Help on regrind!

[Bluejayde]

Alright guys, I seriously need some help. I just finished installing my 272 regrind from Delta. When I first started it up, it idled fine. But then I decided to reset the ECU, to take full advantage of the cam. Afterwards, the car will not idle, it just dies. Right after starting it, it will idle, but once the idle drops(it's freezing here, so it's doing the fast idle thing) it seems almost like a vacuum leak, because the idle runs up and down. Then it dies. I tried playing with the timing at the distributor, but I don't know what I'm doing, as I don't have a timing light or anything. So I tried making it idle higher by messing with the throttle cable, but then the CEL came on and it's flashing several different codes(I don't know what they are, but I don't believe that whatever they are is the problem). Please help me, I need to go out tonight!

[HondaFan81]

Did you set the cam timing according to what Delta Camshaft told you? Did you do the same for the ignition timing? If you're going to tackle a job like this, get the proper tools before attempting it, if it means buying a timing gun, do so. I paid $35 for mine, they're not that expensive. If you need a cam gear to find out how much advance/retard you put, so be it. If you played with the ignition timing, I'd definitely go back with timing gun and reset it correctly, don't touch it unless you're properly going to do the job. If you wanted to make it idle higher, you don't mess with the throttle cable, but the idle adjustment screw at the throttle body, but is that the real cause of the problem? Also, figure out how to read the codes and look it up on the Helms manual and/or go to Autozone and ask them to break it down for you, this will lead you to the cause of the problems hopefully, then start from there instead of randomly attacking your engine and possibly causing further problems and more variables.

[Bluejayde]

Actually, I didn't mess with the timing at the cam at all. I was told I didn't have to, and I wanted to get the cam in and running first before fine-tuning it. I reset the ECU again and used the adjustment screw to up the idle(after some serching to find it). It is running now, but I still need to get the timing set at the distributor. No cel codes as of yet, it was giving me a 43 and maybe a 17 before I reset it. I'm taking it on a trip of about 200 miles, so we'll see how it goes on that. I took the car out to the highway to test out the power of the new cam. It's not as much of an improvement as I had hoped, but maybe with some tuning it will be better. The sound of the engine is REALLY cool though.

[Bluejayde]

Alright, well the bouncing idle is gone, but now it won't idle at all until it warms up, then it runs fine. I have to heel-toe at stop signs! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[MRX]

did you try adjusting the fast-idle screw...if not then search the site and your manual on how to adjust it and where to find it

[Bluejayde]

Yeah, that was one of the first things I did.

[phatdoughnut]

i replied to your one on AD, but there it goes.

I remember one day i adjusted my valve lash, and i adjusted it to tight. Well my car wouldnt idle for shit. maybe yours is the same? what did you set it at? specs

[Bluejayde]

I set it to stock specs, 10 and 12. I'm adjusting tommorrow to delta's recommended specs, 6 and 8.

[HondaFan81]

Keep us posted on what is going on please.

Also, I do know that if you play around with the cam timing a bit, you'll gain a little more power. You mentioned that you set it to stock specs, but if you search on here for a "Delta regrind" in the title of a thread, you'll find one that people put down what they thought ran best in their opinion for cam timing.

Do you have intake, header and exhaust by the way?

[Bluejayde]

Well, I just adjusted my valves to what delta said, 6 and 8, and now it won't run at all unless I keep it at 2000 rpm's. I don't fucking understand this shit and it's pissing me off! AHHHHHHH! I'm mentally checking off what I did and I don't see how I could have done anything wrong. I didn't mess with the cam timing, so that shouldn't be fucked up. I messed with the ignition timing, but no matter where I put that it still idles like shit. I screwed in the FIV, so that should have helped, but it didn't. I adjusted the idle screw, but that didn't help. The only thing I can think of to do now is to un-block my egr valve and see if that would help. But that still shouldn't have this big of an impact on the car. It won't run, and when it does(Because I tighten the throttle cable enough to make it idle at 2000 rpm's), it runs like shit! Anyone wanna make a trip to the middle of nowhere to help me with this?

[Bluejayde]

Keep us posted on what is going on please.

Also, I do know that if you play around with the cam timing a bit, you'll gain a little more power. You mentioned that you set it to stock specs, but if you search on here for a "Delta regrind" in the title of a thread, you'll find one that people put down what they thought ran best in their opinion for cam timing.

Do you have intake, header and exhaust by the way?

Yeah, I read up on that, but I just wanted to get my car to run first, then fine-tune it. I have an AEM intake(for sale), EX header, and cheap exhaust.

[HondaFan81]

Can we just start from the beginning and have you describe EXACTLY what you did from when you started this project to now. Please be very detailed, so we can do our best to help. I have a few things in mind, but there is no point in throwing things out there with no good background on what you have done.

Also, the way you wrote your comments on how you attacked the cam timing and ignition timing does not give me much confidence that it is set correctly or to wherever you think it's set to. You mentioned that you did not mess with the cam timing before, but I wonder if you realize that in order to install the Delta cam regrind, you had to remove the timing belt and upon doing this, if not set back EXACTLY how it was, you have inadvertently changed the cam timing. I know this, because I had to readjust the cam timing on my 90 EX (F22a4) because the Honda dealer mechanic set it wrong when replacing the timing belt. My car didn't have any ballz from 5000+ rpm, but otherwise seemed normal, so it wasn't too bad. However, you may have a more extreme case, it's possible as well as other problems.

Like I said, write a detailed explanation of what you did from start to finish...

[Bluejayde]

Well first I removed the valve cover, then took off the cam gear, at TDC, still attached to the timing belt(I had my uncle hold it). I removed all the bolts that hold the valvetrain on over the camshaft. I took out the camshaft and slid in the new one. I bolted the valve train back down and re-attached the cam gear. Then we adjusted the valves to Honda specs, put the valve cover back on, and replaced all the lines and the spark wires. I started it, and it idled fine. I let it run for a few minutes to warm up, then shut it off and removed the ecu fuse to reset it. I waited a few minutes and then put it back in and started it up, and it did the typical thing, running through the revs, adjusting itself.
Then I decided to take it for a drive, and that's when the problems began. It tried to die on me when I was pulling out of my driveway, so I pulled it back in and shut it down. I tried to reset the ecu again, thinking that maybe I had moved it too soon. When I started it back up again, it idled fine on the cold idle, but when the rpms went down it would die. So I turned the idle screw until it would idle high even to stay running and it ran okay for a week, except that it would want to die until it got warm.
Then one day last week it gave me a CEL 43 and 17. I have just replaced the VSS, and the O2 sensor has never given me problems before, so I just ignored those, and the CEL hadn't come on since. Then I got home yesterday and adjust the valves tighter, to whatelta recommended. I admit, this is only the second time I've done it, but it really doesn't seem possible to screw it up that bad. I put everthing back together and started it up, and it won't idle unless you have the rpms at 2000. That's the full story, now what do I do?

[Bluejayde]

I'm not sure how, I can't find anything in my manual.

[Bluejayde]

Is it even possible that the cam timing could change when I had my uncle hold the cam gear and timing belt togther while I replaced the cam? The camshaft can only go in one way, so it's not possible that it could be 180 degrees out.

Also, I've been messing around with my online manual and my spare motor, and I figured out how to loosen the tensioner and slip the timing belt towards the exhaust side of the motor, but I can't get it to move towards the intake side.
How can I find out where TDC on the first cylinder is, if the timing is off, so that I can reset it?