ford381stroker

I have a serious question for everyone.

I purchased this car about 8 months ago. Previous owner did a swap but couldn't get it to run.

I started with the basics. Fuel pump relay. Spark Plugs. Distributor Cap. Rotor. Fuel Filter. etc.

I still wouldn't start. Set to the 1,2,4,3 firing order I have seen listed everywhere. All the pics I find show that you start on the lower left hand side of the distributor and number them counter clockwise.

Here is the kicker. I pulled the spark plug, and put a welding rod down and set it on the piston. Turned the crank until it was at top dead center. Pulled the timing belt off the pulleys and set them to where the lines in the pulleys lined up. Put the timing belt back on and still nothing. Then I did it all over again this time looking to see where the rotor was pointing under the distributor cap. It was pointing in the proper position. I decided on a whim just to try to put the plug wires on 180 degrees off. Starting at the upper right hand spot on the distributor I went counter clockwise 1,2,4,3. The funny thing was that it started right up!

I decided since it was 180 off I would just pull the distributor and spin the shaft going into the cam 180 degrees so I would be able to put the spark plug wires in the correct location. Weird thing. It won't start.

PLEASE HELP! It runs this way but at 4,500 rpm it falls on its face. The only code my ECU is showing 1 which is the 02 sensor. If this will cause the car to run like that please let me know.

Thanks.

TurboMirage

check compression?

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Celerity

Yes, this is possible. My 91 Civic ran 180 degrees off. I allowed it, because it wasn't doing any harm.

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ford381stroker

I was going counter clockwise. The pic I used that was posted on several boards.



Comes out the same way you stated above if I would have gone clockwise. Thanks for the post though.

Celerity

It was years ago, but Clayton and I did this on my Civic. I can't remember what was to blame for it, but it ran ok. Mechanically it was timed, but when we matched up the wires on the distributor, it wouldn't run. We had to switch the wires around 180 degrees.

Ran fine after that.

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ford381stroker

"I decided on a whim just to try to put the plug wires on 180 degrees off. Starting at the upper right hand spot on the distributor I went counter clockwise 1,2,4,3. The funny thing was that it started right up!" quote from my first post.

"Well, post things correctly then. You make it sound like your firing order is backwards." quote from Blanco above.

"It won't start because they weren't designed to run 180* off. I don't even know how you got the distributor on 180* off since it's physically impossible." quote from Blanco above.

I never posted that the distributor was on 180 degrees off. It only starts when the distributor is set correctly and the plug wires are placed 180 degrees off. The distributor is bolted on correctly, the rotor is pointing to the lower left hand corner where 1 is supposed to be.

I apologize for the for being frustrated. My intention was not to lash out at anyone. I posted this same thing on other forums and I am getting numerous responses from people who are not reading everything.

Celerity

Blanco is prolly your best route to an answer here, It's a good idea to make sure he has a firm grasp on what you're saying.

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ford381stroker

Here is where I am at.

Distributor is bolted to the motor correctly.
Distributor Rotor is pointing to the lower left hand corner (#1)
Crank Pulley is set to TDC (pointer lined up on the timing cover to the mark on the crank pulley)
Piston #1 is fully to the top
Both cam gears have arrows pointing up and the timing mark lines are parallel
Plug wires are placed correctly as specified in the manual

Will not start set like this. ????

But if I just change the location of the plug wires to 180* off it will start and run. Runs and idles great but falls off above 4,500 RPM.

Still showing a 1 blink trouble code which the manual says is a 02 sensor code.

I will work on that this week. I will get a bung welded in on the header and install an 02 sensor and pin it into the ECU.

LS_VTEC

Does it have fuel in the tank?

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ford381stroker

Does it have fuel in the tank?

To answer the question, Yes, the tank is full. I just topped it off again yesterday.

It actually has great throttle response and idles perfect all the way to 4,500 RPM. I drove it around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon. The only code it popped was the 1 code. I was hoping it would show another code but it doesn't.

LS_VTEC

Were the cams ever removed? Or was the head ever removed? Also, why don't you just replace the o2 sensor since you are getting a code for it? That would make sense.

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ford381stroker

I purchased the car with the swap allready completed by the previous owner. He was unable to get it to run. He had everything lined up correctly that I can see.

I just got lucky and decided to try putting the plug wires on the distributor 180 degrees off and the thing started and ran. I am a domestic guy (Ford) and I had this Mustang that would only run 180 degrees off. I never found out why it ran that way I just left it alone. I don't want to do that to this Honda. I want to have it wired correctly.

The only reason I haven't wired up the O2 sensor is because I will have to get another bung welded into the header. The 02 bung that is on the header pretty much rests on the crossmember and it will be impossible to run the O2 there.

I will probably pull the header this coming weekend and weld in the bung. Any ideas where a guy can just order one?

Celerity

LSVTEC has no answers for you, I'm not even sure if he's read the thread.

As far as the wiring running off - I wound up where you did with that other Mustang. I left it alone. I'm willing to bet the stumble at 4500 isn't related to the spark.

So, we need to look at other things. for 4500 I would check the rotating sensors - all of them. Also, make sure that the distributor's sensor (towards the front, after removing the cap) is ok. Disassemble the distributor and look for issues.

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