No, it's manual.

I'll try to go adjust the screw on the TB, but am I correct in assuming I should readust it to the original position when it will hold a regular idle?

I just got an ohmeter and would like to test/adjust the TPS however I've been told that during break in there's no point in adjusting it, because the settings keep changing as the engine builds compression. Is there any truth to this or should I just go ahead and adjust it? and if so what is the proper procedure for adjusting the TPS?

 

Here I am 13 days after I started this thread. I've put a total of 80-90 miles on the motor...but I still can't get the car to start on it's own. Help me think this through.....what all is needed for the car to start on it's own?

I checked compression on it yesterday with the motor warm...at closed throttle..it was 65 front, 65 rear. Is it just that the reason it won't start by itself....compression alone?

Thanx.

 

Post back when you have 1500-2000 miles on that motor, and if the compression isnt above 90psi then you may have a concern. Until then drive it as much as possible. Use a fuel cut switch for gods sake.

 

I have a fuel cut switch installed, but it still won't start on it's own. It would be a little easier to put 1500-2000 miles on it, if I knew wherever I was going, I could turn the car off and have it start again.

 

so you don't recommend new rotorhousings on a rebuild? i was thinking about it as i'm having a rebuild planned! there has to be some advantage, not a bit more compression, maybe a bit more low end power?

regs

 

Get your own thread....and he states that you can avoid the low compression after a fresh rebuild by going with new housings....but 1200 bucks is a lot of money, and may not be worth it. If all you have is money, go for it! But, go for it in another thread.

 

just thought i would be way more efficient to post it right here as the topic was engines after rebuilds... but thanks for your advice!

it didn't answer my question though... 'cause i'm wondering if there are any other advantages of new housings besides good compression form first startup!

 

Not everyone with a fresh rebuild has to push/pull start their cars for the first few hundred miles....do they? I had to leave the car running the other day to run in to wal-mart to get some premix (thank goodness for the 10 minute turbo timer )....then left it running while filling the car up with gas.

 

I'm not sure I understand the confusion here. You used USED, worn rotorhousings, and new, flat seals. There is lack of sealing/compression, verified by the 65psi test. This doesnt mean anything was assembled improperly, it just means that the parts used were imperfect.

Until the parts wear together AND COMPRESSION COMES UP AS A RESULT, it will not run properly. This isnt going to happen overnight...it takes a long time, generally 1500-2500 miles for very worn housings in my experience. Every housing/engine/rebuild is different, so the compression numbers and length of time required for breakin is always just a little different.

With an engine that is really weak like that, the best thing you can do is jump in and take a long road trip. If you're paranoid about restarting once you get there, park on an incline or something. You'd be surprised how much the car will improve afterwards. I have had people pick up cars that I rebuilt with used housing, and I had to explain about the flooding, rough idle, slight lack in low end pullout from a stop, etc. By the time they get back home (several hundred miles away) they usually email or call saying how they cannot believe how much the car improved, and that it now starts up faster, idles smoother, and pulls out easier. Sometimes 800 miles is enough; sometimes 2000 miles is needed. It all depends on the housings used.

Bottom line, you need to stop bitching about it and drive it, or just tear it on back apart and install some new rotorhousings if you can't handle it as it is. I think that you must not be using the fuel cut switch properly, or maybe you're running on partially fouled plugs. I've gotten 70psi engines to start with a fuel cut switch before, even engines with warped apex seals and stuff.

 

I would like to think that I'm not "bitching", but trying to see if it's normal for every rebuild out there to have to be pull started. With the compression test, I don't think that there is anything wrong with the internals...other than just needing broken in.

I'm more curious if I've hooked something up incorrectly to not allow a start on it's own.

As far as the fuel cut switch, I know it's installed correctly....I've even went as far as hooking a volt meter up to it to ensure that I'm getting voltage to the pump with it on....and not when it's off.

I guess I'll just head off on an 800 mile trip...hoping to not ever run out gas, or have to depend on starting the car with the starter.

Thanx.

 

I dont mean it's disireable or even normal. Most of the rebuilds that I do on a strict budget for people used worn housings. Even then they aren't a big deal to start up...sometimes it means 3 or 4 seconds of cranking time and playing with the throttle and/or switch, but they fire right up and go. You may have used some really shitty housings? What kind of apex seals? I've had issues with RA seals being too hard to break into really worn housings and compression never coming up enough to start reliably.

IF you go on a road trip, simply pull over and fill the tank with the car running...I do this all the time when I am watching TV in my truck and dont want to interrupt the satellite signal by shutting it off. I dont go to mom & pop gas stations that dont have pay at the pump so I just stand there and pump, and go on my way.

Maybe I just have an overly simplistic view of things.

 

What I meant about using the switch properly...

With the car running, flip off the switch and let the engine stall due to lack of fuel pressure. A little fuel remains in the lines and rails. Take your key out and leave, with the switch still off.

