89 Cavalier - spark, no fuel, no start

[hupkwondo]

Got a 89 with the 2.8 MFI engine from my brother-in-law that had broken a rod and threw the pieces through the side of the block. Got a RECON to replace it and worked over the summer with my son to install it. We've got it in, but the thing won't start. Took me a few hours yesterday to get the spark sparking - turned out to be faulty connections at both the crank sensor and the ICM. Now, plenty of spark but no fuel - pulled a couple of plugs after cranking on it long enough to wear a new battery down and they are as dry as the Sahara.

Took the plenum off and plugged noid lights into the injector harness. They flicker merrily along. Tested pressure at the fuel rail and it cycles up to 40 psi after turning on the key, drops back to zero shortly after turning off the key.

I've read a lot of posts that suggest pulling the fuel rail and looking at the injectors, but I'm hard pressed to believe all 6 injectors would clog simultaneously, but stranger things have happened. The only thing that gives that theory credence is I did pull the intake manifold off the old engine several months (like 8) before putting it on the new one. Maybe that gubered up all 6 injectors, but I'm doubtful.

No codes out of the ECM - I don't even think its involved yet as I thought it didn't do anything until the engine RPM reached over 400. Most of the scan tools I've seen start out.....with the engine at idle...which I where I'm trying to get to!

I read a post somewhere that seemed to think the EGR valve could cause this type of problem. Is that worthwhile looking into - its easier to remove and clean that then the injectors.

I'll probably spend the day looking at the EGR valve - I had planned to test all the sensors, TPS, IAC, MAT and so on, but if the noid lights are a flickering, seems all those are at least within tolerance, no?

Any suggestions you've got are welcome, even ones that you think I had already looked at - I could miss something trivial. I did check all the ground wires and such - keep going back to the noid lights wouldn't work at all if those were faulty.

Thanks in advance,

Greg

[hupkwondo]

Hi all,

Some additional information. I hooked up a vacuum pump to the EGR valve and it doesn't hold a vacuum. Seems like it needs to be replaced. I plugged a vacuum gauge into the line going to the EGR valve and cranked the engine a bit. No vacuum, but I did get a nice flame and backfire out of the hole where the EGR valve was previously mounted.

Got me to thinking about the firing order. I double checked the firing order with the decal on the front of the engine compartment and all seems in order. However, I checked it with my Chiltons and the Chiltons shows cylinders 1-3-5 to be on the backside of the engine (near the firewall) and 2-4-6 on the front of the engine (near the radiator). Stamped on the intake manifold, 2-4-6 is on the backside and 1-3-5 on the front (this is the way I've got the firing order rigged). Am I nuts or is 1-3-5 in the front and 2-4-6 in the back?

Thanks again,

Greg

[lexxxx]

is the fuel line gloged from sitting or something. my grandpa had an old toyota celica that sat for about three years and when he went to start it. it wouldnt start. he check every thing he could. took the fuel line off going to the carbuerater and no fuel going out of it. then he checked the fuel pump that he put in and it worked. so to fix it he got an air compressor and atached it to one end of the line and opend it up after that it started right up after he got the dirt and stuff that settled in the line. it was odd but it could hapen. you dont half to take it all apart just open one end and see if there is a fuel flow

[big dude1]

NEVER use a chiltons manual... i dont mean to badmouth chiltons but if i was you i would invest in a haynes manual they are much better and more descriptive...

[public]

I use both manuals as they address different areas of the car in differing levels of detail. But Haynes IS more informative. As for this car I would time it from scratch without regard to the conflicting book/cast in numbers. Good Luck.

[hupkwondo]

Just to provide some closure - I know this is keeping you awake at night....

First of all, Chilton's was right. I'm used to the old V-8's so I figured rotating the engine 90 degrees wouldn't change the cylinder numbering, 1-3-5 in front and 2-4-6 in the rear. Boy was I wrong. Cylinders 1-3-5 are in the back, near the firewall and 2-4-6 up front by the radiator. So, I had the firing order rigged wrong, and not only that, the fuel injector harness was wired wong too. So, I pulled the plenum, re-ran the fuel injector harness, corrected the firing order and viola, the engine started right up. Purrs like a kitten too.