Jswike

It's a B18C jdm gsr. I am stumped - we got the engine off craigslist. Swapped it into his CRX which previously had an LS in it (running until hydrolocked). I tore the head off and replaced all the gaskets, as well as the valve seals. No bent valves, no burnt valves.
When the plugs aren't saturated in the oily looking gasoline, the engine will start and then stall within 5 seconds. If we attempt to give it throttle when it starts, the throttle response is extremely delayed. The tachometer is bouncing all over. Then it eventually floods out. I've done timing a million times. Double checked all injector wires. Double checked the distributor wires. We are definitely getting fuel and spark. Sometimes it will make a deep vibrant humm out the intake right as it dies. Am I still off on timing? Is the FPR stuck and pushing fuel pressure through the roof?
If I get the outside wires backwards on an obd0 distributor (the left two, and right two) would the car run? I would assume no spark.
Any ideas guys - just throw em out there, and I'll respond with what information I have.

holmesnmanny

Sounds like you have a bad ignitor if the tach is jumping all over the place. This would cause spark not to happen which would explain extra fuel.

cetcivic

Bad fpr?

Jswike

I can pull each plug individually and get spark. Perhaps the ignitor is weak and it wont do it while under compression. We swapped the FPR from his old LS motor. Same problem. Also swapped out injectors.

Skillwise

Entertain the possibility of a leaking injector too. This will continue to bleed off fuel into the engine after you shut it off. Use a fuel pressure gauge to see what's going on. See if you can get an inline spark tester as well, to see what goes on there. I would choose the sealed spark tester, as you will be working in the proximity of gasoline.

Skillwise

Just read that you swapped injectors,....nonetheless, get the gauge and spark tester in there! At least you will better know what you're dealing with.

fcm

As mentioned, "tachometer is bouncing all over" is an indication of a ICM on it's way out, [or a connection problem].

You need an HEI spark tester to properly test for spark, pulling a spark plug lead can damage the coil.

As mentioned, check fuel pressure and injectors for leaking. 94

Jswike

ty all for the replies. I am going to check the wiring for good connectivity. That is sounding like the most likely culprit. I'm not entirely sure what an HEI spark tester is, but me not being a professional mechanic, and my friend so tight on money that he made me try and salvage a hacked up obd-0 to obd-1 conversion harness by scratch to save 35 bucks... I think that expensive sounding spark tester is not going to be an option. Though I do have a voltmeter. Even beeps when I ohm test! Ballin. Anyways - loving the input guys. Keep throwing it out there.

fcm

HEI spark tester can be had for $10 and up...

A lot cheaper then a new coil. 94

Jswike

Well I have been informed, but I don't see how that spark tester will help me get a clearer understanding of what is happening electrically between the plug and the distributor or ecu. At least not any more than my spark plug would be - it just saves me pulling the plugs. I dont want you under the assumption that im arbitrarily disconnecting plug wires and grounding them out, or leaving them open. But I have seen those things at Advance, look pretty nifty. Now attach an oscilloscope to that thing somehow and give me sin waves of the electrical current. And let me attach it around the wire like an alternator tester or timing light. Now that will give me some better info :D

Unfortunately, I can only get to this car maybe once a week, due to work - and that it's about an hour away. So I really want to load up on ammo, so I can have a checklist of possible suspects. So if there are any other ideas, throw them out there.

Jswike

Just in case future onlookers run into the same issues as me, the wiring was messed up on the distributor. The sheet they gave me with the diagram was wrong. So I took the dizzy apart and traced all wires back to each component to side by side comparison with my working dizzy. It idles now.