I know I know, every day we get a new thread entitled "new engine not starting" or something along those lines... I guess this one is no different.

I lined the timing marks on the harmonic ballancer to the marks on the timing cover *there are green paint lines, the engine isnt necessarially "new"" I set the rotor to number 1.

Cranks, but no nothing. k.. I took the cap off the dizy.. The rotor was busted! what the hell? So I take the rotor off the old dizzy.. cap it back up. Tried starting.. nothing.

So I take a plug wire off a plug, stick a long screw driver in it, tried starting it while my friend held the driver against the fender wall.. no sparks.. I tried locating my spark plug wire tester but I cant.. Ill buy one friday. Im guessing at this moment im not getting spark.. I have fuel pressure, thats for sure *fumes were nuts*

Here is the weird part: My dizzy seems like the passenger side is sitting up higher.. I dont know why, its flush against the intake manifold. I also had a hard time making the dizzy to drop down all the way.. I had to pull it out, take a long screw driver and turn the oil pump so it was facing the way I needed it too..

I dont know why my rotor broke.. that kinda worries me "along with the fact that the dizzy seems lop-sided"

I have a new cam shaft.. Idealy I want to get it all set so I can start it up so I can break in the cam.

Im really worried now.. but im more pissed than I am worried at this point. Any ideas?

 

definetly sounds like a spark issue

is the whole motor leaning, or just the dizzy? If it's just the dizzy, you have a problem sir

If it's not really, how old is the coil? are you sure you had it at TDC #1 (pulled plug and checked)? You have to have cyl 1 at TDC then check to make sure the rotor is pointing to #1 on the cap.

 

Honestly the dizzy looks fine, but when you step away and compaire it to the top line of my quadrajet *by the fuel bowl* then yes, it looks like its leaning like the passenger side is higher.

Coil.. I replaced sometime april of last year, but the engine threw a rod VERY shortly afterwards *just now getting around to putting a new engine in* Me and my friend jim were thinking it was the coil, but its pretty new.

Am I sure it was at TDC? no. Ill buy a feeler thing that goes into the plug hole friday when I get paid, along with a new spark plug wire tester.

Any other diagnostic tools I need? Should I bite the bullet and buy a timing light too?

 

Definetly get a timing light. I'd recommend a good quality one, but those can cost some bucks.

You can use a long screwdriver to tell you when the piston is at TDC. Just move the crank until you see it come to the apex. Or grab a flashlight and peek in the hole while a friend moves the crank.

If the piston wasn't at TDC your engine will probably not fire, unless you were really close.

 

its easy fix.... take the spark out for the number one cyl , plug your finger in have someone turn the crank till you feel pressure pushing your finger. then slowly adjust the balancer to 0... then position the rotor between 1 and 8 and drop the distrib in... if it doesnt go in pull out and spin distributor around pointing at 1 and 8 again till it fits, when it does try and start car if it doesnt start pull the dizzy out and rotate the rotor 360 degrees

 

What if im not getting spark though, I may have wired something wrong. When I came home tonight my cd player was on, it was lit up and had the time showing. Thats just as if you pressed off once, if you hold it then it will power off. I was having wiring problems originally with the starter, when I hooked up the battery it would turn on. I fixed that problem but something else may have gotten messed up too.. I dont know. Im pretty sure im not getting spark.

 

The distributor SHOULD look like that; it doesn't sit straight in the motor.

The dist housing is on the engine centerline at the point where it passes through the intake manifold, but the dist gear is offset to the pass side where it sits up against the cam. So it's probably at least 5° away from perfectly vertical, maybe as much as 10°.

Find #1 compression as described; either by putting your finger over the #1 plug hole while somebody bumps the starter, or put a piece of hose in the hole and listen for escaping compression. Then once you've found actual #1 firing (and not the other instance of #1 TDC in the engine cycle, which is the point at which the #1 exh valve is just closing and the #1 intake valve is just opening), make sure your plug wires agree with where the rotor is.

Correct engine assembly will put the #1 plug wire on the terminal of the dist cap just slightly to the driver's side of the very front. Your plug wires will fit the best if you put it together that way. However, it will RUN with them ANYWHERE, just as long as the rotor points to the right plug wire when it's its turn to fire.

 

As feared previously.. I do not have spark. I bought a wire tester and its not jumping at all, not even when the settings really close.

 

Im heading out to buy a new ICM. If its not the ICM them im going to get a coil.

 

The Ignition control module tested bad at murreys.. I picked up a new one.


still no spark!!!!!

im about to just blow my car up with a nice big pipe bomb.. at least thats the thought that comes to mind when I think "what now?"

 

im going through the wiring diagrams in the chiltons manual I had picked up.. The only thing I can think of is that I have a bad ecm. What do you guys think?

 

I must be special ed.

I didnt have the 4 wires hooked up going from cap to distro base.

Turned over, backfire! woooo
at least its something.

Tomorrow = engine running day *hopefully*

 

Alright, right about now im so pissed im about to put a for sale sign up on my car.

I got it to TDC *waited for compression, then stuck a screwdriver in waiting till it didnt go any higher* Put the distro in pointing at number 1. Backfires through the carb. Then I tried adjusting the timing by rotating the distro a little here and there. Still just a backfire through the carb. So I take the cap off and rotate the roter 180*, Tried starting it.. Sounds like a weird air escaping noise mixed with the backfire of my carb. My headers got hot. Tried tweaking the distro by rotating it here and there, got some better results. The best I had it was when I was trying to start it, had it at WOT and it almost sounded like it wanted to start.. but didnt. such a dissapointment. This is so frustrating. Once I get the car running my dad will buy me new tires and insurance/registration.. The weather is so nice and im really ******* sick of driving around being a passenger.

 

Now that my anger level has substantially decreased.. I went out and tried again.

Tried starting it.. Weird popping whooshing noise again with backfires through the carb. I pull the cap off the dizy and rotate it 180. Tried starting.. LIT MY CARB ON FIRE!! AHHH *blows it out*

anyone?

Kinda funny what can be expressed through smilies..

 

Did you check the firing order? Ive seen alot of motors backfire through the carb when the order is off.

 

Im pretty sure my firing order is correct, ill check tomorrow when I get off work. I have a compression gauge, can I use that to help me find TDC?

I think thats what my problem is.. not exactly at TDC. Im almost considering ripping the driver side head off just so I can get TDC, but I dont think that would be too cost effective considering my budget.

 

how about hooking up a timing light and seeing where you really are instead of just guessing?

 

edited because of accidental double post

 

yeah good point, I didnt think to use it. I figured I would use it when I got it running. I cant believe that didnt come to mind, thanks

http://groups.msn.com/TheSeriesOneGa...hisdevice.msnw

I also found that, ill do that tomorrow also when I get off work.

 

cars will backfire like crazy if the dizzy is backwards

 

Timing was wrong.

IT RUNS

broke the cam in and all...

it sounds sooooo sweet

THANK YOU GUYS!!!!!!