1987 Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo Special Edition - Restoration

Impulsive · **Posted:** Wed Apr 25, 2012 3:01 pm

Well, I have to get out and buy about $200 worth of fluids. Then fill her up, bleed the brakes and the clutch, and then she will be ready. I'm gonna be slammed with other obligations over the weekend so I won't have time to work on it. But my guess would be around this same time next week.

Bart

Mytjoeinaz · **Joined:** Mon May 21, 2012 5:28 pm **Posts:** 1

I have been all over the web and I am having extreme difficulty finding an Isuzu Impulse for sale. Any advice on where I need to look?

UtahSleeper · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 2:30 pm

If its anything like a alltrac or other cars, keep an eye on craigslist and any forums that have some dedication to the car of your dreams.

Not sure how many forums there are for the impulse. Love the car BTW.

Impulsive · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 2:36 pm

There are a couple decent forums for the Impulse, here in the USA, check out Isuzone.org. Most of the guys on there are into 2nd gens, but there are a few JR owners on there, including myself. For general info, IsuzuPiazza.com is also good spot to check out.

My restore is done, but I cannot get the car to start. I am 99% sure my timing is good, I have spark, and although I have not gotten too deep into the fuel system, I am getting fuel to the rail, but she just cranks and does not start. Very frustrating!

Bart

F3ared · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 3:39 pm

You need help mate - being OCD is no laughing matter.

Seriously, that is f*cking beautiful and a credit to your attention to detail.

Starting issues, check all the obvious first: firing order correct, timing right, pumps priming etc etc. The wiring and vac setup on these cars is a nightmare so it wouldnt suprise me if something is unplugged.

When you crank it, does it spit and stumble or does it just crank with no signs of life? Have you checked for spark?

Impulsive · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 4:03 pm

F3ared wrote:

You need help mate - being OCD is no laughing matter.

Tell me about it. I am OCD, aware of it, and it is a daily struggle to keep it in check.

F3ared wrote:

When you crank it, does it spit and stumble or does it just crank with no signs of life? Have you checked for spark?

The first time I crank it (meaning, the first time after its been sitting) it will spit and stumble like it wants to start. After which, any subsequent cranks appear to soak the plugs and it will not do anything but crank and crank but will not start.

I've checked, checked and checked my timing over and over and it just CANNOT be off. So I think there is something going on with fuel or air. I know I am getting spark. I know fuel is getting to the rail, at what pressure, I am not sure, but it comes squirting out when you crank over the motor and when you crank without stepping on the clutch (just activating the fuel pump).

Could fuel pressure being too high cause this kind of problem? Its very frustrating.

After the first time I timed it, was able to get it to run a couple times. It would crank and I would hit the gas pedal and it would hammer up to 3500 RPMs and stay there, it sounded good though. I got it to run like that 3 or 4 times. Then I pulled a few things apart to check some stuff and I pulled the dizzy in the process and checked timing again and now I cannot get it to start at all any more.

Its very strange and very frustrating because I was meticulous with my tear down and rebuild, took pictures of every single part removed or disconnected, replaced every bit of rubber I could, and as many parts as I could. I do have new injectors in there, and that is one thing I am concerned about. I need to spend some quality time really digging into it. Its difficult because I don't really have any help, so doing stuff like checking something while the car is getting turned over is difficult.

Bart

Impulsive · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2012 10:33 pm

OK, got the car to start tonight. I had a few minutes to fiddle with it. I pulled the dizzy and checked the timing again. I am, once again, damn certain the timing is close enough to start the car.

Now, some info, this is how I can get the car to start. I have to wait a few hours, and it will start on the first or second try. After I get it to run, it is difficult to repeat unless I wait a while. To get the car to start, I have to crank and give gas. Once it catches, I have to keep pumping on the gas otherwise it will immediately die. This video shows me getting it started for a few seconds and then it dies. The spitting sound at the end it also does. I cannot make out what it is, but I am thinking it is the sound of one of my injectors, or a misfire, I don't really know.

http://youtu.be/gf8jL0EuI3E

At this point, I cannot help but think it has got to be fuel related. I am going to do a fuel pressure test on Saturday and I am going to pull the injector rail and test the injectors.

Bart

livemeyer · **Joined:** Tue May 22, 2012 11:00 pm **Posts:** 1

Wow what a nice build! I do so hope you can get it running! I had a beautiful deep-blue 88 Turbo with the Lotus suspension. I have never driven another car as fun to drive. I just bought a 1991 RS AWD Turbo two weeks ago and am still working on getting it dialed in. Unfortunately the isuzone site has been closed down, at least to new members. I can't post on there, but at least I can lurk.

