Pretty much to the point of insanity

[phearless]

I have had to move, four times, since I started this rebuild.
I lost everything (except the Datto) in a divorce, climbed back out of the hole. Waited on backorder parts. Waited on machinists. Hunted for parts I couldn't buy, brand new. Dealt with a bad buyer off some of my spare parts, who scammed his way into a free Megasquirt. Waited for passable weather. But I did it. I got the engine back together, and back in the car.

I went to turn the key, and everything seems right, but the engine won't start. I went over the spark plug wires 20 times, to make sure it was right, and now I am going to just pull the oil pump and start all over. If that doesn't work, the only other thing I can think to check... the one thing I dread, but the one thing I'm 150% sure I got right: that I goofed up on the cam timing. But, I'd know if I messed that up, right? I can imagine the header would be belching out broken pieces of valve and piston, if I did.

Anyhow. Since it has been nearly forever since the last time I rebuilt an engine... what kinds of major factors would cause a fresh rebuild to simply refuse to start? If starting fresh on the distributor doesn't do the trick, what's the first thing I should check?
There are no troubleshooting guides in the AllData I have access to, for a 280ZX Turbo. They don't go back that far, and there are only cursory scans of bare-bones information on earlier Datsun engines.
I hate the fact that I have either apparently lost this much knowledge to being a decade out of practice, or I am just at my wit's end and can't think for myself anymore... but I need this done, so here's my pathetic cry for help.

Google has not been kind to me. I get nothing but crap in my search results.

[RedBanner]

Dude... you didnt mention what motor, ,, l20b? What did younsetnthe cam gear to?

[phearless]

L28ET.... sorry. I mentioned 280ZX Turbo, though. Shoulda been specific.
I went by the info I pulled off AllData. Dowel pin on the cam up top, cylinder #1 at TDC with both valves closed, then installed the chain and gear, and tensioned it to spec.

My foul-up was most likely the dizzy, and where the shaft ended up. But failing that being the problem.... it might be time to check the cam timing again, just to be sure. Though I have a strong feeling if I got that wrong, I'd have known it, by hearing something expensive shattering and clattering down the headers.

[Skib]

 But, I'd know if I messed that up, right? I can imagine the header would be belching out broken pieces of valve and piston, if I did.

 

 

for starters its a non interference engine. thats not going to happen

 

 

if your cam timing is off, its not going to run

if your oil pump/dizzy shaft is off, its not going to run

 

what year L28et  is it?

[racerx]

yep..sometimes its like that when the shit hits the fan evrything else seems like its falling apart.  Maybe step back for awhile, take a break from the project, come back later.  When you say it wont start you mean it won't crank at all, not even clicking, no noise?

[erichwaslike]

for starters its a non interference engine. thats not going to happen

 

 

if your cam timing is off, its not going to run

if your oil pump/dizzy shaft is off, its not going to run

 

what year L28et  is it?

 

so youre telling me he can put the cam 180 degrees out and it wont bend a valve? how did i bend on e in a l16 if they are non interference engines?

[phearless]

for starters its a non interference engine. thats not going to happen

 

 

if your cam timing is off, its not going to run

if your oil pump/dizzy shaft is off, its not going to run

 

what year L28et  is it?

 

That's a relief to hear.

Anyhow, it's an '83 L28ET.

 

For the other question... yes, it cranks fine, but won't actually start. I'll take a video or something, so you guys can hear what it's doing. Unless, of course, re-doing the dizzy shaft fixes the issues.

[Skib]

so youre telling me he can put the cam 180 degrees out and it wont bend a valve? how did i bend on e in a l16 if they are non interference engines?

 

L28et has good dish and large CC chamber, the valve only sits a cunt hair past the deck.

certainly wont be "belching out broken pieces of valve and piston"

 

 

 

 

have you checked your basics yet? you got fuel? spark? everything has been installed correctly?

[darrel]

They are interference engines.

 

Is it still using the stock ecu?

 

Do you have a factory service manual?

[phearless]

Skib: basics are re-hashed. Fuel is flowing to all three carbs, all six plugs have been checked for spark. I went over every single bolt on the engine, multiple times to check torque, in phases so I was sure I wouldn't leave one just barely snugged. Every part went back on in reverse-order from my notes. I missed nothing.

Darrel: No ECU, at all, except for what the dizzy requires. I went to NA with triple carbs, and ditched the fuel injection. And it was running just fine with 240Z carbs, before I got took the engine apart for a refresh, clean-out, and a P&P/valvetrain replacement, and waited on the new upgraded cam and carb rack.
And the closest thing I could find to a factory service manual was the pathetic 15-page scanned document I pulled from AllData.

[darrel]

So just a basic engine refresh.

 

Any factory manual will do then. Just to recheck what you have already done.

 

http://www.xenons130.com/index.html

 

And for another check on the dizzy shaft and eye candy.

 

http://www.geocities.com/inlinestroker/

 

 

edit* You are using the turbo dizzy and not a non turbo? The oil shaft is clocked differently between the two. Download the '82 factory manual. 

[phearless]

The NA setup is temporary. I want to step up to a blow-through turbo, but I've never done that before, and I want to make sure I have everything right, before I attempt it.

[Skib]

Since you have it all N/A with triples that deff makes it much different than diagnosing a stock L28et.

 

your timing is still at the top of the list of things to check though.

[phearless]

Since the dizzy isn't run on points, that's my first suspicion, here. Darril's link gave me a good reference for how the shaft needs to be positioned. I'll give that a go, this weekend.
If that doesn't work, does anyone have a good, clear pic of exactly what the valve positions need to be? I went off the simple info from the AllData document, and it seemed to coincide with the reference card for my Schneider cam... but just to be on the safe side, a good visual of how it needs to look would be much obliged.

Bear in mind, this car ran like a dream, when I had stock 240Z SU carbs plugged into the engine.

[Skib]

look up the hainz L series video.

 

he walks threw the whole thing step by step.

hes doing it on an L4 but its the same for an L6

[phearless]

The info was correct, though, right?
Cylinder 1 @ TDC/both valves closed, is how most petrol engines go back together, but I know there are the occasional oddball procedures....

[Skib]

yeah, and there is a 1, 2, 3 peg hole in the cam sprocket.

 

if you put the peg in hole 1 then there is a corresponding mark on the front of the cam gear with a 1

(same thing with 2 and 3) and if you dont have a cheap chain there will be 2 gold or silver links on it.

one link goes on the mark on the front of the crank sprocket

and the other lines up with your numbered mark on the cam sprocket

 

and thats how you know there lined up correctly

[phearless]

Near as I can recall, that's how it ended up. Doesn't hurt to doublecheck, one more time, though.

[phearless]

Thanks for the helpful/reassuring replies, Skib. If I make it out to the shop, this weekend, I'll have lots of pics and an update to sate your piclust.

[Skib]

Heres some motivation...

 

 

... because triple carb set ups a sexy :lol:

[phearless]

Is that old man Shinohara's "Devil"?

[phearless]

One more quick question, since I never bothered to learn this. Our engines are "wasted spark" ignition, right?