Hi folks, building a mk3.5 fiesta 1.8 zetec on bike carbs. Having problems getting it to run at all. Pumps are plumbed in and working, pump in tank feeding a swirl pot, then the bike pump feeding the carbs. Timing has been checked and all seems correct, and it is getting a spark from a storm ignition ecu. Initally i thought the problem was with the carbs but i have just got them back today and re-fitted them and it's still the same... When cranking over it occasionally backfires either out the carbs, or in the exhaust manifold. It could crank for several seconds before it backfires but basically it just wont start, let alone start and run. Open to any suggestions, think i have covered all bases myself but clearly im missing something somewhere! Thanks in advance... Melrose

 

TBH it sounds like you have the leads on the wrong way around, have you checked that the rotor arm is pointing at cylinder one when its at the end of its compresion stroke? (piston near top and both valves shut)

 

No rotor arm/distributor on a zetec chip, does sound like a timing issue though. Are you running edis4 wit that ecu?

 

Try dropping TabbyCat on www.southeastcarclub.co.uk as he is runnig a 2l zetec on carbs with a 170 head.

He had huge problems with his due to the fuel pressure.

Tell him bookwyse said to speak to him.

 

The ecu does not require edis, it gets a reference from the crank sensor and plugs directly into the zetec coilpack and fires the pack on its own. comes with a basemap for a zetec that the company say will start the car and it will run fine on. Its pretty simple really, not much to it. I have even played around with the ignition advance on the laptop, moving it back a degree at a time then advancing it a degree at a time but the problem only seems to get worse. Engine compression tests cold at just over 10bar on all 4 cylinders

 

i see, because if it was edis it would run no probs at 10 deg with no external input. sounds like an ignition problem, but without seeing it, it could be anything. Have you got an edis module and loom to plug in to eliminate the ignition system?

 

No mate, car originally was non edis.. Dont have many ford bits kickin around yet but im sure that will change in the future, lol

 

cool cool, thought it would of been an easy way of eliminating one thing. Are you using the 36-1 wheel on the flywheel as a pick up or have you improvised something else?

 

It's using a ford flywheel with the 36-1 setup on the rear that triggers the cps. Not sure which flywheel it is though, need to ask my mate as i got it off him. I only know its the right size for an escort turbo clutch. Futin about with fords is a fairly new experience for me im affraid!

 

should be fine, the fly will be off xr2i, xr3i efi, or frst, they are all the same. You know the missing tooth is 90 deg BTDC though yeh? this might help with your ecu settings

 

Spoke with the ecu company today and they have given me all the current base setting parameters to check wot I have so fingers crossed! Al go over them all after work

 

cool, just as long as they know the missing tooth is 90 deg BTDC!

 

Use a timing light to check the the spark is actually happening.

If you dont have timing marks externally, just use a dot of paint on the pulley added when the piston is at TDC, I know you cant do that with exact 1 degree accuracy probably but you should be able to get close enough to be useful

 

I'm thinking they would, it's a company called specialist components, think they have sold quite a few of these storm ecu's. The guy simon I spoke with seemed pretty clued up, timing light is something I should probably get a hold of now I'm futin about with this kinda thing! I understand the science behind the timing gun, just don't have 1 yet

 

i would question the ecu and its supplier if its designed for your application, has the correct settings and loom and doesnt work! try those new settings later on and see how your getting on, it will probably work if you have told them the application

 

Car's running now!! Ecu parameters were way off due to what they think was or is a comms problem with the unit.. Entered what data they provided manually and it went first turn with choke! Cheers for all the input folks!!
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good the hear mate, just needs u turbo now lol