Hello, I posted this info in another thread, but noone has responded and I need help quickly.

My 1989 GXE was running rough. 2 injectors weren't firing.

I had an extra intake w/ fuel rail from a VG30ET or Pathfinder or something like that. I bought it from a guy on eBay a couple years ago for like $50. The intake looks like the one on this engine:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...:B:WNA:US:1123

The injectors in the rail tested good (all around ~ 12.3 ohms). They are red top w/ old style square connectors. I can post pics if necessary. Anyway, so after I took everything apart and cleaned it up I put in the new rail with the injectors, hooked everything back up including new fuel and vacuum hoses, but now it doesn't start. I charged up the battery and tried starting it, but after turning over 5 or 6 times it catches, almost as if something is binding up. It also periodically makes a sharp grinding noise as if something is slipping. All the fluids are good and I don't know what could have gotten messed up just by taking the upper intake manifold, fuel rail, and valve covers off. I did take the distributor off to access the valve cover screws when I installed new gaskets, but I put everything back together right as far as I know.

So, what might it be? Are the injectors bad even though they seems to test within range? Did I overtighten something? Will the car not start with injectors that are not exactly to spec? Please enlighten me. Thanks.

-Mark

 

I doubt it's the injectors, because the car would probably still start on only 4 injectors. I'm thinking it's probably your distributor. I had the same problem on my Civic, I had the distributor wires routed incorrectly even though I'd done them a million times and could have sworn they were correct.

Double check your distributor wiring/routing. If you are 100% certain you have the plug wires routed to the distributor properly then try adjusting the distributor and try to start it in a couple different "positions" - it's not going to start if the timing is all out of whack

 

i don't think it's the injectors either. i started a 89 maxima with only 2 working injectors... it sounded like a harley, and wouldn't rev past 1500rpm, but it ran. And before taking my car apart this last time, i was running on anywhere between 3 and 5 cylinders, depending which ones felt like working at any given time.

make sure you put the fuel lines back on the right way. should go from the fuel filter, to the pipe that crosses over to the front half of the rail, around the rail, through the FPR, and then to the return line.




and make DAMN sure your disty is lined back up right.When me and Goon did my engine swap at his house, he just put the disty back on with the engine at #1TDC. After everything was hooked up, we cranked and cranked and cranked... nothing happened . Goon swore up, down, and sideways that he put mine back in right, but he ended up being 180* off (cyl1 at TDC either way... just on the exhaust stroke instead of the compression stroke). Pulled disty, turned rotor a half-turn and put it back on, car started right up, but ran like *** . Grabbed the timing light and set timing. Car ran like a champ

 

Go back recheck your fuel lines make sure you got them on right way. Set #1 cyl and check dizzy. You probably got something backwards. Ive had fuel lines backwards its easy to space of and get them backwards.

 

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by fuel lines backwards. You mean hooked up to the wrong side of the fuel rail? If so, mine are fine - not backwards. I do think that my distributor is all screwy though. When I took it off I forgot to mark everything, so now I have to reset the timing. How do I put cylinder #1 to TDC, again? Finding that timing light I had a few years ago would help too.

I'll let you know if it works out. Thanks.

 

yea, that's what we meant. if yours look like mine in the pic (well you can't really see the return line... it's in teh shadows) then you're OK there.

set the pulley so that the last mark on there is lined up with the pointer on the tbelt cover. cylinders 1 and 4 are at TDC. Now you have to install the disty using the marks on there.. it's on EM-32. it it doesn't start, then set it back to TDC again, remove the disty, turn the engine ONE turn, and install the disty again exactly like it was. We had that problem when we did my engine.. forgot to put line the engine up BEFORE putting the tbelt cover on, and thus, had no idea if we were at TDC compression/power or TDC exhaust/intake

 

Thanks, I'll try that in the morning and see if it starts.

 

Well, I set the crank pulley with the last mark to the right lined up with the timing marker. Then I lifted the distributor and spun the rotor until it faced the #1 position. The first time I cranked it it wouldn't start, but after I turned the crank and adjusted the distributor again it started up. It ran really rough and a lot of smoke burned off from the cleaners I used on the intake but after I adjusted the timing a bit it is running better.

I am confused as to why it is still running rough. It almost seems like it has an exhaust leak, but before there wasn't one. I only took apart the top end so I don't know why it would make that kind of noise now. I think the injectors may not be running as efficiently as possible since when I press on the accelerator the throttle stumbles a bit and doesn't respond immediately until after it is held down a little bit. I didn't use a timing light since I haven't found mine yet, so maybe that's the problem. Maybe after the timing is fine tuned it will run better. Also, the distributor had to be twisted so that the adjusting bolt is all the way to the right of the adjusting slot. Before it was more in the middle left. What does that mean?

Anyway, any further advise would be appreciated. Thanks.

-Mark

 

with the adjuster lock bolt all the way to the right of the slot, that means you are as advanced as you can go without pulling the distributor and turning the rotor counterclockwise by one tooth. remove that bolt entirely, and see if you can't turn the disty just a little more... and see if it doesn't run even better. if it does run better the further you turn it clockwise (advancing), then you need to pull the disty back up (keep in mind that the rotor should spin as you lift the disty), and turn the rotor one tooth counterclockwise. we had to do this on my car. it sounded like a 1cyl lawnmower when we first started it, cuz the timing was something like 5* ATDC

 

you probably just got the dizzy off by one tooth.

 

Yep! You were both right. I moved the distributor one more tooth advance/counterclockwise and it start up with a **wooooshhh**. Only problem is, my 20-yr old plastic radiator tank finally blew its top. JB weld held it for a while, but now it needs a true replacement.

Anyone have an opinion about the best type/brand (i.e. dual/single core, plastic/metal, Koyo, other brands...)?

Anyway, this thread has fulfilled its purpose, so I can start another one if necessary.

Thanks,

Mark

 

someone's got ya covered on that

http://forums.maxima.org/3rd-generat...bage-help.html

 

Yep! You're right. I just replied to that and actually just ordered that all-aluminum performance radiator from Genesisautoparts.com. I hope it's everything it seems to be and that it gets here quick without any problems. I think I might need to JB Weld the other cracks for now until it arrives and I can install it. We'll see...