If you view the timing gear with a timing light, you will be able to verify that it is firing at the correct position of the gear... then you could compare what you see with another car and maybe rule out the gear/sensor as part of the problem!

 

true, but with the motor at TDC, the differentiating teeth are still about 3" BTDC. My first incorrect go-round I did place the trailing ede of the triggering tooth totally vertical with the crank trigger at TDC. This is incorrect and gave me 37º timing at idle. I used this method first to determine that my ring gear was out of time...though I thought I had the wrong flywheel initially since I had no clue the timing gear was a separate piece pressed onto the flywheel.

Mark

 

If you are certain that the timing gear is oriented correctly, then mark/index the teeth so that you can view the marks with a timing light. If what you see is identical with another car, then you have ruled this out as part of the problem.

I feel your pain, as I have recently swapped ring gears and had to concern myself with the same issue. Does your flywheel have a dowel pin aligning it to the crankshaft?

 

with my timing gear correctly aligned to the others I've referenced for this year, I get ~90º flashing on the harmonic (with a timing light) at cranking. Yep, dowel is there on the back of the crankshaft: hard to get that one wrong.

Crank, harmonic, flywheel/trigger wheel all correct part numbers and such. The ONLY two variables I've not ruled out is wiring harness for engine (on the way), and a proper Intermediate plate for my year as I'm using an earlier version w/o the 8mm alignment dowel and w/o the two dummy-TDC sensor triggering dowels...my motor runs the same with/without the dummy-TDC sensor installed.

Mark.

 

You are convinced that the mechanicals are correct, and the problem lies in the electricals...

Damn coincidental with the vice-grip thing, though.

I guess I wonder *how* it is possible to fire at the wrong timing index, and I would want to see it with my own eyes, with timing light aimed at timing gear!

What other items besides the clutch were removed/installed since the car ran properly?

 

I"m not 100% convinced regarding me having the wrong Intermediate plate installed. In theory, it should not make a difference...but it's one of the only things I've not tried.
As far as the electrical is concerned, I doubt it's a short/bridge as it's too consistent, but cannot think of any other ignition part that could be mis-wired: ignitors don't make a diffrence if miswired...is there any other control unit hidden somewhere?

M.

 

FWIW, I don't have the secondary hall sensor operating, either. No dowel pins in my 89.

What other items besides the clutch were removed/installed since the car ran properly?

 

I removed a working '85 2v euro motor, computers, engine wiring harness, and replaced with a US 32v motor, computers, engine wiring harness. Left the coils (same part number) and ignitors (same part number).

But, is there any other ignition interface between the coils and the computer that's causing this? I keep reading about "Ignition control modules" but have also seen references to the EZK computer as well...unsure if there's yet another module out there specifially for the 2v cars that's configured differently from the US 4v cars, eventhough the LH Jetronic systems are so close (yet, NOT interchangeable).

Thanks,

Mark

 

I thought "ignitor" and "ignition control module" referred to the same thing. If there aren't any gaps in your 32v wiring harness after hooking it up to the coils and modules, then I wouldn't expect anything was missing.

Considering that you brought the whole kit-and-kaboodle over, I would probably recheck my wiring/connections/grounds.

 

Hmm, yep, done all that...I guess I really need to get that wiring harness in.

M.

 

Gosh, I wish I had a better idea for you. I wouldn't want to be there when you turn the key after installing the new wiring harness.



Maybe if you have time in the meanwhile, do a little more with the timing light around the flywheel...

 

Did the bell housing come with the engine you installed?

 

No, it's the same '85 euro bellhousing, though the crank-trigger is mounted in the engine's portion of the housing, not the separate bellhousing (same as the dummy-TDC sensory.

Mark.

 

After browsing the manuals, it doesn't appear there are any other controls involved with the ignition...I'll have to wait for another harness.

 

Just for reference: can someone confirm the 32v ignition wire sequence: from the front of the motor, the passenger's cap, the wires are cylinder numbers: 4, 6,7,1, and the driver's cap is 5,2,3,8. Just want to triple check. Thanks.