Wont start after full body off ?

[V8NRG]

Following the body off chassis job………
This morning we fitted the manifolds, exhaust, starter and battery.
This afternoon we tried to start it, the fuel pump primes, the engine turns over…………..
Then nothing .

So we checked for a spark…… nothing. !
Then realized as I had powdercoted the coil bracket the ignition amp was not grounded. (usually grounds through the bracket that holds it on I guess).
So we ran aearth wire for it and……. We have sparks !

So now we have fuel, spark and starter is working turning the engine over.

But it still wont start.
Any ideas ?

[carsy]

When initially crancking with no spark, could you have flooded it. Have you definately got fuel coming through. Will hopefully be trying mine in the next few weeks after a body off. I have my fingers crossed.

[paulathome]

Have you got fuel?
Just because you can hear the fuel pump run doesn't mean there is fuel in the cylinders.
Check the injectors are injecting fuel, have you a noid light to see if the injectors are getting
an injecting pulse from the ECU.
Next is the spark arriving at the right time in the engine cycle?
After a body off I would suspect an earth wire not connected or connected but high resistance.
Good luck, be methodical and you will find the fault.
Paul.
(about to do a body off myself)

[V8NRG]

After checking my notes and having a look online i think the HT leads are in the wrong order.

I've fitted them as per the diagram in the bible, but looking at my notes and what has been written elsewhere i think that’s not correct for my dizzy. (think the diagram is for a pre-serp engine).

will change the HT lead arrangement to what i made a note of before dismantling and give it another try.

[TJC46]

V8NRG said:

After checking my notes and having a look online i think the HT leads are in the wrong order.

I've fitted them as per the diagram in the bible, but looking at my notes and what has been written elsewhere i think that’s not correct for my dizzy. (think the diagram is for a pre-serp engine).

will change the HT lead arrangement to what i made a note of before dismantling and give it another try.

Did the very same thing after my rebuild. If you go off the "bible" its quite confusing as to which one is no 1. I put them on in what i initially thought was correct and she wouldnt start. A bit of research in rover forums on the net, [there are some really good diagrams of the distributor/firing order] replaced the leads in the correct position and she fired first time.

[V8NRG]

Now tried HT leads as per the bible, as per my notes and as per my notes but with every lead moved one place clockwise (just incase i got no.1 position wrong).

Checked for a spark at the lead from coil - yep sparks here
Checked for spark at each plug - yep sparks here

Still doesn't even try to start at all , no pops bangs or any burning of fuel detected.

Plugs seem to be getting wet - so fuel is being delivered.

Not sure where to go from here apart from start replacing inition commponents and hopeing for the best ? But as the plugs are sparking not sure if this will do anything ?

Any experts out there willing to give advice ?
Or anyone in the east mids near post code PE9 willing to pop round ?

[RichB]

Could it be some inocuous electrical componenet not earthed (or connected) like the ignition amplifier?

[V8NRG]

RichB said:

Could it be some inocuous electrical componenet not earthed (or connected) like the ignition amplifier?

Had that problem to start with then ran an earth wire for the ignition amp - Then had sparks.

Could be something else not earthed but i'm not sure what ?

[markh1]

As rich said, check all your earths, when I did the body off on my cerb I had all manner of starting problems and they were all attributed to bad earths.

[RichB]

Did you remove the distributor or anything on the engine? Could the timing be 180 deg out?

[V8NRG]

markh1 said:

As rich said, check all your earths, when I did the body off on my cerb I had all manner of starting problems and they were all attributed to bad earths.

This may sound silly but, how do you check an earth ?

[markh1]

V8NRG said:

This may sound silly but, how do you check an earth ?

With a circuit tester, they usually have a setting on them for earth testing.

[nuttyfruitbat]

To see if its a bad earth,run jump lead from neg on bat to earth on engine,see if it starts or improves spark then you know youve a bad earth.

[V8NRG]

RichB said:

Did you remove the distributor or anything on the engine? Could the timing be 180 deg out?

No, didn't remove the dizzy. Just the cap which was replaced and Ht leads re conected as before.

[Barkychoc]

Remove No1 Plug - put your thumb over the hole and turn the engine over manually with a ratchet on the crankshaft pulley until you feel compression.
Now look at the timing marks and continue to turn the engine lining up TDC (0 degrees) with the timing pointer. The rotor arm is now pointing at No1 cylinder.

[TJC46]

As stated before the bible diagram can be confusing. My chim is a 1996 serp engine and the leads are fitted as in the link i have posted below.
http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss215/rover_dri...
Initially i fitted the leads as per the bible.I obviously got it totally wrong because this meant i had no 1 lead in position 4 in the above diagram.
You say you have fuel because all the plugs are wet. If this is the case you have no chance of starting the car till all the plugs have been dried out.
Before you start changing anything,i would make sure all the plugs are "dry",check the timing in relation to TDC,fit the leads as above and try again, Good luck Tom.

Edited by TJC46 on Sunday 5th June 21:33

[RichB]

Surely though, if it was simply a case of a few plug leads on the wrong way round, on a V8, you would at least get some misfiring or the sound of an attempt at starting. I assume it sounds completly dead?