I need some help. Car won't rev or drive properly, I can't get any more RPMs / Power Options

[Steve Thacker]

I have a issue with the driveablility of my car.

First the info

1.\ 1974 2.0L engine. W/ good compression

2.\ Valves have been adjusted and double checked.

3.\ Timing set at 29dgs BTDC running Crane Optical unit, new coil, new wires, new plugs, new trigger points.

4.\ Fuel pressure at 29 lbs and remains steady (AFAIK)

5.\ TPS is new and the setting is dead on per spec.

6.\ Tested fuel injectors and they put out the desired pattern and amount. Checked connects also. They appear good.

7.\ MPS tested and all is good there.

8.\ All new vacuum hoses and they are routed to the proper locations

9.\ New head temp sensor and it measures correct via pblanders FI web page

10.\ Idle is set at 975 and it just hums perfectly.

11.\ Distributor appears to be ok and the pot moves the advance plates when vacuum is applied. Not sure about the centrifugal parts down below.

12.\ Clutch, pressure plate and all is is in good shape. Cable is adjusted perfectly

13.\ Checked grounds. (cleaned ground terminals for F.I harness.)


Here is the issue I'm having. The car takes off good in first, but you can't make it redline if you wanted to. This goes the same for any of the other gears. There is no rev limiter on the system. I can get it to rev past 6000 if I'm setting still. Just not in any gear as I upshift.

It just starts breaking up, when I punch it to the floor. I can even punch it to the floor while in second and and it just fights to get up to speed. The engine roars to life, but it labors doing so. I have to feather the gas to get it to keep the revs steady. You have to shift it fast to get the car up to speed from a light. As it breaks up in between shifts and I have to really hammer the gas. I went back to the bird site and got the instructions to check /set the TPS and that is good to go. I just do not know what the issue is.

I also notice that I can not leave it in fourth on the freeway as the engine just fights to stay at speed. I have to shift into fifth to get the car up to 70 miles per hour. And even then it will break up if I try to punch the gas any further to the floor. It is almost like I have to feather the gas pedal to get it to stay at 70 as any slight movement down on the pedal causes the car to struggle. I cannot get the car over 72 as it labors to go any farther. Something else I notice is the tach will jump up and down once in a while while keeping the gas at a steady place. I checked all behind the dash and other places looking for an electrical issue, but I do not see anything. I even ran a new wire for the ground side of the coil back to the front. No change even after doing this.

My question is. What the hell could cause it to do this?

I have run out of brain cells trying to decipher the issue.

Can anyone help?


THANKS !!!!

[Steve Thacker]

OK a update to my hell on earth...


Well I made myself one of those dandy static lights. It doesn't go completely out when playing with the timing, it just goes from bright to dimmer. Obviously I git it set to brightest and the car starts fine the first crank. You have no idea how happy that made me.

Now the fun stuff. My coil had good primary windings. However, the secondary were toast. So another trip to autozone for a new MSD 2 coil. Now the car starts great. No more Accel coils for me. This was the second one in a year.


More fun stuff
I'm having an issue with the car not able to get the car to smooth out. I was running dwell at 83. I re-gapped the points from .016 to .014 and now the dwell is 55. That is fine. Nice fat blue spark.

The not so fun stuff.

The car has never run 100% after the rebuild. So, I have to turn the dizzy too much and then the advance can hits the sides. The dizzy does not really line up with the bail wire for the oil fill. This made me suspicious. Based on how the car is running. I'll bet my sorry ass that the car is not only 180 out, BUT that the dizzy gear in the engine is not pointing properly. OR I have it BTDC on the exhaust stroke.

SOOOO... I'm going to go outside right now and pull the valve cover. Then turn the engine over until number 1 cyl valves are closed and the car on the compression stroke. I'm also going to check and see if the engine builder just happened to put the dizzy gear in upside down, With the small end at the top. I remember someone posted they had this issue and other talking about how to change it back to normal.

I smell success Fellas !!!!!

[orange914]

Well I made myself one of those dandy static lights. It doesn't go completely out when playing with the timing, it just goes from bright to dimmer.

o.k... corect me if i'm wrong but the "static light" should go out completely when the points are open. the grond is removed and the voltage is sent to the condensor... maybe something to do with killing the accel coils? the condensor may be leaking? or may have been a couple non resistor coil (doesn't the 914 use a resister coil?) could an incorect coil spike a condensor to cause leakage? did you replace it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Steve Thacker]

Well I made myself one of those dandy static lights. It doesn't go completely out when playing with the timing, it just goes from bright to dimmer.

o.k... corect me if i'm wrong but the "static light" should go out completely when the points are open. the grond is removed and the voltage is sent to the condensor... maybe something to do with killing the accel coils? the condensor may be leaking? or may have been a couple non resistor coil (doesn't the 914 use a resister coil?) could an incorect coil spike a condensor to cause leakage? did you replace it? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

HUMMMM damn good point there. The light is supposed to go out. But mine stays on all the time. It just goes from dim to bright as I move the timing. That might be the key on this one to add to the troubles I have. It does start when the light just turns real bright. On the first crank I may add.

To answer your question. The points and the condesor are new. That doesn't meant that the condensor is good I agree.

Maybe someone can chime in if a condensor can cause this side effect????

Anyone of you masters out there, can remember or answer this? I cannot recall.