Back to the starting issue: one day my 88 turbo was a highway screamer and the next day it wouldn't start. I could get it to stutter start and almost run, like what you are experiencing. I sold it for pennies and never really figured out what had happened. It sure acted like timing was out, but that engine bay was way too complicated. Check your timing again. If it "kinda starts" then you know you are getting spark for sure. If plugs are wet then you are getting fuel for sure.

Best of luck,

- Dave

Impulsive · **Posted:** Wed May 23, 2012 8:32 am

Dave, please post some pics of your 2nd gen! I know its technically not nostalgic enough, but damnit, these cars are rare and deserve attention!!!

Thanks for the tips on my car. I WILL get it sorted.

Bart

F3ared · **Posted:** Thu May 24, 2012 3:05 pm

It could be a number of things - some simple, some not so simple. And to make matters worse its soooo hard to diagnose problems over the internet via a short vid :lol:

Bare with me here, im not implying you are stupid however there are a few things you should check:

-Firing order. Very easy to get the distributor 180deg out, or mix up a plug lead. I know its stating the obvious and youve already checked the timing, but its something to double check and its so simple its something that its easy to overlook.

-the miss sounds like spark related not fuel. If the above is ok, check coil/ignitor wiring. You said you had spark, but it may possibly be breaking down once the car actually goes to fire [ie old carby car, ballast resistor - when stuffed, you have spark on crank but not once its supposed to switch voltage once on].

-Fuel lines the wrong way around? Trust me, not hard to do.....and the fuel reg dont work so well going backwards!

Impulsive · **Posted:** Thu May 24, 2012 3:14 pm

I am going to double-check spark on all 4 plugs tonight.

I am pretty sure I have the fuel lines hooked up correctly. Honestly, I don't see how they could be wrong, because it would take some creative work to plug them in wrong.

It does seem like the firing order is wrong or it is not getting fuel, but I tried again with some starter fluid and could not even get it to fire up. So I think I am getting fuel.

I wonder if the dizzy itself, or the crank angle sensor built into it is bad.

Bart

motorhedz01 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:31 am

updates?

Impulsive · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 9:56 am

Yeah, the car is done being put back together but I am having a problem where it starts and then immediately dies. Its got to be a sensor or a fuel pressure issue. The fuel pressure is high, and I have not been able to get it to come down to a normal level. Its been really frustrating.

Bart

Camshaft · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:12 am

Impulsive wrote:

Yeah, the car is done being put back together but I am having a problem where it starts and then immediately dies. Its got to be a sensor or a fuel pressure issue. The fuel pressure is high, and I have not been able to get it to come down to a normal level. Its been really frustrating.

Bart

Don't give up! We can start a support group...OJSCEMI...Old Japanese Sports Car Electro-Mechanical Issues! :lol:

I've been there, it sucks, but it's all worth it in the end.

Impulsive · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:24 am

Yeah, I've been fighting this problem for over 3 months now. Very frustrating and discouraging.

I think I need to replace the fuel pump next. I replaced just about every component under the chassis now and the problem has not changed one bit.

Bart

Camshaft · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:27 am

Occam's razor. Try the stupidest, simplest fixes you can imagine, if you haven't already.

Impulsive · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 10:34 am

At this point, I have replaced everything, except the distributor, the fuel pump, and the coolant temperature sensor.

If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

Bart

Camshaft · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:47 am

Impulsive wrote:

At this point, I have replaced everything, except the distributor, the fuel pump, and the coolant temperature sensor.

If you have any other suggestions, let me know.

Bart

In my RX7, I seem to remember a setup where a butterfly valve on the intake was actuated by vacuum, but there was a plastic valve plumbed inline that, if it was broken or siezed up, could cause the car to sputter and die. Keep in mind that our cars are 1980s nightmares of vacuum hoses and obsolete emissions gear. Look at all of the hoses, have a poke-about, and if you don't find the issue, walk away, wait a day, and have a poke-about again.

Impulsive · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:55 am

Camshaft wrote:

In my RX7, I seem to remember a setup where a butterfly valve on the intake was actuated by vacuum, but there was a plastic valve plumbed inline that, if it was broken or siezed up, could cause the car to sputter and die. Keep in mind that our cars are 1980s nightmares of vacuum hoses and obsolete emissions gear. Look at all of the hoses, have a poke-about, and if you don't find the issue, walk away, wait a day, and have a poke-about again.

Thanks, man, but I gotta tell ya, been there, and done that about 40 times now. Last weekend I took the entire intake side of the motor apart and checked everything. No change. Its gotta be a fuel issue. My fuel pressure is still too high and I can't seem to get it to lower.

Bart

Camshaft · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:04 pm

Did you make new steel lines when you rebuilt the car? Did you re-coat the inside of the gas tank?

1987 Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo Special Edition - Restoration

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