[V8] ANOTHER V8 won't start...and I am stumped!

[Buchholz, Steven]

Hey Ben!  Always great to hear from you ... and good to know that you're
still hanging out on the V8 list!

The only time I got the fast crank it was when the timing belt went ...
but you've already verified that.  I seem to remember a post from
someone who had seen a situation where the oil system overpressurized
and effectively pumped all the lifters up enough so that the valves were
not closing ... does anyone else remember this?  Of course a compression
check would tell you if this might be a possibility ... 

The other thing that might be a clue is the IAT sensor code ... if you
check everything out per the manual and you still get the code it makes
me think that there might be a ground problem that is screwing up the
ECU.  It is true that the ECU gets its ground from the dedicated wires
that attach to the back of the block on the LHS ... what sort of shape
is the main braid from the frame to the block?  

Good luck!  It is good to have a challenge every once in a while ... ;-)
Steve B
San Jose, CA (USA)
> 
> Here's the situation: The car is a 91' 5 speed that doesn't 
> get driven a
> lot. Timing belt water pump and rebuilt heads went on less 
> than 15k miles
> ago. Plug wires, caps, rotors, plugs were done at the same 
> time. About 3
> weeks ago, I started it up to move it in the driveway and 
> after about 4-5
> seconds of running, it just died. I tired to restart it and 
> it doesn't even
> try. It turns over fast, like it has no compression or like 
> the timing belt
> is broken. Fearing the worst, I pull a the driver's side 
> timing belt cover
> for inspection and the belt is fine. My next suspect is the reference
> sender. I know they go bad all the time as I have now put two 
> in this car.
> The one that is in there is less than 10k miles old, but I 
> swap in a known
> good one anyway...same result, no start, fast crank.
> 
> So, feeling dejected and defeated, I walk away and leave the 
> car. Finally
> this weekend I get the chance to dig into it and see what I 
> can see and here is where I am at:
> 
> I get only one code and it is Intake Temp Sender. I KNOW that 
> won't kill the
> car, but I check resistance and it is within spec AND I swap 
> in a known good one. Still no start.