My 89 Formula 350 is just about done with a t56 swap but it won't start. The neutral safety switch is wired to the clutch pedal. I used the electronic spedo converter from Hawks. The fuel pump turns on and there is spark but it won't fire. In the last few years it has had a new fuel pump, fuel filter, ecu, injectors, plugs, wires and complete distributor replaced. There is an adjustable holly fuel pressure regulator and was set at 49 psi. It had problems starting last year and earlier this year which is why all that stuff got replaced. Once the distributor was replaced it started right up every time. Could it be the VATS? Anyone got any other ideas? I'm running out of time before the nationals. Thanks.

 

Does the car turn over? If so, I don't think it has anything to do with your T56 swap.

 

It cranks and the fuel pump runs. We took the distributor cap off so the motor could tilt back without hitting. I think the distributor may have gotten turned but it couldn't have been much. We tried rotating it back and forth in small increments but it still won't start. That why I'm wondering if it could be vats or something.

 

Have you verified that Timing wasn't affected with a timing light? If not, do so.

Timing shouldn't really be affected just by pulling the dizzy cap because the timing adjusted by the base and not the cap. However, there is a wire there that is known to fray and cause the car not to fire.

You need to verify the following.
Spark
Fuel
Timing.

You can verify spark with either a timing light, or a spark tester, both of which can be had at autozoo and the like. The spark tester just plugs into the spark plug end of the wire and you ground it somewhere. If there is spark, it lights up. A timing light will tell you the same because it works via induction, no light = no spark on that cylinder.

Fuel, you hear the fuel pump prime, but are the injectors firing? Rent a injector test set from autozoo. It has these little LED lights that plug into the injector harness. If the injector fires, the light comes on for every pulse.

Timing, did you screw it up accidentally? Did you accidentally put the wires back onto the dizzy cap in the wrong order? Verify you have both the correct firing order, then verify the timing.

Identify that which isn't working and you'll narrow your problem down. The Park/Neutral safety switch is not your problem, it disables the starter, aka no cranking.

 

I have not been able to verify the timing either way. The cap is on correctly and the wires are correct. I would bet the timing is off a little because in putting things back together the distributor accidentally got turned a little. (i do mean a little not 180 degrees or anything). When the car cranks it doesn't lope or run badly. It won't even catch. When I have replaced dizzy's before the car will at least fire but it runs poorly until it's timed correctly.

I will check on the wire behind the dizzy and see if I can round up the testers. Stay tuned. Thanks for your help!

 

Well, so far no luck. The guy who is working on my car said all the plugs are sparking and all the injectors are pulsing. The wire behind the distributor is a little tight but it's intact. He and I are both running out of ideas.

 

If you have fuel and spark you need timing. Get a light on it and verify your firing order.

 

It's ALIVE! It was way out of timing. Now the problem we are having is the speedo won't work. I have the Dakota Digital from Hawks and it's wired according to the directions. We even tried different pulse per minute settings. The speedo won't work at all. The tranny is from a 96 formula so this should work. Does anyone know what voltage the yellow wire should be or how to trouble shoot this? Thanks

 

Check the bottom of page three of the T56 swap thread sticky for the Dakota Digital Converter wiring. See if yours matches his.