SR Gurus get in here before I...

[Clawhammer]

...lay under my car and kick out a jackstand.

New years I blew my head gasket. I got an Apexi and some ARP studs and swapped it. Car ran for a couple hours, I drove it around my neighborhood a bunch of times and it was running funny. Seemed like a vaccum leak kind of.

It was idling at like -10inHg, and thus would spool into boost really quick. I'd be at a couple pounds by 1500 rpms and was surging the the entire time. I parked the car and went to work. Came home about 9 hours later and the car wouldn't start. It was getting fuel and spark, I did a cold compression test and it was 65 across the board.

Figured I screwed something up so we yanked the motor and rebuilt it. I also redid my harness. I also got a brand new head, well, freshly rebuilt with a couple thousand miles on max.

We finally dropped the motor back in and once again, it will not start. Same as before all this. Cranks to no end. I'm getting spark and fuel, but nothing. It just floods from all the cranking.

We did a compression test and got 90 across the board. About 3 weeks before I blew the HG I was 165, 165, 160, 165. We reset mechanical time and got compression back up, 160-150 across the cylinders. So timing was off. It fired once with the new compression but died instantly, never ran.

My ECU keeps throwing a code 13, we replaced the CTS and it's still doing it. replaced the sub harness to, still does it.

We swapped ignitors too, no help.

The gas has been in the tank since December 31st (I filled up the day before I blew it, awesome. I put stabil in it, but maybe bad gass that won't ignite?)

I'm pretty confident in my harness, especially since the problem hasn't changed. I also figure I'd be throwing a lot more codes if I screwed something up there. Even the CTS one has me confused, it's only 3 wires, well 2, the blue/black one is for the dash sensor. Anyway, I'm not ruling the harness out to not look like a failure, I'd much rather the car run, I just don't think that's the problem.

Any ideas? This is stressing me out big time and has got me pretty depressed lately. I miss the good old days when this piece of junk ran.

Ryan

[Sil80315]

60 across the board waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to low. good compression is in the 150-160's. If your getting crappy compression numbers after you did the headgasket chances are the block and or the head need to be decked because they can warp when you unbolt the head from the block and it wont be perfectly flat to make a good seal.

So next time you rebuild it..take the head and block to the machine shop so they can make it nice and flat so the head gasket will be a perfect fit.

Orrr...maybe you didn't torque the head studs correctly

[Clawhammer]

Thanks for the reply but please read the rest of the thread. I pulled the motor and rebuilt it, had the head and block decked, etc. Compression numbers are fine now.

[Koshin]

60 across the board waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to low. good compression is in the 150-160's. If your getting crappy compression numbers after you did the headgasket chances are the block and or the head need to be decked because they can warp when you unbolt the head from the block and it wont be perfectly flat to make a good seal.

So next time you rebuild it..take the head and block to the machine shop so they can make it nice and flat so the head gasket will be a perfect fit.

Orrr...maybe you didn't torque the head studs correctly

not an SR guru...

beyond smartass comments about the above post, I have nothing relavent to add...it does seem to be a rather odd scenario?? did you double check timing?? I imagine you did...but just sayin

[Hijacker]

I have a feeling you have an ECU issue.

[slidestyle69]

I agree with highjacker...The harness was replaced, compression was restored and igniter replaced..timing dead on and getting fuel and spark...if all that is there then the ecu controls all that so it could very well be something in it...have u pulled the cover and checked it..forgive me if u have already said u did that or if u have a friend with a sr use his ecu to test

[Clawhammer]

The whole time my car was in pieces, my ECU, injectors and maf were in my buddies car which ran and started just fine.

Like I said the only thing I get from the ECU is a 13 - coolant temp sensor.

I have 550's and a z32 maf so I'd have to swap more than an ECU.

I need help.

[ZOMG.SR20]

same problem as me.... watching for responses

[Sil80315]

Oh crap im sorry man..I didn't read all the way thru your post. I also wasn't trying to be a smart a**. you didn't mention anything about getting the head or block decked.

91silviak.. as to your "SR guru" comment, your lame a** post didn't do much either

I take it the ecu is tuned for your setup? and if so who tuned it.

[Blown240sx]

The whole time my car was in pieces, my ECU, injectors and maf were in my buddies car which ran and started just fine.

Like I said the only thing I get from the ECU is a 13 - coolant temp sensor.

I have 550's and a z32 maf so I'd have to swap more than an ECU.

I need help.

Whats your fuel pressure at? Got a gauge? If the pump is going out the car might not be making enough pressure to start.

[Clawhammer]

Gonna make a gauge tomorrow I think.

Got a brand new CTS. No more code 13. Had two bad sensors, go figure.

Please help me.

[mRodiek]

Hey sorry to jack your thread and ask you another turbo question but did you use studs or bolts for the 2 threaded holes on the compressor side? My GReddy in take kit didnt come with any hardware..

