servo09

Ok,
Swapped a running KA24E, into a new shell.
Almost done, just one little issue- won't start.

Unless (very strange) the spark plug wires are
installed backwards. Then it starts, but it runs
like ***.


Timing was reset with the distributor rotor pointed
down and to the right, in what the shop manual
indicates is the number one spark plug position.

Plugs were wired in counter clockwise, from
bottom right as 1, 3, 4, 2.

Car will not start.

Got a friend to help out, who kept saying that my
plugs were out of order, so he Went online and
found a diagram for the KA24E, that had the number
one spark plug as top left (I think this was for the DE
I'm almost positive the shop manual has it right, only
when installed with number one as top left,(counter
clockwise 3, 4, and then 2) the car starts... just runs
like serious ***.

Idles at like 2,000 (maybe compounded by one
or more vacume leaks in the emissions system,
working on that -now) And misfires, sounds like a
lawn mower that's taking it's time to explode.



Wiring for the fuel injectors is correct. No codes
from the ECU. Getting fuel at the rail, and
spark from all four wires. New Plugs. Timing was
set correctly (With rotor pointed at bottom right)

Does anyone have any ideas?
Theories?
Speculations?
Reasons not to take a shotgun to the engine?

Thanks.

LA_phantom_240

Well... first off, let me say this. Get a timing light, a good one. That is really the only way to check timing down to the degree. Second, check all of your vacuum lines and such. Also, if your 240 is like mine, it has cruise. If so, be sure that the cable running from the cruise control box thingy to the throttle body is secure and tight and isnt causing the tb to open even the slightest hair. My 240 ran like ****in *** for a while at like 1800 RPM and i timed it right and it only made it worse, until i started tracing my throttle cables back and found that my cruise control cable had come out of its socket and caused the tb to open ever so slightly.


Hope this helps

PNG

Perhaps the dist is 180 degrees out of phase?

Pull all the plugs, then bump the engine over with the starter until the #1 cylinder is coming up on the compression stroke (hint: put your hand over the spark plug hole and you'll feel the air being pushed out). Check to make sure that the rotor is pointed toward the #1 spark plug wire tower position on the distributor cap. If it's 180 degrees out, pull the distributor and re-clock it so that it's right.

Levi SPL S14

Get a timing gun as stated that is the best way to see what your really at.

if your 180 off your car either wont start or sound really bad.

good luck.

LA_phantom_240

When i had my problem with my cables, i thought my dist was 180 out, so i turned it 180 and all it did when it cranked was it would crank like half a stroke, then fire and shove the motor the opposite way. Needless to say thats not a good thing so i ruled that out real quick-like.

servo09

Can you use a timing gun if the engine won't start?

Anyway, I think I got the problem narrowed down
to the fuel injectors, one or more(#1, #3) is clogged,
or has a bad connection to the wiring harness.

It was able to start with the plugs in the wrong
firing order, I'm thinking this was due to a
MASSIVE vacume leak in the emissions system.

Joel SX

My car wouldn't even run more than 1.5K RPM's becasue the vacum line from the brake booster was broken, and it was hard as hell to start. Chck on all hoses, youm giht hear the air comign into the line....... or out.