So yesterday I was driving home on the freeway and I suddenly lost power, and the car wouldn't start up again. I checked spark, compression, fuel, etc and I wasn't getting spark. So I figured It's probably just the distributor, I'll go get a new one. Well I replaced the distributor and I'm still not getting spark. The cam is turning as well as the crank pulley so it's not the timing belt (I also pulled the cover off and checked to make sure it was still intact) I tried 3 different main relays and I've also double checked all my wiring from my mpfi swap. The car has been converted to obd1 and also mpfi using a zerg industries? conversion harness. I've checked all the grounds and double checked the thermostat housing one even cleaning it and sanding down the surfaces and still nothing. I'm out of ideas so any help would be appreciated!

 

Is your camshaft turning as you rotate the crank? Like the rockets are moving up and down?

 

The cam gear turns so I would assume the cam does as well

 

There is no power at all? Or there is power/prime ect just no start?

 

Everything is working except spark. I hear fuel pump prime, check engine light comes on for 2 seconds then goes off and then the car will crank but not start.

 

When you last drive it, how did it lose power? Did it misfire then die? Did it just cut out?

Your dizzy cap might have a large crack around the bottom and your ignition rotor might be fried.

 

Try the easy parts to change 1st you did dist. and you check for fuel pump relay priming next step I would do is try another ecu if you have one available.

 

there is probably oil in the spark plugs the same thing happened to me in my crx

 

It just lost power on the freeway, no misfire, just cut out. Cant be the dizzy because I replaced it with a new one. Oil in the spark plugs? I would still get a spark at the wires I would think. I'm also trying a different ecu tonight, so I'll let you guys know what I find.

 

I asked about the camshaft spinning, because my cam gear key broke off, the camgear spun, but it wasnt spinning the camshaft, which was affecting my spark from the dizzy.

 

Ah, I'll have to go check that out. Let me go look. Also it wasn't the ecu either.

 

Yeah you were right, it's not spinning. Should I just get a new cam gear then?

 

Ohhhhh man. The cam broke. How does that even happen? Haha

 

Idk im trying to figure out as well. My cam didnt break but the camshaft has big scratches on one of the journals. And theres scratches on the head where the cam sits. I think my camgear bolt came loose and broke the key, as for you, maybe your belt was too tight, and maybe oil was not going to the cam journals, causing it to seize up and snap. Mine might have seized up as well, but my car died while making a left at a light, so i was only going like 5mph lol. Let me know if you end up replacing the cam, and if it happsns again adjust your valves, or your head is bad.

 

I ended up replacing the head yesterday. I figured if the cam broke something probably happened to the valves as well, so better safe than sorry. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction though, I don't think I ever would've figured it out otherwise!

 

No problem. Another thing i thought of, is if it seized up do to lack of oil, then it could be something in the oil pan, like the oil pump.