Engine setup help

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Im after a little bit of engine setup advice form some of you guys who are far more of an expert than me on the old CIH.

 

So this is what i have: fully rebuilt engine, running twin throttle bodies, distributor-less ignition, 36 tooth trigger disc with a front cover from the frontera 2.4 for the pickup (its a webcon system) 

Now the engine turns over, has spark, has fuel but wont run, it doesnt even try to fire up. So im thinking have i messed up the timing? and how do i sort it out so its right or is there any other things i could be over looking. When i setup the engine and trigger disc (before the head was put on) i set the engine so number 1 piston was at the top and set the trigger disc to there instructions (its was a 5 tooth then) but later i swapped the ECU to a fully mappable one and i setn my pulley and trigger disc to webcon so they could set the new one so it was right with how i had it configured.

So after a google it looks like the 36 tooth disc should have the pickup on tooth 9 after the missing tooth? and below is what i have found about the timing and cam setup that was posted on the Opel GT site. I need to setup the engine and check the cam location but thought i would try and get some views on where i have gone astray. and what to do next

Thanks Andy 

 

CIH Cam and Ignition Timing

 

 Originally Posted by GTJIM

. . . 

Timing the cam is one of Opels little endearing foibles! Even the Factory Service Manuals cam be misleading as the drawing of the engine is actually WRONG in some of them - nice huh! Fortunately the picture of the crankshaft keyway position and the text is correct. The keyway in the crankshaftMUST face upwards and #4 cylinder be at Top Dead Centre with the camshaft turned so that the valves for #4 cylinder are closed ( the cut outs in the cam for access to the head bolts will be in the correct position as this setting). Once the cam wheel is bolted on, with the dot lined up with the mark in the presssed sheet metal "shelf" that is bolted to the block beneath it, the motor must be rotated one complete revolution. This puts #1 cylinder at TDC with the valves shut and the motor is now in the postition to have the distributor installed and lined up for firing on #1 cylinder.

That is why Opels are usually timed 180 degrees out from where they are suposed to be - some twit in the design stages obviously put the cut outs on the camshaft in the wrong place and we have struggled to cope ever since!

HTH

To amplify what GTJIM said a bit, the 4-cylinder 

engine's

 #1 and #4 cylinders are "paired", as are the #2 and #3, so they are always at exactly the same position during their revolution, just "180 out" as far as ignition timing is concerned (one's firing at TDC, the other fires at TDC on the next crank revolution). The complete "cycle" of any "four stroke" engine requires 

TWO revolutions

 of the crank.

All engine "timing" is done in relation to 

crankshaft

 position. Almost 

ALL

 engines "share" cam timing and initial #1 

cylinder

 ignition timing settings, the Opel CIH engine 

DOES NOT!

 Therein lies the confusion that sometimes baffles even 

experienced

 mechanics, at least initially. Some, who don't take the trouble to look at the valves, never get this.

Easiest way to remember CIH "timing" from scratch is to:

Set both crank key and 

cam

 dowel pin to 12 O'Clock position. This positions #1 and #4 pistons at TDC and also positions the cam to allow plug-side head bolt installation and torquing. The ignition "timing" is for the #4 cylinder however, 

NOT the #1 cylinder

 as in almost all other engines. Your choice, either leave it and time the ignition for the #4 cylinder or rotate crank ONE full revolution and time it for the #1 cylinder. Makes NO difference!!