about 3500-4000 rpm. Very smooth at the high rpm, lots of smoke everywhere as it coughed out all the crap. Shut it down, did it again a few times. Fiddled with the door on the AFM some and found it idled lower with the door open less, not too unexpected. Eventually reassembled the whole intake and it basically runs at more or less idle, but it coughs, sputters and all that...like a WW1 biplane radial engine warming up. But it runs!

So next I'll do the oil and all that, get my hands on a spool of vacuum line and replace all the rubber lines that are cracked and broken, get the right plugs and wires, etc and see if I can get the motor to run properly...then its on to the other drivable vitals like brakes.

[mayhem100]

Wow, what a difference.

Finally got me some new plugs and put them in, got some fresh vacuum line in and replaced the bit that was all dry rotted from the throttle body to the distributor and jerry rigged a makeshift replacement for the aux air injection hose, which crumbled to dust when I removed the intake manifold. Turn the key and pow! 3k rpm smooth and steady...idiot forgot to plug the afm back in...plugged it in and I get a more normal idle, but it wont stay running on its own without me feathering the gas pedal a bit. Still need new wires, cap and rotor, etc. But damn, last week it wouldn't do anything at all except cough and sputter. I'm hopeful that it just needs to be run and properly sized air injection hose might do the idle trick...any common things I ought to be focusing my attention on though?

Got a bad, very loose belt on the alternator, no idea how that thing adjusts, I'm assuming there is an ajustment bolt on a slider thingy on the bottom, so I'll crawl under to see...alternator works though! I couldn't believe it but I'm getting about 13v off it.

Dumped a gallon of premixed antifreeze into the overflow and let it trickle into the radiator, I know there still some stuff in there and I'll do the whole flush the radiator and heater core, but I wanted to see if the cooling system worked...son of a gun it does! I even got some heat coming out of the vents in the cabin. I think I heard the HVAC systems in these cars are problematic, but the controls in mine seem to be working more or less properly...I can adjust the fan speed, temperature and vent settings and it all seems ok.

Just really satisfying when it finally turns over and runs for a bit.

Tomorrow I'm probably going to put the rear on jack stands and run the trans through the gears, make sure its working ok, driveshaft isn't bent, rear end doesn't make any horrible screeching noises or anything. Then maybe on to basic braking so I can run it around the block.

[mayhem100]

Every day, another hose or vacuum line and it runs better. Time to find a full kit to replace all the rubber on the motor...its all the short 4" or so hoses that are right behind the throttle body...emissions stuff I assume. Got it running extremely smoothly, it will idle once its warmed up some, but only barely...its idling at like 250rpm, low enough that the battery light comes one, it almost stalls and then catches itself...eventually it stalls though.

[mayhem100]

I'm kind of wondering if my O2 sensor is missing. I can hear a definitely exhaust pop coming from under the car (sounds kind of cool actually) as it idles, and I see the green connector on the passenger side firewall with the male blade connector, but I'll be damned if I can find the female plug to connect it to...now I'll have to look and see if its even there.

Had a go at tightening the alternator tog et rid of the squeak and slack in the belt. Took awhile to even get the bolts loose, its really tucked in there...couldn't get it to budge, needs 3 arms I think.