4K starting problems

[John Larson]

I give up!  Well, almost.   I have THREE 85-87 4Ks here, 2 sticks and an
auto (parts car).  All belong to the same guy.  All 4 cylinder, all CIS-E.
Oh, he has a 4KQ here, too, with a crunched front end.  Front body parts go
to that one.  One of the sticks and the auto start as they should, with good
steady spark while they're cranking.  The other one cranks fine but usually
doesn't catch until you release the key.  Worse when it's cold, BTW.
Swapped in everything I can think of that might have bearing on the problem.
Added a relay to assure full battery power at the coil, ignition control
unit, and knock sensor control unit.  Changed the starter because the old
one seemed to have a lot of drag.  New ignition switch, tried another
battery.  I'm missing something ............................................
Any ideas out there?

BTW, we have LOTS of parts here, and most of them are for sale.  I'll try to
get an ad on the Marketplace in a few days


John