just converted a buddies car from a ZC back to an HF motor to be his daily driver. Had to rewire all of the distrubutor wires and there are two white wires. I know that one is supposed to be thicker than the other but we couldn't tell.

So we just guessed. And the motor backfired enourmously and smoke came from the head.

Then we switched the white wires and the motor just cranks but will not start.

Anyone have a similar experience?

 

If you switch them and its wrong it won't start.

 

but will it hurt the engine?

or, will there just be no spark?

 

dammit, double post.

read ahead.

sorry.


[Modified by Ham'ed Hatch, 8:17 AM 10/24/2002]

 

oooo...that ain't good

but i know i've read a post in the past about what the two wires actually go to and what happens when switched. you might be able to find it by searching...

 

If you have a ZC I can tell you that if you look at where the wires come out of the distributor there will be two rows. The top row contains the two white wires. The white wire on the end NOT in the middle, is the white wire. The white wire in the middle is the White/Red wire.

 

i know i read a thread about the two white wires about 6 months ago, but i can't locate it.

Does someone have a chilton's wiring diagram to figure out what each wire goes to?

 

I had this problem on my LS swap. I tried to re wire a OBD1 distributor. I think I jacked it up in the process. I switched white wires and it fired up, but ran like ****. The ECU was throwing code 8 or 9, I can't remember. I never got that distributor to run with my motor.

 

one white wire is the igniter the other is one of the angle sensor wires . you have twowires for each sensor wht/blue-orange/blue are tdc sensors , wht-orange are crank angle sensors , blue/green-blue/yellow are cyl sensors . hope that helps ?

 

I have had the two white wires reversed and all that happened was a no start condition. When the wires are right then the spark occurs and assuming everything else is setup properly then it should run. Have you have the timing belt off? It is likely the valve timing is off. With the crank set to top dead center (TDC) (single white mark on the crank pulley) the cam(s) should have the arrow up and the lines on the cam(s) aligned with the top of the head (side to side). If it appears they are not, rotate the crank one more turn to see if it was on the exhaust stroke (only exhaust valve open) and needed to be turned to the compression stroke (both valves closed). Reset the valve timing and it shoud run fine. Hope this helps


[Modified by tpr, 9:05 PM 10/24/2002]


[Modified by tpr, 9:05 PM 10/24/2002]

 

if you took the im and put it back on you might have not sealed the water jacket and thats why you were blowing smoke. it all depends on what color the smoke was too. white=water black=gas switch the wires back and double check everything

 

yes!

we did take of the IM and put it back on. what do you mean seal the water jacket? do we need to get a new IM gasket?

 

tpr,
With the white wires hooked up backwards and during the no start condition, was there no spark at all or spark at the wrong time?

 

No Spark AT All! I bet the valve timing is off!

 

blueish is oil , and i said that white was water which would be coolent

 

just watch any caravan they burn oil