4m engine woes in a mx23

[_gear2]

It all seemed to start when I had to replace the fuel pump, the car was running fine but after the replacement the engine started to get erratic. When I was driving the engine would just cut out. Its not like the car stalls and slams to a holt, it like the ignition just dies for about 10-20 seconds then kicks back in again. Then the car started to cut out completely until the engine came to a complete stop but the reds stay on. About 70% of the time it starts again straight away but on occasion I had to leave it for about 5 min for it to start up.
Finally it died completely and after testing it there was no spark going to the dizzy. So I got the car towed and at the garage it just started straight away again.. no problems. But after 30 min of driving it the same problems kept occurring, and once again it died completely. I called up the nrma they tested it and no spark going to the dizzy (though they where able to get it started buy running a line straight from the battery to the dizzy). So I got it towed to a garage they checked the coil, igniter, the dizzy and there was nothing wrong. They did the timing and tuned the carb. And 100m down the road it died. Took it back and they still couldn’t find anything wrong.
Though now it only seems to cut out when I am slowing down, frequently when im turning a corner but it happened twice when I stopped at the lights. Though when going down hills the car seems to backfire. And often when starting the car back up the engine rattles and makes what can only be described as a muffled backfiring noise. Anybody got any ideas what could be wrong? Or where even to start fault finding?

[gianttomato]

You could solve the problem by selling the car to me.

Check connections and make sure nothing is loose. Intermittent faults are 100% fucked up. Then systematically replace items in the ignition.

However it is interesting that all this trouble seems to have started immediately after replacing the fuel pump. I recall one incident where my then girlfriend had a fuel pump replaced and within 1 km of the servo, the car died. I went over to check and saw the float window in the carby had no fuel - as it turned out the new pump was fucked. Just check that your shiny new pump isn't the problem.

[_gear2]

ahah when i put the fixed pannels and i weld the new sills on to it i will seriously consider it...

oh yes i forgot to say im running a 5m-e setup.

[gianttomato]

You mean just the dizzy and igniter don't you?

[_gear2]

yer just the dizzy and the ignitor.. maybe its just a sign to go ahead and do an engine conversion, though i would prefer to have the body fixed before i did that.

[gianttomato]

Hmmm....when I did that to mine, the wires that ran from the dizzy to the coil/ignitor were pretty tight. Same for you??

[_gear2]

as u can see from the photos it is rather tight.. my first thought was that it was the fuel pump but the fact that we keep testing and finding no spark going to the dizzy..
in al.
and because your the mark II go to guy.. do you think It would be worth while simply converting to a 7mge for a relative quick conversion or with the cost of 2jz these days heading down that direction? (just getting a 2JZGE with W58 from JZA80 supra). im not really concerned with the mounts and the exhaust and such.. but the electrics for me is rather daunting . and would I have to go further then the simple magna and 4runner brake upgrade?

[gianttomato]

An engine conversion for what is just going to be some dodgy wiring/buggered coil or igniter is pretty full on.

A few painstaking hours with the multimeter and test lamp should sort this out.

[Gavatron]

Check all the little nuts on the ballast resistor, little wires to/from the coil etc. This is what caused my erratic running and eventual non-running. TURN THE IGNITION OFF FIRST THOUGH! I got zapped

[Mundoolun]

Check all ignition leads aren't cut and arching on to distributor body. Also check rotor, distributor cap for cracks or white carbon tracs. Also check the volatage regulator little box above battery is not faulty only $40 dollars new from auto eletrician. Also check you do not have a wire loose arching on engine or metal parts. Hopes this helps. Borrow a coil and check to see if it is the problem. Also check ignitor. I used a bosch two wire one as I could not source a toyota one. Get car runing and check output of altenator. If stuffed just replace it.

[gianttomato]

Also check wiring to fuel pump.

It's a mechanical fuel pump.

[_gear2]

so after running over the engine bay with a multimeter and test lamp i didnt find anything that was playing up.. grrr. But on my second pass the coil was acting erratic.. and after replacing the coil, it has seemed to of fixed the iginiton problem. So much for paying someone $60 to test it for me. But it seems im not out of the woods just yet.. and all seems to be coming back to my shiny new fuel pump.
the car has 'died' a few times but now it always starts up with no problems.. but now going around corners at slow speeds and starting at the lights is rather problematic. its seems that fuel just stops running to the engine.. the car doesnt cut out. Just runs out of gas and depressing the pedal does nothing it usually just kicks back in after 5 - 10 seconds. I have also noticed that i need to pump the pedal in order to get the car to accelarate properally.
so when checking the fuel pump what should i be looking for? also on that note i know the carby needs a service.. which im sure isnt really helping the problem. thanks for all your help so far guys.

also gianttomato are the sills on a mx13 the same as a 23?

[Gavatron]

Sounds like a carby problem. Perhaps the accelerator pump or fuel bowl level/float?

[_gear2]

humm.. il take a look at it or just get it serviced.. just wondering on one of the 4m's i had the pervious owner had it using a Weber 32/36 carby would it just be worth while to get that serviced and use it instead?

[Gavatron]

Think I saw an adapter for a 32/36 on the Redline website. Does the car have any work done to the motor? My 4M in the Crown is running the standard carby and it runs beautifully. Auto choke works great and it runs great.