mountaingoatgruff

I never touched the heads so there's no reason to suspect any problems there. This engine ran fine, I put in a different wiring harness, switched some parts to OBD2, added the fuel system I described earlier and now it won't run. Like I said, I'm done . I need my spare time for welding not hopeless wrenching so the Brat will most likley be parted out to minimize my already ridiculous losses. I've been bummed as hell for months, made an rump roast of myself slaughtering an otherwise good Brat, wasted more money than I'll ever cop to and worst of all I've been short and snappy with my family for too long. I'll post an ad in the parts for sale section when I'm ready to start tearing into it. I'd also trade it and all associated parts for a TIG machine of 200+ amps with ACHF and waveform manipulation, I don't mind older units.

CTS shows about 2400 ohms with engine at outdoor temp this morning, about 70deg. Seems normal. Just like every other goddamn thing I check on this miserable failure of a project car. I give up. The Brat's for sale as soon as I figure out what I'll take for it. I'll consider a trade for a running Subaru.

Yes, the surge tank, injector pump, and canister filter were primed before I attempted to start it. I have 36psi fuel pressure at the supply line on the manifold. I also checked injector pulse with a noid light and each plug showed a bright steady flashing. Tried swapping injectors after suspecting leakage, so I've had two sets in there and that second set (the ones in there now) worked fine when they were shelved. Thank you for your suggestion, subaruguru. I'm wondering now why I'm getting white smoke out the tailpipe. ccording to my understanding excess fuel is black smoke, oil burning is blue to white, coolant vaporizing is white and you can smell the difference. My exhaust smells like burnt fuel and nothing else when I get white smoke. Anybody know what conditions would cause this?

This afternoon I hooked up a battery charger set to 55amp start assist. The engine didn't seem to have any trouble turning over and even fired a second like it wanted to start then nothing but cranking. I tried a few more times, got some backfiring, no start. White smoke at the tailpipe, normal exhaust smell.

I am confused by how the engine cranks slow with everything connected. I've only checked voltages at components with key on engine off. I recently noticed the volts drop to 10.5 at the battery while cranking and I'm not sure what the minimal voltage required is. The battery from my truck is too big to try so I'm working on getting a friend with a small car to come over so I can try his battery. I've also been thinking - even though its far fetched - could an Optima red top show 12V but not have the amps? I vaguely remember hearing of these types of batteries testing out as fine but not working so I'm just wondering. I cranked at WOT, only makes it backfire a little more. The plugs are black and reek of unburnt fuel. I tested the resistances of my coil and the secondary resistances are low for both front and rear. Spec says 17K to 24K ohms and I've got about 12K on each. Could that make a weak spark? Primaries are good, 0.6 ohms.

I am positive they're correct. I considered that possibility a while ago and rechecked them.

PCSV = pressure control solenoid valve VCSV = vent control solenoid valve I just got ahold of a scanner today, had to borrow one from a friend at school. The scanner communicates fine, shows codes for fuel temp sensor and fuel level sensor (because they're not hooked up) but nothing else. I have gone through and triple checked connections, especially the pita ones. I'll have to look up specs for the coolant temp sensor, I haven't checked that one yet... I'm wondering, just how much can I check with this scanner considering the engine doesn't run?

Even if you have a cheapo machine I'd still recommend brand name wire. With cheapo stuff you often don't get specs and when they are available they're questionable at best. AWS doesn't verify electrodes meet standards, the manufacturer just claims their electrode will perform according to AWS classification. Lincoln lists NR-211 FCAW-S wire for sheetmetal or structural fab up to 5/16" thick and for use in all positions. If you insist on running flux-core on sheet metal I'd use .030" NR-211. Almost all flux-core wires are low hydrogen and need to be protected from moisture. Flux-core wire that has been exposed to moisture for a long time can go bad. Rusty wire is garbage. Obviously, some wires have limitations like a max thickness or use only in certain positions. Its good to buy an electrode from a company that can reliably tell you how to run it otherwise you could be squirting bird poo simply because you don't know the operating parameters. Lincoln's Innershield (flux-core) welding guide: http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/en_us/Products/Consumable_Flux-CoredWires-Self-Shielded-Innershield-InnershieldNR-211-MP/c32400.pdf

All welding machines operate on the same principles of electricity. With wirefeed processes, the electrode is not large enough to carry welding current very far without overheating because it's small diameter creates too much resistance. A longer stickout means more resistance, which ultimately means more heat. The idea that longer stickout allows the wire to cool more is unfounded - the wire doesn't come out heated, its heated by the arc. Stickout is one of many variables a skilled welder uses to control the weld. I don't think I've ever seen a 110V wirefeed machine that won't run below a 220V. Sheet metal is about the only thing a 110V GMAW machine is preferable for IMO. For the most part, FCAW-S wires are available in the same sizes as solid core wires down to .030 while solid wire goes down to .023 that I've seen. The difference between an .023 and an .030 wire can easily be overcome with practice. Its the differences in the processes that make FCAW such a turd for sheetmetal.

