Wont start????

mike_hayward

Hi all

I'm currently helping a mate out, he owns a Y plate vectra SRI 150 with the Z22SE in it.

Recently the timing chain broke! :shock:

Anyway i took the head off, and he'd bent 4 valves, so had the head repaired with new guides etc and skimmed, i've refitted the head obviously with new head set etc, new balancer chain and timing chain kits.
Timed it all up as per autodata etc.

Tonight i carried out final repairs, and fired it up all seemed fine, now i hadn't connected the downpipe, so turned it off climbed under and refitted the exhaust.
Went to start it back up and eh it wont start notsure.gif

turns over fine, pulled the plugs out think 1 isn't working (these weren't replaced) so will replace them next, it is stinking of fuel seems to be a good spark but wont start!

The timing light comes on with ignition and stays on while turning over so i'm thinking there is a code stored now but untill i try new plugs and read the code i'm at a loss!

Any one ever had this?

mike

george

Had similar problem without chain snap but head gasket blew. Turned out cat had disintegrated internally blocking exhaust, this suffocated engine and blew head gasket. Went through same repair procedure as you not realising exhaust was blocked and whilst it started it kept cutting out due to engine chocking, Had to replace cat and mid box. dunno.. dunno..

vocky

might be worth disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes to reset it

if it still won't start try loosening the downpipe from the manifold - this will prove if the exhaust is blocked

mike_hayward

Ok bit of an update.....

Tonight first i attempted to start with new plugs and still no start , carried out a compression test, seemed very odd at first but results were approx 4 BAR accross all 4!!!!!

So started to think ok something i've done wrong, headgasket? timing out? lifters not squeezed enough? but before i broke down in tears i dropped the cat pipe off to try it and wahey! it fired up! all be it noisy!
So did a compression test and 14 BAR in all 4 cylinders!

so in a mad frustrated moment i decided to cut the CAT open and both pre and main cats seem fine! can see light throu them ok. refitted the pre cat and it ran still.

i'm suspecting the 6month old cheap kwik fit centre section has failed as it sounds very dense and solid to tap. planning to weld cat back together fit it, start it then so on piece by piece on the rest of the system.

Thanks for the help people and i'll let you know how it goes

mike

vocky

at least it's running again 🙂