car acts like it's missing

[MadMax89]

I just put an 89 ea82 into a 92 loyale. I had replaced the head gaskets, and put in a new clutch, intake gaskets, water pump, termostat, plugs, and pcv and several hoses. the car had sat for a couple of months before I could get new/used engine. but anyhow. it's back together and acts as if it is missing. if I accelerate to about 2500 to 3000 it lags like its missing. I am not losing any coolant that I can tell but I rtv'd the intake gaskets (spfi) and bolted them back in. I checked plugs, wares and cap. and double checked the timing. but still it misses . . . .or something? help.

[yblocker]

You description is a little scant, but of the 3 EA82s with SPFI that I've driven, all 3 seemed to have a bit of a part throttle dead spot at that same rpm.

All these cars pulled well to redline at WOT, were very well behaved at low rpm/low speed work, idled well and acted fine otherwise.

Or does it fall flat on its face at 3,000 rpm?

Edited November 5, 2013 by yblocker

[NorthWet]

My candidates are:

 

ignition high-voltage components (cap, rotor, wires plugs),

 

Ignition timing set improperly (value and/or technique), and/or

 

flakey Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS... it tends to corrode its connector and wires).

[MilesFox]

Firing order

3 4

1 3

Mixed up firing order will cause backfire in the TB

Initial timing is 20 deg BTDC, with the green test connectors plugged in (holds the timing static for the timing gun)

rotation counter clockwise. Check vacuum line to the vac canister)easy to miss). Double check PCV hoses for roper routing.

 

Have you used the original loyale intake on the 89 gl donor? Either is compatible, but generally use the same intake with same sensors original to receiving car.

[MadMax89]

so I had checked the wires, all good, and plugs, and cap. but I thought why not try a different cap and rotor anyway. and I found that there was no screw in the back of the rotor piece. which caused it to be miss aligned. I don't really fully understand how that works but it seems that the distributor sends a signal to the computer or so as to correct timing and was doing this incorrectly???? well any ways I changed it out and it works perfect. I am quite relieved after working on this for nearly two weeks. there's always one little thing that has to go wrong right at the end of a big job. thanks yall.

[NorthWet]

If the rotor was out of phase with the distributor shaft, it is possible that it was not making good contact with the cap contacts until the ECU advanced the timing enough (with increased rpm) to bring the rotor into better alignment.