Camaro Going Crazy

Take the distributer cap off and dry it out with a hair dryer.

HEI ignitions are not as susceptible to moisture as breaker point ignitions are.

I think you have other problems, let us know if the hair dryer works.

Water and electrical components don't mix very well. Low voltage is not so bad, but high voltage (post ignition coil) are sensitive to moisture.

When enough water hits a hot distributer cap it forms hairline cracks. I think it was some of the older Chevys that had that distributer in the back of the engine bay and when you opened a wet hood that water would just run off the hood right onto that hot distributer cap and crack them.

Plug wires can also crack over time and allow moisture to short out or rob spark. The wire from the coil to the distributor and the individual spark plug wires are the most likely culprits.

You can see this as a blue aura at night around the plug wires if it is humid enough or if you spray a fine mist of water over the wires.

Drying things out one at a time with the hair dryer (as Lyn mentioned) can help pinpoint the component that is causing the loss of power.

Following on from the other comments:

At night pop the bonnet and start the engine. Have someone keep it running while you look but DO NOT TOUCH anything under the bonnet. As the engine is moved from a little power to idle you are looking for coronas, arcs and sparks which are clearly visible in the dark. Note where they are and shut the engine down then replace all the affected parts.

Note that the engine will move(torque reaction) as you apply power and therefore the wires will also move slightly and this may make the difference. Also moisture inside the distributor cap, around the plugs, or degraded plug leads are possibilities.

"Do Not Play With The Plug Wires With The Engine Running!!"

Roger that. And, if the ignition switch seizes, don't disconnect the coil wire to turn the engine off. Pow.

sixshooter5-

Used to have a similar problem, but not too complicated to fix just to find it. Many years ago I had a '67 Austin Healy 3000, Mark 4<-?. When it would sit out overnight and the air got damp, when it sat out in the rain, when it snowed in temps around 28-32^oF, and after washing the car it would be hard to start, if at all. Also it would often run extremely rough with a balancing act between the gas pedal, the choke, prayers and often very rough language. Attempted to diagnose it for months. Finally noticed that the distributor cap was full of moisture. Tried WD-40 but no improvement. Finally got another cap at a junkie. It was also wet from sitting out so I dried it in an oven on low heat. It worked perfectly! I then dried the original one the same way and put it in a plastic bag and sealed it with a moisture absorbent pack in it. Continued this drying, sealing and installation cycle until I sold the car. By that time repairs took about 5 minutes to replace the cap.

Seems all Healey's with that cap had the same problem and many cars were sold for less than value to get rid of the problem.

Don't know if this will solve your problem but it is worth a try if you suspect the distributor cap is getting moisture in it.

Good Luck, Old Salt

Any chance it had some Cavalier component transplant by mistake?

They have given you a lot of ideas about water. These engines with throttle body fuel injection which I think you have are prone to vacuum leaks. Check for any vacuum hoses that have came off. Spray WD 40 along the intake manifold,around the throttle body vacuum hoses. If the engine idles a lot better repair the leak.

Have someone in the car moving the shift from park to gear and observe the torque of the engine and any hoses that may be moving. It sounds like a vacuum leak possibly opening up when the engine torques over. If any hoses are too short for the engine movement this is when they may fail. Being a 1991 you probably have plenty of dried up hoses. I also agree with all the electrical comments but usually electrical will stop the engine dead. The power brake hose is the largest in the area and it may be the offender but check all hoses very carefully. If you have to handle things a good pair of electrical insulated gloves can be of wonderful assistance.