Engine won't start after rebuild.

[driftin jo]

Who says it's 100% out of sync every cycle?, can't see how you can eliminate it as it's one of the primary changes done on the engine

Unless your using an elastic band as a timing belt I fail to see how it could be out of sync on one revolution and then not on the next. The engine is exhibiting all the sings of the coil / power output stage wires being mixed up so it is firing the wrong cylinders , I have seen this many times when people remove engines and then put them back .

[merlin's S4]

I am thinking you have your coil/ power output stage wires in the wrong order.

Correct! What a flippin numpty I am! With the amount of times I've taken the coilpacks off and refitted them in the past I can't believe I did it. Probably teach me not to work on the car late into the night.

Thanks everyone!!

[max_s2]

So the car has started? Everything bling-bling'ing tip-top?

[S2central.net]

LOL - was just going to post that this sounded like swapped POS packs... just read the whole thread and hey presto... All lived happily ever after

[pixsaudisex2]

And of course make sure all your plugs are the right way around on the coils an pos

argh come on i said it first... always good when its an easy fix...

[merlin's S4]

argh come on i said it first... always good when its an easy fix...

My apologies!
I'm still feeling pretty stupid about it. What makes it worse is that Dan (dpicariello) pointed out that I solved the exact same problem for him a couple years ago!! I guess I was too busy thinking of the worst.

I had a leak on the inlet manifold which was just a couple of loose bolts but after that it was ticking over lovely. I ran it up to temperature and dropped the oil yesterday. I've now got to check the head stud torque and put the front of the car back together, then it can see daylight for the first time in 4 months!