Regulator
 

Hello all....This is my first post here....been looking around and see a lot of good stuff here.

I unloaded a 97 miata off my trailor today. Got a killer deal on it and couldnt pass it up. This will be the first 4 banger I have ever owned. Mainly corvette and mustang background.....so here is the question.

I cant get it to start...will crank and crank and no fire...got it from a dude who has no engine knowlege and did a motor swap...he couldnt get it to run so he got rid of it. used to run cause I drove it but he blew it up....a long story for another post.

I have spark, everything apears to be hooked up correctly. I unhooked fuel line from pump/tank and hit key and I have gas spewing. I unhooked return and cranked it over and nothing comming out. Is my regulator a problem? I would assume that when engine dosent start the fuel would go right back to the return.

Thanks for any responce.

-B-

any check engine lights? what year motor was put in it?

To be honest I have no idea what year....I am only assuming its a 1.8. How would I tell? Like I said I have absolutly no experience with anything smaller than a v8 except maybe an oil change or two.

When key is on all the lights are on. Including check engine light. I read somewhere to jump pins in the diag port for engine light to blink codes but I cant find where I saw it.

I have been messing with it off and on throughout the day and have spark and plugs are wet with fuel....I think now it might be a timing issue. Is it possible to get the cam trigger 180 out? I also cant find timing marks on the crank pulley. I know they're there somewhere.....wonder if it jumped time while the head was off.

Thanks -B-

If the head was off and the timing belt was not done correctly, you need to start over. It could very well be the source of your problems.

there are a few different ways to tell but i think, the best way to tell if its a 1.6 or a 1.8 is the location of the coil pack. the 1.6 is on the driver side of the block and the 1.8 is on the passenger side. i agree with the timing belt conclusion, and it might be worth noting that the cam/crank sensor could be 180 out as well.

1.8
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1357215836

1.6
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1357215836

Thanks guys....I do believe it is a 1.6 and I know for sure the sensor was swaped but not sure about the head...gunna start over. I hate picking up where someone left off.

From what I gathered from the pics the firing order is 3214 on the 1.6 and 4123 on the 1.8.....correct? is this because the coil pack is in backwards on one or the other? Ill have to go look but I dont think mine is either configuration.

Ill send a pic of the mess Im working with in a few

Gunna start looking around to find proper timing belt procedure.

Again thanks

-B-

Thanks....got it

It is a 1.8....wrong mental picture. I got it to start on starting fluid but only that...using a dmm I saw voltage blips when I tried to fire it up at the #4 injector plug so I think they are firing.

I think Im back to the regulator again. I ordered an adjustable one last night and hope it gets here soon. Dosent make sense to me that fuel wont come out of the return side of rail with the line off and engine not using the fuel.

-B-

Here is the demon

Could be that you have the lines reversed. The hard line toward the front of the car is the return and should be coming off the end of the rail at the FPR.

So lemme get this straight......the return line comes off the regulator and feed line goes directly to the rail?

yes sir

That was it! Thank all of you for helping.

Now I gotta get timing right and all the little stuff.

I cant believe it was that simple...

now time to get to making it look good.

cool glad it was something easy.

...And there was much rejoicing...

Well....now there is an aweful tick in the head/cam area....figures there would be something....idled it for about half hour and no change....almost sounds like stuck lifter.

Check engine light still on too.

Set the timing and idles nicely....rev it a bit and let off and the backfire pops make cool looking smoke rings. Of course after engine warmed up that went away....34 degrees i believe.

Obd1 or 2, if its two get the codes read. the ticking is a common miata thing. Change the oil 10w30, throw some oil stabilizer in it. Should stop after a while.

Obd1 or 2.....not sure what you mean.

What type of stabilizer would you recomend?

Does it have the port for a code reader, mine is just hanging out near the radio surround.
I like this stuff
https://www.miataforumz.com/attachme...ine=1357431746

Not sure...Ill have to look.

I definatly know lucas....not sure why that didnt ring a bell.

is there any other way to check the codes?

FWIW i dont use the led thing it says to make, i use a paperclip and the codes flash on the check engine light.
Engine Diagnostics

Gotcha...will do tomorow...Cold sleeting and snowing now.

well....no blinks...solid check engine light.

Might sneek it down the road to the shop tomorow after I bleed the clutch to check codes....seems to run strong though and the tick went away.

Well....idle went to hell after a road trip...Probably gunna change plug wires...timing keeps jumping.

Didnt get a chance to check codes...hope I have time tomorow.

I have a funny tick/knock under throttle that comes and goes....I hope its not the knock I think it is...its a new motor...or so he said when I bought it.

Well....I dont think it was the knock i was worried about...I was runnin with a mustang and I shifted from 3rd back to 2nd (damn short throw shifters) and reved about 8 grand. If it was a rod knock it would have probably flew apart.

Car runnin good but still rough idle....read codes and was O2 sensor not responding and something to do with air flow...cant remember...will check again when I have time.

Miata rods stretch when overevved. The piston can make contact with the head when that happens. It sometimes takes a little time before failing, or doesn't. Maybe you dodged a bullet.

Thanks for the info. Guess I gunna rebuild the spare before I thought I would.

I changed the throttle body with the one on the old motor. Idle cleared up a lot but still a little choppy....Still havnt changed plug wires. Thats next.

The intake has a brand new egr on it...will a bad egr make it idle rough? I have bought plenty of bad new parts in the past. Maybe even a vaccuum leak under the egr....still looking around for possible vaccuum leaks.

Car still running strong. Supposed to rain tomorow and the top is rough so looks like Tahoe weather to me. I own 2 of those and dont have many issues with them.

Kinda off topic but it looks funny with a Miata parked between 2 Tahoes.....kinda like a go-cart.

Thanks again for the info so far -B-

Anyone got anything on the EGR?

sorry i cant help much on the egr stuff, im battling a rough idle as well. clean idle air valve.
Warm up the car, then unplug your IAC. Adjust the idle screw at small increments for 900 - 950 rpm, with no electrical load on the engine (headlights, A/C, heater, defroster, etc. off).
Turn the engine off and back on to verify idle speed.
Once satisfied, turn off engine, plug IAC back in, and you should be OK.
http://www.miataturbo.net/attachment...ine=1358712647

Which one is the IAC? The one on the bottom?

I think the one on the side is the idle position sensor.

Id do it now but its supposed to be about 11 degrees this evening. Ill definatly do it tomorow.