1988 RRC 4.6L Conversion - Need some assistance

[CassidyN3555L]

Hey there,

A buddy recently converted my 1988 RRC to a 4.6L.
It was a pain in the ***, many issues along the way, and now its back together and ready to fire up.
Except, that it won't fire up.

So I'm curious if any of you have experience and insight to share.

Here's what I know:




Also, I need a oil dipstick if anyone has one around to sell.

Thanks for anything constructive you might have to share.

Best Regard,
Mike

 

[adelatoa]

Check your grounds, make sure your distributor amplifier is wired correctly by checking for spark. If the distributor was off make sure it was installed correctly per the Rave's procedures.

 

[proper4wd]

Do you have spark? What is the timing set to?

 

[kcabpilot]

...We have fuel at the fuel lines but injectors were dry. The engine fires and fires and fires and won't turn over, and can't figure out why? ...

If the injectors were dry then I'd say they are not getting the signal but then you say the engine fires so there is a conflict in your description or I am misunderstanding what you mean. First thing you need to do is verify whether or not the fuel is getting through the injectors and into the intake.

 

[CassidyN3555L]

If the injectors were dry then I'd say they are not getting the signal but then you say the engine fires so there is a conflict in your description or I am misunderstanding what you mean. First thing you need to do is verify whether or not the fuel is getting through the injectors and into the intake.

Thanks. I'll try to better explain.

The engine cranks but does not start when you turn the key. We disconnected the fuel line up on top of the engine to see if there was fuel being delivered and it does appear that fuel is pumping into the system up to the rails. However, when we checked the injectors they were dry as if they were not getting a signal to squirt and therefore not delivering to the intake. This is where I get confused.

I would think (novice knowledge) that if the injectors were clogged, they would at least be a little wet? Not sure if its a signal issue or pressure issue.

Thoughts?

 

[CassidyN3555L]

Not quite sure, my buddy did most of the work. I'm not exactly sure how to check.

 

[proper4wd]

It's going to be pretty tough to help you then.

" it does appear that fuel is pumping into the system up to the rails" - It should be obvious. the fuel pump delivers about 45psi of fuel pressure. If you have the fuel line disconnected and turn the key on, it will push a lot of fuel out of the line very quickly.

 

[CassidyN3555L]

This was definitely an ongoing question for my buddy and I.
Where would I find "Rave's procedures" to verify if this was done correctly?
My buddy believes the distributor is installed correctly.
He's rebuilt several Rovers over the years but this is my first.

 

[Steve Polychronopolous]

I'm thinking about trying seafood in the system to see if that does anything;

Have you tried this yet and did it make a difference?

 

[kcabpilot]

Thanks. I'll try to better explain.

The engine cranks but does not start when you turn the key. We disconnected the fuel line up on top of the engine to see if there was fuel being delivered and it does appear that fuel is pumping into the system up to the rails. However, when we checked the injectors they were dry as if they were not getting a signal to squirt and therefore not delivering to the intake. This is where I get confused.

I would think (novice knowledge) that if the injectors were clogged, they would at least be a little wet? Not sure if its a signal issue or pressure issue.

Thoughts?

Well first of all, when you say fuel is getting to the rails, if you disconnect the hose after cranking it should be under a great deal of pressure as Adam said above. It will spray out as you disconnect and would be obvious. As for the injectors - they are not going to fire until told to do so by the ECU and it's not going to tell them to fire until it has the proper signals from the crank and cam position sensors. So make sure you have all of those connectors plugged in and no wires got pulled out or pinched. Also make sure the ground strap from engine to chassis is connected. Start with the simple stuff, just recheck everything you did and make sure is good.

EDIT: sorry, I'm in the middle of putting a 4.6 on my 2001 D2 so I'm thinking Bosch engine, you're setup is probably somewhat different but the same idea applies. Just give everything a second look and make sure nothing was missed.

 

[proper4wd]

There are no crank and cam position sensors on the RRC 14CUX system. But your other points are valid. Double check the basics.

 

[proper4wd]

BTW there are no "RAVE procedures" on swapping in a 4.6 or diagnosing a no start condition. The diagnosis is up to you. Check out this facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/936942093053338/

 

[kcabpilot]

There are no crank and cam position sensors on the RRC 14CUX system. But your other points are valid. Double check the basics.

Yea I just edited my post, I'm doing a 4.6 upgrade to my '01 D2 so my mind is full of Bosch right now

 

[CassidyN3555L]

It's going to be pretty tough to help you then.

" it does appear that fuel is pumping into the system up to the rails" - It should be obvious. the fuel pump delivers about 45psi of fuel pressure. If you have the fuel line disconnected and turn the key on, it will push a lot of fuel out of the line very quickly.

Yes, with the line disconnected it does pump out fuel in volume. I just wasn't sure what a normal amount is.

 

[CassidyN3555L]

Thanks for the link to the group! Didn't know the group existed.