engine and drivetrain starting engine on MS3x after sitting for a few years

[///mChris]

So it's been a few years since my 2.2L engine has run on it's webers.

I'm finally starting my engine with ms3x, early e21 intake, ls2 coils, bosch ev14 injectors.

After sorting a list of issues, I've gotten it to fire.

It coughs, sputters and backfires. The plus get coated in a oil/gas combo pretty quickly.

Any first start recommendations?

[fiftytakedowns]

fire extiguisher.

and double and triple check that ALL of your spark settings are set up correctly, Dwel angle, initial measurement of TDC etc.

[roadhog0]

What are you running for ignition. Pertronix? I put a Pert on my car designed for a revers dizzy and it had similar effects.

[///mChris]

I'm using Coil per cylinder via the LS2 Coil.

The TDC is set staticly.. That I'm pretty sure of.

Dwell.. Not sure what that should be... Any idea?

[ar_kid]

Might be easier to tell if the firing order is good using a squirt of easy-start and the injectors unplugged.

If you’re running a wideband sensor it’s worth powering it from an independent battery so you can log cranking and start up. Otherwise by the time the sensor has initialised the engine is already into the warm up cycle.

Are you running batch or sequential fire with those coils?

[///mChris]

I'm running sequential injection and sequential spark.

I am running a wideband sensor (AEM). Are you saying to put the wideband on it's own battery? The 02 sensor doesn't start to come into play until the engine is warm. I am nowhere near warm.

[ar_kid]

Exactly, the O2 sensor has its own heating element but can take 10 to 20 secs before it’s ready for action by which time you will have already lost the cranking and after-start data.

Only needs to be temporary connected while you get start up dialled in.

[Harv]

I'm running sequential injection and sequential spark.

How have you fed the MS cam timing?

John

[jimk]

Pre start checks as per Haltech. Disable fuel injectors, remove spark plugs, set timing to zero, crank engine with timing light to check that zero is ok.

Restore spark plugs, reset timing to program values, enable injectors and attempt to fire.

If coughing still, the fuel is too lean, enrichen 20%, try again. Warm engine fully before tuning idle so as the cold air and fuel enrichments are not in effect. Go from there for the day.

Next cold starts, concentrate on the prime, post start settings and cold enrichment settings in that order. On later starts the cold prime and post starts may need tweaking.

With EFI (relative to fuel), the first that happens on a start is the last to have set correctly!

[///mChris]

My cam timing is fed by a distributor I built. I used a 320i dizzy and modified it to use a hall sensor from a jetta.

I followed the standard startup. without fuel and spark, check timing, apply fuel and spark. It backfires alot which makes me think there is unburned fuel.

I cleaned the sparkplugs last night. I'll try again.

[TKMad]

Usually when they sound like that it is an ignition problem. Could you be 180 degrees out of phase?

[///mChris]

I agree it sounds like an ignition issue.

I've tried going to wasted spark and semi-sequential to rule out the cam sensor.

To get an idea of what I've done to double check the timing...

I put the engine to TDC compression on #1. Verified it by full overlap on the cam for cylinder 4, a notch on the cam pointing up, keyway on crankshaft pointing up, front bolts on cam gear alligned.

The crank pulley was set by Tom at 02again (Thanks tom!). The keyway locks the configuration on it. The sensor reads tooth #1 at 80 degrees BTDC, which is standard for EDIS. I then set the cam sensor to tell if #1 is at compression TDC or exhaust TDC by rotating the distributor to align it.

http://www.msextra.com/doc/ms3/trigger-wheel.html#dualmiss

[fiftytakedowns]

TRy swapping in a Stock Distributor and see if you can run it for a little bit on that. should take toooo long.

[slash02]

My cam timing is fed by a distributor I built. I used a 320i dizzy and modified it to use a hall sensor from a jetta.

I followed the standard startup. without fuel and spark, check timing, apply fuel and spark. It backfires alot which makes me think there is unburned fuel.

I cleaned the sparkplugs last night. I'll try again.

I don't know how accurate that is going to be... I'm doing mine via the camshaft.

http://77e21.info/mscop.htm

[beast02er]

I was 180 out when I was trying to start....cranked a bit and the popped out the exhaust. Swapped plug wires and was all good.

I'm liking the look of your set-up...looks more classic than the 318i.....I might have to go that route eventually!

-Bryan

red73