I have a issue that I thought the ED/EF guys might be able to help me out with. One of our ice race cars is a EF with a ZC swap. The car was origionally a rally car that we picked up for super cheap. We had it running last year, but the car sat over the summer and has not been driven in nearly a full year. I replaced the Dissy with a new DK distributor over the summer but never started the car. We had it running last weekend but it was stuck in limp mode. Throwing code 4, we tried playing around with the wiring to no avail.

We packed the car up and brought it back to the shop. It would start randomly but has not fired in a couple days. Now it seems like it attempts to turn in reverse when we go to start it. I check the timing belt and its fine, the engine didn't jump any teeth. We pulled the plugs and checked for spark. The car has fuel for sure and does have spark some of the time. But it fires 1,4,1,4, and then other times it will fire 2,3,2,4.. I have checked the harness and it seems fine to the plugs. I am currently consdiering filling it full of C16 and throwing a match at it. Anyone have any ideas.

 

single cam or twin cam zc?

 

twin cam

 

before you do this, you should just let me have it....

 

You should focus on getting it to fire correctly. Do you have a different distributor you could try? Perhaps that one isn't working correctly.

 

are the spark plug wires in the right location at the distributor?

 

The plug wires are wrouted correctly. But the car is acting like the timing is completely out to lunch for no apparent reason. I have tried different ECUs, I don't have another ZC distributor which is to bad. The part that I find really strange is that it will try and start every 15 to 20th time that you crank it over, not very well but it will start and run untill you turn it off.

 

Are you running a PM7?

 

Mine did the exact same thing, i took the dizzy apart and found a screw had come apart and broken two teeth on the gear. This caused massive issues as described by yourself regarding the "misfire"

 

Sounds like a dizzy problem to me.
If I were you, I´d take apart the dizzy and check that it´s ok..
It´s not that rare to buy new parts that are already broken from the factory, especially when they are not OEM.

You could also check out that your plug wires are not shorting out somewhere..

 

which computer do you need in-order to run the dohc ZC in a 88 dx crx? or would a jumper harness work? OR what do i need to do in-order to run the zc in my rex?

 

see what ecu your runin see if its a pm7

 

Hmm... ran fine... then you replaced the distributor... now the car is broke.... Got any other cars with a zc that you can swap the dizzy just to check?

 

Check that other sensor, the cam sensor I think, just to be sure, too. I'd say pull the dizzy apart, look for shavings, screws, or broken bits of metal. Use a DMM and make sure you aren't getting any major resistance through the spark wires.

 

btdub, that's the hotness!

 

oldschool zc with itb thats boss

 

turn all the spark plug wires on the dizzy 180* it should fire... OR just move a wire on the dist over to the right, one at a time until it fires.. I had this same exact sounding problem but with a b16a... once plug wires were at 180* the car ran fine..

oh and, the reason it is firing some what on the 10-20th attempt is because your flooding it with soo much unburnt gas, that it eventually runs until you put load on it, then it will die or almost die..

 

alright ill check what computer im running..

 

not itb's buddy. more like 44mm webers ftw!! how is your ignition working without a msd box to control the dizzy fire if your carbed?

 

^^ you run a vacuum advance zc dizzy from a older zc.

To the op dk dizzys are known to have problems out if the box. I would get a dx dizzy and cut the legs off and just hold it in place to see if it would run. The dx dizzys are a dime a dozen.

 

alright i have a pm5 ecu.. which ecu do i need to run my DOHC ZC with a hydro trans? or can i use the jumper harness? this is my first real project to deal with wiring and what not.. some one help please! thanx..

 

for starters you need to start your own thread, but you need to convert your harness to mpfi, you can run it off of a pm6, you can use a cable d series trans....

 

thanx..will do..