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IIRC they used the same crank pickup for all 4 pushrod engines (maybe 5 if you include the 4.0 I6?). Usually they will still fire, but with a decent offset, like 15 or 20 degrees.
I would be more concerned that the fuel sync is correct. Where is the cam pickup arrow pointed?
If the distributor was offset, you would have a misfire through the intake or exhaust.
If the crank sensor was bad, you would not have spark.
If the cam sensor was bad, you would not have injectors firing.
If you have both spark and fuel, methinks that the injectors are pulsing against a closed valve = fuel sync is off on the cam sensor.
Last edited by magnethead; Apr 30, 2018 at 07:58 PM.
with engine at TDC on #1, the distributor rotor should be directly under the #1 spark plug boot. Additionally, the arrow on the camshaft position sensor should be directly under the rotor (and thus the #1 plug boot).
I believe the cam sensor is keyed to prevent it from rotating in the base of the distributor.
In that case, you could have the distributor installed 90/180/270 out, have the plug wires installed to match it, but have the fuel sync a mile off.
with engine at TDC on #1, the distributor rotor should be directly under the #1 spark plug boot. Additionally, the arrow on the camshaft position sensor should be directly under the rotor (and thus the #1 plug boot).
Yes all good cam position is locked in distributor
If the crank sensor was bad, you would not have spark.
I didn't see it spark but a friend said yes spark
If the cam sensor was bad, you would not have injectors firing.
Tip for checking spark: Use a jumper cable, clamp one end of a wire to a good ground, clamp the other end of the wire to a spark plug. Put the plug wire on said plug, and use a vice grip across the jumper cable onto the edge of the cowl or a hood hinge. That way the plug is properly grounded and is mounted up high where you can see it while turning the key.
Since you can smell fuel, check said plug for fuel deposits/carbon fouling. That will definitely tell you if the injectors are firing.
It takes fuel, air, and spark to make combustion. As long as you have spark and fuel, there's almost no way that you can't have air.
Honorable mention: Head bolts make poor conductors, so do head gaskets. Do you have a good ground strap from the cylinder head to a verified ground? Should be one floating in the factory harness somewhere. Without a good ground strap, method 1 can work just fine, yet plugs may not fire once installed.
at least you are getting spark. no question you are getting fuel.
you would think it would at least be misfiring though, even if the cam timing was off by a mile or the firing order was wrong or you had a dead cam lobe. i know that happened to ryan rankin on his 318. brand new cam and had a lobe go flat in 8 minutes.....wasnt properly hardened.
keeping the belt off is my preferred method for these jinds of thinhs. minimum load on the engine.
check the orange positive wire going to the coil. it is from the asd relay, should be hot anytime the fuel pump and fuel injectors are on.
also, check the black negative waire for the coil. it should be pulsed by the pcm every time the crank sensor sees a window on the flexplate.
last thing i can think of- check battery voltage while cranking. jtec needs 11.25 or more volts to fire the starter, coil and fuel injectors at the same time. i know if mine is near dead, it will fire the injectors but not the coil...as soon as i release the key and the starter disengages, the coil will hit and it will try to chug.
What messed it up so bad was the coil took a dump confusing me as to why it wouldn't start. I tried the 180 spark-plug wire two days ago with no results.
Weird how things can take a dump at just the wrong time in your life.