Slag removal is tedious, not impossible. An angle grinder with wire wheel makes it easy if you can lay uniform beads. If you can't lay a relatively uniform bead chances are you can't recognize cold lap and shouldn't be welding on a motor vehicle in the first place, in which case more practice and technical understanding is needed. There's no such thing as true MIG with 100% CO2. CO2 is reactive, not inert. That's why the AWS designation was changed from Metal Inert Gas to Gas Metal Arc Welding, to include solid wire/reactive gas combinations. Also, an argon rich shielding gas will run "cooler" and have less penetration and less spatter than 100% CO2. Depending on other variables, you will likely have more puddle control with an argon-rich gas, a big deal for hobby welders attempting out of position welds. C25 (75% argon, 25% CO2) is most popular for hobby welding. I use GMAW with .023 wire and C25 gas for thin sheet. Flux core is a nightmare on thin sheet as the process is simply not designed for that application. It should also be mentioned that you need clean, bare metal to weld. Welding over paint, rust or oil can contaminate the weld, cause critical defects and make control impossible because the arc is erratic.

Still haven't given up... Most recently I visually verified that I have spark on each plug and used a noid light to verify injectors are receiving pulse signal, both check out okay. According to my understanding (which seems to be very little at this point) an engine needs air, fuel, correctly timed spark and compression to run. I have no obstructions in air intake or exhaust fuel pressure within spec, injector resistance in spec, injector pulse visually checked by noid light on each injector, fuel in cylinders (wet plugs, unburnt fuel smell in exhaust) spark visually checked on each plug compression within spec on each cylinder t-belt checked and dead on, crank and cam sensor resistance within spec no open, shorted or mixed up wires in engine or computer side of harness except for uninstalled emissions parts like PCSV, VCSV, fuel temp sensor, etc. Still it cranks and occasionally sputters, sometimes bucks, but never starts. What else could possibly prevent it from running? I don't know what else to check.

Compression checks out okay, tested twice. cyl 1 - 152,155 cyl 2 - 152,156 cyl 3 - 163,170 cyl 4 - 170,170 Ignition coil, ignitor, cam sensor and crank sensor wires all verified by continuity, no shorts. I'm still completely lost with this.

Yes That hose attaches to the fresh air inlet of the evap air filter which is run into the frame rail to protect from water.

I didn't spray and crank simultaneously but probably sprayed too much. Also I guess setting the can down is a good practice. T-belt was not touched at all during OBD2 switch. There's no reason to believe the valves are bent, before switching to OBD2 it ran well despite having no CEL or ECM fuel pump control then failed to start because the fuel pump went out maybe because of how I rigged it. I think the problem is in the harness but I'm not sure where to look. I used the whole Legacy harness. I deleted a/c, auto trans, power windows & locks, srs, abs, rear defog, remote mirrors, extra doors, and EGR, added M/T neutral switch, starter interlock relay, second fuel pump relay then spliced the whole Legacy harness into the Brat switches, lights etc. I have yet to install and connect the fuel tank pressure sensor, evap solenoids and fuel temp sensor but everything else is in and connected.

I tried starting fluid last night. I didn't think the stuff would be good for the MAF so I unplugged and removed it. I also unplugged the injectors of course. I sprayed some starting fluid into the intake tube while my wife attempted to start it. It sounded like it wanted to run but backfired and died quickly and a bunch of starting fluid ran back out of the tube. So I pulled the tube off then tried spraying directly into the TB while my wife cranked. The engine backfired through the intake manifold, igniting the residual starting fluid and fumes in the intake tube that I had simply unclamped and pushed aside. Sounded like a firecracker going off, ears ringing, intake tube on fire. My wife thought the can exploded in my hand and damn near soiled her breeches. I then removed the intake tube from the engine bay entirely and tried one last time to get a clearer picture of what's happening. Residual fluid and fume explosions can be distracting. Again I sprayed into the TB as she cranked. The engine ran for a split second, backfired out the intake again and died. White smoke from intake and exhaust. It wants to run but backfires through the intake then dies instantly. I've searched and read quite a bit and seems this could be anything from bad plug/wires to t-belt off a bit to clogged exhaust. My wires are brand new oem, only been run a few minutes here and there never driven with. I'll have to check the plugs. T-belt is dead on, I lined up the marks then counted the teeth four times to be damn sure. Exhaust is not clogged. I recently had it all opened up swapping in the OBD2 cats and everything looked good. Any other ideas?

I've double and triple checked the coil but thanks for asking. I appreciate any and all constructive input. I'm going to pick up some starting fluid this afternoon and give Fairtax's idea a try. Just waiting for my wife to get off work so she can help with the rugrats and operate the cutch and ignition switches for me. On another note, last night I went through the engine harness wire by wire to check for proper routing and to rule out opens from broken wires/bad joints and shorts to ground or other wires. Everything is okay there. I checked resistance of injectors just to do it. I'm making a list of everything I've checked and just trying to narrow possibilities. Next up is pull the rad and check the t-belt/sprockets. Maybe eventually I'll find what's wrong by process of elimination.....

