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Ok so this is my friends eg coupe with a 01 b18c1. He bent some valves a couple months ago and i finally got around to rebuilding his head. When i first threw it together the timing was a little off and it backfired a little so i fixed that and now it wont start still.
I also posted this on honda-tech but just wanted some more/different answers if anyone has any.

Ok finally got time to go over and check everything out...The timing was off so we went ahead and fixed that so now the timing is perfect.

On another note...The car turns over good still but just wont start. It is getting fuel and i took the spark plug out and left it in the wire and it looks like it is getting a little spark but not really what it should. I am stumped and have no idea what else it could be.

He told me that he put his distributor and stuff in the trunk while it was all off and the trunk leaked water and the distributor was sitting in about an inch of water. Would this mess up the distributor to where it wont start? or make it a weak spark? Cap looks alright but rotor looks a little burnt.

I told him to go ahead and atleast get a new rotor since their cheap and part of a tune-up.

He also already has new plugs and msd wires.

Like i said i am stumped and have no clue what else it could be so any info or advice would be awsome...

 

well if your getting spark (weak) it should still start or at lease stumble a little life if it wants to start but you said you put timing wrong at first you surre you didnt bend a valve sligthly since timing was off?? hopefully you didnt check for fuel take off the fuel line to the fail and turn the ign on see if fuel comes out if it does you should have fuel also that distributer sitting in water is no good change the entire distr since the crank position sensor is in there and if the ecu does not see crank position it will never start!!! also when you dis the timing make surre cylinder #1 is on tdc and the cam is lined up with the arrows up and marks going across the head

 

Ya the timing was off a tooth so i dont think it hurt anything. And i figured it would atleast (like you said) stumble a little...When i took the spark plugs out it was covered in fuel but didnt check the flow from the lines.

I didnt know the crank sensor was inside the distributor...Someone said to take it to the auto store and have it checked to see if it was good...Would they be able to tell if the dist. is good and if the crank sensor is also good?

I will buy a new cap and rotor when testing the distributor since they are cheap and see how it goes from there...Then i guess check the ign. coil.

Thanks for the advice.

 

Ok so the fuel pump is primeing but there is no fuel coming out of the line before the fuel pressure regulator when i disconnect it. Timing still looks perfect. Cranks TDC with the cams up and straight across the head.

Any ideas on the fuel situation. The car is on E but still a little fuel. Maybe try some carb cleaner in the throttle body? or a little fuel.

Thx for any advice

 

I have the same problem as you...i still gotta work on it..if i figure out something ill let you know...keep you posted

 

hhmmm thats strange! you probably have a weak pump it primes but not enof to get pressure! yah the crank sensor in a obd1 engine is in the dist obd2 its by the crank pulley did you replace the dist? i had that same problem you did my plugs were wet! and not start i was 3 teeth off on timing no damage thank god can you take a pic of you timing gears? at TDC try some carb cleaner on the throttle body and try starting it if it does your issue is the fuel pump are there any check engine ligth on???

 

whats wrong with yours exactly what setup what car and whats the issue?????

 

The distributor has the TDC/CKP/CYP sensors, the coil and the ICM, all of which could be damaged if left sitting in water.

It could also just be corroded connections in the distributor the coil and ICM are just plugged in, pull them and clean all the contacts/terminals. 94

 

96 gsr swapped delsol...car was a friend of mines and i just bought it...he said he was jus driving it and it died...nvr ran since...so b4 he left for the army i bought the car and dignosed it...had no spark...i then changed the ICM...still no spark...changed the coil...then had spark...still no start...i can hear the injectors pulsing and can smell unburnt fuel out of the exhaust after a few times of cranking...also can hear the fuel pump priming...

but while changing the igniter and coil..i observed that there were a few wires where the plastic skin of the wire was breaking off...seemed brittle from the heat...i just wrapped the exposed part of the wires with electrical tape...

im thinking of doing a compression test..although im sure it would run even if it was low...it just would run like a lawn mower...
also going to try see if theres fuel pressure to the rail...

other than that im stumped..wish i didnt buy the car but it was cheap and i was helping a friend out...

so wat u guys think?

EDIT: can hear fuel pump but sounds weak...also only have 11.6 volts...battery was dying from cranking it overfrom before...maybe i need a new fuel pump or more batter voltage....

 

get the distributer in good work order than check for timing same crap happen to me your timing belt may have jump or even broken check that and get back to me

 

timing belt is still there gunna check if it slipped a few teeth... after work...will let u know asap...

 

You need three things for combustion...

Fuel, if fuel pump primes, you can smell unburnt gas at the exhaust, the spark plugs are wet with gas, you have enough fuel pressure for some combustion.

Timing, mechanical timing must be correct, a degree up or down, should only make engine run like ****.

Spark, the spark must be good, a weak spark may be caused by any number of things, [or combination of things], even if all the parts in the distributor, [sensors, igniter and coil , cap and rotor] are good, if the connections between those parts are poor, you will have a weak spark.

Terminals like the "quick disconnects" used to connect to the ICM and screw down used for other wiring connections in the distributor are subject to oxidation, especially if they get wet.

When wires and terminals get hot repeatedly, [hot, cold, hot, cold hot] all the metal surfaces develop a "skin" of insulation, it has resistance resulting in a poor connection, on terminals you can disconnect those contact surfaces can be cleaned, [emery cloth to shiny metal], connections like the terminal crimped to the wires are much harder to clean, [you can't clean under the crimp] easier to clean off enough terminal and wire at the crimp and solder terminal to wire.
Dry/brittle and missing insulation, discolored terminals, is an indication of heat, heat causes resistance at the connections, connections with resistance cause heat, heat damages things like sensors, coils and ICMs, [igniters].

