New head installed, car won't start... help?

[Ðawg]

90 Tsi, light mods.

I just installed a new head on my 4G63. I had snapped a balance shaft belt on my engine, and that in turn took out the timing belt, and then took out all the exhaust valves.

We've put the new head on the car and here is the rundown:

Getting spark, as tested by the plug test...

Getting compression, as there is exhaust coming out of the tailpipe during cranking the engine.

Getting injector pulse, per test light... getting fuel pressure, and when the rail is off the head, the injectors spray fuel. There is fuel in the cylinders, and the plugs are wet.

Firing order on the plugs and coil is correct.

Motor turns over, but doesn't pop, sputter, or even attempt to start.


Any ideas why this bad boy won't fire up?


Thanks in advance...

 

[Ðawg]

Bueller? Bueller?


Thanks guys...

 

[BUCK]

Put the CAS at the middle of it's adjustment & make sure it's not 180 out per the little punch mark.

 

[Ðawg]

OK, I've done that... (Thank you...) and now the car is actually TRYING to start... it is sputtering, just not catching... I've killed two batteries this morning trying to get it to start. I am working on getting a compression tester this afternoon.. any other ideas guys?

 

[Ðawg]

OK, got it running, it will idle on it's own... got a bit of a coolant leak on the thermostat housing, so I gotta fix that... but other then that, I think it works.

Thanks for the help.

 

[BUCK]

Bingo! - Fix that leak & be ready to set your Base Timing & Idle once it warms up.

Timing:

http://www.plymouthlaser.com/timin.htm

Idle:

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/BISS-1G.html

VFAQ:

http://www.vfaq.com/FAQlocator-index.html

 

[Ðawg]

OK, got the car running, driving... BUT...

So we took the car for the obligatory test drive around the block. While at the house it started fine and we ran it to temp, turned it off, started just fine, no problems.

We drove it around a little bit.. It doesn't want to hold idle for its life.. anytime the revs drop below 1000 about it just stalls.

Also, after getting on the throttle the car let out a really large cloud of white smoke from the exhaust. Usually this is indicative of a coolant leak, however the head gasket is new and used a metal rule to make sure the head wasn't warped before we put it on...

Furthermore, after actually being driven under load, the car would not start when it died, we had to compression start it. I did not use the fuel pressure solenoid when we put everything back together, but that should not make starting while hot impossible, just more difficult.. Would a vacuum leak cause this?

I really have no idea where to start on this stuff. Does anybody have a clue what could cause these symptoms?

Any help is appreciated, and thanks for all the help so far!!

 

[BUCK]

Did you set Base Timing & Idle yet?

 

[Ðawg]

Yes, and the car runs really good... sounds good.. pulls hard, but it won't keep idle at a stop... then it is a pain to restart.

 

[BUCK]

It won't idle NOW but it DID idle long enuff to set Base Idle & Base Timing? - it has to idle in order to set these.

Also check all Vaccuum hoses per:

http://www.taboospeedshop.com/emissions.htm

 

[Ðawg]

It idled after starting... we went for a test drive.... and at stops, it would die and be very difficult to start back up... we had to compression start it twice.

 

[BUCK]

So the Starter spins it well, that is normally - but it doesnt start?

 

[Ðawg]

Right... it just spins and spins and spins...

 

[BUCK]

Check all Vaccuum hoses per:

http://www.taboospeedshop.com/emissions.htm

Check Spark plugs for fouling being it was spun so much at initial lite off.

 

[exzercist]

check vacum on solonoid and maybe it could be fuel pump or even the igntion wire coming out of the fuse block cuz that happend to me on my supra. crank crank crank nothing then suddenly it would start.