A20A1 nightmare

[anubix]

need help!

(brief history) 88 lxi manual
-installed (succesfully) jdm a18a
*turned out to have a warped block, so they gave me a a20a1 to replace it (no warranty)

here's where I'm at:
- got the a20 in and fired it up, ran great but needed a little fine tuning.
- leak from water pump (gmb style purchased 5/07 for a18a) so i took it off and used some rtv silicone
-fired it back up, water pump appears to have stopped leaking, sounds beautiful @ idle, but when I go past 2500 rpm it misses like a mother (like my 65ranchero does when the point gap is off.....)
The only abnormality I could see, was when I hit 2500 rpm, the a/c idle boost valve would move when the engine would start missing (illustrated in attached pic) even if I disconnect the vacuum hose from it.

there do not appear to be any vacuum leaks. and I have checked and re-checked all the electrical connections.
I'm getting spark and fuel to each cyl.
you can see in pic that everything is labeled thoroughly; so am positive all connections are correct.

Shot this video 4 u (in my consistently cold ass garage):

After I shot vid I was able to determine there was a clicking noise eminating from under the dash after the engine died coinciding with flickering of the check engine light.
I had to put a long screwdriver on it to be sure, but there appears to be a relay WAY (and I mean as far up under there as you can get, prolly have to take the cluster out to get to it) which was clicking very rapidly (felt it through screwdriver). The info on it is: MITSUBA RZ-0028 MAIN 12V (it is fuel pump main relay?). If I turn the key to on (1/2 the time) that relay will click continuously, while the check engine light flickers, and the engine will only turn over, and not start (other half of the time it will behave normally, check engine light stays on for 2 seconds when key is on, then goes off). If the engine does fire, when I give it any gas at all, it dies as in the video. The relay never made a sound before this a20a1. And I just have a feeling, that if I goto pocket-a-part and get another one, it will either do the same thing, or will go back to missing like a mofo when I get to 2500 rpm

idk wtf 2 do now.
if this were carb I would have it done a week ago.
but as of now, I keep getting blown off by the 1 person I know can figure it out
and I don't have enough money to pay to have someone else fix it.

Can someone please please point me in the right direction?

[LX-incredible]

That's not the ac idle boost, that's the diaphragm that opens up the secondaries.

That's the main relay, check it, your ignition switch, grounds, and the connections at the ecu.

[Oldblueaccord]

The butterfly valves only open at 5K rpm and up so I am thinking you have a vacuum line or too switched around if its opening at only 2500. I would look at your MAP sensor on the firewall. The main relay can be jumped out to test .Do a search on it in the EFI section I did a write up on it.

wp

[anubix]

just got back from pocket-a-part
got another rz-0028 installed
same symptoms as before (with the clicking)
so something else is causing the main fuel pump relay to click/grind

this is getting ridiculous

[carotman]

Make sure the grounds on the engine are properly tightened. These grounds are used by the main relay.

[LX-incredible]

Check the 4 ground wires that come off right above the text in your picture. They are for the ECU and main relay. I recall them bolting somewhere under or behind that diaphragm.

[anubix]

Make sure the grounds on the engine are properly tightened. These grounds are used by the main relay.

Grounds:
I find one from the "-" of the bat, which bolts down to the clutch cable bracket on the tranny.
The other goes from the valve cover to the radiator bracket.

are there more to check? cuz those 2 are nice and tight.

[russiankid]

Grounds:
I find one from the "-" of the bat, which bolts down to the clutch cable bracket on the tranny.
The other goes from the valve cover to the radiator bracket.

are there more to check? cuz those 2 are nice and tight.

The ground wire coming from the battery goes to the body near the battery tray, then it goes to the clutch cable bracket. Check it at the body, it bolts down as well.

[moonjaw2002]

There is also a ground that goes to the manifold
under the fuel regulator,it comes in the same wire loom as the injector wires.Mark

[anubix]

There is also a ground that goes to the manifold
under the fuel regulator,it comes in the same wire loom as the injector wires.Mark

you were right, this wire was broken
soldered it up
runs like it always shoulda

[MessyHonda]

you were right, this wire was broken
soldered it up
runs like it always shoulda

nice

[w261w261]

Score one for the 3G site! I was just thinking the other day how I sometimes take for granted the depth and availability of expert knowlege here. As our cars get older and less represented in the general population, the number of mechanics that are really "up" on them is going down too. With a semi-nasty little problem like the hidden ground wire here, the amount of time and frustration saved by the members of the site is a real lifesaver. Until recently, I had an old Volvo, which was no Honda fo' sure. The Volvo site was *nothing* compared to this one. You could post a question and watch the grass grow before anyone came back with a suggestion. This place is such a great resource!

[2oodoor]

Score one for the 3G site! I was just thinking the other day how I sometimes take for granted the depth and availability of expert knowlege here. As our cars get older and less represented in the general population, the number of mechanics that are really "up" on them is going down too. With a semi-nasty little problem like the hidden ground wire here, the amount of time and frustration saved by the members of the site is a real lifesaver. Until recently, I had an old Volvo, which was no Honda fo' sure. The Volvo site was *nothing* compared to this one. You could post a question and watch the grass grow before anyone came back with a suggestion. This place is such a great resource!

Absolutley on the mark there w261

It is also kind of interesting to think how many of these cars (and others) are in the scrap yards with just such problems that could never be cured by somebody trying to work on flat rate or using a book.