hey guys

[ohyouknow]

im a newbie to the board but have been lurking for awhile................. i recently got what i thought was a smoking deal on a converted 4cyl car. all the interior was removed the dash harness, the engine harness....... for a no start condition that developed after the guy moved the battery to the back, so he felt the need to remove most of the wiring to "solve" it but im having alot of issues getting this thing drivable. basically im getting a pop in the ehaust, timing is locked out at 16 with the spot out, fuel pressure is at 36 with the vacum off(190 in tank 19lb inj) car is very slow to rev very very slow to rev............also i think it has a 4cyl gauge cluster in it, tach is showing double what the rpm's actually are.

got basically 2 questions.
1. what could possibly be causing the backfire?
2. will the 4 cyl gauge cluster cause any other problems other than the tach being off.

thanks in advance

 

[HISSIN50]

Yep, sounds like a 4 banger tach. I have read of some tachs having a switch on the back to covert it, but others recently refuted that info.

16* locked timing is way too LITTLE. That might work as a base timing setting (SPOUT out) if running non-locked timing.

For locked, I would be running closer to 30* myself. But allowing the puter to do the advancing will probably create the best drivability in ALL conditions (locked-out can work for most situations, but not optimally in many situations).

Good luck.

 

[notchback]

ok are you sure you have right computer for your engine ? trans combo?

what is the timing w/ spout out engine running? try 10* just for starters.

sux to take someone elses headache but you can do it.

vac off fuel press should be higher...about 40 lbs. but you might be close enuff

slow rev sounds like a spark issue to me....since the fp is all there, look for bad plugs/wires/cap

are there platinums or something stupid??? go with new cheap plugs gapped at .035

if that cures it...it's a spark problem for sure.

otherwise gap at .040-.050

try that stuff and update...later...bob

 

[jeffs89gt]

how bad does it back fire? wires may be crossed. thats what was rong with mine when i got it.... tahts y i payed 2gs for a gt with 96k on it that was just painted . anyway the tack is liek that because it is used to reading 4 cylenders, but u have 8 so its reading 2x the norm. is the mass air flow sensor bad? just a thought. idk if that woudl cause that.

 

[ohyouknow]

ok are you sure you have right computer for your engine ? trans combo?

what is the timing w/ spout out engine running? try 10* just for starters.

sux to take someone elses headache but you can do it.

vac off fuel press should be higher...about 40 lbs. but you might be close enuff

slow rev sounds like a spark issue to me....since the fp is all there, look for bad plugs/wires/cap

are there platinums or something stupid??? go with new cheap plugs gapped at .035

if that cures it...it's a spark problem for sure.

otherwise gap at .040-.050

try that stuff and update...later...bob

ok lol................. deffintly have the right computer, has an a9p in it the a9l was wrong, had to change the harness back to the original v-8 that was in the car to begin with, because the one he tried to swap in was an 89.

reset the timing to 12, spout out engine running

yea i traded a cherrokee i had 500 in for the car, cobra intake and 200 cash so i will learn to deal with it

taylor wires new cap rotor, tfi module

plugs are new autolite 24's i believe , one strep colder than stock(had them laying around)

i have a crane box with coil sitting here, but didnt want to put it in until i isolated the problem, but i might install it anyways.............

i was having some issues with the wiring in order to get it running, i had 5volts at the tps, egr, and map on signal and return wires..............put a new tps in it and it seemed to clear up alittle.
took it out for a drive and this thing just feels like a pig........makes me wonder to say the least

thanks for all the replys

 

[ohyouknow]

Yep, sounds like a 4 banger tach. I have read of some tachs having a switch on the back to covert it, but others recently refuted that info.

16* locked timing is way too LITTLE. That might work as a base timing setting (SPOUT out) if running non-locked timing.

For locked, I would be running closer to 30* myself. But allowing the puter to do the advancing will probably create the best drivability in ALL conditions (locked-out can work for most situations, but not optimally in many situations).

Good luck.

see ithought 16 wasnt enough as well , but thats where it ran the best, kinda makes me wonder if the balancer is off lol

 

[ohyouknow]

how bad does it back fire? wires may be crossed. thats what was rong with mine when i got it.... tahts y i payed 2gs for a gt with 96k on it that was just painted . anyway the tack is liek that because it is used to reading 4 cylenders, but u have 8 so its reading 2x the norm. is the mass air flow sensor bad? just a thought. idk if that woudl cause that.

the back fire isnt bad, its just a pop in the ehaust, checked the firing order and wires everything was correct. yea the tach thing is going to get on my nerves, not like i pay attention to it much but when i do kinda makes me jump to see it straight down

also the pop is off and on, took it out for a test spin tonght ran great(slow to rev and slower than christmas) but smooth. on the way back went to pull out and got in it alittle went to second alittle faster than i have been and it bogged, the popped then went just fine.................

 

[ohyouknow]

btw thanks for the suggestions guys, i have been getting alittle burnt out of late. i really appreciate it

 

[HISSIN50]

Gotcha. I misinterpreted what you meant (I thought you were running locked-timing in the teens, which would probably create some nice backfires). You are running it with the SPOUT in though, I take it..........

I know it was beat to death, but the HO firing order is different than the non-HO.

I cant remember if you had any codes. Something like a hung EGR can create sluggishness and a miss.

FWIW, a dizzy out of phase (on the exhaust stroke) would run, barely.

Random, useless thoughts.

Good luck.

 

[grey5.0beast]

i had the same problem with the backfiring. it turned out it was just a header bolt loose. check all your exhaust hardware and that might solve it.

 

[ohyouknow]

ok fellas, put the fuel pressure up to 40-41 put the timing at 12* with the spout out installed the spout. found a vacum leak and repaired it.....................car runs alot better, ALOT better lol, but took it back out on the way back made a u turn and got in it, power shifted second........bogged studdered then took off..........never did it again i dont know whats going on any more ideas