Tracker wont start

[robbybobby]

Ok, so I am having a bit of trouble getting my tracker to start after doing several repairs. I am at a loss as to what's going on with it. Tracker:

1992 geo tracker 8v, 5 speed, 4x4 with a/c and power steering

After I got the tracker I had to replace many parts to get it going. Fuel pump, oil pan gasket, repair some things, etc. After doing those things, the tracker ran fine for several months. I noticed it was leaking oil down the back so I replaced the valve cover gasket and pulled the distributor to seal it up. Ran for a month or so.

Shortly after that I noticed a substantial oil leak from the front. Thought it was the oil pan, but after changing it out once with the oil leak still there I found out it was actually the front crank seal. So I parked it and didn't get around to working on it for a few months.

So just recently, I removed everything necessary to change the front crank seal along with the front housing seal as well. Replaced the oil pan gasket again. Torqued crank bolt to 94 ft/lbs. Set timing belt back per specs and it cranked right back up but was running poorly, and had to mash gas pedal to the floor to start. I drove it around thinking maybe it was because I hadn't driven it for a while (maybe 10 miles total), but I knew something wasn't right. Found out engine was flooding. Cleaned the EGR valve, got a new FPR (which stopped the flooding issue) but after the new FPR, the engine would only idle at 800 rpms and was still sluggish. Thought timing might have gotten off so I put a timing light on it. It was like 20-30 ATDC... Not sure how it was even running... So I took apart and re-timed... Couldn't get it to start afterward... Thought I'd do a compression test even though the engine wasn't warm since it wouldn't start... Cylinder 1 - 60, 2 - 120, 3 - 120, 4 - 120. Obviously they are all low... Compression test done with all spark plugs out, F1 fuse removed, fully charged battery, and gas pedal to the floor. Added oil to #1 to see if it changed and it did not.

Things I have done/tested/inspected:
new spark plugs gapped to 0.028"
Good spark to plugs
Fuel pump comes on for 3 seconds with turn of key
Timing belt replaced
crank cog and key in perfect shape (not damaged at all)
timed engine to #4 TDC, rotor pointing to #4 plug wire
cam gear aligned with nipple and slot at ~12 o'clock
crank gear aligned at ~12 o'clock
reset valve lash to 0.006" (some were slightly off but nothing major)

Obviously compression is not good... engine still won't start after all these checks and replacements...

At a loss here and need some help please. Bad compression tester? Getting fuel and spark. Compression is way low but engine was running fine a few months ago so I can't think that it all of a sudden went "bad"....

Thanks for any help,
Robby

[fixkick]

Hello robby and welcome
looks like the early 8valve cam cog wheel.
yes, the pans never leak, (not rusted thru, and not touched by other) the factory glue job is 100% perfect.

the cam is timed wrong. 120 is no good. as you said.
but why,
well with the crank at TDC per above (do not trust pulley marks, for now), make sure the piston really is at TDC. at spark hole
just put a flexy drinking straw in spark hole and jug crank 5-10" before and after the crank TDC mark, is the mark right?
was the crank key ok?
if TDC is real then , can see you belt is timed perfect, clearly, the cam cog is the old titty cog, and is super easy to time. (no false marks , good)
is the cam cog key , ok?

im sure the compression is low from cam timing off or crank. either can be off. (2 keys bad)

i can see above you did everything perfect.
make sure the piston really is at TDC when bottom cog is at TDC 12pm, if not the key did go bad.
i sure hope the gauge is ok./... that suck to be it...

the one clue is the spark was found way off,
tell me , you hand it right before but is off now Retarded, i think a key when bad and this is your proof,.... was ok not now....spark timing..
and it loves to do that the crank loves to advance the cog(walk ahead), and the cam is now late to move, retarded... and spark with it. of course.

do not truth the pulley marks, as it too has a rubber bond that can slip. trust only the cog wheel marks for now and key s.

---

btw nice work!!!!!

