THe car has no misfire, no computer codes showing, it runs smooth as silk but seems like its wheezing or straining when it revs. I pulled the exhaust off at the CAT and drove 1/2 mile seems not to have made a difference. Same with the air intake. Doesn't even begin to get hot. Distributer was never off the car or loosened at any point during swap. THe car has the JDM ECU for a '89 ZC. Seems like its under a real heavy load. It does not smoke at all, and fires instantly when you start it, hot or cold. My bone stock '96 saturn SL2 with a trunk full of eguipment is more spirited. This should have a lot more ***** than it does. It feels like the 1.5 not the ZC that it is. No I haven't checked the timing yet, as I don't have access to a timeing light yet. Any ideas? Will try to borrow timing light this weekend.


[Modified by virginia_dude, 9:01 AM 2/15/2002]


[Modified by virginia_dude, 9:04 AM 2/15/2002]


[Modified by virginia_dude, 6:00 PM 2/16/2002]


[Modified by virginia_dude, 6:00 PM 2/16/2002]

 

kinda had a similar prob on a zc swap @ a friend's shop, he discovered that the map sensor was wired wrong and that seemed to fix everything. not sure if this will help u but its worth a shot.

 

I'll double check that, I was thinking maybe the damn thing jumped time when I was putting the original Crank pully back on. It looks like these thing are prone to jump time if something cranks the the motor backwards. Just by watching the belt trying to rid up the pully something that doesn't happen when its turned over the normal direction. I just thought of that about an hour ago. Since I put my timing belt cover back on and shimmed the drivers side mount to clear the hood. I would have to tkae things off to notice that. I'll double check the Map sensor just in case I put it on the wrong vacume fitting. I hooked it up where a line numbered 21 was on the motor since the vacume line on the map sensor had a vacume line numbered 21 also. Time to get out the Chiltons again.

 

Map sensor was hooked up right. Found out the cams were one tooth retarded. Must have jumped when I used the impact wrench to put the crank pulley back on. Now it runs like a strapped ape. But now I am getting a Check engine with a code 9 that I wasn't getting before. And it surges at idle, I think thats related to the code 9. Any ideas folk why I get a code 9 now but wasn't when the cams were retarded.

 

http://www.crxsi.com/resources/manual/ecu_codes.htm

according to that sheet its your no 1 piston postion. Was #1 at TDC when you reset the timing?

 

I timed the cams against the TDC mark (single white mark) on the crank pulley as per the timing mark on timing cover. Cams were then timed using straight edge to line up the 4 lines on the cam gears. As I understand it #1 should be at TDC when the crank pulley showes TDC. Crankshaft timing belt pulley (under the cover)coincides with Crank pulley. If somehow #1 is not at TDC in these conditions then it is posible that is the souce of the problem. I will recheck to confirm. However when i rechecked the timing belt last night the cams where 1 or 2 teeth retarded. Setting those right eliminated the no power condition but now it runs like a strapped ape and showes a Chck engine with a code #9 error. with a rough idle.

 

Went back and rechecked everything, found it had jumped time yet again. Pulled crank pulley and timing cover to find why it wasn't properly tensioning the belt. Found the tensioner bolt had its head rounded off, and it wasn't real tight. I.E. it never really tightened down. and it had jumped time again this time advanced. Realigned timing belt with a new bolt in place. Ran motor to make sure it didn't loosen back up and when I was satisfied then I put the cover back on. Now it runs right without any error codes. Double checking your work and making NO assumptions has a lot to be said for it. I should do that more often.