problem starting rebuild

[a7xh7]

i have this posted on the other forum as well.

situation is newly rebuilt engine, stock fuel system and ecu, stock ports. i've been trying to get it started for the first time but it is not happening. deflood procedure is where im at now..

concerns:
-- 2 inches of free play at clutch pedal, is the clutch disk partial engaged during cranking? <--- not sure if this could cause problems starting since the motor seems to be turning at a good speed, also im not hearing any funny noises that indicate that it is dragging..

-- battery issues? i have a charger that i use to charge it since it seems to die after 3 cycles of 10 second cranking

what is working:
-- fuel. fuel filter newly installed. cleaned/flow tested injectors.
-- no codes
-- new spark plugs

thanks! im out of ideas what else to do since this is my first rebuild :ack2:

[mazpower]

Have you verified spark? Did you get your home & trigger (NE & G) connectors backwards on the front of the engine?

[a7xh7]

do you mean the CAS sensors? those are connected correctly i just checked :)

funny thing i haven't verified the spark yet, never hard problems with it prior to teardown, that will be my next step

[mazpower]

If you have the two connectors reversed, it definately won't start.

Check for spark, if you're getting spark then you should be getting fuel as well. Make sure you have your fuel feed & return lines right, that can cause it to not start and its an easy mistake to make.

[a7xh7]

having trouble verifying spark with 1 person.. will a wire tester like this work? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CODRMM or do i need one that provides a reading. also, are inline testers preferred?

[mazpower]

You can use a flat blade screwdriver to test it, route a leading spark plug wire so its near the shock tower, insert the screwdriver into the wire, and place it near one of the nuts on the tower. You can see & hear it from the driver's seat.

Or you can get a timing light and see if it flashes. No flashes = no spark.

[a7xh7]

i got the tester i linked above, a local auto parts place carried it.. not lighting up.. but it is not lighting on my running miata either when i cut the fuel and crank. guess i got the wrong tool.

i tried the screwdriver method but i'm unable to produce the spark on the fd or miata

[dudemaaan]

one thing that helped me diagnose things by myself was to run an extra wire to the starter solenoid with a switch on it in the engine bay driver side. That way i could crank the engine and look for spark or other issues easily. (key still has to be in the on position)

You can pull the wires from the spark plugs.
get a spare spark to plug into the individual wires
then ground out the plug against pretty much any metal surface in the area.
crank the car and look for spark

To me this is the easiest way to check for spark

[a7xh7]

i tried to ground the plugs as well, using alligator clips with a wire running in between. one clip was attached to chassis and one end to the threaded portion of the plug.. however i saw no spark when cranking. i couldn't get it to work when testing the same method on my working vehicle.

also, i tried a inline tester in my working vehicle, like the other tester it only lights when the engine is running and not during cranking with fuel fuse pulled.

how subtle is the spark using the ground-the-pulled-spark plug method? am i just blind lol, i dont hear any sparking either.. maybe i do need to be closer to the plug or tester when cranking. how does the remote cranking u rigged up work without depressing clutch, or is clutch out of the picture since you are directly activating the starter solenoid. this is frustrating! :(

[dudemaaan]

If there is a spark there you will see it. I don't know if you could hear it if you're inside the car. Yes my method by passes the clutch switch. It's very easy to do. You can rig a quick one up by getting 4 ft of wire strip it back wrap the wire around the starter solenoid and the other end just touch to the + side on the battery. Would take like a minute to hook up.