Start at the coils, and work back until you find where the signal is broken. One of the clamp on amp meters might be helpful.

 

If you don't have a spark output at the ECU, then you know where the problem is.

 

I have a digital multi meter. That's about it.

 

Check for signal before the coil pack. I would have to look up the amperage of the signal but its just a 5v trigger signal. An oscilloscope would be ideal but something might work. If you aren't getting spark at the plugs, and you're ECU says its doing what it should be then there is a problem between the ECU and the coils, either a broken wire, a bad ignition driver, or an unplugged wire.

Unplug the ECU connector and check connectivity with the multimeter between the coil pack connector and the ECU, that will help narrow it down too.

Also I just remembered that my timing light can catch the 5v pulses to my COPS, so that could work too.

 

I own none of these tools and diagnosing electrical gremlins is way over my head. I understand the basics but thats about it. This sounds more and more like I should just open my wallet and pay someone else to do it because I don't want to spend another two months troubleshooting.

 

Timing light and multimeter would do it. I haven't been fully caught up but does the stock ecu still give you spark?

 

I wouldn't even attempt to run the stock ecu on this car. Tons of sensors that were present from the factory are missing.

The MS and all of this wiring is exactly the way it was when it was running. The motor has changed and I extended a few wires. The wires I extended were for the cam sensor, coolant sensor, and oil pressure sensor. I have already established with composite logs that both the cam and crank signals are now perfect.

 

Can you unplug the injectors and try and get the coils to spark. Because it really sounds like an ecu or a wiring problem.

Sixshooter, would you be able to do a continuity test with the multimeter? If you have continuity between the ecu and coil packs, and you have tried different coil packs and plugs, then you either have bad luck or its the ecu.

 

Have you seen my thread when I had a very similar issue?
https://www.miataturbo.net/engine-pe...d-issue-77427/
I sincerely feel bad for you and have no advice other than try what I tried in my thread.

The kicker is I sold the whole engine to dopple, who threw it in and it fired right up. Blows my mind still to this day.

 

That thread was so depressing. It did make me want to recheck my mechanical timing after how many times you did lol. One encouraging part is that my composite logs look perfect. I need to run the ms in test mode and check the injectors and spark again.

 

ITS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

http://vid1286.photobucket.com/album...psakkjeoz0.mp4

I don't have a youtube account and I can't figure out how to directly embed the video from photobucket. I also filmed this vertically like a noob but I was more focused on the car than the video.

 

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
YISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS



so what was the culprit?

 

I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say it was the backassward cam?

 

Was the VVT thing just put together wrong?

 

So far we haven't disassembled the VVT cam gear but it looks like we might have to anyway. We noticed another marking on the cam gear that was located at exactly the right degree that the cam appeared to be off. So we set timing with the other mark and then it fired right up. The problem is that when we are looking at pictures of how you set timing on a VVT cam gear the original slot marking that I used is the correct marking and the little dot marking that we are using now is not the right mark. Everything on the actuator can only bolt together one way due to the bolt spacing so I am really confused as to how it could be off 90*. Something is not right and it looks like we are going to have to take it back off.

 

and I know for a fact the vvt gear doesn't have 90* of adjustment, lol
weird, but at least you have a car that fired up already, and making progress.
really happy for you

 

The pin on the cam, that locks the vvt gear in place, is barely bigger than 3-4 other holes and slots on the back of the cam. If you wrech it down tight enough, you could put it on the wrong hole. Rotate it until it slides on smoothly and easily.

 

brain just exploded from all the possible innuendo's

 

And he didn't even mention lube :(

 

DING DING DING We have a winner. The cam gear slid on the dowel in the wrong hole. It didn't really fit but the bolt held it tight enough. It was a super easy fix and it started up no problem once I put it back together. There is a lot of little things that need to be messed with but I should be able to drive it to the exhaust shop next week to get the midpipe mounted to the downpipe so I can start driving the car on the street. Tomorrow I am going to start buttoning everything up.