DrkPhx

iTrader: (15)

My bad. Sorry about that.

ls14jay

iTrader: (6)

Yeah I believe that it's an out of order problem rather then a left to right if it is the packs.

Jay

SUX2BU

iTrader: (14)

AND if you try to start the car long enuff with the coils swapped it WILL foul out the plugs. So you could fix the coils and it still might not start.
Thats why i said put some 99 and up coils (that are on the bracket so you know they are right) on there, put new plugs in her and fire that bad boy up.

kossuth

iTrader: (12)

I would check the lifter preload. That only takes 10 minutes. Pull a valve cover and pick a rocker you want to check. Turn the motor over and watch the rocker. Once it goes down all the way turn the crank another 90 degrees, now you should be on the base of the cam. Loosen that rocker bolt. Now begin to retighten the rocker bolt until the pushrod can no longer move in there but no more. Now grab your torque wrench and keeping in mind how far you are rotating it via degrees (torque angle meter might help here) before you hit the 22 ft lbs mark. Your lifter preload should be around .050-.090 or so with factory lifters and rockers. Now, if my math serves me right being the pitch of the factory rocker bolt is 1.25 mm one turn should be about .050, so it should take between 1 - 1 1/2 turns. It isn't rocket science and the stock lifters do a good job of taking up slack. Too much preload will hold the valves slightly open, and just because it cranked over ok doesn't mean that the valves aren't hung open alittle.

If you checked the coil packs I highly doubt it is the cam to be honest but hopefully you prove me wrong because that is easy. Another crazy thought, did you pull the cam sensor out before you started the cam install? Maybe you hit it and damaged it, that would cause strange or weird firing on the plugs.

kossuth

iTrader: (12)

Also, don't know if the wiring from a 01 is the same as that for a 98 in terms of the coil packs but I'll post this maybe it will be helpful. Here is the driverside diagram



And the passenger side

Redneck Z

iTrader: (3)

I did read the previous posts, but thanks for the direction lol!! In fact I wrote one of the posts, about possible putting the coil packs on backwards like I had done. You need to be more clear obviously. From your wording it sounded like when swapping from perimeter bolt to center bolt covers, you have to put the passengers side on the drivers side to prevent misfires. I assumed you meant in order. So yes...having one side on the wrong side is not a problem, as long as they are in order. They are reversible and can be used on either side, as long as they are in the correct order.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Ok so then I know the coil packs are in correct order because they are labeled, and it also shows that they can be switched from either side and still be good (labeled with two numbers ex. 1/8). I never took them apart from one another individually, but I did go from perimeter style to center bolt valve covers.Where is the cam sensor located? I would like to check that out as well. SUX2BU if my plugs fouled out wouldn't I be able to tell by looking at them? When I removed them they still looked brand new, just wet. So now that I'm looking for electrical problems what exactly should I do aside from checking the preload?

kossuth

iTrader: (12)

Camshaft sensor is all the way in the back of the block. It's right beside the oil pressure sensor. With the intake on and the motor in the car it will be a PITA to get to I can ensure that. Good news is it is only held down by one bolt. You will basically have to lay on the motor to get to it.

DrkPhx

iTrader: (15)

RedneckZ - Sorry about the confusion.

Detroitmuscle - The cam sensor is located on the top center of the block in the very back (very close to the firewall)by the oil pressure sending unit.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Well my oil pressure sending unit broke and had to be changed out so I know anything near it was fine. I flipped the passenger side coil pack and I get backfiring ever time I try to start it up now, which I guess is much more frequent than before. Should I swap the driver side the opposite way now or reflip the pass side and swap them both?

SUX2BU

iTrader: (14)

i'de swap them every wich way possible.

obZidian

iTrader: (2)

you can swap them out all you want, but what you need to look out for is the proper sequence in which the stock coils are arranged.

So, you swapped out the pass. side and it got more bfire? hmm...

Ok, this is what i would do. Systematically, go over everythign again. one part at a time. first, make sure all if conneced correctly. sensors, grounds, harness are correctly plugged i..... etc. Than, make sure the coils are in the righ order, check plugs for life a gap. Also, try swapping out your plug wires with a different set. (this could be jsut it...) Do them all brotha, it wont hurt and you'll have a extra set hanging around. Well, that is what i would do. Third, if all else fails, now get into the mechanical, which i feel it isn't. You could start by checking if your lifters are loaded, preload.

These are new heads right? What kind of valvetrain are you running?

Now, it all points that you are getting no or not enough spark or its out of sink. Are you 100% sure you lined up the dots? You sounded like your did but just checking...

good luck, let me shimmer on this, im sure a solution will present itself and another lesson learned!!!!

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Well I swapped the coil packs every which way except for one, which I plan on doing tomorrow but my helping hands had to leave tonite. The last configuration we tried gave a backfire out of the intake manifold like before, the other times it was out the exhaust if this says anything. Tomorrow my friend is going to remove his coil packs off his 02 and we'll see if it'll fire up then. If not then I will have to backtrack a little and see if that cam sensor is still in tact but I'm almost positive it is. As for the cam I know those dots were lined up, the very most I would give would be one tooth and even then it would start still. The Heads I bought assembled off a friend who originally bought them from Ramchargers a while back but they were still brand new in the boxes.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

I forgot to add, the plug wires are brand new ZO6 wires that I order from gm parts direct so they should be good but I will try my old set as well.

kossuth

iTrader: (12)

If it doesn't run when the swap the packs out this last way, CHECK YOUR PRELOAD!!! I've said it with about two other people. It's easy to do. If the preload isn't it and the cam sensor is ok it must be the cam plain and simple you are to that point now. Best of luck.

Haans249

iTrader: (24)

Have you checked your Pushrod length yet?

Adrian

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

Yeah that will be my next step, checking out the preload and pushrods. I did call ETP though like I said and also measured the heads in compariosn to my stockers and they were exactly the same length. ETP said the 7.4s were what I needed so I did not measure them.

Viper

iTrader: (6)

I had 7.4's in my combo and it did the same ( backfire, wouldn't start ), the PR's were 2 long. Went to 7.375 and it fired right up. Just pointing out the PR length is important, even .025 off.

Now I've measured and am running 7.350's to get the power I have in sig. FWIW.

Detroitmuscle

iTrader: (16)

thanks for that, I'll definatly pick up a pushrod measuring tool then if the coil packs of the 02 don't work and also check the preload.

m_bow98ws6

might be a shot in the dark but what about the CMP reluctor on the camshaft for the camshaft position sensor. everything looked the same and there was no damage? also the crankshaft sensor and camshaft sensor both share the same 12 volt reference from the PCM. so if either sensor is shorted to ground both sensors won't work causing a no start condition and it wont set a DTC. just a thought. you said you did have spark tho?