Okay, what the hell. I switched connectors on 1/3 and 2/4 then cranked it. Seemed like it wanted to fire up for a sec then nothing. If this were a carb'ed small block it'd have been running a long, long time ago. I can't wait to be done with this thing and move on to my next project - '65 Dart GT. I don't have any starting fluid, never used it...substitutes? I did try cranking with only injectors disconnected then with only ignitor disconnected. Cranked freely both times. Only has trouble when both are plugged in. Good to know, thank you for that.

Does anyone know if there's a difference in the engine connector pinout between an OBD2 95 2.2 and 97 2.2? I am using the 95 engine harness and I'm thinking maybe some of the wires aren't in the same position between 95 and 97. Its a long shot but if nobody know's I'll try to track down a 95 wiring diagram to compare or just trace the wires and compare to the 97 diagram. what a nightmare........

I'm glad someone is able to use it. I have a 97 2.2 evap can, air filter, VCSV, PCSV and related hoses/pipes all assembled if you want a shot of that.

I just swapped the injectors from my 97 intake into the brat. I did reuse the o-rings just to get it done quickly, they looked like new. What a pita getting those suckers out. It made no difference. Its really hard to tell while cranking from the driver's seat but it looks like the engine is still bucking. Either way, it cranks fine with no fuel or spark then it cranks slowly and kinda pops like a backfire when you stop cranking with fuel and spark. Tailpipe has a small amount of white smoke and reeks of gas but a bunch dumped in there from swapping injectors. I'm on number 8 trying not to flip out on it with my 18" adjustable wrench.....

I checked the injector wires by color against the FSM diagram and they're correct.

I have been using the 95 intake/fuel rails & pipes/injectors all along. I went from a 92 TB to the 95 TB for the OBD2 TPS but the only significant mechanical change is the fuel system. I was using an SPFI pump but it croaked and now I have a 7psi low pressure pump, surge tank, 45psi high pressure pump. When I checked the fuel pressure it did drop pretty fast, couple few psi per second. That sould be a giveaway for leaky injector, no? I thought maybe my aftermarket pump and modified fuel system wasn't holding pressure while off and I didn't think much of it at the time. Also, I did attempt to purge my fuel lines by disconnecting the supply hose at the engine and pumping a few priming cylces worth into my lawnmower gas jug but I could imagine some junk still getting in there and lodging in an injector. My only arguement (just playing devil's advocate, not saying you're wrong) is that it cranks fine without injectors/ignitor connected. Seems to me the injector(s) would leak even if unplugged and I'd still get some hydrolock symptoms while cranking with injectors/ignitor unplugged but it cranks normally like that. I don't know, maybe leak alone isn't enough but leak + normal injection pulse = hydrolocking. Thank you Gloyale for your time and input. Now I'm wondering... Since the rigid fuel pipes mean I can't just pull the injector/rail assemblies, pressurize the lines and look at injector tips for leakage, is there an alternative driveway test? O-rings are cheap enough that I can just swap all the injectors from the 97 intake and see if that takes care of the issue but I hate to keep throwing more money and time at it without knowing for sure.

97 longblock, 97 harness, 97 ECM, 95 intake Yes, I put the 97 engine into the brat then installed a 95 intake to eliminate EGR. I was originally using a 92 harness/ECM but I'm now using the 97 harness/ECM. Sorry for any confusion. Yes - timing belt, idlers, tensioner, water pump, seals all replaced before swap and the engine has run fine many times since then. Like I mentioned, the engine ran fine after the t-belt was replaced. Also the engine cranks fine without injectors or ignitor connected where I think I'd notice valve interference. Yeah, that's the IAC plug - disconnected on account of the ringing. It's always connected when I try to start the engine, I just undid it the one time to see where the noise was. Thanks for your time and reply. I am running 2 fuel pumps. The low pressure pump is run by the factory relay. The high pressure pump is run by a relay which is spliced into the power, signal and ground wires from the ECM with a separate ground. Other than this and the EGR removal the engine harness was not cut or modified at all. I'm thinking maybe I should start checking voltage in multiple locations where I can compare against an FSM spec. I've checked grounds and even added extras. I'm still lost...

IDK about differences in cam/crank sprockets from OBD1 to OBD2 but the engine (including all timing parts), harness and ECM are all 97 OBD2 from the same donor car. I put a 95 intake on it to eliminate the EGR and also used the 95 TB to have the correct non-EGR vac lines on the TB. The IACV is also 95 now that I think about it, the 97 one is still on the 97 intake in my garage. I'm glad you asked about the IAC though because I forgot to mention I hear a ringing/humming sound from the IAC after attempting to start, key off. I unplugged things one at a time to verify its the IAC. I haven't been around a running EJ22 in literally years to know if this is normal.