Hi all,

I have a Mk4 Escort Van which has been converted to 1.6 CVH EFI (XR3i) by the previous owner...I have had the van for around a year or so but its never seen the road since the engine conversion as I bought it off him pretty soon after he did it...

The van always has been able to start albeit after a few turns of the engine and keeping your foot down on the accelerator...it would then start and run fine

Recently, it began to miss when it did fire up and the revs used to rise up to 2k and back down to idle and then back up again...

I had enough by then, and proceeded to strip the interior out and pull the heater matrix out so I could sound deaden the interior etc.

About 3-4 weeks back, I went to start the car and it just would not start no matter how long I cranked the engine for...in the end, I changed the following...

Plugs
Crank position sensor
And renewed the wires going from the crank position sensor to the EDIS module
Even bypassed the fuel pump relay

Still doesnt start!

Definitely spark coming and can smell petrol after cranking for 20 seconds or so

I know for sure its sparking as if you remove the inlet crossover pipe and spray easy start or brake cleaner etc into the throttle body, it literally catches and the engine fires up straight away and continues to run until you turn the key off...it runs perfect! No misfire, no hunting, idles perfect! Rev it all you like and its as though nothing has happened!

However, I can turn the engine off, and then start the car within a second of turning it off, and it wont start again...

Can any one help and point me into another direction that I may have overlooked?

Thanks for any help...im pulling my hair out now!

Oh and one thing worth mentioning, there is no coolant in the engine yet and the fan switch is disconnected...however, the van used to start like this no problem as I was moving it back and fourth to do the work