I dont have an 82, but I had a very similar problem and similar symptoms with my 73. Turned out that the cold start was actually flooding the plugs before they had a chance to fire the engine. Cleaned and dried the plugs really good, disconnected the cold start and it would fire. Now takes a couple of tries to get it going but at least it does get going. Havent found the correct fix yet, other things have priority until spring.

I will try that...maybe I put the wrong connector on the cold start and it is open all the time. I hope it is something that dumb and easy to fix, and it could explain why it won't run with air fuel and spark. When yours did this, did it even catch or pop a little?

Other than disconnected ignitions, I have never heard an engine with any spark and fuel so "quiet" in terms of ingnition events!

Also, does anyone know how to set the timing statically? I did not adjust it during these repairs, but I wonder if it is off if I was overcompensating for vacuum leaks that are now fixed.

Finally, could it be the engine ground? I get plenty of continuity between the engine and the chassis, but I havebeen wondering if the plug are grounded during my tests but not when then are in the heads. All the connections are tight, including the set of grounds that goes to the #3 intake.

Thanks again, I hope I figure this out soon, it is driving me crazy!

Olivier

like mentioned above, it could now be flooded, and the plugs are wet. usually this fixes itself overnight, but are the plugs still white, not black or wet? you can dry them out sometimes by pulling the fuel pump relay and spinning the engine for a while. sometimes it starts then, running for a few moments on all the extra gas.

I have let it sit up to 12 hours without any change, not even a pop. I have disconnected the CSV to make sure that is not flooding it.

I will try the drying technique before I try it again later tonight.

The plugs were not soaked, and they had a fairly normal looking light brown color still.

I even tried slowly rotating the distributor as my wife cranked it to see if the timing was off, but nothing. It could not be that far off anyway, since the nut is right where it always has been.

At least the job of replacing all the shocks and springs on my wife's Jeep went well...I only broke one small bolt!

Thanks for all the help everyone, I am trying every idea as I am desperate to even hear it pop once!

so you pulled an injector and actually saw it spray as the sensor plate was lifted? you didn't stuff any plugs in the fuel lines that you forgot about? spark+fuel+air= ignition. you have to be missing one.

I did see a nice, strong spray. I checked for plugs, rags, etc. I even pulled off the air boot.

It cranks really fast, almost like it has no compression at all.

Olivier

so you adjusted the valves. did you do any more than a tiny bit of adjustment to any of them? wouldn't hurt to check the compression on a few cylinders. tight/open valves= no compression.

I did adjust the valves, but only very small adjustments. I went through them several times since I had the time while waiting on tranmission parts, so I think they would be dead on. I did not back any all the way out or anything like that.

I will do some compression checks, and probably put in new plugs just to be sure.

Is there anything in the CIS system that could result in no vacuum or compression?

Olivier

"It cranks really fast, almost like it has no compression at all."

That sounds familiar. In my case the po had attempted to adjust idle using the fuel shut-off micro-switch adj screw (an mfi thing). He had it screwed in so much the throttle was open, this allowed starter to turn over faster (like when you do a compression test) and caused it to rev to about 3500rpm when it did fire up.

Bottom line, you might check throttle linkage to insure it is at its idle stop.

That is something I have not thought of, and I will check that next. I did not give the throttle linkage much thought on reassembly, although it does seem to be working and closing the 15 degree microswitch. I will disconnect it altogether to eliminate it, though.

Thanks,

Olivier

OK, sorry I had to take a break from this problem for a while and get some other stuff done...the frustration was building.

The throttle linkage is perfectly smooth and the throttle is definitely closing all the way, but...

I did a compression check on one cylinder and there is no compression! The needle on the gauge barely even wiggles, and never leaves 0.

That would explain why fuel, air, and spark are not exploding, and also how fast the engine is turning.

What could have happened? I suppose my next step will be to adjust the valves again, but I really don't see how I could have done that, since I made only minute corrections, sometimes even none.

I have two questions before I do that:

1) Is there anything else I could have done during all these repairs that would result in a total lack of compression? I did nothing to the heads other than adjust the valves. I did try to soak the valves in B-12 to clean them, could that have this effect? I would be shocked it that could happen.

2) How is it possible to loose compression during a valve adjustment while only making small corrections. I know it could be done on the wrong stroke, but wouldn't I have noticed that the first valve was too far out of spec to be at TDC? I did not do anything extreme like back the adjusters all the way out, etc. I have adjusted valves before, and I am pretty careful about checking the pulley and the distributor for alignment.

