I have an E 30.

[Nader393]

So, Austin! is my new favorite person on the interwebs.

Sure enough, I effed up the distributor rotor installation. I knew it was indexed with a peg-in-hole setup, and am pretty sure I installed it that way, but when I turned my back to get the Torx screw to fasten it into the cam, the plastic disc must have rotated before I cinched it down. Stupid. Here's the divot formed by the peg, tells you how many degrees it was off.



So pleased to hear this thing run. This pic shows exhaust steam, not smoke, thankfully. I wish I could give a driving report, but I somehow lost the heater blower motor and power windows in all this. So the windshield fogged up with my excited heavy breathing, and it got dark before I could pull out of the driveway. Thanks, daylight savings! This will have to wait until the morning.



Austin!, if you're ever up around Seattle, and you want it, you can have my old exhaust system. That's the deal I put out to the locals for anyone who could get my car running. Thanks, buddy! I may hit you up for help on the windows and heater if I can't figure it out myself (fuses look okay).

[e30austin]

How about the distributor gear and the rotor itself?

[Nader393]

Have you confirmed that your front balancer is orientated properly? If you have fuel and spark, it sounds like a classic case of ignition timing out of sync.

I agree, it totally feels like a timing issue. But as you know, that balancer pulley is indexed, and putting it in wrong would result in a big wobble which this doesn't have. And again, the timing marks for both the cam pulley and the balancer line up perfectly for top dead center both before and after installing the balancer.

[e30austin]

Have you confirmed that your front balancer is orientated properly? If you have fuel and spark, it sounds like a classic case of ignition timing out of sync.

[Nader393]

Nope, everything is connected properly. Injectors buzz appropriately. With spark plugs in place but CPS detached, it cranks over smoothly. Attaching the CPS gets me spark, and stumbling when cranking, but won't light off.

I'm stumped. Is this 284 cam too much to even idle? Seems unlikely. But I'm willing to try an adjustable cam pulley to fiddle with it. If I can't get it running with one, then maybe punt and go back to stockish head. I'm open to ideas.

[Nader393]

Pulled a couple covers out of the way to get a look at the cam timing belt. It's painful to backtrack. Anyway, the marks lined up at TDC for both cam and crank, just as I had installed it. Nuts. That would have been a good explanation.



Thinking about it some more, it occurs to me that the low dynamic compression numbers (compared to baseline in the prior/stockish engine) may be a result of the more aggressive cam causing intake/exhaust valve lift overlap. Theoretically has benefit at higher RPMs when exhaust scavenging comes into play, but also causes a lopey idle and less response/power at lower RPMs.

So now I need to revisit fueling and spark. I have adequate fuel pressure at the rail shown my almost 1L filled after 30 seconds out the return line. Need to document that the injectors are actually spraying. I have spark, and have to assume it's happening at the right moment. Have already tried two CPSs and two DMEs (both with Miller PSIK chips).

With my luck, it's probably something stupid like swapping the TPS connector with the ICV connector...
... hang on while I go check something

[Nader393]

At this point, all that's left is connecting the replacement wire harness... Then I'll fire up this boiler and see what it can do.

Famous last words...

So, I connected everything from the harness, and with mild trepidation, I turned the key. It cranked and cranked without firing. Seems to stumble, but never fires. Dispiriting. So I spent the last couple days going over everything.

All relays, connectors, CPS, etc. are intact and good.
There is fuel; pump and injectors work.
There is spark at all plugs.

Buuut, compression is suspiciously weak; 110 across all cylinders. The last engine with stock 2.5 pistons was 180, and these are now SETA pistons. Should be higher than 110.

Without spark plugs, it cranks smoothly, no contact between valves and pistons. But I wonder if I somehow mis-installed the belt and it skipped a tooth, effing up the cam timing and compression. I hope that's all it is. I was careful lining up the pulley marks to TDC for the cam and crank during the belt install, but didn't hand-crank the engine over a few revs after installing the belt to confirm excellence. So now I'm going to go back in and check the timing marks. Really hoping they're off, that would be relatively easy to fix. If they're correct, then I don't know, might have to punt and tow it to a shop.

You know, I do have better things to do. But right now, getting this effing E30 and its replacement engine running, is all I can think about.

Achingly close... come on, baby, give it to me...

[e30austin]

In for garage sale details...

[Nader393]

Yeah, it's a throwback to the big fart-can exhaust days of the mid-nineties. I was there. I had a '91 Sentra SE-R that was begging for one, but never got it. This is my chance to relive those days, PROPERLY.

[Secniv]

I have an E 30.

[/QUOTE]


And I thought my tail pipe was big!



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[FredK]

You, sir, are an artist. But you do not flatter me!

[Nader393]

At this point, all that's left is connecting the replacement wire harness. I have one that came with the replacement engine, and it isn't hacked up at the fuel injector leads like the one that came with the car. Then I'll fire up this boiler and see what it can do.

[Nader393]

Exhausted

Buttoned up the engine's anus. It now farts through ANOTHER Magnaflow system. The one on the right. Growing weary of collecting E30 parts. I may need to do a garage sale soon.

[2mAn]

IM not that OCD, but Im glad you are. Excited to see what happens when you go back to carb-connection.

[Nader393]

Speaking of fancy fluids, I dabbed some of this DeOxit D100 on the electrical contacts of everything in the engine bay, including all the connectors on the new harness and the ECU. This stuff is used mainly by audiophiles and finicky musicians. How OCD are you?