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Sambar won't start?

Discussion in 'Subaru Sambar' started by jmu97, Jun 12, 2008.

  1. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    I just picked up a used supercharged sambar from a guy for an great deal. We hauled it home and the guy assured me that it would start, the battery was dead so i didn't hear it run. He said it had been sitting at his house for a year and needed to get rid of it. Now that it is at my shop, it won't start. I drained the old gas, put new plugs in it, made sure the fuel was flowing, and made sure there was spark. The truck turns over but will not start, should I put a compression tester on it? or am I missing something. All the lights on the dash come on as in the cat light oil light and so on. What next? I am mechanically inclined so give it to me.
     
  2. Mighty Milt

    Mighty Milt Active Member

    yeah, i would put a compression tester on it, i have seen a lot of bad things happen to motors that have turbos and chargers on them.

    does it even feel like it's got compression? is there any resistance to the motor turning over? or does it just crank and crank?

    you said it's got spark, does it sound like it's catching? trying to fire up? are you sure it's getting fuel to the cylinders?
     
  3. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    If it's getting spark then I would think either/ or fuel filter & fuel pump from gas sitting in it for a year. They are both mounted on cross frame rail just in front of engine when looking through top hatch when standing on the L.H. side of the Sambar.
     
  4. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    Sambar

    It seems to not want to even catch or pop off. The motor does feel like it has some compression, but I don't know how much yet. The fuel pump seems to work as I am getting pressure through the fuel lines on top of the motor. How much pressure? Fuel filter I will check tomorrow, and the plugs seem to be wet when they are pulled out. Is there any safety electrical switches or EFI areas I need to look. Kinda irritated, cause it should start.
     
  5. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    Fuse box is under the dash to the left of the steering column
    and the ECU that runs the EFI is right behind the drivers seatback
    mounted to the back of the cab. Just move the seat forward and you can see it.
     
  6. lzpoor

    lzpoor Member

    i would spray a little carb cleaner into the intake see if it fires
     
  7. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    Man this thing is pissing me off, I have compression, fuel, and spark. Why won't this thing start!!!! I know mechanics and it is all 3 things. If there was no spark then it would be electric, no gas then it would be fuel system, no compression then it would be motor. OHHH I didn't do a leak down on the head and sh@t I didn't do anything with the exh. It could be plugged in the cat and I could have some blow by some where. That would be a bunch of ramblings, thanks for listening
     
  8. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    Also i did try ether, and ya that didn't work either. anybody got an idea
     
  9. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    So did you check the fuses? Just thinking out loud if the fuse that runs the EFI is different from the fuse for the fuel pump then you could have fuel pressure but the injectors might not be opening. Or maybe it's one of the sensors [MAP or?] in the EFI that is fubared and causing the grief, I have heard it said that you can hook a OBD [not OBD2] reader to the connector under the dash to get codes out of the diagnostic.
     
  10. Dan

    Dan Member

    I just went through some trouble shooting with another vehicle, similar symptoms, and He found that the timing was 180 degrees off.
     
  11. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    I was wondering about that aspect myself. Good point Dan.
     
  12. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    sambar

    here is the low down today. Fuses are good, the timing things is a thought i didn't have. I was thinking though that with efi your ignition is timed with your ecm and your cams. If your cams are 180 off then your hitting pistons and this motor looks like it has never been apart. The ecm could be a culprit, but how could one just go out from sitting. Taking this guys word for it, this thing ran up to the day he parked it. Timing great idea, but I'll have to update you on that after i put a light on it. Man just wanna get it running.
    Thanks for all the help
     
  13. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    anyone have a schematic?
     
  14. wendl

    wendl New Member

    could be that the timing belt is worn and it has jumped
    have some one hold the pedal down and turn it over for a good 15 seconds to see if it fires at all
    if not and your sure its getting spark to the plugs
    i would look at removing the timing belt for inspection
    it should be replaced at around the 80k mark anyway
    good luck
     
  15. Dan

    Dan Member

    I'm not sure about your engine configuration but, 180 off for the mitsubishi was as simple as flipping the rotor shaft 1/2 turn with the distributor loose. It just sits over a shaft and shearpin that fits a matching socket on the bottom of the distibutor. i suspect that a tuneup went wrong with the previous owner and didn't realise what had happened so it was abandoned as irreparable. It had to have been sitting for over a decade with only about 5k on the motor. The engine looked immaculate internally. does yours have some form of distributor or cylinder position sensor that could be flipped?
     
  16. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    Sambar

    I'll have to look and see, no distibutor with fuel injection. Which means it has some sort of crank sensor or cam sensor. Thanks for the info guys
     
  17. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    Uh no - It has a distributor. When you open the rear cover you can put your hand
    on it.
     
  18. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    sambar

    so today I was messing around trying to get this thing started when I heard a boom come from the motor while cranking. Can't figure out what the boom was but kinda sounded like a backfire. It was kinda cool because before that it sounded like it wanted to catch. So I sat down and started over troubleshooting and found only 25psi compression! What the heck sounds like I might be tearing down a motor. Any idea where I can get pistons and gaskets?
     
  19. lzpoor

    lzpoor Member

    i would recheck the timing belt and is this one cylinder or all that you are getting that reading on second may want to put some oil or marvel mystery oil in each of the cylinders let it soak maybe the rings are wore out or stuck
     
  20. lzpoor

    lzpoor Member

    then with oil in the cylinders retest for compression not sure what these have for timing markers on the pulleys
     
  21. jmu97

    jmu97 New Member

    poor sambar

    I'll have to do that and recheck th timing, I think i might just go get a new belt down at NAPA. The clunk just kinda wierd, but all cylinders are low on compression. Must be stuck rings or timing.
     
  22. Mighty Milt

    Mighty Milt Active Member

    if all cylinders are low on compression it could be indicative that the timing has slipped. the timing belt controls the cam in relationship to the crank. if your valve timing is off it won't build compression at top dead center. check that first before you do a complete teardown in seach of bad rings or otherwise.
     
  23. Timetripper

    Timetripper Moderator

    • If you can't get a timing belt at NAPA see my list in the "References" section for the correct part#'s to look for
    • These are "interference" engines as in if the timing is off [crank to cam] the piston meets the valve(s)
      result = you are going to be pulling the head because most of the valves will be bent
      and this could be why the compression is low
     

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