# 91 wont start...need help a.s.a.p.



## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

hey all,
this is my first post here but ive been lingering around...my problem is that i have a 1991 Nissan stanza XE with a 2.4L 4ticker and a 5spd....Well i let my g/f dad use it for a couple months and he was driving down the freeway and it just quit running...well we towed it home and tried to start it but it cranks, cranks, cranks then tries to start but doesnt and then continuest to crank...i tried pulling codes off the computer but just got 55 which is no malfunction...there is spark and fuel but im thinking the timing chain jumped??? How do i figure out if it jumped without tearing the whole front of the motor off??? PLZ HELP

other than general maintiance like oil changes etc not to much has been done to it...

any help or suggestions to narrow it down is appreciated


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

i did a compression test today and came up with this

cylinder 1: 90psi
cylinder 2: 150psi
cylinder 3: 60psi
cylinder 4: 95psi

so im thinking the chain jumped a couple teeth


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

anyone anyone?????


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## stanza92 (Jan 27, 2007)

Check your fuel pump. My stanza had the similar problem and had been fixed. For my car, 92 Stanza SE, the fuel pump is located underneath the rear seat.


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

i wish it was that but i pulled the valve cover off and found out the right side tensioner was broken..timing slipped a couple of teeth...


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

i got the entire car apart and replaced everything...im starting to put it back together but have run intto a couple of snags im hoping someone can help me with....the pulley thats on the front of the timing cover up top is supposed to have 3 bolts but somehow one of them walked away...can someone look at their timing cover and tell me how many bolts are supposed to be there...maybe its in a spot it shouldnt be...

Next i loosened all the bolts on the rearward motor mount(at the back of the motor by the firewall) and now cannot get 3 out of the 4 back in...2 go into the trans and the final one goes through the rubber isolator..I really need help...any suggestions are appreciated


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

nevermind i got it back together but now she wont run....any clues...i posted it up to see if i couldnt get more looks..


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

what do you mean not run? does it start? you can put your 1st cylinder to top dead center and see if the distributor rotor points to #1 spark plug wire on distributor cap. your compression is very low. 60PSI is very low. 155 is the minimum. I would change the engine. around 500$. repairing is too much hustle and you can run into a lot of expenses. your rings are most probably broken.


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

the car will try to start but will not...i already replaced the timing chain but ill have to check and make sure the distributor is aligned properly...that compression test was when the timing was way off so the valve were not opening and closing when they were supposed to be...thx for the reply i hadnt checked that yet


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

did you check your timing after the repairs? maybe timing is way off. I would test fuel pump and if there is spark again. you can unplug the fuel hose at fuel filter turn the key to ON. fuel should pour. 
I don't know clean injectors?


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

i checked for fuel and the pump works....havent checked spark but replaced the plugs....spark and fuel were good b4 timing chain was found to be the problem...i did the chain replacement and set it to the spec in my Chilton manual...i have no idea..its my g/f dads car and its got 1 leg in the donation bin unless i can get it running again...lol


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

ok got an update....car started the other night and ran good...rotor had come loose..went out and finished buttoning everything up and tried to start it and it fired up...i let it run for a few minutes and it just kinda slowly died out...restarted it and if i give it more than 1/2 throttle it starts stumbling really bad....also im getting a lot of air coming out of the valve cover when i pull the fill cap off...any suggestions or ideas


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

a lot of air when you removed engine oil cap? maybe clogged PCV valve. some air normally leaks through valve stems and PCV valve is to recirculate them back into combustion chambers.

maybe a stuck valve. hows compression now? are you sure you put the timing chain correctly. when you put your crank shaft to top dead center exhaust cam notch on timing chain side should point straight up to the sky 12 o'clock. intake cam notch should point straight to the cars rear 9 o'clock. crank shaft notch should point straight up at 12 o'clock.


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

compression is 150psi across the board...timing is set to spec...where is the pcv valve located? no it felt like a lot of air was coming out of the oil fill cap...


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

my book shows that the cam sprocket should be at 2 and the crank should be at 12


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## MickeyKnox (Jun 17, 2006)

yes I forgot stanza has ka24e. single cam. your car still should run even if PCV valve is closed. PCV valve is usually under intake manifold. clogged PCV give rough idle and poor mileage. and you plugged everything right? no oil in distributor cap? did you measure fuel pressure with a gauge? ignition coil? you can take out spark plugs connect them to the wires. crank the car. if some sparks fire some don't then it's ignition housing. or else you can test ignition coil. I think you can measure resistance of coil. but maybe manual will offer other tests.

rotor came loose? put your car to top dead center and see if rotor points to #1 cylinder. I have seen some cases where distributor breaks against the rods inside distributor cap and rotor points to a different location than #1 cylinder. very rare though. another thing is to replace distributor cap and rotor. I don't know .. maybe ignition wire resistance? spark plug gap? but you said your replaced plugs right?


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## offroader461 (Apr 2, 2007)

yea i plugged everything in....like i said the car ran great the first time i fired it up..then all of a sudden the next day it wouldnt run right anymore...the gasket between the distributer and cap is all messed up...i didnt measure fuel pressure i just unpluged the line at the fuel filter and it sprayed gas upon cranking...ill measure the fuel pressure tomorrow and then do the spark test...we have to replace the wires because i found a damaged one..then ill go from there......there is a rubber hose that runs from the pass side of the intake down into something on the side of the timing cover..what does this hose control and what does it do..that one was cracked and falling apart so i have to replace it


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