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    jfields06's Avatar
    jfields06 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Dec 28, 2008, 08:21 AM
    Car Cranks, Won't Start, Tried Everything, desperate!
    Ok, I recently did a motor swap in my daily driver, because the motor finally went out on my 1988 Honda Civic DX. The motor that I put into my car is, a DOHC ZC 1991 engine. I used a PM6 ecu, and changed my wiring from DPFI to MPFI. The ZC has not started for several months, and it has been very cold outside.

    1) Checked for spark: All spark plugs are firing, they have a strong, wide, blue spark that you can see very clearly.

    2) To my knowledge the engine is getting fuel. There is fuel going into the fuel rail, as I loosened up the bolt on the end of the fuel rail, and fuel trickled out. I also smelled the spark plugs all smelled of gas. (I probably have flooded the engine by now, since I've been trying to start it so much, by trying different things).

    3) Checked the fuel injectors, by holding a screwdriver near the metal barrel and listening for clicking/knocking sounds, while the engine was being cranked. All had the sounds

    4) Checked the wiring. Redid the wiring with brand new wire, and soldered connections, with heatshrink and electrical tape. Run the injectors straight into the ecu, at their designated spot of placement. Wiring is perfect.

    5) The timing should be TDC, I've redid it twice.

    6) The Main relay should be good, it worked on my previous engine, and the ecu comes on and says hello by the one blink, and the check engine light goes off after two seconds

    7) Checked the compression in the engine... At first it was very low, straight across the board, on a dry test, cylinder 1 was 91 psi, cylinder 2 I couldn't get a reading, cylinder 3 was 90 psi, and cylinder 4 was 91 psi. On a wet test, cylinder 1 was 101 psi, cylinder 2 was 110 psi, cylinder 3 was 105 psi, and cylinder 4 was 101 psi. I thought maybe the head gasket was bad so I took off the head, changed the head gasket, everything looked fine, rings, pistons, valves all looked clean and ready to go. Put everything back together, checked the compression on a cold dry test, all cylinders went up to 120 psi. So I'm thinking once I get the car started and warmed up the compression will go even higher.

    8) Checked the starter even though the car was cranking over, and it was working fine.
    21boat's Avatar
    21boat Posts: 2,441, Reputation: 212
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    #2

    Dec 28, 2008, 08:59 AM

    Wow I'm impressed I'm and old grease monkey. You did a LOT. All I can think is the brain is off. Or a sensor. A reset code or plug in and read the codes even though there's no check engine light. Seriously there's is not much left hear. Even though you 'heard the fuel injectors doesn't mean they are atomizing correctly. I start there. That's the only Mechanic part left. The rest is electrical.
    Good Luck wished I could be more help!
    jfields06's Avatar
    jfields06 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Dec 28, 2008, 09:28 AM
    Thank you very much for your reply. The Ecu is not throwing out any codes. Just the one blink saying hello I'm here, when you first turn the car to the on position.

    Um, Any ideas what sensors may not be plugged up, there is a plug underneath the CPS that's on the exhaust cam shaft, that I can't figure out what plugs into it, its just one little metal piece coming out of the side of the head, and it has a hole in the center of it. How do I check to see if the fuel injectors are atomizing correctly.
    21boat's Avatar
    21boat Posts: 2,441, Reputation: 212
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    #4

    Dec 28, 2008, 09:48 AM

    There's a kit that can bench test injectors. My friend made one up. I would either take the injectors out and garages can bench clean the injectors. An injector only has to be off 8 to 10% to be ruff or bad. Some garages charge 25 to 35 per injector "ouch" and that doesn't gauntree that injector doesn't need replaced. I know it a lot but its heavy now and that's the last mechanical thing left. I saw a strange thing on timing on a suburban A magnet was on the torque converter for motor timing to adjust for speed diff. Its injectors or sensor/wire
    Maybe a Chilton book on your car may really help from pep boys etc. Then go from there I'm trying here I will post back after some more research.
    jfields06's Avatar
    jfields06 Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
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    #5

    Dec 28, 2008, 11:08 AM
    I figured it out, something so simple


    The cam gears and spark plug was at tdc, but for some reason I noticed the crank pulley was not at TDC. I lined up the Crank pulley, and when I did I noticed that it made my cam gears off, so I re-aligned those and tried it and to my amazement she started right up, no problems.
    21boat's Avatar
    21boat Posts: 2,441, Reputation: 212
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    #6

    Dec 28, 2008, 11:51 AM

    Wonderfully It was mechanical it sounded like it great! The old crank and cam gears have a punched dot in both the line up together, In 85 ford escorts had the one belt system and when changing a water pump if you weren't correct and turned it over the valve clearance was bad Turn over one valve in wrong position and hit the piston and bent valve. Well I don't mention the timing part because I saw TDC was done twice but by keeping on it you got it. I was going to say plug wires and timing but the twice canceled it out. Give yourself a good pat on the back!!
    Hay Happy holidays!!
    godshalldennis's Avatar
    godshalldennis Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #7

    Jan 11, 2009, 05:17 PM

    Check your fuel cutoff switch in your trunk

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