Just did a head gasket on my d16z6. I thought i had the timing right. But it wont start. I cant think of anything i would have done to make it not start. I have the right side notches lined up with the V in the timing cover.. cam gear UP and horiymarks lined up. .. the keyy slot for the dizzy is prwtty close to perfectly vertical on the end of the xam. But when i put the dizzy on., the rotor always wants to point to the plug wire to the far right when looking at the cap. Instead of the bottom one which should be #1 right... i dunno what else to look into..

 

Post pictures of your cam and crank positioned at TDC1.

 

Crank here. I also watched the piston on the #1 with the head off to see if that maeks were accurate.




Cam set is here. Lines look prett good horizontal with the head


Then the rotor ends up here.

 

The cam TDC1 marks are not visible in the picture.

Have you removed the distributor rotor to see whether it has broken loose of the cam, possibly due to a crack or missing screw?

 

The cam UP is up. And the horizontal lines are pretty level with the head. I cant see where the lower mark on the cam gear is supposed to point to. I have had the dist. Out a few times now. And also took the screw out the rotor, pulled the rotor off.. it all seems ok. Ive considered just pulling the belt and reinstall it so the rotor sets where i need it and then rotate the engine by had and check for binding.and then give it a shot . .. bad idea?

 

Main problem -- I think your distributor is installed 180-degrees out of phase (diagram below). This is a common problem with after market distributors.

Separate minor problem - Also see the diagram above I posted. At TDC1, the cam horizontal marks should not perfectly align with the head for the D16Z6 engine.

 

Dang. I bet thats it. But my manual shows the very bottom one as the #1. Ill have to change it to that setup. Thanks a ton

 

Ok. Changed it all up so marks lined up pretty good abd the rotor points at the plug wire.. still nothing.. im not sure now.. i neef to see i have fuel at thr fuel rail. And all plugs fire i guesd

 

Back to basics:

Is there bright white spark at all four plugs? Don't guess, check. If so, are the plug wires installed in the correct firing order on the distributor cap?

Does the fuel pump prime?

 

Yes the fuel pump primes forsure. Im not certain how good of a spark it has. And im 99.9% sure the wires are in the correct spot on the cap. Is there any trick to checking spark by myself?

 

Click the spark link in my signature.

 

Cars got spark. And has fuel after the filter ..ive changed the timing belt and dizzy around alot of different ways .. i cant figure it out... this car ran great before the busted radiator let it over heat and i did the head gasket.... it even started and ran after. But now nothing.?

 

Was spark bright white?

Does your firing order look like this:

http://www.clubcivic.com/board/showp...56&postcount=4

Do the fuel injectors spray fuel while cranking the engine?

Have you compression tested the cylinders?

 

The spark seemed pretty decent to me...Can i just pull a injector and crank it?

 

I didnt compression test it. It was pretty even before the hrad gasket swap. But it wpuld pump coolant into #4 .. it also started and ran before the new gasket. I didnt think that compression would be an issie now..

 

Sorry. I accidentally edited the text in your post #14.

What color is spark?

You can remove the fuel rail with the injectors and then crank the engine to watch whether they spray fuel.

 

If you rule out spark, fuel, and mechanical timing problems, then the next step is a compression test.

 

Id call it white. I did it at night. Abd it definitely was not blue. Thanks for all the help. Ill try the injection in a few. It just started pouring rain on me. Im wondering if maybe the valves need to be adjusted? Maybe they arent opening enough or something ..is that a possibility?

 

A compression test will answer this question. Did you adjust the valve clearances?

 

No. The head was said to be from a 50k mile engine and i just bolted it up. A compression test will tell me if the cam is opening the valves properly?

 

A compression test would surely reveal a stuck open valve. It's highly unlikely that you would have more than one cylinder with a stuck closed valve. One bad cylinder would cause misfiring, not prevent the engine from starting. It's much easier to do a compression test than to discuss all possible fault scenarios.

 

Well.. :-( did a compression check. This engine would only get to 60psi on a autozone guage before. But started and ran. #4 was a little lower at that time and was pumping some coolant into the guage. So i assumed it was the cylinder that blew the gasket. Now #4 has half the compression as the others. The injection works.. plenty of spray from the injectors. I dunno now. Maybe hunt down a long block..

 

Do a cylinder leak down test. You may find that the head gasket just needs to be replaced.

 

Whats the chances i messed it up? Its brand new. Torqued to 55

 

It's a possibility. Did you follow the directions found in the service manual? Do a leak down test. Otherwise, you're just guessing.