Just got done installing secondary cam tensioners in my 98 XK8.
It turned over by hand before I installed the sparkplugs,
Went to hit the starter to fire it up, cranked over once and fired very quickly like on one cylinder then died,
hit the starter and it will not turn over, i thought I screw it up, but I used the cam locking tool and the one in the flywheel when installing them,
I removed the sparkplugs and it turns over by hand, I pulled the fuse for the fuel pump and tried to spin the engine with the starter, the engine will not spin with the starter, has a big heavy click around the throttle body and in the front of the valve cover like the VVT?. WHATS Next to check. The engine was apart for a good monthe waiting for parts, I did put alittle oil in the cylinders before I installed the sparkplugs to coat the cylinders
HHEELLPP!!!!

 

Perhaps the oil fouled the spark plugs?

 

No, but Thanks
Right now I have the plugs out and you can turn the engine over by hand, but will not turn with the starter,
I quess the question in my mind is, Did I bend a valve or do I have a starter problem?

 

Hi,

If you've done everything correctly on the tensioner change, the only thing you haven't mentioned is the condition of the battery. If you've sat awhile and the battery has drained under 10 or 11 volts, there is not enough left to run the starter.

AJ26s had a cold start compression related problem because of a too rich fuel algorithm causing cylinder wash in certain conditions. Putting oil in the cylinders is not a very good method to temp restore compression. The excess oil is immediately pushed unburned into the exhaust and ends up in the catalytic converters. This is bad for cats. Instead, with a good battery, crank the starter in short sessions with the pedal to the floor which will shut the fuel delivery down and allow restoration of compression in a much safer way.

 

Will give it a try.
IF it as a bent valve, would I be able to turn the engine over by hand with no hard spots
Thanks

 

A bent valve should not stop an engine starting, it will just run roughly on 7 cylinders. Provided you made sure the camchains did not skip round a tooth, I don't see how you could have bent a valve. I suspect having disturbed the plug coils getting the cam covers off, there is something not re-connected right.

 

With the cam locked down, and with the cam gear being a tapered fit,does it matter which tooth the cam gear goes back on the chain? as long as you tension the chain in the counter clockwise rotation as you torque the bolt on the cam gear, or does it?
Right now i`m charging the batt as stevetech said, the voltage at the batt was just 11 volts. It sound like the starter is engaing, but it only turns the engine over about a 1/2 an inch at a time, I pulled the valve cover again and found nothing out of place,

 

The exhaust cam gear is not a taper, but a straight shaft called a close fit in machinist jargon. Not the important part, but to answer your question, it sounds like you've assembled everything correctly. The ultimate test is - rotate the crankshaft CLOCKWISE two full turns and if the flats on both cams, both banks are on the same plane in pairs, you've timed the valve train correctly. Don't worry about the exhaust cam on the right side being ever so slightly off. The valve design on an AJV8 is an asymmetrical one. The intake and exhaust ramps "fight" each other as they rotate through a complete cycle.

Yes, get your battery back in shape and you should be good to start. If it cranks easily like it's lost compression, don't put oil in the cylinders. Just hold the pedal to the floor and do about 10/15 second cranks, letting the starter cool about 30 seconds in between. The third time try starting the normal way.

Any reason you think there is a bent a valve? Nothing you've said so far would indicate that unless there is something you haven't mentioned.

 

batt is on a trickle charger, At one point tonight voltage said 12.5. turned the key on voltage dropped to 11 volts, tried to start it and it just bumps over slightly. I will have it load tested to make sure.
I will try the rotate the engine to see
Thanks

 

rotated the engine over 2 times. the flats on the cam line up on both sides, every time, Makes me feel better.
Looking more to the elect side of things.
I have the valve covers off, I have pulled the fuse to the fuel pump.
You see any problem just bumping, not cranking, the engine over with the starter with the coils off.

 

No problem. May squirt a little oil. Appears you did it correctly, why not button it up and crank it? If you can turn the engine by hand with no interference, there will not be any when turned by the starter.

 

Sometimes you can`t see the trees on the account of the forest,
Took the batt to have it checked out, by a place that had a load tester. when they loaded it they said it was good, voltage was 12.5 before it tested to 11.8 with a load.
So I was baffled, dropped by a interstate batt company ( Was on the way home from work) to have it tested again just to make sure, They have a machine that does not put a load on the batt, but uses impedince(?) did not know how to spell it. But it checks CCA. They said the voltage was good, but the CCA was at 199, Batt was a 850 CCA batt, Batt was shot,
Got a new Batt and guess what, BINGO the cat fired right up. SMOOOOTH.
sometimes when thing don`t go right, your brain get going to fast, and you quit thinking, That`s what good about this forum, You get reminders to start from scratch.. Thanks everybody for making my weekend, I`m going for a RIDE with the top DOWN

One last question. How in the world do you put that little plastic clippy thing that holds the plug to the coil in place. Thats worst then figuring out whay my car wouldn`t start