Another perplexing SR20DET not starting...already searched...day and night.

[aeugrx]

For some reason the starter wire was being grounded somewhere, so I bypassed the whole thing and ran my own starter wire with a fuse. Originally, every time I tried to start the car the starter fuse would blow...

I attempted to fix the cooling problem by flushing the system with fresh coolant, bleeding all the air out, and replacing my extremely disgusting radiator cap from the KA radiator.

I also put in a 300zx fuel filter and a fresh alternator/water pump belt today.

Things were going great, idled for awhile and temps never went above the middle of the gauge, don't know if the temp sensor was working or not, but it was displaying right in the middle. I was satisfied with it at the time so I decided to check the timing with a timing gun once more before I drove it home.....and then something happened.

It just died while idling...so I tried to restart it, and starter would try to turn but sounded like it was stuck on something. I charged the battery and reset the timing once more. Tried again, and it started turning, but nothing. Sounded exactly like when the cylinders were not sparking. So I checked the spark plugs again, they all sparked fine.

I noticed when I would try to start it, my boost/water temp gauge would keep resetting as the starter would turn, seemed like a weak electrical signal to me. So I tried again with a truck jumping the car. Starter kept turning, but would not turn over. In case, I set timing again, no luck...

Any ideas??Tomorrow I will:1. Replace the battery with a new one (current one seems to not hold a charge very well)2. Test starter.3. Check fuel pump fuse? Hard to hear the fuel pump now with my electric fan starting with ignition power (draws power from battery, turns on through relay, activated from ignition signal)4. Add grounding points?5. Check engine for flooding? if so how do i clear it out?

Seriously confused yet again....everyday it seems like this car will start and be fine, but everyday a new problem arises....

BTW thanks alot for all the help guys...
Modified by aeugrx at 3:22 AM 4/25/2007

[Tr0uble]

Sounds like you have a bad starter if it popped a fuse. When any type of electrical load device goes starts to go bad it requires more amps to do the job it did before. Reason for the popped fuse means your starter pulled so much power it exceeded the amp rating of the fuse and popped it to keep from frying your wires. If you hooked power straight through it will get it working but eventually it will make the wires so hot it will burn off the insulation. when this happens the power wire can become grounded to anything and start a fire or make you battery explode. Starter can be tested by unhooking the wire and hooking an ohm meter across it. Check the resistance on it. Not sure what it needs to be cuz i dont have time to look it up before work.Check all your fuses including alternator fuses, etc etc. You said you replaced the alternator? Go to autozone and have them test the battery. Replace if needed. Starter should fix your cranking problems. As far as your car cutting off, if timing is good your problem is going to lie within one of 3 things. Alternator, Battery, Fuel. The devices themselves could be bad or the circuits to them. for example wiring to alternator not connected right or lose, battery terminals corroded or ground is weak, or fuses popped.

[aeugrx]

I made sure to put a fuse in my own wire when i made it, its connected from the fuse box terminal for the ignition signal from the key switch, across the dash into a 7.5A fuse and then into the starter. Its been working ok for now, but I think i'll test the starter tonite anyways.

I was thinking the engine could be flooded so I started cranking with the throttle open, and it sounded like it was trying to start and came quite close....although it was making a popping sound as it was doing so, then after some more revving with the fuel pump fuse pulled out as well, it stopped popping altogether. So I put the fuel pump fuse back in and tried to start it normally, and nothing....So i check the spark plugs again, and they have liquid on them, felt like gas, should have smelled it but didn't, so I decided to take off the valve cover and let it air out for an hour.

So after I take the cover off, I notice the right camshaft has a bunch of metal shavings next to it, where it connects to the cam gears, it looks like part of the camshaft has been grinding against part of the block? I want to get a picture up but I left the camera at home.

[aeugrx]

So um....I THINK i found the problem....this is the exhaust cam, it wasnt spinning with the intake cam, just stood still. I am kinda speechless, and I think the pics speak for themselves.....

Full set here: http://www.feintd.com/cams/cams.htm

[homeslicej2]

Sorry man.

[Tr0uble]

omfg dude! You know what caused that don't you? Comes from no oil. So apparently you either have a dented oil pan, bad oil pump, or bad oil pick-up. Or maybe no oil in the motor to begin with? Crap happens. Not sure if it was this post that I said it on, but I knew a guy who forgot to put lubricant into his transmission even after i reminded him. The same guy that forgot to tighten his lug nuts on his rear tire and came flying off and bounced over the other side of the interstate. Even after I reminded him to tighten them.

That would explain the "slightly jerky/violent" you said you felt and it wasn't from the squeeky belts.Bad news about that camshaft is since it wasn't turning you probably damaged the tops of some pistons and bent valves. Also if that part wasn't getting oil I wonder how many other internal engine parts were damaged, not to mention turbo. You had Bad ECU.Bad alternator?And bad one of the 3 things above?

Where on earth did you get your motor?

[aeugrx]

Well at first I thought it was oil as well! But a fellow sr20 guru told me otherwise. My intake cam is near perfect, I figure if I was low on oil it would have gone to crap as well.

He thinks it was over-revved when this motor had been driven, rockers bashed the camshaft out of shape, or broke it completely, and as the motor kept turning (even when i drove it and tried to start it) it just got worse and worse. Finally, the camshaft just seized up against the engine and refused to turn. When I turned the crank pulley, the intake camshaft, intake cam gear, and exhaust cam gear spun, but not the exhaust camshaft. When I took it out, it was apparent why, the slot and threading on the camshaft is completely broken. I had to fish out the entire threaded piece from inside the timing chain.

I checked what I could without disassembling more, it all seemed fine, of course theres no surefire way to tell.

I got the motor from JDM addiction in ocala, FL. Although this has got to be some really bad luck, they have helped me with a new ignitor chip and a new ecu. I doubt they'll back out on me for this. They have a good rep, and seem to keep it that way.

Any ideas on this rocker-hitting-camshaft theory? Think its valid? Or is it more possibly the oil pressure?

[Tr0uble]

Any ideas on this rocker-hitting-camshaft theory? Think its valid? Or is it more possibly the oil pressure?

Maybe a clogged squirter on the Exhaust side? from your pics looks like the exhaust cam keeper has no oil on it. The rest dont look that bad on the exhaust camshaft.

[homeslicej2]

Maybe a clogged squirter on the Exhaust side? from your pics looks like the exhaust cam keeper has no oil on it. The rest dont look that bad on the exhaust camshaft.

I too have heard this about the squirters.

[WDRacing]

Cam on bucket design FTMFW...

Thats an ugly baby man. I had a very similar thing happen to my RB20, only it was operator error. Wrong torque specs and not enough lube.

WD

[homeslicej2]

I love WD

[Tr0uble]

I can't wait to get my hands on some mammoth sized c***...the bigger the better for me man.

I LOVE THE c***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That comment almost made me want to leave this forum and signup at Z ilvia.

[homeslicej2]

That comment almost made me want to leave this forum and signup at Z ilvia.

I messed with Brian's post earlier and he's just getting back at me.

[aeugrx]

JDM addiction has a exhaust cam on the way for me, itll be here in 3 days. They're also gonna see what else could be wrong with my internals. I'll let you guys know how it goes, thanks for the help guys!

[Tr0uble]

You should do a leakdown test once you got the camshaft in to check for a blown headgasket and bent/broken valves.