Engine won't crank, clicking EGI relay

[silverkaturbo]

So i just got done rebuilding my 91 de and when trying to start it I get nothing but the EGI relay clicking rapidly. I've checked all grounds that I can think of and I had the battery charger jumping it so it has enough voltage. Another thing I noticed is that every time I turn the key to start it the 10amp fuse for Engine control blows. Does this mean it's shorting out somewhere? If so how do I even go about checking the engine control circuit? The fsm diagrams arent helping me much.

This is the second time ive pulled/ installed this engine and the first time around I had no problems. Maybe Im just overlooking a misplaced wire when i hooked the harness up but any thoughts, ideas, or help would be appreciated.

[Rev_D21]

I'd say the fuse blowing means there is a short somewhere between the fuse and the power pin for the ECM. This would explain the no starting thing. I would start by testing for continuity between the terminal at the fuse block and the power terminal at the ECM, unplugged of course. Be sure the pull the fuse while you do this test. If there is no continuity between those two then the wire is damaged and causing a short. If there is continuity on the wire then I would suspect the ECM might be shorted internally.

[silverkaturbo]

Ok well I have the fuse blowing problem solved. One of the solenoids at the back of the head had a broken blug, but its plugged in now and the fuse isnt blowing anymore. But the EGI relay is still clicking along with one of the solenoids on the intake mani (cant locate which one it is though) so it still wont crank over.

[silverkaturbo]

Any other ideas? I've been waiting so long to get this car going again and it sucks sooo bad having a problem like this hold me up when I'm so close. I"m prob gonna take the starter in to get tested just to make sure that it isn't a problem. It's a long shot, but I'm just trying to rule out any possibility at this point. If that doesn't help Ill prob just try completely disconnecting the engine harness and doing it all over again since it pretty much has to be somethin I fudged up there. Just sucks that the engine is all bolted into the car now to make things more difficult.

[silverkaturbo]

I have another update. The starter is good. I unbolted it, hooked up the 2 wires and set it on the strut tower touching a bolt to ground it. Testing it this way it works fine, no rapid relay clicks just how it should be. So i bolted it back up attatching an extra ground from a bolt attatching the starter to the block to the same strut bolt, but it still does the same thing; no cranks, only clicks.

[-RJ-]

You could try a known good starter. I had something similar happen to a friends car. When we tried to start it, nothing would happen except clicks but when we tested it like you did it ran fine. We tried a known good one and it worked

[silverkaturbo]

Got the starter tested and they said it tested out ok but the gear was extending. So I bought a new one thinking it would finally solve my problem, but its the same thing. Relays still click just kind of at a different tempo now.

Another thing is that Im using the battery charger hooked up and switched to the jumpstart spot; when i hook I first hook it up things seem normal but after trying to start the car i can pull the key all the way out and the dash lights will stay on for a little while long like the key is still in the ON position.

I guess im just gonna pull the whole engine harness all the way back out and try again to make sure I didn't overlook something (although there really isnt much to mess up on these). Im just worried something is cut or pinched inside the tape that Im NEVER gonna see to fix.

[BigDAT]

may consider just totally unwrapping the harness, and checking it all out, I am considering doing this myself... sucks to say it but it may be something I NEED to do.. I guess its all for the better, get to wrap harness in new-looking stuff and you get to do a little bit of wire tucking!

[silverkaturbo]

Finally got it to crank!!! I just got to wonder if the battery charger wasn't getting it enough juice so I hooked up the charger and a 6.0 chevy truck to to jump it while jumping the starter solenoid and it turned over. But it was still so slow that I wonder if it will ever turn under its own power.

Turning the crank by hand it doesnt feel much if any harder to turn than before the rebuild especially considering that bearing clearances were on the wider end of the scale and I honed the cylinders pretty good to get some minor surface rust out so I cant think of why it would be so much more of a strain; especially with a new starter and all that power hooked up to it.

[BigDAT]

hopefully you dont have a broken valve, that would cause it to be really hard to turn..

[silverkaturbo]

When I got it running I checked and the timing is dead on and when I was hand turning it I didn't hear or feel anything hit. It seems I would've had to been wrenching on it hard enough to even bend a valve if there had been any interference issues.

[silverkaturbo]

Can anyone point me in the direction of what I should start testing. Ive checked with my volt meter and the battery has 12v off, and 14v while running so its not a battery or charging issue I guess. I've checked all grounds and the connections at the starter several times, even tried adding extra grounds and power cables with no luck anywhere. Ive had my battery in the trunk for the past couple years without problems, but I went ahead and put my old slim battery I was running before back up front too just to make sure Im supplying plenty of power.

I hate electrical problems. So where should I go testing from here?