Car won't start after engine install! Please help!

[mike185]

​Im desperate need of help as I am at a loss. I have just installed a willi engine into my 16v and all was going well till I tried to start it. When turning the ignition on the fuel pump does prime but it makes a struggling whine compared to the conifident higher pitched noise it used to make?!? And then when I try to start it makes an awful grinding noise!?!? It sounds like the starter motor is not engaging propperly, but I have checked and it's mounted correctly. It seems as if it doesn't have enough power to prime the pump or fully engage the motor?! Please help cos I am stuck. Cheers mike

 

[The Fatty]

have you checked the battery voltage with a volt meter?

 

[mike185]

Yeah the battery is fine!???

 

[The Fatty]

when you say it is fine, what voltage is it showing with a voltmeter?

 

[mike185]

It's reading 12.8 v

 

[Cupman29]

It's the cranking amps you want to know not the voltage.

 

[mike185]

Cranking amps?????

 

[MicKPM]

Check your earth's to the gearbox and engine... Something isn't connected properly.

Mick

 

[mike185]

Have tripple checked and still no luck????

 

[Chip-mk1]

Certainly sounds like an earthing issue.

Perhaps something has become damaged within the loom?

Is the main earth strap onto the gearbox connected?

Try putting a jump lead from the battery negative to the engine to make sure.

 

[MicKPM]

Have you used the 16v engine loom that is from your car or did you use the Williams loom? If you used the Williams there's a potential problem straight away as the Mk1's had about 4 different loom specs prior to the MkI Ph3

I still think something is either not connected, has a poor connection or is broken. It's been a while since I've touched a MkI but I seem to remember the screw down battery terminals were "funny" should so check these if you have them.

Mick

 

[mike185]

Have tried the jump lead trick and has made no difference! As for the loom it is the 1 from my 16v as the Williams loom that came with the engine is identical. How would I go about finding if something was broken??? Cheers

 

[MicKPM]

Multimeter, a keen eye and patience.

 

[mike185]

Sounds complicated lol just don't know where to begin!!!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Are you still using the 16v ecu?
If not, try it.

 

[The Fatty]

as other have said, 12.8 volts seems fine on the battery. What you want to do is she how much the voltage drops across the batter when turning the engine over. If its drops a lot, then you havent got a earthing problem but rather a weak battery problem. If the voltage stays almost the same, then you have an wiring fault somewhere. you can also do this test using an ammeter in line with the battery...

 

[mike185]

Right I have managed to get it to turn over but I'm not getting any spark now!!????

 

[mike185]

Sorted finnally!!! Yippee!!!! The starter motor was missing the locating dowel and the fuel supply and return were on the wrong way round! Thanks everyone for your help