Engine woes...

[Prof]

Got Ben\'s new engine in the car and have done a couple of hundred miles in it - timing was set slightly retarded for safety, but engine idled ok and drove all be it lacking some power.
 
On the way home from work the other night the engine spluttered and I pulled over - engine konked out.  Tried restarting - didn\'t want to know.
 
I let it sit for a few mins, then tried again - started relunctantly and smoked like a biatch  Rough as houses too.
 
Pulled the plugs - they are fouled, rear rotor is full of fuel
 
Not sure on the problem as yet - going to pull off the injector rails and test for leaks.   I\'ve also got holes in my radiator - which is getting replaced, but coolant temps stayed normal so it\'s not overheated.
 
Questions:
 
1)  Given the engine flooded - and I\'ve done the unflood and got it to start all be it with difficulty - is it possible to do any kind of compression test, or will the probable lack of lube make it pointless ?
 
2)  Once I\'d got it started after the unflood, it was smoking heavily - I did use some oil to help seal - I suspect a lot of the smoke is down to this - and the idle was smooth, but with a regular beat in the exhaust - almost as if it\'s only working on 1 rotor - how can I check I\'m getting combustion in both rotors with the engine in the car ?
 
3) Going to check ignition and as I say fuelling / injectors - is there anything else I can check before attempting to get it going again ?

[BlitzBoy]

what is your timing retarded to? whats the advance on boost? how many degrees did you retard it from the standard setting?

[Prof]

couldn\'t tell you precisley - but just a fraction by turning the CAS.  Other than that the rest of the timing would be on the stock ecu - although the car was pretty much kept off boost (boost controller off - so spring only, and car wasn\'t making much boost either)

[BlitzBoy]

hmm I would turn the CAS back to the original position, you are retarding the ignition a lot more then you think which will cause it to foul up

[sadgoth]

although the car was pretty much kept off boost (boost controller off - so spring only, and car wasn\'t making much boost either)

that sounds familiar :eek

[antnicuk]

Dave,

when i started my new i engine i killed 2 sets of plugs,  a brand new set and a good 2nd hand set.  Only when i put a 3rd new set in would it start.  (i tried cleaning them but didnt work) I was running very rich and even though i had burnt off all the assembly lube i still killed a second set of plugs.  I would try new plugs.  7 and 9\'s.

compression test, Pull the lower plug and turn the engine over, you should get 3 even puffs per revolution. if it sounds like thomas the tank engine then you have compression missing on a rotor face.  If it spins fast and just wooshes then you have no compression at all. Then do the same for the front rotor. just remember to move the HT leads and disconnect the pump/fuse. Even on a flooded engine you will get noticable puffs of compression out of it.  If you get mrs prof to start turn the key and put you hand buy the plug hole you will feel even puffs, dont worry, it doesnt hurt.

When a flooded car starts, it often misses for a while.  If you are unsure if you have combustion, when its running use a rubber handled pair pliers/grips and pull both the ht leads off, if it makes not difference, you know that rotor is not doing anything

[BenLewisMav]

Damn Prof, (obviously) very concerned to hear this. Are you still using the same plugs that had been sitting in the engine when it was filled with premix? They would be the first thing to go.
I would second Blitzboy about setting the timing back to zero, you have no idea how much it has been retard by that way, it could be 10 degrees etc, and then you might aswell not even have the leading coil connected. -and that would make starting it somewhat tricky without a bump. On low load I think I used to run anything from 15-22 deg, only reaching a peak of 21-22 deg when cruising under v.light load (20-15hg vacuum). I\'m not sure how these would translate into Emanage numbers but I guess you\'d need to factor the 5 degrees already set at the CAS, and maybe a way of knowing the advance the stock ECU is using?

I\'ve also got holes in my radiator - which is getting replaced, but coolant temps stayed normal so it\'s not overheated.
 

Also bear in mind that any loss of pressure from the cooling system effectively lowers the boiling point of the coolant. On an FD the thermo fans don\'t even come on until the coolant is past normal boiling point.
  I know this isn\'t always practical if it\'s your daily driver, but (especially from my interest in the wellbeing of the engine) its not worth taking risks until you are sure everything is tip top.