Working on a 91 AWD Talon.... Changed the timing belt, removed balance shafts, and put a clutch and flywheel on. When I got the car, the ECU would not allow the car to run. Swaped ECU's car fires right up. ISC is known bad.

Problem... Car idles and runs ok. Lifters are knocking like no tomorrow. Power is non-existant... it's slower than my truck. Boost does not build until 4000rpms, then hits 15. 5th gear, pedal to the floor netted 60mph, droping to 45mph... I can't get the timing adjusted correctly... the mark on the crank pully is still well below the marks on the timing cover. Timing is set right, I just pulled it apart and re-did everything.

I'm at a a loss... any ideas?

Has the outer ring of the balancer/pulley slipped? Make sure the notch in the pulled lines up with #1 piston location.

crank angle sensor bad or 180 out? I've never done that on a 4 cylinder. I don't know if it would even run.

If I could get my logger to work I might be able to find out more. I thought about that also kicks...

im sure youve checked the obvious like boost leaks and such. One thing youll want to do is, while the car is running, unbolt the oil feed banjo bolt and see if it squirts oil out to make sure you have good oil pressure. Another thing is that if you have a siezed up lifter, it couldve caused a rocker arm to pop off and you could be losing power there. I would definately replace the lifters and keep tinkering with your cam angle sensor and get your base timing worked out. It should be at 5 degrees BTDC +/- 3 degrees.

Maybe the backing plate that goes between the balance shaft pulley and the timing belt pulley on the crank is on backwards? There has to be something physically off between the position of the crank pulley and the position of the cam sensor for the base timing to be so far off that it can't be set.

This is what happened to me and I had the exact same problem with not being able to correctly set the timing. From what I understand, its a fairly common problem on old crank pulleys.

Is this also the reason why people buy the underdrive crank pulley?

[quote=BudmannG,Apr 30 2006, 12:36 PM] [/QUOTE]
Is this also the reason why people buy the underdrive crank pulley? [/quote]
underdrive crank pullies reduce parasitic loss by underdriving the accessories (AC, power steering, water pump and alt). Sometimes without an overdrive pulley on the alt to make up the differance, you can get low output on the alternator causing the lights to be dim etc.

The more I think about it, the more this sounds like the culprit. Didn't even think about it when I put it on.... Back apart it goes!

Exactly right wort... I feel like such a dumb-ass.... Runs great now!