87' fiero 2.5l engine problems...need help!

[davyshagwagon]

hi, i got an 87' fiero 5-speed 2.5l with 100k. the car had been sitting for a few years so i nursed it back to life with some fresh gas and some fuel additive. when i got it started i let it idle for a while to warm up the internals so i wouldnt ruin the pistons and such.when i took it for a drive i noticed that there was barely no engine power at all. sounded like it was running on 3 cylinders and was smoking..managed to get the car back to the house even though i was pushing all of 20 mph. i changed plugs, wires, oil,starter, battery, battery cables. picked up a fuel filter and priced how much coil packs would be. im just hopin the motor isnt fataly wounded and whatever is wrong with it can be fixed. has this ever happend to anyone? i need help. deffinately buying a shop manual in the meantime.

 

[Oreif]

Sounds like it could be a blown head gasket or a stuck lifter. Really neither is hard to replace. Gasket requires the head to come off. Stuck lifter you just need to take off the valve cover and the lifter access plate.

You can download the 1987 Pontiac Fiero factory service manual here:
http://www.fieronews.net/fusion/downloads.php?cat_id=14

 

[davyshagwagon]

thanks for the help. i was able to figure out that it was a bad fuel filter and bad gas which was still in the system. thank god it wasnt something more severe, lol. shes a happy car now.