i have an 22re 88 toyota pickup and i just replaced the timing chain with a heavy duty one, a new timing cover, and rebuilt the head. I put it back togather myself. my question is why will my engine not start. it turns over like normal, all the computers are plugged in and the distributor is where it should be. i know a bit about engines but even this is puzzling.

 

NEED MORE INPUT!

 

an engine needs 3 things to run
1: air
2: fuel
3: spark

it's not getting one or more of those

 

4: spark at the correct moment.

Are you absolutely sure that the spark is occurring during the compression stroke? You wouldn't be the first person set the distributor to fire on the exhaust stroke.

 

5. compression.

you can have everything and if it don't compress it don't run!

did you torque the head bolts? are the valves installed right? did you install the sparkplugs? did you remember the head gasket?

one time i put a small dirt bike motor together and after torquing the last bolt i noticed the base gasket sitting on the bench. talk about aggravating.

 

Thats why air is left out...compression covers it.
we always said...

1. Fuel
2. Compresion
3. Spark

 

It is easy to get spark timing 180* out
Make sure your VAFM is plugged in and check the EFI Fuse just for grins and giggles (it can be under the hood or in the fuse panel) .
Doulble ck your fuel pump is operating and you have pressure and if you have a VAFM like me make sure the door inside is not stuck open or fuel pump may not run (lot of that happening it seems , have to be nice to these things)
Other than that verify you have spark and spark timing is right

 

i was actually 180 out and i was getting an explosion coming out of the intake a couple times but i fixed that and it worked i just have to set the degrees and do a valve adjustment and itll be up and runnin

 

 

That would have been my guess as well...

And I would have been right too.

 

ok so now i just put in new plugs and wires and did a valve adjustment it wont stay running for more than a second do you guys think that i have put the valves too tight. if i feather the throttle it stays running but barely

 

Vacuum leak maybe?

 

Check your firing order and double check order on dist. cap

 

Do you have the wiring harness plugged into the VAFM? That's exactly what it sounds like...that or a hole in your intake tube before the throttle body.

 

well i have an open vacuum plug open i covered in tape but every time i step on the gas when diving it boggs down but other than that is sounds fine at idle it has no power what is VAMF

 

VAFM , Vane Air Flow Meter , the box/control on top of your air filter housing .
Are you sure that is plugged in , if not it would not meter air/fuel and that is the result would be bogging , Timing could cause this also as well as many other things .
I wouldn't use tape to close a port , it could leak , try to get a vacum cap
Double check your timing and make sure the VAFM is plugged in , if you have a later model it will be a MAF sensor (Mass Air Flow) and if that is bad same problem , you should test these things and rule them out for problems incl TPS .
Make sure your base timing is right and you have no vacum leaks , another culprit for not running/bogging(if VAFM make sure door/vane inside freely moves and is not stuck) on acceleration that could be related but not sure if you messed with it is the air tube from air box(VAFM/Air Filter Housing) to throttle body , if it is cracked or not connected properly it would lean it out so bad it would bog for sure , and if you did mess with it make sure you re-connected the silencer box connections as that would present a definate problem if left dis-connected .

 

i checked the maf connection which turned out to be good, then i went to the tps,it wasnt on right so i got that fixed but now when its running it sounds like i have an exhaust leak but i went back to make sure all the bolts were tight and they were, not a bolt is missing

 

Double check everything , track down that leak , maybe a EGR/Pair Reed Valve Tube broken??? Or EGR sticking open a bit maybe , can't help you on a exhaust leak .
Maybe YotaTech will have wireless video and audio on here one day ROFL
Were the exhaust manifold bolts loose , if so may have already burnt/blown gasket .................shouldn't be hard to find , check it cold for sound (should be a bit louder and easier to find on cold startup) and track that puppy down .
You say other than that it is doing ok now ??? Just curious

 

Sounds like an exhaust leak? Hmm I know it's a new timing chain but maybe a bad tensioner or you forgot to take the tape off . Is the intake tube and the egr plumbing all tight?

 

everything is bolted in and the manifold bolts are all there would a loose chain sound like an exhaust leak my truck is running really crappy at idle when i give it gas the engine is hessitant to where it almost chokes itself dead