[Clawhammer]

Studs, they came in my turbo...

[Clawhammer]

Tonight we drained my gas and put fresh gas in. Did not work. Next we put in a new CAS. Still nada. It fired once after each change though....right at the beginning.

The other night we tried a different ignitor with no success.

I'm gonna need help soon, the 1-800-CHARTER kind.

[Didderson]

How confident are you in your battery wiring? Maybe the leads are corroded so you might want to check the voltage drop, but do this last because the other things I have are more likely:

Also I'm not sure if you told us you checked the fuel pump. Can you hear it prime? While we're on the subject it's possible you mixed up the return and high pressure line for fuel, I've seen it done and it can stump the hell out of you! Not trying to yell but the bold is important you check.

Also please re check your grounds if you have the patience. Especially the 2 (10mm ones on runner 4) on the intake mani and the 1 spark coil pack ground that goes on the head by the firewall side.

All else fails check the cam timing at TDC again.
Modified by Didderson at 10:05 AM 4/28/2009

[Blown240sx]

Tonight we drained my gas and put fresh gas in. Did not work. Next we put in a new CAS. Still nada. It fired once after each change though....right at the beginning.

The other night we tried a different ignitor with no success.

I'm gonna need help soon, the 1-800-CHARTER kind.

Fuel Pressure?

[Clawhammer]

Taking a break from the car, going to the beach. Will also be getting myself a fuel pressure gauge and checking it then, I'll report back.

Didderson and I talked last night and just to clarify:

-I'm pretty confident in my wiring. I'm not throwing any codes either which puts my mind to ease.

-Fuel lines are correct. My lines actually aren't long enough to swap them. I know my pump is priming because that's how I drained almost 2-3 gallons out of my tank. I pulled the hose off the filter and dumped it to a bucket.

-Grounds have been checked and even extras added. Funny cause the very first start attempt didn't work and I was like doh! I forgot the coilpack harness. No biggie, grounded it and then the car still wouldn't start and broke my heart.

-We checked cam timing last night when we restabbed a known working CAS.

Just in case I f***ed up my ignitor wiring while extending the wires to run it inside....what is the firing order?

[slociv]

are you positive your cas isn't 180 out or that its aligned properly. If either one of those are incorrect it will crank all day long.

The compression numbers are low probably due to the engine being flooded out and a fresh build. That much fuel will wash out the rings. I would suggest double checking the CAS, try to start. If its doesn't even hit flip the cas 180 and try again, do this with the injectors plugged in and then unplugged.

A tiny bit poured on top of the piston couldn't hurt either, pour just a little like a cap full and crank the motor with out injectors or spark plugs. Then try everything again.

If you have a spare CAS try this. Unplug the CAS plug and plug it into the spare, do not install it. Spin the gear on the CAS and listen for the injectors to click and do the same for the coil packs, just put a spark plug in the end of it and look for spark on each one. Also check and make sure the coil packs are properly grounded. (the one in the coil harness that goes to the back of the head)

Hope this helps

[Didderson]

Yeah dude you probably made the same mistake i did. When installing the CAS, the mark can be on the top but if it doesn't go in nicely, turn it counter clockwise as you insert it. Most of the time you're off by a tooth. What I mean is you're off by a tooth by being 1 gear tooth too far clockwise, so turning it counterclockwise when inserting helps relieve this.

For some reason KA and SR CAS don't line up perfectly and on both; you have to back them up a tooth for it to line up right for good timing.

[brettsdad]

had the same problem with my miata. i had to change the water pump and miatas have an internal water pump so the cam gears had to come off. my friend who helped me put one on on the wrong notch, making it 45 degrees off. cranked to no end but wouldnt start. got the cam gear on correctely and still didnt start. my cam timing (not ignition timing) was off by one tooth. and like didderson said i had to turn the cam counter clockwise to get the cam in the right position and the correct number of teeth on the belt between the cam gears. good luck!!!

[brettsdad]

zerothread?id=376914

this may or may not help. like i said, good luck.

[Clawhammer]

So it runs, s***tily....without the fuel pump fuse in.

Yeah you heard me. Put the fuse in and it wants to die. Idles at 0psi fuel pressure, put the fuse in and it jumps to 43 and tries to die.

Got a few other problems I'm not too happy about too.

Pulled my harness. Take two!

I'm about 90% over this car.

[jr_ss]

Claw, perhaps you have a bad FPR? Or the injector seals are bad and you have a large vac leak... I have a known good FPR here that I'll send you. It came off my S14 Sr... LMK

[ZOMG.SR20]

i have all of these problem too but i have a new FPR

[kouki munster]

Claw, perhaps you have a bad FPR? Or the injector seals are bad and you have a large vac leak... I have a known good FPR here that I'll send you. It came off my S14 Sr... LMK

You still have that fpr?