Re: problem
 

Sounds like Mike was right, you probably have bent exhaust valves. It could be bad seals too.

Re: problem
 

New seals were installed. I have no idea how the damn valves got bent. I bolted the head down with each piston at mid stroke, the timing was set right, and the head was checked before for bad valves as it came off a car I got with the timing off a couple of teeth....

Re: problem
 

So after the car quit while tuning you didnt check to see if timing was off? If it was that is how your valves are bent. My car skipped 2 teeth last year and it still ran but I could hear metal hitting while it was running. I got lucky and there was no damage, just knicks. I didnt take the head off (boroscope). I just redid the timing belt with a new one and that worked.

Re: problem
 

They put a rebuilt head on after the original tuning incident

Re: problem
 

Yep. The problem was not tuning related. A sensor gave out (CAS or somthing). Car just had no spark. To replace the crank or cam sensor, the cam would need to come off or the lower timing cover would need to come off. That justified pulling the head, ARPs, new HG, 1g head, etc.

Re: problem
 

Head is off. There are still no indentations on the pistons. BTW, adding oil to the cylinders did not help compression before. I could not get over 50 psi compression in the only cylinder I tested (#4).

Re: problem
 

Before you put it back together, get yourself a new torque wrench, its probably way off.You can't store those with the spring wound, you need to turn it back to zero or below.Like I told your brother when I was there, I wouldn't be surprised if the head just wasn't torqued down correctly or maybe it warped from being incorrectly torqued.

Re: problem
 

No, there would not have been enough heat to do anything to the head. The HG was/is fine. The leakdown test confirmed that the HG did not leak. I plan on getting another TQ wrench anyhow to replace the POS I have. I always torque the head studs to 105 with ARP lube to assure I am torquing them tight enough. I also stood there and made sure he torqued them in the correct sequence (60ft lbs first then to 105). HG was not a problem but the torque wrench is on order right now and I should get it in at work today :)

Re: problem
 

Heat is not the only thing that can warp a head.

Re: problem
 

You don't need to go to 105 on the head studs. On motors that are not torque plated to that spec, you are making an OOR condition with the cylinder. We typically have them torque plated at 100 and of course set them to that when building them. The ARP studs will stretch at not much above 105. Pistons usually prefer round holes. That of course has nothing to do with the problems you are dealing with, just something to think about for future reference.

Re: problem
 

The car will no longer crank. James assembled everything himself, but the starter does not crank. It is an electrical issue. There is plenty of oil in the car and the timing is on and has been rotated several times. The car clicks and makes a humming sound when the ignition is turned. I pulled the starter for him and it was tested to be weak but still works. I checked the signal wire for the starter and there is no voltage present. Does anyone have a wiring schematic to see where the possible problem could be in the circuit? Is there some connector he could have forgotten? All of the CAS, power transistor, coil, etc are plugged in. I tested all of the fuses under the hood and they were all fine. James said he read something about the starter relay switch going out but he could not find it in the car. It is supposedly by the radio new to the fuel pump relay... I have no idea. Anyone know where this relay is? Any idea on how to test it? I guess I could just steal it off the other 2g but.... I haven't looked at it other than a quick once over of the wiring and testing the fuses and starter. I will have tomorrow to try and figure this out. Please help ASAP. Thanks, John.

Re: problem
 

Low battery?

Re: problem
 

No. Fully charged and it was I also tried running it off the charger also. There is no signal at the starter wire...

Re: problem
 

double check everything

Re: problem
 

Well, since nobody has any advice and I could not find a wire schematic, I ran a wire off the ignition to the signal wire on the starter (ofcourse I fused it). The car will now crank but spark is fucked up again. Only two ports on the coil put out spark. I have checked two coils now and it is the same. They would be coils 1+4 on a 1g. 3+4 do not put out any spark. I will try yet another coil on it tomorrow but both the other two worked fine when the head was pulled. Any idea???

Re: problem
 

Caps in the ECU?

