HackAbuse

Okay, some background. Fox body Mustang with an LQ4 block, ported ls1 heads, decent size cam, all built by a pretty reputable machine shop. The owner had the engine installed and took it out for a drive. Ran pretty good for about 45 minutes, he drove it back to the shop parked it, and shut the engine off. That was the last time it ran.

He tried to start it again a few minutes later. No go. It cranks fine, but pops and backfires pretty violently, sometimes into the intake (blowing out valve cover gaskets etc).

This was a couple months ago. Since that time he has tried 2 new remanufactured PCMs 3 new crank sensors, 3 new cam sensors, fuel injectors, basically everything in the ignition system. He has checked, double checked, triple checked everything on the ignition side, all of the sensors work, no DTCs, has fuel, has spark, but the engine refuses to run.

Compression and leakdown tests appear to be well. The owner refuses to believe it's a Mechanical issue as its "a brand new motor". He's beat this car to death with diagnostics and can't figure it out.

Anyone have any idea what's going on?

Thanks in advance

RockinWs6

Probably jumped time, easy to check

HackAbuse

He's got a double roller timing set, so he refuses to believe it's the cam, it's also an interference motor.

I need some sort of concrete evidence before he'll agree to pulling the timing cover to check the cam

RockinWs6

Well the crank reluctor might be involved too...lots can happen....if he doesn't want help WHO CARES?

HackAbuse

He does want help, I think he's just in denial.

Is it possible for the crank reluctor to spin on the crank? This was my thought to, because the ignition timing doesn't seem to be correct, but I'm not sure exactly how the reluctor is installed, so I want sure if it's possible for it to change orientation

RockinWs6

Absolutely! Its just pressed on...no keyway etc.....

Old Geezer

iTrader: (3)

"He does want help, I think he's just in denial."
This isn't a "therapy" forum. If he's tfs to take advice/suggestions, refer him to post #4.

HackAbuse

Just confirmed that he has a Callies Crankshaft, which I guess are notorious for having the reluctor wheel come loose. I'm headed over there in a couple hours to try fibbing the ignition timing in HPTuners to see if we can get it to run

RockinWs6

You don't even want to know how many times I've seen new rebuilds go bad like this. I'd be looking at the cam timing 1st. I just seen the callies crank..........they have real issues, best to contact them.

pull the crank sensor off and see if the reluctor has moved.

If you are thinking you could use a inductive timing light to see when its firing number 1 cylinder.



If ALL ELSE FAILS I HOPE you don't need to use the HIENY LICK maneuver on this guy. LMAO

HackAbuse

The engine builder is contacting callies as we speak

rhino200099

iTrader: (1)

definantly sounds like a timing issue. either jumped time or the reluctor.

RockinWs6

Let me give some advice........if you use a inductive timing light to confirm proper firing timing then its most likely timing chain-cam problem. If its not firing on time then its a reluctor problem.

thunderstruck507

iTrader: (18)

Mine did this when we first got the swap going.

It was the coil pack harness on one side. Replaced the whole coil rail with one borrowed from a truck to confirm and it fired right back up and ran perfect.

HackAbuse

We used a timing light yesterday and it was definitely not firing at the right time, we didn't have time to figure out exactly how far off the spark was firing in relation to the stroke.

Tonight we'll roughly estimate how far off the timing is, and attempt to do some 'Kentucky windage' with hptuners to confirm

RockinWs6

Then the reluctor timing is screwed. The cam sensor only gives the PCM rpm info not timing info

HackAbuse

I'm dying to go test this new theory.

HackAbuse

So tonight we hooked up the timing light, and basically cranked the hell out of the car.

When cranking, should the ignition timing be hunting around at all or should it be at a set value and stay there? The ignition timing varies by a few degrees every crank rotation, like the pcm is adding 3 degrees advance everytime the crank comes around.

HackAbuse

I'm not sure if the pcm is supposed to vary ignition timing during crank, or if we're actually seeing the reluctor wheel spinning on the crank

HackAbuse

Engine is being removed and sent back to the builder, it's definitely the reluctor.

Chalk up another Callies Compstar reluctor ring failure for the books

RockinWs6

Crazy all that time wasted............