2 cylinders making power 2 not 1.8L n/t PLEASE HELp

[one eight hoss]

OK i need help

1992 plymouth laser 1.8L

I swapped enigines with the same engine, a 1.8L, the other had a crack in the block anywho, put a new cylinder head on it that was given to me. Swap was fine hooked everything up and couldnt get it in ignition time right ?? Finally got it right and it ran like a dog...i did an injector power balance test and figured out that 2 of my cylinders were not making power...cylinder 1 and 2, the closest to the cam gear. heres is what i have done and still nothing HELP ASAP WOULD BE GREAT

Spark plugs gapped .044"
Cap
Rotor Button
Re-timed everything (ignition and cam)
Spark plug tester (st-125) its fine
fuel pressure, fine
fuel filter
compression test- fine
maf sensor meter test check all voltages and resistances - fine
TPS tests with a meter -fine
Spark plug wires
pulled fuel rail and clead it all out
swapped all injectors with ones from other swap
noid light - fine
took intake manifold to see if something was clogged not letting air in - nothing in it cleans as can be


I am so mad it everything it needs to run but it wont please help !!!!!!!
i am an up and coming ASE tech and have done all tests as if ASE standards were to apply no shortcuts

 

[1.8laser90]

Your spark plugs are gapped to much, not that thats the prob but to let u know. Is there spark on cylinders 1 and 2 ? what was your compression readings ? are u sure cylinders 1 and 2 injectors are working, the injectors may be fine but is the ecu sending the signal to open them ? or a cut or shorted wire somewhere.

 

[240kid]

i think its called the power transistor. most likely that. not hard to put a new one in. happened to my friends talon...he actually just hit it and it worked but just get a new one.

 

[1.8laser90]

1.8's don't have a power transister only 2.0's

 

[240kid]

o my bad, they have a distributor right?

 

[1.8laser90]

yes they only have a distributer

 

[one eight hoss]

compression reading are

1 134psi
2 138 psi
3 132 psi
4 144 psi

the service limit is 131 psi
i pulled the fuel rail with ionjectors and cranked it and watched fuel come out

the book i have says gap at .044" though i could be wrong i will double check...even still i should get power from it...i used a spark plug tester and grounded it and i its firing spark all the way through the plug...

 

[1.8laser90]

those are some low readings tho, normal should be like 160? if its getting gas, spark, and compression how do you know those cylinders don't have power? did you have the head shaved before u put it on with a new head gasket ? my compression is 210 across the board thats with the head being shaved...

 

[one eight hoss]

doing a compression test you only crank the engine 4 times and a max of 5 times thats how i got it...and yes i got .002" shaved off the head before i put it on...just enough to make sit flat...my buddy has talon just like 1.8 l....he went away for college now but before .....his compression was only high 130's....the reason i know those two cylinders are not giving power is because of the power balance test i did...it is simply pull and injector clip and if the engine doesnt die off some or drop power that means taht cylinder is not contributing to power...cylinder 1 and 2 dont and when i get to the third it dies off power i put it back on and then pull the 4th and its dies off some and i put it back on its alright....i used a noid light on the injector clip and its blinking meaning the ECU is grounding the injector and dumping fuel...i have no clue

 

[akdsmer]

doing a compression test you only crank the engine 4 times and a max of 5 times thats how i got it...and yes i got .002" shaved off the head before i put it on...just enough to make sit flat...my buddy has talon just like 1.8 l....he went away for college now but before .....his compression was only high 130's....the reason i know those two cylinders are not giving power is because of the power balance test i did...it is simply pull and injector clip and if the engine doesnt die off some or drop power that means taht cylinder is not contributing to power...cylinder 1 and 2 dont and when i get to the third it dies off power i put it back on and then pull the 4th and its dies off some and i put it back on its alright....i used a noid light on the injector clip and its blinking meaning the ECU is grounding the injector and dumping fuel...i have no clue

Dude, the noid light is a terrible test. It only shows the circuit is capable of making a bulb blink, not operate a higher current injector. It takes a labscope and a amp clamp to determine if the circuit is operating properly. Don't have one? Don't dispair- you should be able to swap the #2 and #3 injector connectors. If the power problem follows the harness you now know that you have a circuit problem. At least with that circuit. You could also have other problems that are only affecting these two cylinders like you improperly installed the intake gasket creating vacuum leaks on those two cylinders. Flowing some propane (a propane torch isn't enough flow by the way) or some brakeclean or such to see if the vehicle runs better would give you an indication that is where you need to look.

Your method of compression test is more than adequate enough. 131 psi is the service limit and I see that the gap is suppose to be .041. slight gap differences is definitely not causing your lack of power. Do you have a vacuum gauge? What does it show?

 

[one eight hoss]

ok a noid lkight test shows that the ECU is grounding the circuit for the injectors...not a stupid test...and you cant swap injectors from one another because the ECU goes off the crank signal telling it when to spray fuel into the cylinder...the only other exception for that would be if you have a bank fire system which is on a lot of 6 cyliders...on a four cylinder system the the injectors have to go on the injectors it is made for...if not it sprays fuel at the wrong time and then it doesnt fire....i already took the manifold off and cleand it and nothing is clogging it....i swapped TB's and all sensors that worked before...vacuum pressure is fine thats the first thing i checked i thought i had leak....you are right though a scope would nice to use because it would show all signals going to and from the ECU....the last thing i can think is to do a leak down test on each cylinder....i dont have a leak done gauge yet i am getting one this weekend....thats for the posts though more thoughts would be great?!

 

[Spoolin4Ever]

Inspect the ECU?

 

[one eight hoss]

i took the ecu out and inspected it and couldnt fine anything leaking or abnormal....plugg it back in still only 2 cylinders....any more thoughts

 

[akdsmer]

and you cant swap injectors from one another because the ECU goes off the crank signal telling it when to spray fuel into the cylinder...the only other exception for that would be if you have a bank fire system which is on a lot of 6 cyliders...on a four cylinder system the the injectors have to go on the injectors it is made for...if not it sprays fuel at the wrong time and then it doesnt fire....

Lots of older FI vehicles run Bank or Gang Injection, And they run (please don't tell them they are not SEQUENTIAL )
Have you tried it? Mine runs like that. That's because the injectors don't fire into a cylinder. They spray into the intake. The fuel is still present at the intake valve, although the atomization is not nearly as good. The vehicle DOES fire and DOES run....That makes it a GOOD test to make sure that the driver actually pulls the injector open. If the dead hole follows the connector it IS a wiring or ECM issue. It's just a cheap easy test for those of you who do not have the correct tools or knowledge at your disposal

As for the noid light let me clarify....It is a POOR test because it does not LOAD the circuit like the injector does. If you used a bigger LOAD (like a larger light bulb-don't overload the circuit), That would make it a much better test.