cranking but doesn't start

Beerzerker · Jan 13, 2017

First off let me compliment you guys on a great forum have been scrolling through a lot of posts for the past week and have been learning a lot!¨

This is my First Dodge and it is a 1998 5.9, I bought the truck a couple of months ago knowing it didn't start, wanted some kind of a project to play around with :naughty:

Getting to the Problem it cranks fine and it sounds like it's firing on 2 or 3 cyl but does not want to start. and it makes the spark plugs go foul

i have a good healthy battery, New coil - wires - cap - rotor and plugs. previous owner changed the cam sensor(pick up) and crank sensor.
i have good compression on all cyl, no error codes.

i have a hard time wrapping my head around the fuel sync thing with these engines, and if someone could explain that to my like i'm 5 that would be greatly appreciated :happy107:

So if you guys have any ideas I would love to hear it!

Yeret · Jan 13, 2017

Has the distributor itself been pulled? I believe (take it with a grain of salt) that fuel-syncing doesn't become a problem until the distributor is pulled from the engine.

Beerzerker · Jan 13, 2017

Yeret said:
Has the distributor itself been pulled? I believe (take it with a grain of salt) that fuel-syncing doesn't become a problem until the distributor is pulled from the engine.

Yes it has been taken off

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Yeret · Jan 13, 2017

Try this...

http://bionicdodge.com/Download/Camshaft Timing and Setting Fuel Sync.pdf

It might be easier if read for yourself on the matter. Honestly, I can't really explain fuel-syncing very good anyway.

Beerzerker · Jan 13, 2017

Yeret said:
Try this...

http://bionicdodge.com/Download/Camshaft Timing and Setting Fuel Sync.pdf

It might be easier if read for yourself on the matter. Honestly, I can't really explain fuel-syncing very good anyway.

I'll try that tomorrow, thanks

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dudeman2009 · Jan 13, 2017

Just a few tips. I've done this procedure on Chevys, Fords, and Dodges but only one Magnum.

You can get USB borescopes that work either on computers or smartphones which support USB OTG for under $20

You can watch the valves, that is one way to do it, but it does require the TDC mark to be easily visible. If you can't find that mark, or if you have a borescope there is a simple way to find TDC.
Pull the spark plug, insert the borescope so you can see the valves, turn the engine by hand until the piston hits the top of its travel and the valves are closed. It might take a bit of wiggling to get it close to perfect, but in the tests i've done, as long as you take your time, you will get TDC dead on if you cannot read the mark or don't want to pull the timing cover.

For the oil pump shaft, its a pain to find and get aligned. I took my borescope and taped it to a flat head screwdriver and used that to see what I was doing and where it was pointing.

mda8569 · Jan 13, 2017

Thanks for sharing that link Yeret, that's good info. I agree, I think its the fuel sync. There is a method for using an ohm meter, but dont remember how. It was a similar link as the one above.

Beerzerker · Jan 14, 2017

ok so i pulled the Distributor out and am folloing the advice on the http://bionicdodge.com/Download/Cams...uel Sync.pdf link i got earlier, but i'm having trouble lining up the oil pump drive gear like on the pic,

it says to turn it clockwise but i'm not able to turn it, i read somewhere that i had to take down my oil pan and remove oil pump to be able to do that, is that correct?

Thx in Advance

dudeman2009 · Jan 14, 2017

No, you can do all this from up top. Its difficult to turn the shaft if you cant see. Took me 15 minutes to not turn it even with a borescope until I smartened up and taped the borescope to the screwdriver.

One thing you might be running into is hitting the wrong part or slipping off to the side, its hard to tell until you look back down. You can use a mirror and a light, its better than by feel, but its still difficult.

If its not perfect its ok, it just needs to be close, otherwise the distributor shaft wont sit properly.

If you are having trouble and/or dont have a borescope, you can get a piece of rubber or silicone tube and slide then ziptie a short section to a screwdriver and shove that down there to turn it. I've had luck with that as well.

I've heard of guys sticking a flathead into a cork and shoving that down there to turn it. I've seen a guy use a latex glove he bunched up and ziptied to the end of a socket extension.

dapepper9 · Jan 14, 2017

Stick the distributor back in it and just twist the distributor

dapepper9 · Jan 14, 2017

mda8569 said:
Thanks for sharing that link Yeret, that's good info. I agree, I think its the fuel sync. There is a method for using an ohm meter, but dont remember how. It was a similar link as the one above.

that method isn't accurate at all

dudeman2009 · Jan 14, 2017

dapepper9 said:
Stick the distributor back in it and just twist the distributor

Thats one way to do it. Just set it all up to #1 TDC and turn the whole distributor until the rotor is pointing towards pin 1. Certainly not the 'proper' way to do it, but if you're sick of it, it'll be as good as any. Might get some odd looks from the guys at the dealer.

dapepper9 · Jan 14, 2017

dudeman2009 said:
Thats one way to do it. Just set it all up to #1 TDC and turn the whole distributor until the rotor is pointing towards pin 1. Certainly not the 'proper' way to do it, but if you're sick of it, it'll be as good as any. Might get some odd looks from the guys at the dealer.

Actually according to the factory service manual it is the proper way lol. Idk where all this talk of orienting the oil pump came from

Beerzerker · Jan 14, 2017

I FINALLY FOUND THE PROBLEM!, the catalytic converter had turned into mulch, i took the exhaust off and it fired right up!, put the exhaust up on the welding table cut it open and took all the **** out and welded it back up! now it sounds and runs great!

Thanks all of you guys for sticking with me and helping me, I will definitely stick around on this forum u guys rule!

Cheers From Iceland! Now it's beer time!

dudeman2009 · Jan 15, 2017

dapepper9 said:
Actually according to the factory service manual it is the proper way lol. Idk where all this talk of orienting the oil pump came from

I'm going to have to go read up on that. I was under the impression that the magnums did it the same way similar era Chevy and Fords did it.

Well, I just got done reading the manual. We are both right, sort of, if they wrote it right. I've just got to say, Dodge really did a service on this one, the procedure to install and align our distributor cuts out the most irritating step.

On all of the era Ford and Chevys i've worked on, the oil pump drive pin doesn't engage until the distributor gear has already started meshing with the camshaft gear. This means if the oil pump 'tang' is in the wrong position, the distributor won't sit down all the way, you'll have a 1/4in gap. To get it to sit properly, you have to try meshing with each tooth until it sits nicely, by then the distributor could be 90* to the side.

What it sounds like in the manual, they made the oil pump drive tang or slot or pin, whatever you want to call it, long enough to engage before the distributor contacts the camshaft gear. Meaning you can line the oil pump up with the distributor. Then its exactly the same as with chevy, Line up the rotor to the cyl1 mark.

I'm quite pleased with Dodge on this one.

SnowGlobes83 · Jan 17, 2017

I had the same issue here just last week on my 2002 5.9L. replaced my water pump and changed out the spark plugs and wiring. I replaced them one at a time to make sure it wasn't out of firing order. I spent almost a week to find out it was a silly fuse causing it to not fire. (think it was fuse #2 for the started, I used the wiper motor fuse cause it was same amp and didn't need right away till I got a replacement) cant say it will be the same for you but its worth a look.... so long everything else is in good working order.

cranking but doesn't start

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