How old is the fuel?

 

If its 98 octane it will go off pretty quick.

 

 

I reckon the ecu is on the way out. There have been a few in recent years where people cannot chase a fault and it is the ecu.

Have you put it on TDC and checked the cam timing marks are in the right place? It's quick and easy.

 

From the description you gave, cam timing sounds more probable and could explain your compression figures.

 

And put a new battery in it.

How old is the fuel?

 

If its 98 octane it will go off pretty quick.

 

It's probably 2 months old, I think it is 98 octane too. I thought this could be a problem so I disconnected the EFI main relay and try to get it to fire with Aerostart/Start Ya Bastard and still nothing. I've always had success finding fuel issues by using Aerostart, even on this same engine when my fuel pump fell off the intake pipe a year ago - fired straight up on Aerostart. But I will take this into consideration, I will drain it when it stops raining :y:

 

I reckon the ecu is on the way out. There have been a few in recent years where people cannot chase a fault and it is the ecu.

 

Good point. I have a spare ECU that I bought from you a year ago, I'll chuck that in and see how I go. I remember Reed's ECU failed and it wouldn't start.

 

 

Have you put it on TDC and checked the cam timing marks are in the right place? It's quick and easy.

 

From the description you gave, cam timing sounds more probable and could explain your compression figures.

 

And put a new battery in it.

 

I'll give this a try, I've never checked cam timing but I've got the 4AGE manual to guide me. Thanks.

If 80's vehicle ECU's are anything like the 80's microcomputers I collect, most could do with having their leaky capacitors replaced by now.

 

My ecu didn't fail, I didn't have a fusible Link and I fried it. Might pay to open it up and check the capacitors.

most could do with having their leaky capacitors replaced by now.

 

Friends had their Soarer declared dead as the ECU died, so he pulled it apart and saw burn marks on a capacitor. Paid a local geek $50 to replace all the capacitors and its as good as new!

Today I cranked this thing over just hoping it would start, but it didn't. I pulled the spark plugs out and they were covered in fuel, swapped them for new spark plugs and installed the spare ECU. Plugged it in, no error codes, cranked engine - didn't start. New spark plugs were covered in fuel again after ~5 seconds cranking, the whole thing smells like fuel.

 

 

Then I checked the cam timing:

 

Set to TDC: distributor rotor pointing to no. 1, no one at TDC, 0* timing mark on crank pulley.

 

 

 

Intake cam gear: marks line up

 

 

 

Exhaust cam gear: marks line up

 

 

 

 

What I want to do:

 

- Leak down test: I don't own a compressor or a leak down tester, if someone wants to help me out I'd be super appreciative.

- Test fuel pressure: again, I don't own a fuel pressure tester, the little screw on top of the pressure damper looks to have lifted up implying that there is pressure.

- Pull the engine and rebuild it, replace it or light it on fire.

Edited May 4, 201511 yr by rian

Tow it! If it won't fire up in 2nd gear when towed it is seriously dead. If it starts and revs but has no power its probably a strip-down job to chase compression and head gasket. See if you can hear if it is one cyl that is dead when you let the clutch out while its running.

 

If you can get it going give it a hard time then turn it off without idling & whip the plugs straight out. Look for a different coloured plug.

 

The leakdown test would be good, although you will catch up with that information when you pull the motor down- head gasket, burnt valve or rings...

The earth on your head hasnt come off?

Can you confirm your can gear is correct according to the manual. Knock pins should be alternate if I can remember correctly.

 

Both marks at top but knock pins opposite.

Tow it! If it won't fire up in 2nd gear when towed it is seriously dead. If it starts and revs but has no power its probably a strip-down job to chase compression and head gasket. See if you can hear if it is one cyl that is dead when you let the clutch out while its running.

 

If you can get it going give it a hard time then turn it off without idling & whip the plugs straight out. Look for a different coloured plug.

 

The leakdown test would be good, although you will catch up with that information when you pull the motor down- head gasket, burnt valve or rings...

 

I'm considering doing this. At the moment I have nothing to tow it with, plus it would be a tremendous effort to get it out of my driveway. If I can get some friends around I might give this a go. Thanks for the pointers Altezzaclub, If I try this I'll let you know how I go.

 

 

The earth on your head hasnt come off?

 

Do you mean the earth for the injectors that bolts to the intake manifold? Or is there another one? I haven't checked the earths for the head, but I know the injectors are firing.

 

 

Can you confirm your can gear is correct according to the manual. Knock pins should be alternate if I can remember correctly.

 

Both marks at top but knock pins opposite.

 

I'll have another look at this. I've never checked cam timing before, and forgot to take notice of the knock pins. But you're right, they should be opposite.

 

There should be a decent sized earth coming off one of the engine hook bolt holes to the chassis.

There should be a decent sized earth coming off one of the engine hook bolt holes to the chassis.

 

I don't think I have that. I definitely have a block to chassis earth but I can't remember there being a head to chassis earth. I'll suss it tomorrow :y:

I run one off each hook bolt hole to the same point on the chassis. You can never have enough earths.