long story short>d16y7. car over heated, replaced head gasket. drove car for about 20 miles. was running rough. heard valve tap when driving. few days later, started car, let it run for about 15 minutes in driveway, and it shut off by itself, and then car won't start. checked spark plugs, wet with fuel. where do i go from here?

 

Are you sure you put the timing belt and distributor on right?
Getting spark?
Gotta hope there's no blowby in the piston rings now.

 

friend did the job for me. The timing belt was at TDC but I forgot either the left or right arrows didn't align straight when it was at TDC, it was then adjusted one teeth each way, but it was still causing rough idling. he then try re-adjust the distributor also, but it didn't help with the idling. I was planning to move the timing belt back one teeth. just wondering how will distributor/timing belt affect it? I'm not that mechanically inclined, but know how to do basic stuff.

also is there a way to get the fuel out the spark plug wells? I used new Coolant, oil, and spark plugs. can i reuse any of it. didn't want spend more money on oil,coolant, plugs, gasket,etc yet without getting the car running correctly first.

 

How did fuel get in the spark plug wells? I can't conceive a path from the fuel system to the spark plug wells.

 

^ he's talking about the tip not the well. you'r running REALLY rich i bet. If it's getting in the wells then you've got real problems but i don't think that's what he ment.

 

yeah. thanks for the correction.

 

are you missfiring or getting any codes ? Is the crank at TDC as well as the CAM gear

 

i'm not sure about the misfiring, but i did get a cel. didn't get a chance to check the code yet. been cold outside. yes at TDC

 

You'll hear it missfiring it sounds like "clunking" and the engine will shake more than normal(plus you'll get a missfire code). when you get a chance post the code(s)

 

checked today. turns out there's no cel light. thought there was, but not. now what?

 

is you'r tps calibrated ?

 

you getting fuel to spark plugs? does it bog out when u step on gas? take a look at your Fuel pressure regulator,if the piston goes bad inside the regulator the vacuum line off that takes the left over pressure fuel and sends it into the intake manifold flooding the cylinders. that could be why your getting fuel to spark plugs...a quick check is take the vacuum line off it and check to see if its dry

 

Hate to thred jack...but what are we looking for ?(i have the same issue in my GSR) we narrowed it down to the injectors/FPR. if there is gas in the vac line then bad FPR piston ?

 

yea the piston prob rusted out or cracked on you its like a 60$ part or something like that at pepboyz

 

if you take off that vacuum line and fuel shoots out then piston went to ****

 

when it's running or upon start up ? thanks btw

 

np dude ,when its running check it

 

tps is fine

 

doesnt bog. it just sounds rough when idling, and feels like it's going to shut down but doesn't, but no problems when accelerating. i'm gonna replace the spark plugs with the old one and see if it can start the car again. good idea?

 

could this be the culprit. i just saw that this hose was disconnected, and reconnected it.

 

you try to seee what codes you got

 

No codes

 

update: i was able to get my car started today. smoke coming out the exhaust and still shuttering. cel light came on. nasty stuff inside the intake mani. i pulled the fuel injectors and intake manifold. what's the best way to clean these up? can i use simple green?

 

>>>

 

you can use de-greaser,carb cleaner(no the best but....) or brake parts cleaner. then spray the intake mani out with a hose(AFTER you remove all the sensors)