Upon your return, insert the key and crank, but do not flip the switch yet. I also like to apply about half throttle during cranking. The engine will fire up and the rpms will climb above the first little notch on the tach. IMMEDIATELY flip on the switch on to keep the engine running.

This works well for most cars. Every once in a while I find a car that needs full throttle during the cranking process. Also every once in a while I find one that likes the throttle to be untouched, and starts up much easier that way. Play around with the switch a few times and see if you can get the hang of it better.

IF worse comes to worse it's possible to run a couple of 6 foot wire leads over to the ecu area and interrupt the actual fuel injector power signal for a faster responding fuel cut...your switch now controls the injectors themselves and not just the pump. This is the kind of built in cut that the 89-95 cars have, and they almost never flood.

 

I'll see if I can go on a trip soon.

The fuel cut switch.....I've done just as you state, and have tried many different ways of starting it....according to my SAFC, it's cranking at 500 rpms (it's damn near running at this RPM) but under no throttle/half throttle/full throttle switch off/on it just won't start.


As far as seals....I'm using RA seals, and solid corner seals...The housings were from a mazda reman that I had put roughly 20k on....and when I tore the motor apart, all of my seals were still intact. Still, however, they're used housings.

I'll see if I can put a couple hundred miles on it this coming weekend. Maybe it'll start getting better.

 

When I was first driving my rebuild (used housings), I would shut the car off as Kevin described by just turning off the fuel pump. On restart, sometimes I had to flip the switch on and off quickly to get a little fuel in the lines and then, once it tried to start up, turn it on fully.

 

I dont care for those RA seals. I bet if you had atkins or mazda's you'd have 85+psi.

One time I built an engine with 3mm RA seals, and used housings. It had 55psi and would run like dogshit. IT was about as impossible to start as you describe.

I finally broke it back down (I had done the install) and found nothing wrong with any of the parts. I threw in a set of atkins 3mm seals and put it back together, changing nothing else. Fired it back up and immediately had 90psi compression and normal response.

Between that experience, a couple other experiences using them and having compression come up VERY slowly, and the pictures of engines torn down after running them for 20k miles and having chewed up rotorhousings, I won't ever use a set again.

 

Oops. I guess I should have used atkins. Hopefully my mind changes after about 1500 miles.

 

the thing we do here in atlanta is go on 285 and just drive. you guessd it, its a big loop that goeas around the whole citym, so you can just drive qand drive and drive and drive.

 

So....motor has 550 miles on it now. It's still weak, but considerably stronger than 550 miles ago. It starts on it's own now.....except when it's cold outside. This a.m. the temps got down into the 40's, and it wouldn't start....but yesterday when it was in the upper 50's it started up.

More miles, and less bitching really works.

 

Congrats!!! I've got a fresh rebuild w/ about 600 miles on it and I was having almost as hard a time as you getting it to start, even w/ the fuel cut switch. Then I changed out the plugs, and went on a 300 mile trip back to school, and haven't had a problem starting it since. Sometimes it even starts on the first crank.

Two things though:
1) I was told that it's good to vary the RPM's when you go on a long trip w/ a new rebuild, don't just cruise @ 2500 - 3k (like i did )

2) It's about time for an oil change.

 

Yeah, I've heard the same thing on varying RPMs, but it's just like anything on this site, it's debatable.

I'm not anywhere near it starting on the 1st crank yet...and I have to use the fuel cut switch and time it perfectly, but it's progress nonetheless. The RA seals on used housings...I'm hoping my compression comes up to normal in the next 1500 miles.

 

Bringing an old thread back from the dead.

I am having a HELL of a time starting up my fresh rebuild. I started it once, ran for 30 mins, got all the leaks fixed, then on my first drive before i left the subdivision I stalled it. I've started it a few times after HOURS of trying but it didn't run well enough where I could drive it.

the rebuild / install took place in march 06. I got tired of dealing with it, moved and just now got around to it. I installed a microtech (everything seems to be wired up perfect). But I still can't get this mother ****** to start, i'm pretty irate about it!

I thought I would check the compression, I checked with a piston engine tester on the leading plug hole (bottom) and my compression was only going to 40psi, the good thing is both front and rear were even at that value but damn. I tried injecting a bit of 2 cycle in the combustion chamber to start her up but no luck.

Is 40 psi just way too low? Am I gonna have to have someone tow me?

FYI i've been trying to start it with a battery charger, for extra umph. I have the fuel cut off as well.

Also, one of the suggestions was to inject oil, like i have already tried. How much oil should I put in? How do you get the oil into the chamber? do you have a big syringe?

TIA

 

bump?

 

Today I tried to pull start it with a pick up. in 2nd gear i got it up to 1500 rpm with no luck starting it. anyone have suggestions?