SHE RUNS!!! But...

[Touchdown038]

First of all, she started right up! I cranked it a few times until the oil light went off, then reconnected the ignition and fuel fuse and bingo! she started right up. At this point I'm extremely happy to have it running, but there are a couple of questions I would like answered to ease my mind.

It idles at about 400 RPM. I only left it running for about 10 seconds or so, but every time I revved it slightly up it would always fall back to about 400, occasionally stalling. Could this be timing, or maybe the throttle cable not being tight enough?

Second (and the more serious) question is that it's making a noise as it runs. It's definitely pretty loud, and it doesn't sound mechanical (I'm not sure) but more like an exhaust leak. The manifold has new gaskets as well as new bolts with washers, but maybe it's down somewhere under the manifold?

I'll try to attach a sound clip tomorrow, or work it out somehow. Either way, she runs, and I can rest in peace, not worried anymore.

Here's to underage drinking.

[InsanityInc]

Well just set the timing and idle. That should fix your problem. The TB should be completely closed, so your throttle cable can't be too loose.

[180fan]

low idle, try adjusting the idle control valve at the back of the intake manifold.

[Touchdown038]

Sounds like the noise is a mix of dry lifters (under VC) and exhaust leaking out the EGR nut, possibly from the great volume of PB Blaster that was sprayed in there - will fix both later.

Got the idle problem fixed, idles at around 700 RPM now, timing is at 15 degrees BTDC, now the problem is that it won't rev very easily. Pressing the throttle quickly will make the revs drop pretty quickly, sometimes will kill it. I can get it to go up to around 2000 RPM (didn't try to go higher) if I leave my foot on it but just touching it won't. I replaced all the vacuum hoses, but I'm thinking vacuum leak somewhere... anybody else confirm?

[Touchdown038]

Alright, got it figured out... turns out the timing was way too far retarded to do any good. I don't know how it got like that, but it's fixed now and she's running good. 20 miles on her so far and she's taking it like a champ.

One thing about the timing though: the distributor is turned all the way to the left and it still doesn't reach 15 degrees BTDC. Any way I can advance the timing a little more, or why it won't go further?

[dborelli]

It sounds to me like when you put the distributor in, it was rotated a little too far. Try popping it back out and rotating it more right before you re-engage the gears.

Danato

[Touchdown038]

With the S13 there's only half moons intersecting when you plug in the distributor... does this mean that the distributor/oil pump shaft is aligned wrong?

[180fan]

With the SOHC, yes. There's that long shaft from the oil pump to the distributor. If that shaft is off, your distributor when it goes in will be off as well.

[Touchdown038]

I thought that if the shaft was off even a tooth that the car wouldn't even start. I guess that's something I need to get done here tomorrow.

[NISTECH]

You may also be off a tooth on the chain. Which would suck.

[Touchdown038]

Sweet, timing issue fixed.

The car died on me today... fortunately it was just a block from my house and fortunately it was just a dead battery. The problem is, my battery charger slash alternator tester says that the alternator isn't charging. I'm thinking I possibly hooked up the ground wrong, I hooked it up to the little bolt (not one of the nuts) right underneath the positive stud/nut. Is this the wrong place? It's the (semi) new alternator which worked on my other engine so I know it's good.

[NISTECH]

The ground on the altenator is held to the alt with a small bolt on the back of its body. The larger nut is the positive lead.

[Touchdown038]

Alright, finally, seems to be running great. I used the alternator from my old engine and it holds steady at around 14 volts while revving at 2k.

And man, am I starting to see a difference in the new engine with the old one! It's like night and day now. Third gear pulls pretty well now above 3000, as a matter of fact it's like all of the gears are a gear lower now. Second feels almost like old first, third like second, and so on. It's so awesome... lets hope it stays this way!

Thanks Nistech, sr20chris, and everybody else who gave me help along the way. Much appreciated!