200 problems, the answer

[james accordino]

I think Phil's the winner in this pool.  He's the
first one "I" know of who positively identified this
problem.  Bolts not torqued correctly.  Belt loads and
Accel/Decel ram the key back and forth, beating it
into submission.  Now the timings all over the map.
Retarded when you don't want it.  Way advanced when
you don't want it.  Cool, really glad you finally
figured this out.

Jim Accordino

--- John David Anderson <janders1 at mix.wvu.edu> wrote:
> Nicholas  Lawrence wrote:
>
>
> >Saw your recent post about changed cam timing.
> Could possibly someone
> >changed the distributor timing at some point to
> follow wrong cam
> timing? I
> >know this is not the way to adjust timing on this
> motor but it does
> effect
> >where the window inside and the rotor line up.
> >
> > And another thought, I would like to share my '90
> 200 experience. Soon
> >after bringing my car home to Ohio from Iowa it
> developed a peculiar
> >starting problem.  Started ok in morning, drive 30
> miles to work ok,
> start
> >fine in eve and drive home. But if I stopped the
> engine it would not
> start
> >again.  Spent much time and questions trying to
> figure it out. On day I
> >found the cam timing off so I retimed and all was
> well, till it moved
> again.
> >The keyway for the crank pulley ( harmonic
> balancer) was gone. Crank
> pulley
> >was creeping
>
> Well I'd like to thank and curse Nick at the same
> time for definitely
> winning the diagnostic prize of the year as far as
> I'm concerned.  As
> it ends up this was EXACTLY the problem.  Diagnosis
> should have been
> much faster (in hindsight) but this is how it went.
> Yesterday I found
> the belt "apparently" slipped 3-4 teeth.  Reset
> correct, car ran like a
> top for 15 minutes, stopped (I stupidly thought
> because of some nagging
> vacuum leaks whatever.)  Look it all over before
> putting cover on, hmmn
> seems as if I should have put it one more tooth
> forward (this was the
> critical error I missed, I had placed it correctly
> but in fact things
> had moved which I did not appreciate.)  So today
> spent all morning,
> took valve cover off, verified on this cam pulley it
> is the first of
> two dimples, not  a notch that is correct mark.  Put
> it all in
> alignment using the flywheel mark, correct dimple,
> dizzy to mark, put
> the valve cover back on with new gasket.  Runs a few
> seconds.  Turn it
> all over a few times, look at it all, still all in
> alignment.  Fiddle
> with dizzy taking it in and out of where it should
> be timed, runs a few
> seconds each time some times, other times throws a
> 2113 code, other
> times not.  Getting real pissed off at this point
> then make the
> critical move, I had never WATCHED the flywheel
> right as I started
> turning it over, I'd crank it around looking at the
> cam pulley till
> about right then go look at the flywheel as it is a
> pain to lean that
> far.  So I notice DUH when I turn the crank there is
> a lag before the
> flywheel moves, turn the other way, same lag then
> move.  Now unless I'm
> using all my super power strength to twist the crank
> I think WE HAVE A
> WINNER.  Take the crank pulley off (the bolt is
> mysteriously loose of
> course) and there is absolutely no key left.  Crank
> is as new being
> much harder of course.  I had been missing this each
> time and the
> alignment "had not apparently changed" because every
> time I cranked the
> engine around into alignment the slack was caught up
> until it bound,
> apparently always in the same place.  Start the
> engine however and it
> slips instantly (or not so instantly) and randomly
> withing about a
> 10-20 degree range.  So no biggie I figure, go
> looking for one in my
> parts bins, all 4 cyl, then ahh one off that 100
> engine, rats stupid
> newer belt, one off a EV, entirely different.  Well
> that's OK dad's old
> mechanic who I scrounge bits like this off now and
> then has like 5 old
> blocks sitting in his shop, go down there, he tossed
> them all outside 3
> weeks ago and the junkman came for them about 4 days
> ago.
> AAAAARRRRRRGHHH.  He can get one for me for $18 new
> of course, takes
> about a week.  So this evening I stop at a total
> strangers who I've
> noticed has a few parts cars, the guy let me pull
> one just in exchange
> for the promise to bring it back in a week or
> whatever, I'm going to
> give him the new one of course.  So tomorrow folks,
> with luck and no
> rain, all back together.  We shall also answer the
> qestion of whether I
> have only an IA ECU or ECU and spring, though I'm
> unclear what was
> swapped when they put this engine in so the spring
> may be long gone
> with the old block.  Regardless we'll see how my
> Michelin Man can
> handle real boost 8-)
>
> Thanks again Nick, definitely the diagnosis of the
> year even though I
> didn't believe you when you told me.
>
> John
> janders1 at mix.wvu.edu
>


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com