Troubleshooting help after tune-up. 3.2 Carrera

[Chocaholic]

87 3.2 Carrera. Adjusted valves using back-door method. Everything went smoothly. Removed catalytic converter and replaced with bypass pipe. Reinstalled O2 sensor. Installed new plugs, Clewitt wires, v-belt and rotor. All parts from our host. Fresh oil change.

Car starts but battery light stays on. Backfires and idles very rough. When I touch gas pedal even slightly, car stalls out.

Open to suggestions/ideas. What could I have done wrong?

[stlrj]

Check your plug wire firing order again. That's one thing I always manage to screw up no matter how careful I think I am.



Cheers,

Joe

[JAR0023]

Rough idle - Make sure you don't have plug wires crossed. Check and double check. It's easy to mix up 4/5/6 when they pass under the A/C compressor. Could also be a plug wire not seated correctly.

Alt light - Is your belt tension correct? You used all the shims? Make sure one of the shims didn't slip and isn't keeping you from fulling tightening the outer pulley half.

These should be easy to check before you decide to open up the engine to double check your valve adjustment. -J

[Chocaholic]

First question....safe to assume the distributor cap will only go on one way? Wondering if I installed it 180 degrees off. Can anyone clarify the order wires should be attached at distributor?

I installed a Porsche brand belt from our host and needed all 6 shims inside the pulley. It's tight, but not too tight, so the fan/alternator is definitely turning.

[Chocaholic]

Is this correct for a 3.2 Carrera?

[Chocaholic]

Sheesh. Tried the order above and car wouldn't even start. Now back to 1,2,3,4,5,6 with 6 being the same as in the pic above. 1 is where 2 is above and on around. Car starts but backfires, etc. No idea what could be wrong. Very frustrating...was looking forward to driving it tomorrow. Open to suggestions.

[SCadaddle]

On the SC's (and I'd guess most others) #1 is where there is a notch in the distributor and a "tab" on the cap that fits in the notch. Should be at about the 3 O'clock position on the distributor. Then it's a matter of looking at the decal that shows you which cylinder is which and the firing order...the decal being on the rear apron of the chassis left or right of the rear decklid latch receptacle.

[rattlsnak]

Do you know how to get the engine into TDC compression for #1 position?

[snbush67]

Clockwise 1-6-2-4-3-5. Your picture looks correct.

[timmy2]

When at TDC the rotor points at a small notch on the distributor rim. (or very close to it).

I think your #1 wire should be where the #6 wire is in your picture.

Get your car to TDC and then install the plug wires according to this:



Orientation is as viewed from the back of the car. standing above the engine. Cylinder 1 is on the left....

[al lkosmal]

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

Sheesh. Tried the order above and car wouldn't even start. Now back to 1,2,3,4,5,6 with 6 being the same as in the pic above. 1 is where 2 is above and on around. Car starts but backfires, etc. No idea what could be wrong. Very frustrating...was looking forward to driving it tomorrow. Open to suggestions.

The firing order for the 3.2 is 162435 and the rotation of the dizzy is clockwise, so the pic of the dizzy above looks correct. When you tried that order, did you also follow all the spark plug wires out, one-by-one, to ensure that they were connected at the correct cylinders. If you just re-arranged them at the dizzy you probably got the cables in the wrong order. Try it again.

regards,
Al

ps: the sticker shown in timmy2's post shows the firing order, the cylinder location and the dizzy plug wire orientation

[aigel]

Timmy2 has the key to the castle. You can't make up your own firing order 123456!!! The cylinders are named by location, not by firing order. The firing order is set with the timing of the valves and a fixed order that you MUST follow. Car will never run if you don't.

The cap can only go on one way. Make sure the wires are going to the correct corresponding cylinders. OEM wires have numbers on them. If you don't have numbers on them, label them for sanity on both ends.

Hope this helps!!! I'd be over for a cold beer if you were closer to help. It happens to the best!

G

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by timmy2

When at TDC the rotor points at a small notch on the distributor rim. (or very close to it).

I think your #1 wire should be where the #6 wire is in your picture.

Get your car to TDC and then install the plug wires according to this:



Orientation is as viewed from the back of the car. standing above the engine. Cylinder 1 is on the left....

You were spot on. I did as described, hit the key and she purrs like a kitten. As an added bonus, valve train sounds great!

The Pelican braintrust comes through again. Much appreciated.

[al lkosmal]

congrats....................we have all been there...multiple times.

regards,
Al

[ZOA NOM]

That's nothin... I installed my 1-2-3 pistons UPSIDE DOWN!

Ran a personal best lap at Infineon before discovering it.

[timmy2]

Buy the sticker from Pelican and put it on your car...
As Al noted, we have all BTDT ....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[al lkosmal]

As I'm reading this....................I am wearing one of these. Coincidence....I think not! The firing order must have been on my mind, this morning, as I'm working out the same type of plug wire confusion on my 2.7 test engine, using an EDIS ignition that has a completely different firing order than the 911. It's very straightforward and simple..I've done it a dozen times now........and i screw it up regularly...........................



regards,
Al

[uwanna]

Don't feel bad or embarrased. Many years ago, I rebuilt a '68 911L motor, complete with
88mm big bore jugs, modified flow heads, and many other improvements. It was not my first rebuild either! I acquired a real trick Vertex Magneto also.
Got it all back together, installed the magneto and hooked up the wires. Tried to crank it up and had your same symptoms. I was perplexed and discouraged to the point that I had some friends try to help me push start the damn thing. No go!
I then discovered I had wired the magneto in a 123456 order. DOH!!! I had always
fancied myself as a pretty good and thorough mechanic, but that episode sure humbled me! Happens to the best of us!

[Nick Triesch]

I have never done anything wrong to my car! Except for the time I had too small of an oil container under my car and 4 qts dropped on my driveway in about 6 seconds!!! Yikes!

[dshepp806]

GO,..Timmy 2!!!


Doyle