KA24DE Fuel Issues

[lbs_ft]

I recently had to pull my motor and swap in another, and during the process I got myself into a conundrum with (what I think is) the fuel system.

The engine's in, everything is connnected (hopefully corrected), but the motor won't catch and turn over. The starter turns and turns but just won't catch and hold. I managed to get the car to run for like 10 seconds, but I was holding the gas down and it barely ran and sounded like it was running on one or two cylinders, like shit basically. All the spark plugs are working, so I figured that narrows it down to the fuel system.

The car is a 1990 coupe, the motor is a 1996 KA24DE. The internals were replaced to stock, and the head was port/polished, and I can vouch for all the work there. I deleted the emissions correctly and went with a S13 intake with an S14 upper plenum to remove the butterfly valves. The fuel rail is also S14 because the S13 fuel rail wouldn't fit against the head/valve cover.

So! Herein lies my issue:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2yopdmq.jpg

For starters, do I even have this hooked up right? The fuel rail itself is from the S14 KA24DE, but I removed the rubber hoses and grinded a little to remove all the plugs and jazz that aren't needed for my harness and attached to S13 KA24DE rubber lines. So right above the fuel filter, where the 2 metal lines start, do I have that hooked up right?

2nd:
I have 2 bolts holding the fuel rail to the intake plenum, but they were an absolute BITCH to get on, and it seems really tight. Should there be like a spacer between the rail and plenum?
http://i52.tinypic.com/v67ka8.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/29uspqe.jpg

Any and all help would be appreciated. I can answer any questions, just trying to get this ironed out.

[lbs_ft]

Nobody can help me?

[Redmonkey]

Yes, there should be a plastic spacer between the rail and the plenum. Your lines should be correct.

[s13-ghost]

do a fpr test if u think its the fuel. is your timing right?

[lbs_ft]

Timing was set, motor was at TDC when it was dropped in, but I can adjust the distributor.

How does one do a FPR test?

[xxoreolovexx]

WOW! ok first off yes there are little plastic washers that go in between the rail and the plenum. They keep the rail from every grounding out or getting a charge. Also, I think your issue is timing related personally. Take off your rail while leaving the injectors in. uplug the injector clips and crank her. If any gas comes out you need new o-rings on your injector. Put your motor on TDC and see where the rotor is pointing.

[lbs_ft]

yeah, I was researching and I found out that I needed those spacers, so that's covered. I'll check the injectors today if it doesn't rain.

Just to make sure I understand:
Unplug the injector wires and unbolt the fuel rail but leave the injectors and the covers on. Crank the motor, and if there's any gas, replace that O-ring? I've got new injectors and rings ordered and on the way already.

And I'll reset the motor to TDC, what should I look for on the distributor rotor?

[japslapsilvia]

WOW! ok first off yes there are little plastic washers that go in between the rail and the plenum. They keep the rail from every grounding out or getting a charge.


umm what??

if that is the case what about the bolts holding the rail to the manifold???

[xxoreolovexx]

umm what??

if that is the case what about the bolts holding the rail to the manifold???I dont know man. This is the what my computer says at work. (Nissan dealer) It makes no sense to me either. I Personally think they are for proper spacing and angle for the fuel rail.

[xxoreolovexx]

yeah, I was researching and I found out that I needed those spacers, so that's covered. I'll check the injectors today if it doesn't rain.

Just to make sure I understand:
Unplug the injector wires and unbolt the fuel rail but leave the injectors and the covers on. Crank the motor, and if there's any gas, replace that O-ring? I've got new injectors and rings ordered and on the way already.

And I'll reset the motor to TDC, what should I look for on the distributor rotor? Yeah man thats how you do it with the injectors. As far as the rotor just make sure when you are on TDC the rotor is pointing to the #1 position on the cap.

[lbs_ft]

Alright, thanks for all the help guys.

It rained on and off all yesterday and I didn't want to risk getting water where it shouldn't be, so I held off till today. I'll post up the results tonight when it gets too dark or I get too tired.

