Reviving a 91SS
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2024 12:43 am
Howdy everybody, been awhile!
So I recently picked up a Rio Red 91 SS with a factory 5 speed. When i got the car it didn't run at all. Previous Owner had stated he drove it for many years with a 20G ECU & a td04, but parked it because a Coolant Temperature sensor code. So I picked it up for a good price and have been bringing it back to life...slowly.
So when I first dived into it, it did in fact have a 20G ECU and a massive amount of treacherous wiring.. The biggest head scratcher was this bizarre dual igniter setup that was tied into the factory Igniter. The car also came with 440 injectors, WRX Top Mount inter-cooler, GFB BOV, detchwerks 255 fuel pump. I swapped out the Black Jecs MAF and installed a metal Hitachi MAF from a friend. I also Plugged in a 22T ECU and a new Fuel filter.
https://imgur.com/7JO2fgA
When I parked the car in the driveway and charged the battery, it would crank and crank and crank but wouldn't start. Then I discovered the insane amounts of botched wiring throughout the car. I took the Top Mount off and found 2 red and black wires leading from the dual igniter setup and they led into the cabin. From what i assumed, there was 2 wires that were cut on frayed on the F47 Connector on ports 8 & 9 that those wires tied into. 1 These ports are for the Cylinders ignition. However, after looking at Pictures of unmolested factory plugs from other forum members, the wire colors did not line up. In fact, only port 9 was apart of that circuit. But it had a blue/white wire plugged into it(for the canister purge solenoid). I then figured out that there was a green/ white wires in port 7 that was supposed to be in port 9. I re Pinned everything how it should be on the plug, reverted the funky Dual Igniter setup in the engine bay back to factory and the car finally started! but only ran on 2 Cylinders... At this point i ran the car in D check Mode and checked for codes and these popped up:
14
15
16
17
21
31
35
45
49
https://imgur.com/ldTcJPO
https://imgur.com/az49eEy
While I was down there fixing the ignition pins, I noticed there was some wires that needed to be gone through on connector B48. There was a power wire(13) that needed to be re connected, the Coolant temp sensor wire was also tapped into that?(7) And the Ground wire for the MAP sensor(5) was tied into the Sensor ground wire(21). I reverted and fixed all that wiring and the car still only ran on 2 Cylinders...
https://imgur.com/WF7Q3XQ
https://imgur.com/cdcxdLQ
https://imgur.com/iZgZhUi
So, back to the drawing board. I went ahead and installed a New Coolant temp Sensor from Napa and it fixed my problem where my fans were always running. but the CEL code was still active for it. I then decided to take out the Injectors for the Cylinders that weren't running and swapped them for some others that i had laying around. To my amazement, when i started the car, it purred like a kitten and my misfiring was fixed! Theyre still 440s and its chugging smoke out the tail pipe along with all the fuel that built up in there. I have some Pink Top 380s on the way.
https://imgur.com/bSCu8FR
So now were here. When i start the car it idles at about 1.2k. If i give it any amount of throttle, it'll jump up to 3.2k and stay there.. until i turn the car off. if i don't touch the throttle at all it will just stay at 1.2k until it gets to normal operating temp. If i floor it, the car bogs down immediately and dies. I cant even move it in my driveway. I'm sure codes 14-17 will go away when i install the correct injectors. I have already installed a new CTS, the canister purge is hooked up and wired correctly, and all thats left is the MAP, MAF, and TPS. Ive already taken the MAF apart and cleaned it with no luck. Ive confirmed all sensors have continuity and have power going to them.
Does anybody have some insight or where to start next?
So I recently picked up a Rio Red 91 SS with a factory 5 speed. When i got the car it didn't run at all. Previous Owner had stated he drove it for many years with a 20G ECU & a td04, but parked it because a Coolant Temperature sensor code. So I picked it up for a good price and have been bringing it back to life...slowly.
So when I first dived into it, it did in fact have a 20G ECU and a massive amount of treacherous wiring.. The biggest head scratcher was this bizarre dual igniter setup that was tied into the factory Igniter. The car also came with 440 injectors, WRX Top Mount inter-cooler, GFB BOV, detchwerks 255 fuel pump. I swapped out the Black Jecs MAF and installed a metal Hitachi MAF from a friend. I also Plugged in a 22T ECU and a new Fuel filter.
https://imgur.com/7JO2fgA
When I parked the car in the driveway and charged the battery, it would crank and crank and crank but wouldn't start. Then I discovered the insane amounts of botched wiring throughout the car. I took the Top Mount off and found 2 red and black wires leading from the dual igniter setup and they led into the cabin. From what i assumed, there was 2 wires that were cut on frayed on the F47 Connector on ports 8 & 9 that those wires tied into. 1 These ports are for the Cylinders ignition. However, after looking at Pictures of unmolested factory plugs from other forum members, the wire colors did not line up. In fact, only port 9 was apart of that circuit. But it had a blue/white wire plugged into it(for the canister purge solenoid). I then figured out that there was a green/ white wires in port 7 that was supposed to be in port 9. I re Pinned everything how it should be on the plug, reverted the funky Dual Igniter setup in the engine bay back to factory and the car finally started! but only ran on 2 Cylinders... At this point i ran the car in D check Mode and checked for codes and these popped up:
14
15
16
17
21
31
35
45
49
https://imgur.com/ldTcJPO
https://imgur.com/az49eEy
While I was down there fixing the ignition pins, I noticed there was some wires that needed to be gone through on connector B48. There was a power wire(13) that needed to be re connected, the Coolant temp sensor wire was also tapped into that?(7) And the Ground wire for the MAP sensor(5) was tied into the Sensor ground wire(21). I reverted and fixed all that wiring and the car still only ran on 2 Cylinders...
https://imgur.com/WF7Q3XQ
https://imgur.com/cdcxdLQ
https://imgur.com/iZgZhUi
So, back to the drawing board. I went ahead and installed a New Coolant temp Sensor from Napa and it fixed my problem where my fans were always running. but the CEL code was still active for it. I then decided to take out the Injectors for the Cylinders that weren't running and swapped them for some others that i had laying around. To my amazement, when i started the car, it purred like a kitten and my misfiring was fixed! Theyre still 440s and its chugging smoke out the tail pipe along with all the fuel that built up in there. I have some Pink Top 380s on the way.
https://imgur.com/bSCu8FR
So now were here. When i start the car it idles at about 1.2k. If i give it any amount of throttle, it'll jump up to 3.2k and stay there.. until i turn the car off. if i don't touch the throttle at all it will just stay at 1.2k until it gets to normal operating temp. If i floor it, the car bogs down immediately and dies. I cant even move it in my driveway. I'm sure codes 14-17 will go away when i install the correct injectors. I have already installed a new CTS, the canister purge is hooked up and wired correctly, and all thats left is the MAP, MAF, and TPS. Ive already taken the MAF apart and cleaned it with no luck. Ive confirmed all sensors have continuity and have power going to them.
Does anybody have some insight or where to start next?
