If it ain't broke.....
Discussion
.....Take it to bits and find out how it works, because at least you know what it should do.
I bought my S3 last July. It had been well looked after with a long list of sensible mods and regular servicing by its last owner. I've been continuing where he left off, but as there was no record of a "heads off" (and the weather was pants), boredom got the better of me, so off came the heads....
This all went pretty well and although there were no nasty surprises, there was quite a bit of crud in need of removal. While I was "in the zone" I serviced the injectors, carefully cleaned everything, lapped the valves in etc, etc. I wasn't in a hurry, so I just took me time. However.... now it's all back together, it won't start. it almost starts, but "almost" doesn't quite cut it.
Obviously, I've had the distributor out, but I took an image before I started to make sure it went back the same way and followed Mr Haynes to the letter. I've fitted a new rotor arm and there's a new dizzy cap on the way as the centre carbon brush seems to have seized in the old one (but it was working OK previously). There's fuel at the plugs and it's trying to fire..... but its not.
Reason for the post is that either I've missed something really obvious, done something stupid I'll have to live with, or there's some quirk of this EFI malarkey that I don't know about yet. I'd appreciate any advice from someone who's been here before.... Thanks.
I bought my S3 last July. It had been well looked after with a long list of sensible mods and regular servicing by its last owner. I've been continuing where he left off, but as there was no record of a "heads off" (and the weather was pants), boredom got the better of me, so off came the heads....
This all went pretty well and although there were no nasty surprises, there was quite a bit of crud in need of removal. While I was "in the zone" I serviced the injectors, carefully cleaned everything, lapped the valves in etc, etc. I wasn't in a hurry, so I just took me time. However.... now it's all back together, it won't start. it almost starts, but "almost" doesn't quite cut it.
Obviously, I've had the distributor out, but I took an image before I started to make sure it went back the same way and followed Mr Haynes to the letter. I've fitted a new rotor arm and there's a new dizzy cap on the way as the centre carbon brush seems to have seized in the old one (but it was working OK previously). There's fuel at the plugs and it's trying to fire..... but its not.
Reason for the post is that either I've missed something really obvious, done something stupid I'll have to live with, or there's some quirk of this EFI malarkey that I don't know about yet. I'd appreciate any advice from someone who's been here before.... Thanks.
just a thought but could the engine be 360deg out. its easy to do. (don't ask me how I know). check which piston is at tdc. or try removing the dist, rotate the engine a full turn by hand and put the dist back aligned with the mark you made before you took it out. Its easy to forget that the dist only goes round once for every two turns of the engine.
Edited by lewdon on Sunday 18th March 20:51
Edited by lewdon on Sunday 18th March 20:59
Find mechanical TDC on #1, confirm the valves are both moving, spin over another 360 to get to the top of the compression stroke, look at the orientation of the rotor arm on the dizzy and confirm it points to the terminal for #1 plug lead.
Edited by GreenV8S on Sunday 18th March 21:32
If you take the plugs out, then 'bar' the engine over with a socket on the crank pulley nut (always clockwise of course) you can identify the 'compression' TDC (check the mark on the pulley) by sticking a thumb in the No. 1 plug hole and feeling the compression.
Then put a plug in the No.1 connector, with the plug grounded to the engine. Switch the ignition on (FUEL PUMP RELAY REMOVED!) and 'bar' the engine past the 'compression' TDC and you should get a fat spark just when the 12deg BTDC mark on the pulley passes the indicator.
If the spark is at the 'other' TDC you're 360 out! (or 180 on the distributor).
This will give you accurate enough spark timing for the motor to run, but you'll still need to use a timing light. If you temporarily disconnect the ignition 'SPOUT' connector at the distributor or at the ECU, disabling the advance/retard function, you'll get a rock-steady 'strobe' on the pulley marks.
More advice here and elsewhere. I used a Lucar connector rather than Phillpot's little switch.
Then put a plug in the No.1 connector, with the plug grounded to the engine. Switch the ignition on (FUEL PUMP RELAY REMOVED!) and 'bar' the engine past the 'compression' TDC and you should get a fat spark just when the 12deg BTDC mark on the pulley passes the indicator.
If the spark is at the 'other' TDC you're 360 out! (or 180 on the distributor).
This will give you accurate enough spark timing for the motor to run, but you'll still need to use a timing light. If you temporarily disconnect the ignition 'SPOUT' connector at the distributor or at the ECU, disabling the advance/retard function, you'll get a rock-steady 'strobe' on the pulley marks.
More advice here and elsewhere. I used a Lucar connector rather than Phillpot's little switch.
Well, waiting for Friday was just too much of an ask... and we have lift-off!
It wasn't 180 deg out - but I think that was as much good luck as possible tech prowess on my part.
So - hands up time - I'd lined the rotor arm up with the wrong mark on the dizzy. The Haynes manual 'loses' a mark on it's before/after refitting diagram. I missed it. As soon as I'd sussed that it fired up first time - and it sounds pretty good. However, in getting to that stage I did follow the suggestions given as before that I couldn't see the wood for the trees.
The left-hand head is now super-quiet, but there's a bit of a 'tappety' noise coming from the right hand head - hopefully one of the clearances just needs a wee tweak. Oil pressure is nice and healthy. Seems to be running a bit cooler at ticker, but the fan is cycling fine.
Haynes doesn't advocate re-torquing the head bolts, but if you've any thoughts or advice on that or any other "things to look out for", that would be appreciated.
But - great advice thanks and I'll be trying out Phillpot's switch mod on the EMU.
It wasn't 180 deg out - but I think that was as much good luck as possible tech prowess on my part.
So - hands up time - I'd lined the rotor arm up with the wrong mark on the dizzy. The Haynes manual 'loses' a mark on it's before/after refitting diagram. I missed it. As soon as I'd sussed that it fired up first time - and it sounds pretty good. However, in getting to that stage I did follow the suggestions given as before that I couldn't see the wood for the trees.
The left-hand head is now super-quiet, but there's a bit of a 'tappety' noise coming from the right hand head - hopefully one of the clearances just needs a wee tweak. Oil pressure is nice and healthy. Seems to be running a bit cooler at ticker, but the fan is cycling fine.
Haynes doesn't advocate re-torquing the head bolts, but if you've any thoughts or advice on that or any other "things to look out for", that would be appreciated.
But - great advice thanks and I'll be trying out Phillpot's switch mod on the EMU.
cjacks said:
Haynes doesn't advocate re-torquing the head bolts, but if you've any thoughts or advice on that or any other "things to look out for", that would be appreciated.
Genuine Ford workshop manual says to re- torque (23Nm) the inlet manifold bolts after engine has reached running temperature.Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff