1999 454 Mag MPI just quits - videos

Wow you guys are absolutely fantastic to each other. It's awesome
 
I appreciate the offers. The main thing I can't do right now is lift. I have able bodied sons that can do that for me. After Monday, it will be a different story. Starting an 8 week round that by all accounts should knock me on my ass. We shall see........
I promise video on start day. I expect some tapping while the lifters pump up, but hopefully not a lot.
 
I appreciate the offers. The main thing I can't do right now is lift. I have able bodied sons that can do that for me. After Monday, it will be a different story. Starting an 8 week round that by all accounts should knock me on my ass. We shall see........
I promise video on start day. I expect some tapping while the lifters pump up, but hopefully not a lot.
At first start up, hold at 1500-2K until lifters pump up.
 
I am down to throwing the plenum on and dropping the distributor. I always pressurize the fuel system prior to putting the plenum on to check for leaks. Sure enough, one of the o-rings got pinched. Rail was back off 2 times before I got everything seated. I always have a 10 pack of spare injector o-rings. It is way too easy to damage them when rocking the rail on.
I'll be ready for a startup by tomorrow, but the kids and grandkid are coming to visit, so it will have to wait until later in the week, depending on how I react to my first treatment. I can taste it, I'm so close......
 
I hope this goes good for you, so ready to see this engine run right!

I am down to throwing the plenum on and dropping the distributor. I always pressurize the fuel system prior to putting the plenum on to check for leaks. Sure enough, one of the o-rings got pinched. Rail was back off 2 times before I got everything seated. I always have a 10 pack of spare injector o-rings. It is way too easy to damage them when rocking the rail on.
I'll be ready for a startup by tomorrow, but the kids and grandkid are coming to visit, so it will have to wait until later in the week, depending on how I react to my first treatment. I can taste it, I'm so close......
 
All back together. Wasn't getting fuel through some of the injectors (probably from sitting for a couple of years), and I had a new set, so went ahead and replaced those. Now it's trying to start, but sputters a little, and then small backfires. Pressure is 35 at the rail during start. I am fiddling with the distro trying to get a good spot for it to fire. Triple checked the 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 wiring. Appears to have good spark at ignition and at plug 1. Will try all others just to be sure. May still have significant air in the rail as it was emptied when changing the injectors. I'll try bleeding for a while too.
I can only give it an hour or so in this heat before I have to give up for the day.
buttoned back up.jpeg
 
Hope it's just air in the system
 
Nope, there was significant corrosion on the pickup magnets underneath the coil on the distributor, which was probably causing all the cross fire and misfires I was having while trying to start.
I disassembled the distributor, put the shaft on the wheel and cleaned it up nice and shiny. Reassembled the distro, and now for the LIFE of me I cannot get it to seat all the way down to the intake. It's almost like the gear is wrong for the new camshaft that's in the engine, but I DID have it all the way seated before taking it apart. The gear is engaging, and turning the rotor, but it just won't get all the way seated. I don't have any leftover parts.
Yes the gear is on the right way, where the tang and sleeve are at the bottom. Yes, the side of the gear roll pin hole has a dimple mark in it at the bottom of the gear, and that is lined up with the slot for the rotor that allows the rotor to point in that direction. Yes, the distributor is the same length as the old distributor, which I cut the gear off of to make a pre-oiler. It's coming within 1/2 of an inch of seating, or what I would normally assume to be the depth of the tang, but I really think the tang is engaging, but perhaps not. I've tried just about every angle I could to get the gear to engaged, and then be over the slot for the oil pump shaft. the distro is not "just slipping" into that conical gear. IT's tight. I am at TDC using various methods. Now I'm getting concerned that the balancer is not 100% on the mark. Hopalite has got nothing on me when it comes to BS engine shit.
What's your technique for setting your distributor, assuming you have one of the older round cap 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 setups?
I'm about ready to start drilling holes in this thing and let it go down.
TDC pointing at #1.jpeg
Distro won't seat.jpeg
 
Nope, there was significant corrosion on the pickup magnets underneath the coil on the distributor, which was probably causing all the cross fire and misfires I was having while trying to start.
I disassembled the distributor, put the shaft on the wheel and cleaned it up nice and shiny. Reassembled the distro, and now for the LIFE of me I cannot get it to seat all the way down to the intake. It's almost like the gear is wrong for the new camshaft that's in the engine, but I DID have it all the way seated before taking it apart. The gear is engaging, and turning the rotor, but it just won't get all the way seated. I don't have any leftover parts.
Yes the gear is on the right way, where the tang and sleeve are at the bottom. Yes, the side of the gear roll pin hole has a dimple mark in it at the bottom of the gear, and that is lined up with the slot for the rotor that allows the rotor to point in that direction. Yes, the distributor is the same length as the old distributor, which I cut the gear off of to make a pre-oiler. It's coming within 1/2 of an inch of seating, or what I would normally assume to be the depth of the tang, but I really think the tang is engaging, but perhaps not. I've tried just about every angle I could to get the gear to engaged, and then be over the slot for the oil pump shaft. the distro is not "just slipping" into that conical gear. IT's tight. I am at TDC using various methods. Now I'm getting concerned that the balancer is not 100% on the mark. Hopalite has got nothing on me when it comes to BS engine shit.
What's your technique for setting your distributor, assuming you have one of the older round cap 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 setups?
I'm about ready to start drilling holes in this thing and let it go down.
View attachment 146856 View attachment 146857
Turn the oil pump drive shaft a CH with a socket. Don't drop it.
 
Same shaft on the pump?
Don't focus on #1 right now. Just see if you can get it to drop down trying different positions.
I use a long screwdriver for the pump rotation
 
Same shaft on the pump?
Don't focus on #1 right now. Just see if you can get it to drop down trying different positions.
I use a long screwdriver for the pump rotation
Agree, I've been around the world a couple of times trying different positions, so far with no luck. Using a mac daddy screwdriver to set the oil pump shaft tang. Man that frustrating, 2 hours at a time. I feel like the definition of insanity.
oil pump and shaft are new, and were put in by Innovation Marine when they assembled the short block for me.
The distributor is the same length as the old one, which does seat, but there's no conical gear on that one.
 
I don’t like that gap. That is more than the oil pump. How hard was it to pull that distributor out? If the length is right something is up with the gear.

If that distributor was tough to get out….the gear is the problem.

Who got it to seat before….you or Innovation?
 
Me. We were trying to start all last week and this when I could spend time on it.
Yes “old diz” probably 2 months on it before I started disassembling it. Got new cam and that distributor from the same place. ADT Ocala, engine builders.
 
Me. We were trying to start all last week and this when I could spend time on it.
Yes “old diz” probably 2 months on it before I started disassembling it. Got new cam and that distributor from the same place. ADT Ocala, engine builders.

Does the oil pump shaft have play in it?

I'm speculating that the distributor gear is landing off center on the pump rod and just sitting there spinning. That would match up with the distance to drop in and what you have been dealing with.

If that is the case.....then it won't drop in unless the geometry is right. Sometimes the cam gear pushes the distributor gear away from the mesh which creates the alignment issue so rotating the engine while trying to seat it doesn't work because the cam and distributor gears are not seated to each other.

We need to get the distributor to sit another 3/16" down so that the gear covers the top of the pump rod. Then a small rotation should let it drop in place on the oil pump rod slot.

distributor-install-tolerances-can-make-or-break-your-valvetrain-2022-03-22_11-29-16_638663-scaled.jpg
 

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