Another valve adjustment would not be so bad after all this, but I hate to do that if it could be something else, or if the valves could not be the problem.

Thanks again for all the help and support, I would be lost without all the experience and ideas from this forum! My sledgehammer is way too close to the car for me to work on this for more than a few hours a day now!

Olivier

I had the same problem on my first valve adjustment. If you did a search you would see a posting similar to yours only dated back in 2000! You either got a piece of carbon stuck between the valve and the seat or that "minute" adjustment was just enough to keep the valve open. I would recheck that cylinder's valves.

I am thinking it is all the valves, though. WOuld an engine at least pop or even run with just one cylinder without compression?

I think I had a loose plug wire once and the engine ran. I am trying to think how I could have done that to all cylinders. Carbon would be a long shot in terms of probability. Are the valves that sensitive? I went through them at least 5 times getting them "just right" (ha!) while I had the easy access with the engine out.

I should have just left them alone!

Could it be anything else besides valves?

Olivier

Oli,
Seems to me that if you have spark at the plugs, spray from the injectors and compression she should start. I went thru all the stuff you are going thru with my car. With my mfi I had to pump the pedal rapidly to get an occasional pop....that at least gave me hope the motor wasnt completely lifeless.
I dont think valve mis-adjustment is the problem, nor carbon stuck in the valves.
My next try would be to remove all the plugs and leave them out overnight. This would let the cylinders and the plugs dry out. Next day leave the csv disconnected, double check rotor, approximate timing, plug wires in correct hole....the simple stuff. Then crank it up...foot off the pedal at first, then pumping it if you get no fire or only occasional fire.
I dunno man.....I dont think you have a serious problem....just something simple that we have all overlooked.
Hope you have success soon....I wanna hear how that tranny works!

Vol,

I don't have any compression at all, though. I have tried starting with and without opening the throttle, I have dried theplugs for more than 24 hours and by cranking without the fuel pump relay, I have had my wife crank the engine while I manually moved the air sensor plate and rotated the distributor slightly, all without the CSV connected. The rotor, cap, and wires are all right. All this an not even a single pop.

Here is the scary thought that woke me up this morning:

- Could the timing chain(s) have skipped a tooth? I did replace th eoil supply line to the passenger side chain tensioner while the engine was out, and I may have done the valves while that line was apart. The cylinder with no compression is on the other side of the engine, though, and I wonder if one or two teeth on the chain could result in a total loss of compression?

- I was careful not to turn the engine backwards while doing the valves, but I might have turned it the wrong way a few degrees while tightening the flywheel bolts to get the home made lock lined up, etc. Could that be it?

Thanks,

Olivier

quit worrying and re-do the valve adjustment. make sure you start on #1, and check to see that the distributor rotor is pointing to #1 plug wire, just to be sure it's on #1 rather than #4. 1,6,2,4,3,5. turn engine clockwise, 1/3 turn at a time. be sure you're on the #1 notch on the pulley, not the full advance mark an inch to the right of it.

OK, I will start on the valves tonight...

Sorry, I 5though you had compression in all but one cylinder.

No problem, Vol, I am hopeful the valve adjustment will fix it.

Olivier

It was the valves!!!

At least 8 of the 12 were very tight...I have no idea how that could have happened, unless gumk from soaking them seeped down and got caught between the valves and the heads before the adjustments. All of the exhaust valves were tight.

I could tell as soon as I cranked it for the compression test after readjusting them that it was actually pumping air, and not just spinning. It fired right up, and I set the mixture and timing.

The transmission seems to work fine, it goes in all gears, and the action is stiff but smooth. Thanks to everyone for their advice and support working on the tranmission and getting the car started.

The clutch feels totally different, though. I went from a standard to a Sport Sachs package, and the pedal feels really light, and the clutch seems "touchy". I don't know if it is because I have not driven it in so long, because they are just different (the old one was very worn to the point that it broke a helper spring and then the TO bearing), or because I messed something up on the clutch, PP, or flywheel. I felt the clutch slip at least once, but that might have been me messing up with the pedal. Is it normal for a sport clutch to feel so drastically different?

I will drive it for a few days and recheck the clutch adjustments. I also need to check the throttle linkage, which is binding a little.