Firing order was determined from Haynes manual and from how it was connected prior. Check engine light is on solid when I have the service connector jumpered; otherwise it comes on for 2 seconds and goes off.

 

Then it sounds like it's clear... If the plugs are fine and you know they're getting spark and fuel then it's either a bad set of plugs, improper timing (off a tooth or three....) or did you re-install the distributor wrong? Was it advanced when you installed it or did you bring the #1 piston up and make sure that your rotor lined up one number one? That would screw you up pretty good too....




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Sounds like you have no CEL errors.

CEL should come on for 2 seconds when you turn on the key. That'sa bulb-check, not an error.

If there's NO stored errors, the CEL will stay ON while the SCS is jumpered.

 

So, no codes. Spark appears good, it's white or somewhat bluish. It's getting gas, I tried spraying some TB cleaner through the PCV hose and car did not start, so I don't think it's a fuel problem.

I removed the #1 plug and felt for air blowing as I rotated the engine, when the air stopped the crank pulley indicated TDC and the rotor pointed at #1 (3 o'clock or towards the front of the car). I had previously tried jumping the cam pulley 1 or 2 teeth and that, obviously, did not work. Otherwise, everything was lined up with the timing marks when I put it together.

I hate to junk this car but I just don't see what I could've missed. I crawled all over the engine looking for something that I forgot to plug in but didn't find anything.

 

Unbelievable! The techauto site provided by Deserthonda showed a coolant temp sensor could prevent the car from starting and that it could be unplugged. After unplugging three coolant sensors and putting the pedal to the floor, it started!

Looks like my timing is a tooth off and I'll have to take care of the coolant sensor but at least I'm not going crazy anymore. I knew it had to be my own doing, after reading about the sensor I couldn't remember taking the sensors off the head when I took it to the machine shop. I guess they left it in also when they cleaned it.

 

BTW, does anyone know why there are at least three coolant sensors? I have unplugged the ones in the upper radiator hose housing, the one in the head, and the one in the thermostat housing. They are all the same right? As in, all are RTD's with same length, size, threads, etc... Didn't see anything in the manual about multiple sensors.

 

Two of the items you refer to are not sensors, but switches. Specifically, thermoswitches that close at a specified temperture. Thermoswitch A on the thermostat housing closes about 200F and Thermoswitch B on the upper radiator hose housing closes at 225F. Thermoswitch A enables both cooling fans to run when coolant temperature reaches 200F and keyswitch is ON. Thermoswitch B causes the condensor fan only to run when keyswitch is OFF, to prevent excessive temperature rise after shutdown of the cylinder head (bad for head gasket).

good luck

 

Your method of assessing TDC on crankshaft is not suffficiently accurate to judge whether a timing belt is off by one belt notch. I would suggest carefully (straight-on eyeballs to avoid parallax error) aligning the flywheel or harmonic balancer to TDC, removing upper timing belt cover, and examining the camshaft sprocket position. It should also be aligned w/ TDC marks (get a manual to know for sure what yourcamshaft alignmentlooks like). Even this method requires carefully pulling the crankshaft to TDC and aligning to assess alignment.

good luck

 

Thanks for the info on the switches. Do they only control the fans then? Maybe disconnecting them wasn't the cure but the repeated cranking after removing the coolant sensor was. I'll be checking the camshaft sprocket for sure since I must be a tooth off. I have the distributor rotated all the way and the red pulley marks are still (I want to say an inch or so) away from the timing cover notch when running with a timing light.

 

there is a write up on our DIY section on how to reposition cam timing if it is off ..