Eric Macnak

I am on my second mechanic to have a Procharger and TPIS mini ram intake installed on my 1986 c4 corvette. The car is complete but will crank but no start. We have fire at plugs (checked 3 of them) by grounding them to engine. We have fuel to fuel rail (checked injectors). We set timing to TDC and have rotor pointing to #1cylinder. We have compression (motor only has 1,000 miles on it) and blew my finger off #1 when setting TDC. Technicaly, the Procharger is out of the equation since we have it unhooked from the throttle body. We wanted to start the car naturally apirated and then introduce the Procharger. We are lost any ideas???

Tom400CFI

Yes, one of these things: ...is wrong. I'd suggest that you re-check your timing, for starters. I'd also ask how you "check injectors"? Will if fire up with a little shot or ether, or gasoline in the TB?

Eric Macnak

I think timing is wrong as well. We set engine 0 TDC. I have read that it needs to be 6 BTDC with EST unplugged. Then you start the engine turn it off and re-plug the EST connector. This change will put us about 17 ATDC.

No, fire with ether.

Can we agree that GM likes to make life difficult? I don't know about you but I am tired of the torx head screws as well.

Tom400CFI

Those are "details". The engine should START and run, at 0*, 6*, any of those or anywhere around those numbers. It seems likely that your distributor is 180* off.

Eric Macnak

Ok, this mechanic swears it's not 180 off. I guess it's time for a third mechanic. Why can't one guy complete a project these days?

Tom400CFI

I don't know. If this mechanic swears, then ask him why it won't fire on ether, when it has spark and compression. I'd be curious what his response is to that....

C409

Also verify fuel delivery from injector tips ... as in wet spark plugs or gasoline smell from the exhaust when cranking ... flashing noids don't necessarily mean that fuel is passing through the injectors .

Eric Macnak

Ok, thanks for the advice. I am pulling car from what seems to be an old school mechanic/fabricator. He seems to be looking at this from more of a carborator type set up..... computers seem to scare him. The guy I have contacted to help is new school mechanic with diagnostic skills.

Kevova

Are you using factory fuel injection and ecm or aftermarket EFI

383vett

Pull the plugs and see if they are wet or dry. If you are getting fuel and spark, even if the timing was way off or even 180 degrees out, you would have some firing out the exhaust or intake.

Tom400CFI

Guys, those are good checks, but the OP isn't to that point. Car won't fire on ether...he says. That means the root problem is not fuel. He needs to figure out why it won't fire when manually fed a fuel. Once THAT is fixed he may likely discover that the injectors do work (b/c it will likely run) and that further injector diagnosing is unnecessary.

Eric Macnak

30# Accel fuel injectors (used injectors haven't been proven on this car yet)
Dynamic EFI computer (car ran well off this computer before these changes)

Eric Macnak

I think it might be best to start over on distributer install/timing and compression test with a new pair of eyes. This is so frustrating and I have learned lessons about picking mechanics.

Eric Macnak

Here is a picture close to finish (before plug wires). Does anything look questionable to you?

Tom400CFI

Nno, but we're not going to be able to tell from a pic, if the dist. is 180 (or something like that) out. What is that red wire near the rear of the intake manifold? Is that your power to the distributor? It IS hooked up now, right?

Kevova

Has this engine ever run? Looking at picture pulling left valve cover looks pretty easy. I would pull valve cover rotate crank until balancer is on TDC. I would also make sure both valves on #1 are closed. if not go one more turn. Is pointer on distributor rotor is pointing at #1 terminal of cap? If not reset distributor. If it is verify firing order and it is in clock wise rotation.

If both valve are not closed either it is TDC #6 or timing chain is off. If engine is rotated 1 more time now it should be TDC#1.

If both valves still aren't closed at TDC check timing chain sprocket alignment.

BOOT77

Just because you have fuel at the rail doesn't mean it's got enough pressure, have you put a test gauge on it?

edit: I have an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and if turned down too low the car won't start FYI

Eric Macnak

Yes, the car has run and run well (new crate l98 engine only 1,000 miles and one oil change) I wonder if you nailed when you say both valves closed. I bet the mechanic is having his finger blown off at "tdc" but both valves are not closed. Would that cause the engine to be 180 off?

Eric Macnak

That is power to distributor and is now hooked up. Good looking out! This picture is a little dated but all that I had.

Kevova

So at what point did it stop starting? Most mechanics would note distributor position if it was to be removed replace intake. It is easy to be one tooth off reinstalling distributor because oil pump drive rotates as distributor is lifted. When distributor is reinstalled it doesn't fit flush like it should. So then distributor is reinstalled so its flush and end up one tooth off. IDK how aftermarket EFI ties into distributor. With the OEM: if distributor 4 wire connector was unplugged the injectors would be inop. The ignition timing would be fixed at base and it would be possible to use a timing light to get an idea where timing is. The line on balancer and timing tab would have to be a bright color so they are easy to see. There will only be 1 flash every 2 revolutions. Even so it wouldn't show you if distributor rotor was facing #6 and not #1.

Large vacuum leaks like 5/16 or larger ports or hoses disconnected.

If plugs haven't been inspected they maybe fouled. It doesn't take long for an EFI to foul them during a no start situation.

To answer your question: "Yes" air will be pushed out spark plug hole even with valves open (overlap),but with considerably less force than valves closed (compression).