Re: problem
 

When I put my car back together after a head gasket install (95 gsx) I forgot one of the grounds on the battery terminal (it tucked itself behind the battery) and would not start.

Re: problem
 

I will try another ecu. I will just have to swap the chip into the other socceted one.

Re: problem
 

Not the problem here.

Re: problem
 

still no spark in 2 and 3 cylinders. On the next rebuilt head, the compression is 115-148-130-120. The car cranks slowly. I am seriously considering putting the restrictive stock 2g head back on. The compression was 175 across before. What do you think? I will have to do another leak down test again.

It is not the ecu either. Tryed another working one.

Re: problem
 

Head won't effect it this time, (sealed tight checked it with acetone) no bent valves likely with those numbers, try the oil on the rings now and see if you don't get a different result. Are you using the same tester you did and identicle procedure, revolutions etc? Was it tested at operating temps both times?

Re: problem
 

We will have to redo it again. The same tester is used and the car was cold this time. It was warm last time we checked and it had good compression. We have no way to get it warm now. I am pretty sure the same revolutions. We did 7. I hate this stupid car.

Re: problem
 

Get it running and then test it again. Did you try a different set of coils & transistor? You should see about getting eric to come check everything for you, he catches that stuff pretty quick.

Re: problem
 

If you want, I can probably make it out there Fri night, Sat afternoon or Sun afternoon.Which ever works for you.

Re: problem
 

I am going with either a bad ground (would explain slow cranking) or a bad ECU.

Re: problem
 

I believe they've tried several ECUs.Ground is a definite possibly, it wouldn't explain the lack of spark though.

Re: problem
 

We tryed 3 working ecus and that isn't the problem. We tryed a two coils but still no luck and we tryed another power transistor. All of them were off working cars. To get the starter to crank, we had to rewire the starter from the ignition skipping the relay to the signal wire because the signal wire didn't get power. The starter was grounded though so I don't think that effects it though. Erik, I will PM you and leet you know what time works best. I will have to look at my schedule first though.

Re: problem
 

I think Jet was talking about the chassis/engine to battery ground.

Re: problem
 

I thought so too, but I am not sure what we would have disconnected. I don't see any missing. I might try to add a few more today.

Re: problem
 

The ground wire is connected to the battery. The starter seems fine to me, it is just noticeable that there is a lack of compression. Similar to the bent valves sound, just not as severe. The ground is connected to the starter as why the car still cranks. It is grounded on the bolt that mounts the starter to the tranny.

What is pissing me off it that I did 5 head swaps last year and I had no problem what so ever. This time, the valves get bent in a rebuilt head, and compression drops from near perfect to the rebuild range on the other after the other rebuilt head. I gained 5 psi per cylinder in my car after a new HG and valve seals.

Re: problem
 

You should ask James what I told him the night he picked up that head when he called.

Re: problem
 

Yeah, I remember him saying the valves were pitted. I thought it would still seal though. Didn't ever think it would be this bad. Makes up for the little power gained by the 1G mani, TB, and 1G head. Should have just replaced the bad sensor and not tried to go overboard by doing valve seals, HG, and timing belt...

Re: problem
 

So does this thing run now?

Re: problem
 

Nope...

Re: problem
 

...has compression atleast. Turned over once and died right away is the best it has seen.

Re: problem
 

DAMN. How many fucking problems can you have at the same time? I think Mike and I will head out there again tomorrow, make sure the battery is fully charged.

Re: problem
 

Thanks alot for coming over. The car now runs and can get on the dyno for a decent tune.

Re: problem
 

You sure you guys dont want to get rid of that car so in the future it wont break ;)

Re: problem
 

No, it is just that several things went wrong at the same time. Had "phantom valve bend" on the ported head, a head with crappy compression, the 2g head finally back on. Then no spark twice and spark and fuel without starting. Everything was going wrong and I did not have any time or will to help him with the car after swapping the head, intake mani, etc for the third time. After swapping it three times, the car ended up with the head that was on it originally instead of an upgraded 1g.