fbarnhill

Hi guys, So, I have just completed getting all the loose ends tied up and verifying that all is connected properly and all I get is rrr, rrr, rrr, rrr and a horrible smell of rotten gas. It has been over 12 months but I put a can of stabill in it at around 3. This is what I know: The injectors are firing. The spark plugs are firing. And the firing order is correct. Please help he figure out what to do next. I have about 13 gal of gas in the tank but will drain if you guys think it could cause the issue. It seems to me if I have gas, and I have spark, I should have bang and run...

Any help will be greatly appreciated,

Mrmerlin

Sorry to hear that your not feeling well i hope you get better fast.

Ok so lets do an easy test first ,

spray some ether into the intake then crank the engine if it fires then your missing fuel.
Next get an extra spark plug and a jumper wire with alligator clips,
pull one of the plug wires off ,
then install the spare plug,
take the jumper wire and clip it to the electrode,
and then the other end to a good ground.

Crank the engine see if you have spark and what color it is.

Please report your findings.


Also put some deoxit on the CE panel and the computer connectors.

post pictures of the CE panel with the wood covers removed

fbarnhill

Ok, nothing with the either. Just spun rather quickly with no fire what so ever. I can hear some clicking relays but can't determine which one it is. The reason I feel like I have fuel is that I can smell it and can even smell it on the plugs.

What next?

fbarnhill

Ok, I changed some of the relays around for ignition and ezf with some others and still same thing. absolutely nothing. Darn, could the TB have broken somehow? It is new? Or could timing be 180 out somehow? I was positive it was perfect according to Porkens tools. It was the best I ever got one so far.

Mrmerlin

can you read the crank damper while looking at the engine?
At this point if you smell fuel then you probably have fouled plugs,

remove the plugs and pull the computer connectors and crank the engine.
examine the computer plugs for damaged pins,
replace the plugs with another set,
and then connect the computers .


examine the relays make sure you have the correct relays in the correct spots,
take pictures of the CE panel and post them,
also of the front of the engine set to TDC .

look into the vents make sure the cams are lined up

SteveG

When you say "rebuilt" what did that entail? did you fool with injector harness? You might want to put a noid light in there to check continuity of the harness.

WallyP

Smelling fuel leads me to suspect that you have no ignition (or the timing is way off).

Remember that you have what is essentially two independent ignition systems. For both to fail points at ignition switch, relay, EZF ECU, crank position sensor, etc.

The first thing that I would do is to do the tests for spark. You can rig up a remote start by sticking the stripped end of an 18" piece of standard 14/16/18 gage primary wire into the unplugged connector of the yellow wire at the corner of the 14-pin connector, then put the connector back together with the wire trapped in the connector. Touching that wire to the jump start terminal should make the starter spin regardless of neutral safety switches, transmission in gear, etc., etc. The car will run over your foot, or into whatever it is pointed at if a five-speed is in gear!

Being at the engine compartment might make it easier to see if you have a spark on a test spark plug. One minor correction for Mrmerlin's earlier post - you hook the jumper to ground from the body of the plug, not the electrode.

fbarnhill

Thanks Wally. I have spark, and the plugs smell like gas as does the rest of the garage. I am sorry to miss today but I can barely walk. Stan, I will try to get your suggestions done sometime tomorrow. I did buy new plugs. I did some repairs on the FI wiring harness boots but that harness is like new and it ran great before the engine was pulled. As to what was done, everything, head job, new block actually, (used but looked new) I rebuilt some of the other harness but it was in better shape than I thought. The need for that came from a small fire a couple of years ago.

Thanks all for your help. Please be patient as I try your suggestions. I don't have a lot of energy as it is and some days like today, I have none.

WallyP

Frank,

Don't let our enthusiasm put any extra pressure on you! Work at your own pace - we will still be here when you get back to us.

If you have spark, and the plugs are wet, I would want to check the timing. As has been said - take a quick look at the crank damper and see if the numbers read normally as you are standing in front of the engine. If they are backwards (would be readable if you were standing on top of the engine), your timing is screwed. The timing marks are not in the right place if the damper is on backwards (which is very easy to do!).

fbarnhill

Wally, I am positive about the timing. I took a couple of days with Porken's timing tool and was so proud of the fact that this one is perfect on 0, both sides. Also I checked it again before putting the caps on and she was still on zero. I also have the porkensioner on there and it too is working perfectly. However, the only way my brain can handle having gas and spark and no bang is for the piston to be in the wrong place when the spark happens? By the way, After getting the engine in and bolted in, it took me at least a month to finish. Some days I could only work for 5 minutes other days 30 but almost never an hour or more. I was hoping to show the guys out there that you don't have to give up the car you love just because you are sick. So, I got the darn engine built and she will run. I am sure of it.

soontobered84

Frank,
Is your harmonic balancer on backwards? Can you read the numbers on the HB correctly from the front of the engine? It's relatively easy to put on backwards and the car will absolutely not start if the cams gears are timed with the HB on backwards. You will have compression, you will have spark, and you will have fuel and it will not fire. Sound familiar?

Dang. Wally just beat me to it.

Frank, can you post a picture of the HB at top dead center?

fbarnhill

Well, I did something I just didn't think was possible for a mechanic of my esteemed caliber LOL. I put the balancer on backwards and did the prettiest timing job you ever did see. Ok, Well at least I know what the next step is. I am so sorry to have wasted your guys time Talking about a senior moment

fbarnhill

It just hit me. Have I just ruined the engine I have worked all year on?? Have I already bent the valves on my newly refreshed heads??? I just can't believe it...

AirtekHVAC

I don't have such a new, fancy motor, but from all the reading I have done on the subject (although I don't claim to really know anything), my guess is that you have not harmed anything. Should be Ble to flip the HB around, and re-time.

soontobered84

Let's all hope not.