Was - Did I kill my starter, ...? - Now - Please help me with my timing belt...
 

Hi after I redid my coolant reroute and changed fluids I stated my car today. Started well, then stumbled and won't start again. The loose sensor wire of my oil temp gauge might have hit my starter.

Now the car sounds a bit strange - like a wirring sound and doesn't start. Did I kill my starter or maybe?
After a while of cranking some white smoke came out of the intake... And I can smell fuel...

Maybe I give the starter a small push with the car in gear or hit the starter with a hammer...

I will also try to reload my firmware on the MS3 tonight and reload my MSQ. I think I might have corrupted the firmware...

Any other ideas?

Shouldn't of killed it. I grounded my socket wrench directly to the power bolt a number of times, that's always the point in engine removal that I remember to disconnect the battery.

Mine's been fine, 120,000 miles and still starting strong.

If the car is cranking then your starter is fine. I would look elsewhere.

I am a bit lost now here...

As I wrote above - The car started at the first try, ran for some second and now nothing. I cannot get reasonable RPM readings in TS,

This is how the car sounds, when I try to start:



I suspect something I can't really believe - could the cam belt be gone?
I couldn't see a thing because of the covers and the darkness...

Please help me out.

I will try to reflash the firmware tomorrow anyway... And I will swap my DIYPNP and see if it starts...

I fucked up your tube link, but it didn't work to begin with anyways. ----.

Should be working now...

Looks like no cam signal? What does the composite logger report?

Gonna look tomorrow... After the reflash.

If the engine is turning over really fast, it means no compression. I stongly suspect you've broken your timing belt. Pull your valve cover. It will tell the tale.

Fortunately, the Miata engine is non-interference, so this is actually not a big deal.

No compression, no valvetrain friction. No cam-drive!
BTW, that 'white smoke' is fuel. No smoking...

I am a non-smoker - so don't be afraid... ;)

I also suspect the cam-belt - the engine sounds so strange and turns over very easily...

I am going to pull the Cam-cover this afternoon.

Are there any good pictured How-to's about the cam-belt change online? I got the factory handbook but maybe there is something more pictorial out there...

You might as well tak a peek through the oil cap.

Update - so it's not the Cam belt - I had both the oilcap and the cam-sensor removed and both cams are turning, when I turn the crank...

I swapped in my DIYPNP and it's also not doing anything else...

Might have to swap another cam sensor in...

Here is a (very) short composite log:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1332499357

Maybe someone could have a look...

Not enough data in there, you need to crank more. However, the crank sensor signal does appear a bit odd.

I pulled the cam cover to have a look at the CAM belt - looks fine - though it seems to have some slack.

http://www.ingenieure-reichel.de/upl...2/mx25_001.jpg

http://www.ingenieure-reichel.de/upl...2/mx25_002.jpg

http://www.ingenieure-reichel.de/upl...2/mx25_003.jpg

Could you have a look if the timing marks and teeth between do look correct?

@Reverant - to get a longer logfile I will have to re-attach the cam cover.
Will do as soon as the timing verified...

I pulled a COP before I pulled the cam cover - there is no spark.
The MS3 is working - verified on the bench/stim.

@Reverant - nd the others off course too - here is a little longer composite log...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1332513957

Please have a look

Here is a pic of my composite log:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1332514800

And here a pic how the NB signals are ought to look:
http://img38.imagefra.me/img/img38/7...wm_5981b1a.gif

Looks like my Cam and Crank signal are out of sync??? The two following Cam signals should be inbetween two crank signals - looks like its a bit early just before the Crank signal - I am no expert on that, so please excuse my bad description...

BTW - what does the red line mean?

If both cam gears look properly aligned, then it looks like the crank pulley has jumped instead. All 4 teeth on the crank pulley should be fully contained between the 1 and 2 teeth on the cam gear. On your log, one of the crank teeth is between the two teeth of the cam gear.

I just edited my post when you replied...

This means a complete belt job I suppose...?!

I guess so.

Could someone explain the red line in the composite log please.

Errors. It usually pops up on the tooth AFTER the actual problem.

New pictures - exhaust cam slipped one tooth ?!
 

Here are some pics after I removed all the stuff:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332594802

Looks like my exhaust cam splipped one tooth - correct?

Here are some pics after I removed all the stuff:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332594802

But what bothers me is - why is my crank pin not at 12' o clock and why did someone (my previous shop that did put in my built engine) make a mark at that point (which aligns with the cam marks (at least with the intake cam at the moment... :loser:)
See pic:

Here are some pics after I removed all the stuff:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332595893

Edit:

More weirdness...
When I align my crank with the pin up like this
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332595893

I am at TDC for cylinder one... (I checked with a very scientific method...)

http://www.ingenieure-reichel.de/upl...2/mx25_008.jpg

With the Crank aligned like this the cams are standing this way:
http://www.ingenieure-reichel.de/upl...2/mx25_009.jpg

What the f...?

Was my check correct, do I have a brainbug, what is going on...?

Please help me out here...

Nobody?

Looks like the intake cam gear is off 1 tooth, which is what you are seeing on the composite log. I can't even tell what is wrong with the exhaust cam.

Your timing is totally hosed. Whoever put the belt on set the cams when the crank was at BDC not TDC it seems.

Pull the belt off, check to see that the pins are in the proper place in the cam gears, and redo the whole thing.

How would the engine run in that configuration?

I am going to do the whole timing again after I have seen that somewhat geeky but quiet helpful videos...

I turned my crank today some more times to see if I can find a spot where the marks all agree... but they where really totally off. As to bee seen in the first picture above it looks like the 1st cylinder was at ~BDC when the cams were at the marks.

How could an engine run this way for 2 years...? Most of all - my signals must have been so that the DIYPNP and the MS3 were able to ignite and inject?
Would this even be possible?

It won't have run in that configuration, the belt has just jumped that's all.

Sooo much... :eek: o.k. then - lets get on.
Assembly as soon as I got my water neck blocking plate and timing belt / tensioners.

Parts are rolling in..
 

Got the belts and tensioners today...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332931780

The freeze plug is installed:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1332931780

A lot of members, me included, put a plate over the freeze-out plug as insurance that it stays in position. A small weeping leak can be detected and overcome, a sudden empty system is another thing.

I should be getting that plate this afternoon - thank god I got a friend that can machine these things for me...

So I finally found the main problem that caused all that fuss... me...:vash:

Maybe I shoudl be renamed into Faezaphod or something like that...

When I tried to remove my front waterneck this winter I removed the upper cambelt cover in a very Fae-like way... (though I didn't use a sawzall, but a huge screwdriver..) I removed the cover, did see that there is much more to the waterneck removal - and reattached the cover. But a piece of the cover broke and got ripped of by the cambelt and mangled between cambelt and the crank cambelt pulley... - I suppose that was the point where my cambelt jumped over quite a large bit...

So on to the fix:
That is my third hand I used when setting the cams and attaching the cambelt..
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1333003686

Thats how it looks now - have to reassemble the rest today.
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1333003686
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1333003686

Greets

Just wanted to let you know that the car is up and running again.

At first I overtightend the belt - but the second attempt was good.

P.S.: I had the timing light to reference the timing and I have seen that there is no difference between the DIYPNP and the MS3 in timing for the 99-00.