Alright guys, the snow has melted up here so it's time to get wrenching again. So what's going on is that the blacktop just cranks. Doesn't even try to catch, I have fuel, air, and spark, and also new piston rings, and a new head gasket. Technically it should at least fire? I have already tested everything from the ECU to the ignitor, also checked the wiring at the dizzy, and also check the operation of all the electronic parts. One thing I haven't checked is if I warped the head after I blew the head gasket the last time? And Im ready to break down and just put a new engine in it... Help?

Ghost

If the warped head was the issue, you wouldn't have compression. Did you double check cam/ignition timing?

Yes I have checked the cam tIming multiple times. And when I put the engine back in I put the dizzy on the timing mark on the back of the head. That's the correct for base? Also I have a set of kelford cams 194-b. which I called kelford and they said they are meant for stock timing?? Also my exhaust cam doesn't have a second hole, because I know the Fsm is wrong..

Ghost

Dang. That's rough. I had my dizzy maybe 2 teeth off on my 16v and it wouldnt start. It should be right for base, I'm not very experienced with 20v though. Have you hooked up a timing light to see if there are any issues? Good luck man.

That's the thing, the 20v distributor only goes in one way, because I tried lol. I thought that it was 180 out. No I haven't hooked a timing light up yet, but if it's not running will it do any good? Right now I need to double check the resistances of the distributor.

Ghost

You sure your injectors are firing correctly?

I'm fairly certain that my injectors are firing correctly. Just recently I pulled my dizzy and found that the center piece that comes from the igniter was melted on the side. So I just replaced the cap and rotor and it still just cranks. I think I'm going to go back and play with the dizzy timing some more? Any ideas?

Ghost

Even with a warped head, the engine will still run. I know you said you tried this, but start with the basics.

Pull a plug, put it in the wire, and hold the tip of the plug against one of the valve cover nuts. Do you have spark? If so move on.

Grab a can of brake cleaner/parts wash. Have a friend crank the engine at WOT and do friggin napalm spray job along the row of ITB openings. Does the engine want to run? Is so move on.

Are you getting fuel pressure? Disconnect the return line on the fuel pressure regulator and feed it into a water bottle. During cranking you should have fuel pressure and fuel flowing to the bottle. The 20v ecu only allows fuel pump operation during cranking and run, it does not prime for two seconds in KEY ON like a Honda does. Do you have fuel going to the line? If so move on.

Remove one of the injector plugs, connect a voltmeter to the BLK/WHT wire, do you have 12v power in KEY ON, START, and RUN? If so move on.

Remove the valve cover. Inspect the camshafts at TDC #1. On cylinder #1 closest to the timing belt, when viewed from above, the intake cam lobes should be pointed toward the ITBS at a near flat angle, the exhaust cam lobes will be pointed at the header at a near flat angle. Incorrect exhaust cam gear installation/timing will bend valves and cause the engine not to run.

Alright. So from the basics that I have tried. And I was actually about the pm you Dan lol. I unplugged each injector and checked each cylinder for spark, all 4 had spark.

The cam lobes are intake pointed to the intake and exhaust pointed to the exhaust.

And my car is hot wired do the fuel pump is continuous.

I haven't tried brake clean since I have fixed my dizzy. How do I diag if the hall effect sensor is out? And if so is there a suitable USDM replacement?

Ghost

Take the distributor off and if you grab a voltmeter you can actually spin the distributor by hand and get voltage pulses. AFAIK there isn't a usdm part, if anything maybe some 4AFE junk? I gotta find a wiring diagram, but all the pickups are just coils so you spin the rotor and you'll produce an analog wave and get voltage pulses. So long as youre getting pulses that all you can really look for without hooking up some osciloscope bs.

But if you have spark I would check the injectors, you may have 12v power to them but is the ECU grounding them out to fire them? Thats why I wanted you to try the brake clean to see if forcing fuel into it makes it run.

Check your tps too. unplug it and try start. if it starts, adjust it.
depending on how long your engine wasnt running and if there was fuel in the injectors and rail, your injectors could be gummed up. my original injectors were like this. I just sprayed carb cleaner through them, with a 12v lead attached to make the injectors open. have you tried tapping the injectors a bit with the key on and fuel pump running?

Alright. So after some further diag. I have figured at least this much out

1 the timing is correct. Intake lobes towards the itb's and exhaust towards the mani

2 there is spark

3 there IS not 12v power to the injectors

4 the car kinda wanted to start with brake clean. Like just a little faster crank speed

But I do have fuel pressure , and at wot and cranking it sounds like the injectors are firing. And also my car is hot wired, but that shouldn't make a difference when checking voltages right? I did just check the voltage between the two wires

And the tps didn't do anything different

Ghost

Just an update, service manual printed off. and will be checking all applicable voltages/resistances. I will update with more info when I know more.

Ghost