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Donor Engine Problems...


Guest mchi3am2

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Guest mchi3am2

Hi All,

 

I wanted to source some opinion first before I go any further. I have managed to get hold of a whole 1992 sierra sapphire which I am currently in the process of slowly dismantling.

 

I have only had about 2 full days and a number of cold evenings to look at it so I've just been taking doors and accessories apart.

 

Anyway, when I got the car, it started fine and I managed to drive it onto the drive without any issue.

 

Come about a month later, I cannot get the bloody thing to start (it's the 2.0l DOHC if anybody is interested). I am pretty much certain that the problem is on the electrical side, suspecting either the distributor or the coil. It cranks, smells of petrol but won't start.

 

My question is this: Should I bother to try and fix the engine where it is and delay taking the car apart or should I simply strip the donor, get all the bits and try and get it working once it is outside of the car?

 

Annoyingly, it is a proper faff to check things like spark plugs as I'd have to take off the whole inlet manifold to get near it.

 

I intend to fully strip down the engine once I've got it out and clean everything.

 

My worry is that it'll be even harder to figure out what is wrong once I have it out of the car. It had about every conceivable accessory so I've got alarms, electric windows, bulb failure lights to try and get out of the loom before I get near the bits I'm interested in.

 

Thoughts please!

 

Andrew

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Guest arf!!

pull a plug lead off put a spare plug in the lead hold it against the block or manifold and get some one to crank it over se if you have a spark to start with, if you have then look towards a timing prob, or fuleing. you might aswell do it befor removal just for peace of mind knowing that you have a good running engine sat in the garage.

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Guest TerryBarry

I had a similar problem with an '89 Sierra - I had removed an innocent looking earth tab close to the front passenger's door - this prevented engine starting - it would turn over OK but no start.

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It used to start

Your going to strip it all out

( mark every wire so you know where it came from)

when you put it in the kit car it probably won't start first time,

that is the time to do the fault search

I wouldn't worry that it don't start now

I would mark all the wires now with indelible pen on tabs

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Guest mchi3am2

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the advice, I've checked the crash fuel interia thingy and it isn't activated and I've played with the relays (made no difference except when I unplugged things).

 

I think I'll probably just take the engine out and worry about it once I've got it in the garage. It would be nice if it started now but given I'm going to take it all to bits anyway it probably doesn't matter that much.

 

Really liked suggestion of the spare spark plug, will definitely try that once the engine is out.

 

Thanks!

 

Andrew

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Guest arf!!

no try it now before you take the engine out,

 

spark is allways the first port of call when the engine dont start,

 

get it running now while its all together as it should be then do your lableing up,

if its all OK!! now, when you fit it to the new car it should start with in a few turns of the key once the fule as had chance to work its way around to where it needs to be.

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Interesting views-----poles apart

With the many builds I have been involved with, and this may well have coloured my judgment, the engines generaly have been just a bare block and head by the time they have got into the kit car, then electronic ignition such as megajolt is added, bike carbs or throttle bodies, new cams and exhausts, etc,etc.

To me it's more important that the oil pressure was good before I took it out as was a good compression test, the resto's no big deal.

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