So when you have the parts pulled from the distributor so you can clean the terminals, either replace with new or known working parts or clean and test the ones you have before you reinstall them into the distributor. 94

 

im guessing i gotta do timing...i have spark....i have fuel pressure to the rail...i hear the injectors pulsing...i sprayed starter fluid in the intake manifold...still no start...

 

Just a shot in the dark here. Do you have compression ?

Or are the valves adjusted correctly ?

 

has compression...spark..fuel to the rail...

 

got that bitch running...re-did the cam timing...and started after a few cranks....but runs like a wrx...its sounds like its missing...

im thinking injectors or map sensor...maybe i gotta fine tune the timing...? atleast i got it started...now im getting somewhere...

thanks everyone for the help...

 

Ok so i have a new problem now. The timing is absolutely perfect to what my alldata says. Cams are straight across the head with the up arrows pointing up and the white dot at tdc and yellow dot (on crank pulley) alligned perfect with the mark on the plastic cover over the oil pump.

All the spark plugs are getting a strong spark and when you pull the plugs out they are covered in gas. All the cylinders are getting 175 psi compression.
It still cranks over but wont quite start.

I took the intake off to spray some starting fluid in the throttle body and antifreeze atarted pouring out... We have no idea where it is coming from but i am thinking that if it is sucking antifreeze in the manifold and covering the plugs that maybe that would cause it not to start?

I was thinking that maybe if i did a coolant bypass on the iacv and plugged the one on the throttle body maybe that will stop all the coolant in the manifold.If anyone else knows how coolant could leak into the intake manifold plz share the info

Also there is a nipple where the upper coolant hose connects to the block that we just cant figure out where it goes too. If anyone knows what hose is suppose to connect to it and where else the hose connects to id appreciate it. Heres the pic off alldata.

 

Bump. Anything useful would help.

 

Head gasket maybe?94

 

Could of been but its a brand new head gasket. Checked the head with a straight edge and feeler guage and block before i bolt'd em up. Also oil looks good and doesnt look like there is any coolant in the oil.

My friend whose car it is also ported the top of the manifold before i could get there and port and polish the head. Was thinking that he might have ported too much and hit a water jacket or something? Thats why i was thinking maybe the coolant bypass could fix this?

And wouldnt the compression be lower than 175 on all cylinders if the head gasket was blown or leaking? But wouldnt coolant in the manifold and on the plugs make it not start? Just a thought.

 

How does the oil look on the dip stick? if its not milky then I doubt its a head gasket issue (same for the coolant)

Are you boosted, if so are you oil or water cooled?

Check you PCV, maybe you have coolant line hooked up where the PCV hose would go and the PCV hose hooked up else where.

If your getting coolant in your combustion chamber you NEED to figure out why or your will hydrolock it...

 

Oil looks fine dont think its the head gasket. And pcv is hooked up the only place it could go or that the hose would reach so that is in the right spot.

Not boosted. Ya it looks like its coming in from the top part of the manifold b/c thats where it is all pooling up at. Im gunna try the coolant bypass and see what happens from there. Ill update more tomorrow.

 

Ok so i think the antifreeze thing is fixed now. Did te coolant bypass and everything looks good... No antifreeze in the manifold.

Now it still wont start...Its getting spark, getting fuel, Even sprayed a little starting fluid in the throttle body and still no start.

This leads me back to the distributor in water thing. SO anyways he had his distributor in his trunk and didnt know his trunk was leaking water. When he looked in there the distributor was about 1/4 of the way under water so he took it out. My question is Could just sitting in water make it not start? I know the igniter has got to work because it getts great spark and all the terminals and everything looked good when i took the distributor apart...The only thing i could think of is the Crank sensor. This would cause it not to start right? Dont have a spare one and he doesnt hasve the 300 dollars for a new one so we might try to borrow one just to see it thats the problem but notsure yet.

Also im not sure about what gets connected and doesnt on these swaps but the ckf sensor connector by the crankshaft on the timing side isnt connected to anything and there arent any other connectors to connect it to and i wouldnt see that we took that off just to rebuild the head anyways. Im just stumped right now an have no ideas what else to try that doesnt cost so much lol.

Also tried to check and see if any codes would pop up when i jumped the code wire and the cel just stayed on and didnt blink or anything.

Idk what else to check nor what else to try but seems to have to be something electrical that just isnt working to start it. Anything that wold help is appreciated!

 

Did you remove the spark plugs and sand the electrodes to give them a great surface to create spark?

I know you said you’re getting spark, but you may have only checked one cylinder. Pull all plugs get some sandpaper and sand between the tip and electrode.

I dont know if the delsol came stock with a Crank shaft position sensor as the GSR, if it didnt then dont worry the computer doesnt need to see it, unless your using the GSR computer you may need to wire it into your harness. (correct me if I'm wrong)

Are you POSITIVE you have the plug wires in the right firing order? from the bottom left plug going clockwise its 1,3,4,2.

 

Ya plug wires are definately in the right order. Double checked them. The spark plugs are brand new and had them all out while cranking over to make sure all the coolant was out of the cylinders and all of them are getting great spark.
I have no idea what else it could be.