Son of a....

[axlr8r]

Ok, so I get the car all back together and running after the HG replacement. I figure I'd come home from work and go for a quick ride. I get in the car, and the DAMM CAR WON'T START. I turn the key, all acc's come on, but the starter just goes "click". Must be a bad batt connection? nope, the battery has 12.44 volts across it, so that's not it. Maybe the starter, it is a used one replaced last year.

I'll figure it out, I'm really just venting because I thought I had all the problems fixed and as soon as I think it's ready to go, something else goes wrong.......ahhh, the life of an SC'er

[sabbySC]

i know this is gonna suck to do, but reach under your car with a small hammer and tap on the starter body. Than climb into the car and start it up, your starter is gong bad but this trick will keep you running in a pinch for a while.

[axlr8r]

hahaha it's the starter I got from you sabby!!!! If that's the problem, what is your warranty?? Just kidding!:D

[SeanMatteson]

Matt,

Before you conclude it's a bad starter, check the connections at the starter solenoid and at the starter. At the starter there is one connection with a nut, and a smaller wire with a female connector. I have found that the smaller wire on mine had a really loose fit just after I did my HG's, and I got to thinkin' it was my starter too until I got underneath and found it was just a loose connection.

Otherwise, I hope you enjoy some happy motoring with that car for a while to come!

Cheers,

Sean

[walunsf]

i had a similar situation with my SC and it turned out the solenoid had cracked. easy and cheap fix.

[axlr8r]

bling bling, Sean has won this round of "who can diagnose what's wrong with Matt's car today"

It was he female connector on the starter, little loose.

So now the car starts, but runs like a bag of crap. At idle it sounds like it's got a lumpy cam in it, but it doesn't....that's the problem.

I took it for a drive and it seems like it's only running on 5 cylinders, actually it's running exactly the same as it was when the HG's blew.

-Bad ignition wire? (they are brand new)
-fouled spark plug? - brand new plugs
- how about a busted connecting rod? I know, I know, just kidding about that one.

Any bright ideas?

[MercsSC]

1] check the firing order ...I had 2 & 3 mixed up on the coil ..and it ran like it was on 5 cyclinders ..2] Listen for a wire snaping maybe loose.. find a dark place and may even see it ..that also happened to me ..but that was about 100 klms after doing head gaskets ...3] pull plugs and read what there doing or not

coil fires 2 plugs at same time 1/5 2/6 3/4 so if you had said it was running on 4 cyclinders I would think other wise but sure sounds like a primary ignition wire failure

[Ryan A Harris]

Matt I have no idea what to say. I'm now expert when it comes this sort of thing. I'm new in the fix it game, hope to god it's nothing too seriuos. Miss matched wirese I do hope. When Jamie was running into his troubles what was he expreincing? could this be a spun bearing?(hope to hell it's not)With the gasket the way it was when it came out, could some coolant have been getting there, then boom, she blew, or would it not leak in =to the combustion camber til the gasket completly failed? What about doing a compression test? that may help out soem.

Matt what ever the trouble may be, you know I'm in for helping you out.

[axlr8r]

I think i'm going to pull the plugs and check them tomorrow. I turned the heaters on tonight, so it will be bearable in the garage. We double checked the wires, I'm sure they are on right.
I have a ignition wire tester that I will use to see if it is the wires, but I don't think so. The car was running exactly the same as it does now when the HG blew, so it could be something more. Hey ryan, let's just swap it with the motor in your garage. (plus all your pullys) heck, we should even bolt on Andrews FMIC while we are at it..........

damm, tomorrow is going to be cccccccold

[SeanMatteson]

Matt,

You scare me by saying the car is running exactly the same now as it did before the HG repair. Is it puffin' huge clouds of steam out the tail pipes? Is he cooling system purcolating with the compression that's being bled into it? ...I suspect not, but would appreciate it if you could clarify.

Is it possible that when installing the new plugs, you might have bent an electrode to completely eliminate the gap? Pulling the plugs and giving them all a visual inspection would rule this out. Did you use any dielectric grease on the boots of the plug wires (both ends)?

Are you sure the cam sensor connector is fully seated? How about the connectors (two of them) going into the DIS?

I doubt this will end up being anything serious. You just need to backtrack over everything you guys touched to find that one little glitch that's causing the misfire or rough idle.

Cheers,

Sean

[sabbySC]

Hey you don't need a warranty, good parts are good parts!

I forgot thats where you got the stater :) at any rate it should be good for a while longer as it was rebuilt before I sold it to you.

As for the rough running, start with the firing order as suggested, make sure there are no vaccum leaks as well, than go from there. Does the car clear up once you are moving along at a steady speed or when you rev it up does it run smoother?

[MY90SC]

whats happening here Matt I can come out Sunday and give a hand if needed

have you got this thing running right yet?