---

if compression is low
the ECU will over inject fuel
this is because there is only 1/2 and engine there, think 800cc engine. and way too much fuel
and 8v map sensor and tables, can not figure that out.

i presume flash codes are 12s.

---

150psi min,.... for sure,
if lower, there is engine damage so bad that its hopeless. but the gauge must work.
why is there 60 psi in there.
if say an intake valve leaks bad on #1, vacuum will bounce like mad and make the MAp SENSOR GO nuts.
but why are the others at 120.??.. seems like 2 problems. to me.
if say the cam key shears, all cylinders drop equally, seen 80 psi x4 , depends on slip distance...
did you try checking lash,
1,3,4,2 way, (at tdc each)
every 180degrees turn crank way, ? must be lash loose.
but if the cam slips before lash set, lash is now wrong.
id be all over keys, first. (eye balls glued to them...)

---

hope it is just defective key,,, something simple....and cheap...

[robbybobby]

I forgot to mention that I replaced the cam seal too, because it was leaking a little. When I removed the cam gear, I inspected the cam key, things were fine there, no damage.

I did check that #4 was at TDC when the crank cog was lined up at the 12pm mark, so things with the crank seem correct.

I did the lash on the valves by finding TDC on each cylinder separately.

So as far as I can tell, both the crank and cam keys are perfect, no damage found on either.

Could there be a chance it has the wrong cam gear on it and thus the cam timing is way off? I know this is unlikely, just not sure what else would be causing this.

This afternoon I plan to take the valve cover off and watch the valves as I rotate the crank to see if they align with TDC rotation for each cylinder... Only thing else I could think of to check...

[fixkick]

that is an early 8v cam cog. titty cog i call it, its not the 2 key cog "60a/80c", cog dual marked.
its good cog.
barrow another compression gauge, see if they agree?
less work than taking engine apart, for sure.
is your engine block marked,
G16Nxxxxxxx N =1992.
the 89-91 cam cog is 60A00 cog
92-95 is 60a01, cog.(cam)
seems your engine is older than 92 or is early 92. using 91 parts.
it's not a problem, my 91 had a 92 cog. from factory. (so was built with 92 parts)
this is common in factories, for sure just before July change overs.. to new year.

---

and it ran perfect before this and that never happen with a wrong cog wheel, or set to wrong marks.

---

lets blame tools first...... sorry to say but ...?

[robbybobby]

I will get another compression tester and see what happens...

But my question is this: Say the compression tester wasn't any good, and the compression is actually fine with the engine. Why would it still not start when I tried it? Cam timing lined up correct, fuel, spark, and valves lashed...

Should I take the throttle body apart to see if some carbon particles didn't clog something up after I cleaned out the EGR? May be blocking some port messing up vacuum or?????

Just trying to think of things to examine to determine the issue...

[fixkick]

your not at 8,000 foot altitude right?
as there,
compression could can be 120 at 8,000 feet .

[robbybobby]

your not at 8,000 foot altitude right?
as there,
compression could can be 120 at 8,000 feet .

Nope, located in Nebraska...

[fixkick]

150psi min, sea level.
cold.
170 hot engine. or more,
you got tons of air there, 14.7PSI, in fact, lots of air with lots of oxygen... and 80 HP.

Nebraska
high low, and avg.
5,424 feet 840 feet 2,600 feet

im at 550ft.

click to find feet.
http://www.daftlogic.com/sandbox-google-...titude.htm

[robbybobby]

So I checked all the valves while spinning the crank. All intake and exhaust valves proceed in order as they should and all Pistons hit TDC in between the intake and exhaust valves... This tells me the crank and cam are timed together correctly.

Double checked that the #4 cylinder was at TDC and rotor pointing to the #4 spark plug, and it was correct...

Everything seemed to be correct once again...

What next???

[robbybobby]

To my knowledge, the 1.6L 8 valve engines are static timed to the #4 piston at TDC. Ignition timing is done to the #1 cylinder...