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Im at my wits end. I cant get the damned engine to start. I have set the timing like 6 or 7 times. Pulled the valve cover to make sure it was at tdc on the compression stroke. Ive checked an am definitely getting spark. Its getting fuel. but it just turns over and over. While I its cranking it seems to be trying to catch and it shoots an occasional spurt of flame out of the header but no joy.
I have been over and over the tpi wiring and I can't find anything I missed. What really sucks is this project is so unique I can't google alot of help.
Definitely am getting 12 volts to the coil for sure.
I dropped in the distributor, pulled off the valve cover and watched the number one valves as I turned the crank. When the intake dropped down I turned it slowly until it cam back up and TDC mark was lined up. Then i installed the dist cap so that the number one plug lined up to where the dist rotor was pointing.
The result is as I try to turn over the engine it acts like is shown in that video I put in my last post. Occasionally while its turning over a flame will shoot out of the exhaust header. It feels and sound like there is combustion but it sounds weak and will only maybe sputter for a second when you release the ignition. I tried googling causes for flames in the manifold and mostly found people trying to make flames shoot out of their tail pipes but nothing diagnostically helpful. Some threads I found suggested that even if the engine were operation normally that a flame of this manner may occur but I didnt find anything concrete on that.
Is the flame indicating that the spark is occurring on the exhaust stroke when the exhaust valve is opened? If so is that indicative of being 180 out?
Im not really sure what the procedure is if you suspect you are 180 out. I know you pull the diz out and rotate it 180 degrees, but do you leave the wires in place? Meaning, I followed the procedure above and when the mark hit TDC I set plug one to where the rotor was pointing. So if I suspect it to be 180 out I rotate the rotor 180 degrees but leave the plugs where they are or change the plugs to now point wherever the rotor is?
I know I am getting spark I have pulled a few of the wires and checked with a screw driver and shocked the out of myself in the process. I know I got 12 volts to the coil, I checked with a Voltmeter. My first thought was that either the computer was not firing the injectors or the injectors were clogged but I found that if you poor fuel into the intake directly the engine acts the same. Everything points to a timing issue I think but from my understanding I set the the dizz correctly so Im just frustrated.
I was taught to remove #1 spark plug and stick your finger over the spark plug hole while turning the engine over, you will know when you are on your compression stroke because air will rush past your finger. at that point I usually stop and rotate the engine by hand til the mark on the dampner lines up with the 10 degree before top dead center on the time chain cover and then I set the distributor in so that the #1 plug is lined up with the rotor. I do this on all my Dodge motors because they arent splined like an AMC motor. This always helped me keep from dropping the dizzy in on the exhaust stroke which will give you the symptoms you describe
If you spray starter fluid or a small amount of fuel down the throttle body will it run? the video makes it sound as if the timing is correct but you are not getting enough fuel to keep it running
If you spray starter fluid or a small amount of fuel down the throttle body will it run? the video makes it sound as if the timing is correct but you are not getting enough fuel to keep it running
I was taught to remove #1 spark plug and stick your finger over the spark plug hole while turning the engine over, you will know when you are on your compression stroke because air will rush past your finger. at that point I usually stop and rotate the engine by hand til the mark on the dampner lines up with the 10 degree before top dead center on the time chain cover and then I set the distributor in so that the #1 plug is lined up with the rotor. I do this on all my Dodge motors because they arent splined like an AMC motor. This always helped me keep from dropping the dizzy in on the exhaust stroke which will give you the symptoms you describe
If you spray starter fluid or a small amount of fuel down the throttle body will it run? the video makes it sound as if the timing is correct but you are not getting enough fuel to keep it running
Gert! If your location wasn't so vague I would totally drive there and freakin kiss you on the mouth! Ok maybe too strong. Set the static timing to 10 BTDC on the compresion stroke and she cranked up the first try. Admittidly this video isnt proof of the first try. I shut it off an pulled out the cam for a vid and it started acting just as it did this weekend. After half an hour I realized that I hadnt tightened the diz enough and that it had shifted when I shut her down the first time.
Good thing you didnt list your location or I'd hunt you down lol. Just kidding but seriously I spent the entire weekend setting that a$$hole 360 to TDC over and over and the solution was so simple
Good thing you didnt list your location or I'd hunt you down lol. Just kidding but seriously I spent the entire weekend setting that behindhole 360 to TDC over and over and the solution was so simple
Got the hydrobooster installed and the high pressure lines installed, got the electric fan installed but not wired (will be controlled by TPI ecm), and covered all the engine spaghetti with split loom conduit.
This week I should receive the AC compressor this week so I can finally finish the serpentine setup. I also need to install all the relays for the fuel pump and the fans.
Its been slow going since the weather turned cold. I just got my OEM honey Upholstery installed. Honestly the condition is a smidge poorer than the black interior that came with the jeep but still in very good condition and its original!
I had the upholstery shop add heater pads to the seats as well. The set of heat pads was about 50 bucks on ebay and came with premade wiring harnesses and switches.
I dropped the CJ off at Jeff Daniels Jeep yesterday. Im probably going to go ahead and pay him to liner the inner tub and fix the botched exhaust job that the other shop did. His liners are like 1k but they are really nice, he showed me a handful of cjs he had linered and its real good work and way better than anything I could do with a 200 dollar kit of monsterliner.
He is also going to give me a quote on painting the body and top, redoing the doors, and applying the Laredo graphics. He said that the cost could range from 4k for the paint job to 6500. Ouch, but it will be quality long lasting work so may be worth it down the road once I get the TPI functioning correctly and finish the nv3550 swap.
At this point the TPI project has been a lot of heart ache money and pain with absolutely zero reward. I know other members on here have suggested that I just go a different route with the engine control (carb, or howell efi, etc) but I have decided to pull the 360 and T-176 and sell them to fund a complete 4.0 engine swap.
My dad and I have discussed it at length and although a v8 is supercool, in reality once this jeep is running we want it to be a DDable rig. The V8 might not be the best match for that desire when you consider all the factors. 4.0s are stout engines and they are much smoother runners, get better gas mileage, and easily see service life in the range of 200-300k. None of those factors at all scream amc 360 at me. Not to mention I am fairly soured at the engine at the moment.
Ill have to yank the TPI intake off of it since it is so custom but I figure a rebuilt 360, bulltear serpentine, and good T-176 should be worth enough to pay for a 4.0 swap if I can find a good condition motor at the right price.
The endstate of this project will now be as follow:
Repaint- Copper Metallic w/Laredo graphics or Black w/Laredo Graphics
Honey interior- w/heated seats
4.0 engine- 99+horshoe intake, serpentine, 91-95 MPFI, Cruise control
1-1.5 Lift- 1 inch superlift springs and stock or .5 lift shackles
That should do it. I think that would make a great DD CJ7
I am also considering modifying the windshield to use a TJ soft top and even possibly a TJ hard top but I have to do more research into that option. I have seen pictures that look like it can be done cleanly.
out of myself in the process. I know I got 12 volts to the coil, I checked with a Voltmeter. My first thought was that either the computer was not firing the injectors or the injectors were clogged but I found that if you poor fuel into the intake directly the engine acts the same. Everything points to a timing issue I think but from my understanding I set the the dizz correctly so Im just frustrated.