[axlr8r]

Sean, to answer your questions,

The exhaust is clean, no more smoke, it's just that it seems like #6 cylinder (the one where the HG blew) is not working. Dielectric grease everywhere.

here's what we did, going on basic internal combustion theory.

cylinder needs three things, spark, fuel, air....

spark - start out by running the car, and pulling each of the wires off the ignition pack one at a time. 1,2,3,4,5, when pulled, the car's idle drops, and runs worse, like it should. when we pull #6, nothing changes..hmm, problem with #6

pull the #6 plug, looks brand new, test it by grounding it, while out of the head... looks good, stong spark. just in case, we pull the plug from #3 and test and swap it. no difference, problem is still on # 6.

fuel - try the old "put a screwdriver to the injector and to your ear to see if it is ticking. Yep, tick tick ticking away, just like injector 4 and 5.
Rip the s/c off and get to the fuel rail. pull the injectors and see if the #6 injector is actually spraying fuel, Yep, just like the #4 and 5.

air - maybe there is a stuck intake valve? pull off the valve cover and turn over the engine. The valve train and push rods all work beautifully..
:mad: OK, now the basics are done with. What other things could it be?

is it possible that the timing chain "jumped"??? so I have bad timing?
Any help or ideas is greatly appreciated.

[SeanMatteson]

Matt,

Have you got access to a compression tester? That's a shot in the dark, and I doubt you're problem stems from some sort of a combustion chamber leak, but it might be worth a look.

Otherwise, It sounds like you're having a problem with a lack of ignition on #6. It could be a bad plug wire. Perhaps pulling the plug and using the same wire for your test bent the wire so as to bridge a gap in the conductor, but putting everything back with the wire stretched out again causes a gap?

Regards,

Sean

[Les Borda]

Slight correction here it is number 3 we are having trouble with not 6...lol.

Tried another ignition wire Sean..same story.

I'm runnin gout of ideas, we did a compression check between 3 and 6 and both are around 90lbs.

The ONLY thing that intrigues me is this, on my car if I pull number 3 wire off the coil pack the spark is so strong it will continue arcing to the upper intercooler tube...Matt's does not do this.

Weak coil pack??? Nahhhhhhh those things are just about bullit proof.


Heading back to Matt;s this morning . if anyon ehas any ideas call my cell phone 416-274-9837

[Jason Wild]

how long has the car run?
The parts car I got had new HG and it ran like a bag of crap till I just let it run for some time reving it up a little after that it ran like a dream.
maybe you just need to let it run.

[MercsSC]

get spark.. swap coil wires 3 with 4 they fire @ same time and if problems moves to #4 cyclinder then it be coil pack ..

[SeanMatteson]

I got a call from Les at Matt's this afternoon. They found that by moving the fuel injector from cylinder #3 (the problem cylinder) to cylinder #6, the problem migrated with the injector. Steve Richards was at my place for a visit, and he was kind enough to drop off my spare set of six injectors at Matt's on his way home.

Les and Matt, how did you make out? Did this clear up the problem?

Best regards,

Sean

[axlr8r]

Yep, we changed the injector on # 6 and it ran like a dream.

I guess this answers my question as to why the HG blew. (other than the fact that they were original and the car has 257 000kms on it)
The injector on #3 was clogged or somthing, it was spraying fuel, just not enough. So that clyinder was running lean...too lean.....poof HG.

Anyway, I just came back from a good 50km run, and the car is running great. Thanks to Les for his countless hours of free labour, and to Ryan, Sean and all on this board for the help.

Oh yeah, now I can change my sig

[Ryan A Harris]

Happy hear that Matt. If I wasn't at work so much, I would have been more of a help for you this weekend. So are you going to be booikng some track time soon? I'll be hitting up a dyno soon wanna come out to that?

[axlr8r]

don't worry about it Ryan, you were a great help throughout. muchly appreciated.

I am considering going to the dyno and also the track in the summer, but I'd need to get the tranny fixed up (syncro on 2nd gear is kaput) I think that one pass at the track with a shift from 1st to 2nd at 4000rpm would be enough to leave the tranny behind! Sean is working on something for this.

Explain to me the process of getting the car dyno'd. Would my syncro problem be an issue?

[SeanMatteson]

Matt,

Give your car a little while to heat-cycle the refreshed valve-train, etc. before you strap her down to a chassis dyno. Other than that, the synchro issue should affect you at the dyno. I think they usually get the car into either third or fourth (whichever puts the drive train in about a 1:1 ratio, and then start the pull. They don't shift during a pull, so the tranny should be just fine.

The dyno would be a good way for you to see what the car is doing, both in terms of power and torque output, and also for some valuable air/fuel ration information.

I'm thrilled that you've got her running! It just worked out well that I had that spare set of 30 lb/hr injectors, and that Steve Richards was going out your way this afternoon.

...Now maybe I can get around to getting you the money, and picking up those gasket sets! ;)

Cheers,

Sean

[T1Bird]

Matt, that you that "Lit" up the intersection at dundas and 6th line tonight around 7:30 pm? i was going south on it, you were going north... not sure if you saw me

[axlr8r]

Hmmmmm, that sound's like the time and place. As for "lighting" up the intersection, I hardly think so, I was probably in third gear by the time I hit the other side. Since the new HG's went in and the car is running good, I don't think I've gone over 2500 RPM, and I'm keeping the boost guage in the vac side. Who knew you can get good gas mileage when you drive your car nicely?;)

I didn't see you, though, what were you driving? I vagley remember a pick up truck, or a minivan?

[SeanMatteson]

Matt,

I'm planning to be at the meet tomorrow night. Would you please bring the gasket sets along with you? I'll bring your money with me.

Best regards,

Sean

[T1Bird]

was in my bird, on the way to ryan's