No clue, hard starting

[martins_240sx]

Ok this started about a year ago on my 1990 240sx with a ka24e, I know its been awhile but I just learned to deal with it, till now, its driving me crazy.I started by changing my distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs and wires, and fuel filter. After I changed these my car had trouble starting, usaully only if I hadnt started it for like 20 to 30 mins. so after about a week of this I changed my fuel filter again thinking I got a bad one, nothing changed. NOTE... when I changed it the first time I didnt properly bleed the fuel system. And the top piece of plastic on the filter broke off in the fuel line but Im almost 100% sure a got it out. the second time I changed it I bleed it correctly and had no problems. I then changed my spark plugs from bosch to njk and my wires to thicker ones...still no change. After this I thought I messed up my fuel pump by not bleeding the fuel when I changed the filter, so I replaced that, still nothing...now I today just replaced my cap and rotor again thinking my old new one was bad...nothing...Some of the things it does is; hard to start, when it does start it has slight bog and sometimes dies, but it runs good when it is warm running. When it hits around 3500 rpms I feel it bog down slightly...It also bucks in first gear. It has a slight hesitation...dont know if these are all related...Ive checked for vacuum leaks and have found none...the timing is correct according to the timing light...Is there any way it could be my fuel pressure regulator or my injectorsNOTE...the car ran perfectly before I changed any parts on it...any help would be great, as of now Im lost

[Lost_In_Translation]

You sure you place the wires in the correct order..?..have you cheeked the timing?

[martins_240sx]

Yes the wires are correct and according to the timing light the timing is correct

[churro]

I would check the spark gap. They should be between 0.039 and 0.043 inches.

[slipstream_pnoy]

Checl the spark gap.

[mrgreeneyes]

bad grounds? bad batt terminals? things to consider...

[martins_240sx]

I have checked the gaps about four times now and they are good...as for bad grounding or terminals I am kinda in doubt... This car ran perfect before any of this stuff was changed, no hard starts no hesitation no dieing...do you guys think I could have messed up my fpr or injectors?

[rogoman]

Yes the wires are correct and according to the timing light the timing is correct

The KA motor firing order is: 1-3-4-2. This is at the distributor cap in a counter clockwise direction.

[martins_240sx]

thank you... but the order is correct on my engine

[martins_240sx]

Is this right...the car runs

[sohcistehsex]

your wires are 180 out switch 1 & 4 and 2 & 3

[martins_240sx]

yeah thats what I thought also but when I switch them the car wont start at all? I even checked to see if the cap was on backwards...it only goes on one way...the car runs nearly perfect with that configuration, it just takes a while to start

I took my entire fuel rail off last night and soaked all the injectors and the fuel pressure regulator and changed all lines....Im going to check my fuel pressure as soon as I find a place to do it...It should be good since its a new pump but maybe my fpr is bad?

[sohcistehsex]

yeah its your distributor is in backwards thats why it works like thatat least thats the only thing i can think of right now.

or it might be your ignition timing is 180 out because the rotor is pointing at #4 at TDC instead of 1 pull the cap off put #1 cyl at TDC and check the rotor

edit: if it was fuel pressure or the regulator you would have drivability issues not just starting issues

[martins_240sx]

that makes no sense to me....the car ran fine when i got it...I changed the cap, not the distributor, and the rotor can go on only one way...the car does hesitate and bog out a little around 3500rpms

[martins_240sx]

Ok new news, MY mass airflow sensor was bad/going bad, so replaced it and now i have no lag at 3500...it starts up a little better too

[rogoman]

When you replaced the ignition wires and dist cap/rotor, hopefully it was OEM and not aftermarket otherwise that could cause problems; also the spark plugs should be NGKs.

[martins_240sx]

they are

[240s2furious]

hard-start means that the engine starts but dies? or it doesn't even start till you try several times?

[martins_240sx]

hard start meaning it turns over like ten to fifteen times before it turns on...but if I turn it off and start it up immediatly after that it will start with one turn over

[vancouverbc]

Correlation is not causation. There is always going to be things happening coinciding especially on a 1990 car.

[Duce40sx]

Hmm,

1. Timing: You say it's not timing:But does the mark sit at 15 degrees TDC on Spark wire #1?I think KaDE is 18, and kaE is 15. 2. Do you smell excess gas? You could be flooding Fuel.3. Running Lean? Have an intake?4. Did you get get new Spark Plugs? If not, try new NGK Vpowers.5. Ignition COIL? Or Ignition WIRE? Replace with NGK~6. Clean Throttle Flapper (butterfly) Valve~ Carb Choke it~

It's ONLY 3 THINGS: SPARK~AIR~ FUEL~ (Assuming your timing is good)

When I buy a used car:

1. NGK V POWER 2. NGK BLUE IGNITION WIRES3. CAP / ROTOR4. OIL CHANGE5. DIFFERENTIAL OIL CHANGE6. transmission OIL CHANGE7. CHECK COOLANT~ FLUSH OUT COOLANT RESEVOIR8. MAYBE FUEL FILTER~***

AND I'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS, since these Tune ups are non harmful to the cars mechanical operations~

[martins_240sx]

Hmmmm

all of those are good...except... I do smell excess gas? what could cause it to flood

[rogoman]

Flooding is usually caused by leaking fuel injectors. To test them, unbolt the fuel rail from the intake manifold and pull off the entire assembly. Keep the fuel hoses still connected and don't remove any individual injectors. Also keep the electrical connectors on the injectors. With the assembly now away from the intake, turn the ignition key to the run position WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE. Now observe each injector to look for leaks. There should be no drips.

Make sure you have at least 4 spare insulator rings for the injectors in case some are damaged during rail removal.