Wish me luck!

[lbs_ft]

Alrighty, the FPR is hooked up to a vacuum and running fine. I also added those spacers

I undid the fuel rail and turned the motor over, no fuel seeped past the o-rings. I ordered new injectors and nodes to test to wire, they'll be in tomorrow, in case some of the injectors are clogged.

I need to re-look at the timing tomorrow, I don't think I had it right at all... so it might be that as well.

Interesting thing though: before I fiddled with the timing, but after I messed with the fuel rail, I cranked the engine and held my foot to the floor. The car turned over and held at 500 rpm's, no clanking or slamming, so the motor seems okay. But it wouldn't budge above 500, until I took my foot off the accelerator, at which point it floated up to 7 or 8 hundred rpm's before dying off. Then it wouldn't catch again. I dunno what this means, but I figured it would help to mention it

[lbs_ft]

I also ran around and made sure my electrical connections were good. There are a bunch of loose connections, but every plug on the motor is connected, so I think we're good.

One issue though... WHAT IS THIS?

http://i53.tinypic.com/kb7s6t.jpg
I found it lying around, I dunno if its from my old OBD1 KA24DE motor that I replaced, or the new OBD2 KA24DE motor that's in now. Any ideas?

I found out that it connects to one side here, down by where the started connections come out of the harness, but I dunno where the other end goes
http://i51.tinypic.com/2mcsw15.jpg

[lbs_ft]

Someone said it could be the knock sensor harness. Any truth to this?

And where does the other end go? HELP!

[Redmonkey]

That is the knock sensor harness.

[Redmonkey]

I dont know man. This is the what my computer says at work. (Nissan dealer) It makes no sense to me either. I Personally think they are for proper spacing and angle for the fuel rail.

Thats that I thought also. When I was missing one spacer, my fuel rails would not seal correctly and i got leaks. I don't think it's for anything grounding because other parts of the fuel rail is bolted to the plenum anyways.

[xxoreolovexx]

That is your knock sensor harness. There should be a small plug by the throttle body. Obvious the other end connests to the sensor itself.

[lbs_ft]

UPDATE! Got her running :D strong!

The issue was, as a buddy so kindly pointed out, my fuel lines were hooked up wrong. Derp.

Once that was in and I tossed the ($350 FUCK) injectors in, I fucked around with the distributor timing for like 3 hours... then I realized that when I had set the timing chain, I had set it to TDC exhaust. I don't know why, don't ask me. So I set it to -20 TDC, and turned the distributor to 180 degrees off, and she started right up! A couple minutes later, runs like a champ! Thanks for the help everybody!

Also, the knock sensor harness was from the old motor, I had the new one hooked up and all, but the sensor cable is hidden under the intake manifold so I didn't see that it matched that. I dunno how it hooked up to that random cable, but its back on the old motor, and we're golden!

[xxoreolovexx]

good bro. glad to here it man.

[DriftBerry]

How were you fuel lines wrong? did you switch the 2 at the bottom

[silver350z05rb]

i saw the dates on this post but..........
howd you set it to -20? it should be set TDC @ 0, the 2nd mark from the left, then adjust the distributor to the correct dot.or are you saying once you turned on the car you used a timing light and set the distributor to -20

UPDATE! Got her running :D strong!

The issue was, as a buddy so kindly pointed out, my fuel lines were hooked up wrong. Derp.

Once that was in and I tossed the ($350 FUCK) injectors in, I fucked around with the distributor timing for like 3 hours... then I realized that when I had set the timing chain, I had set it to TDC exhaust. I don't know why, don't ask me. So I set it to -20 TDC, and turned the distributor to 180 degrees off, and she started right up! A couple minutes later, runs like a champ! Thanks for the help everybody!

Also, the knock sensor harness was from the old motor, I had the new one hooked up and all, but the sensor cable is hidden under the intake manifold so I didn't see that it matched that. I dunno how it hooked up to that random cable, but its back on the old motor, and we're golden!