new 240 owner with a huge problem

[8nissan9]

I just bought an 89 240sx for $150 bucks. Everything works on the car except the engine. I cant figure out whats wrong with it. I am a mechanic but never have fooled around with foriegn cars, i always work on american cars. Anyway, The car is getting spark, and fuel. The plugs are getting wet, but the thing just wont fire up. It barely pops if i rotate the distributor all the way counter clockwise. I moved the wires around the dizzy, to see if it was out of time, but the engine still did not pop or anything. I havent done an compression test yet, i cant find my tester, but i did check the computer and it says 55. The PO said the car was running when they parked it, and they pulled the battery out of it. So i dont know if it's a head gasket or what. Also i checked and the rocker arms are moving, so i know the chain isnt broke. What can this be? Thanks guys. I checked the search, but only found one relating to this, and no one had an answer really except the battery and its got a fully charged optima in it. It does turn over slow to me though.

[liquid_cool]

is there an ecu init?might have som'pin to do with it....is the ground wire on the back of the block connected?...is the ignition silinoid good/cap/roter...lots of things come to mind..nissmo motor mounts are not throu studed so it dosent ground the engine..they use a ground wire..id start there...hope ya get it fix'd man..let us all know.

[Hype]

The KA series engines do not have rocker arms. The japanese imported SR engines DO. You'd know if you had one of these by "Intercooler Turbo" on the valve cover, as well as um, an intercooler and a turbo

I'm guessing you pulled the valve cover saw the cam spinning when you turned the crank? Code 55 is the all ok code - computer isnt finding anything wrong. I would try starting from the top - make sure cam timing is correct (dont know specs offhand for your SOHC engine), and then set ignition timing from there. http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/240sx/1989/1989.pdf there's your SOHC FSM, should give detailed procedures and specs.

Good luck and welcome to NICO!

[isimon91]

I just bought an 89 240sx for $150 bucks. Everything works on the car except the engine. I cant figure out whats wrong with it. I am a mechanic but never have fooled around with foriegn cars, i always work on american cars. Anyway, The car is getting spark, and fuel. The plugs are getting wet, but the thing just wont fire up. It barely pops if i rotate the distributor all the way counter clockwise. I moved the wires around the dizzy, to see if it was out of time, but the engine still did not pop or anything. I havent done an compression test yet, i cant find my tester, but i did check the computer and it says 55. The PO said the car was running when they parked it, and they pulled the battery out of it. So i dont know if it's a head gasket or what. Also i checked and the rocker arms are moving, so i know the chain isnt broke. What can this be? Thanks guys. I checked the search, but only found one relating to this, and no one had an answer really except the battery and its got a fully charged optima in it. It does turn over slow to me though.

Nice find for $150.

[Hype]

heh for real, you cant even buy a parts car for that kinda cash. If turns out to be something like a disconnected harness..... man! Any updates for us 8nissan9?

[240sxbuffy]

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE VALVE TIMING???? CHAINS DON'T BREAK THEY SKIP!

[danielsan]

how long has the car sat?

does it run on starting fluid?

[kunihongo]

your distributor may be 180 degrees out.

[Vegascorbin]

The KA series engines do not have rocker arms.

So what do YOU call theose things that ride on the cam and press down on the valves to cause them to open and close?

As for the original poster, Try changeing the fuel filter and useing fresh fuel. If it runs on starter fluid as danielsan asked then it probably is fuel related.

[240sxbuffy]

someone better tell NISSAN that their car doesn't have rocker arms because their service Manual call those things that ride on the camshaft and has lifters in it Rocker Arms. What do you suggest they are??

[danielsan]

someone better tell NISSAN that their car doesn't have rocker arms because their service Manual call those things that ride on the camshaft and has lifters in it Rocker Arms. What do you suggest they are??

KADE engines do not have rocker arms.

rocker arm is in yellow, kade engines have the came lobe pushing down directly on the valve.



"The valvetrain also utilizes a direct-bucket design. This means you don't have the problems of rockers popping out or failing like the SR20DET."

Modified by danielsan at 11:04 PM 8/20/2008
Modified by danielsan at 1:38 PM 8/21/2008

[PhopsonNY]

do you mean Ka24s don't have push rods?

[srpowered240sx]

sounds like your firing order is off.

[Vegascorbin]

Try again.

The SOHC does indeed have a device that rides the cam that pushes on the valve. everybody I know calls them rocker arms.

I agree that the DOHC does not.

Remember that the KA24 came in both SOHC and DOHC when making general comments about what the engien does or does not have.

What over head cam engines do not have is pushrods as shown in your picture.

I don't want this to turn into a big mess but those uninformed people that still run the SOHC KA could be inadvertantly misslead.