Okay. I do about 99% of my work on carbureted vehicles. So I may sound like an idiot. I took this job for a friend who has been waiting 3 years to drive his Z because the guy he gave it to "never got around to it." The job: take one Z with a good body and blown engine and a Z with a hacked body and good engine and make one driveable Z. Gray Z (good Z) I later found out has rev-up. Blue Z(hacked) did not. I proceeded to pull both engines. Went fine. (Both 6 speed btw). Noticed different timing cover. Did some reading. Swapped heads(had them machined and camshaft/lifter clearances checked out.) Figured while I was swapping these rev up heads on to this non revup block, I should do timing and water pump while I was there. So I did. I lined all of the marks up and rotated the crank and felt no resistance, and also felt compression on every cylinder. Go to put the engine back in. Get everything bolted back up and want to start it before I put the front clip on so if I screwed the timing up , I can still fix it. Put a hot battery in, and hit the key. Cranks great. No starting. Took off fuel damper and filled fuel rail with carb cleaner. Tried again. Nothing. No coughing or anything. Thoughts? The only thing that I know of that is still disconnected is the knock sensor (light blue connector on top by fuel line) but I also know that just means the car should just run the safest ecu map, and still run. Want this car out of my driveway, and he is ready to drive it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

You need the ecu from the car the motor came out of, and probably the ignition switch

 

The car that had the revup heads is getting the revup heads back in it. I'm just using a short block from a non revup. From what I've read, the short block is the same from revup to standard DE.

 

and matching key, yes.

Even if all your mechanical work is spot on, the NATS (Nisaan Anti Theft System) will trip you up. As stated above you'll need a matching ECU, IGN switch with matching key before it will run. Gl!

 

The vehicle receiving the engine has an intact ecu, key, and switch. None of that has been messed with. All I have done is take a 350 with a revup motor, and give it a new short block, while keeping the original heads with the car. I haven't swapped ecu because I kept the original setup it was designed for. Same with the key and ign

 

Understood. If that's the case you need to determine if this vehicle started correctly prior to engine damage and changes. If yes-
Then your next steps are basic troubleshooting- air,spark and fuel. GL!

 

Okay. Been cranking it after trying a few things. Doesn't sound like other 350zs cranking. It's not a constant sound, it sounds like it puts out 3 good cranks and then a low tone. Dont know how to share a video on here. Also not getting any fuel. Took the pressure damper thing off of the fuel line and watched it as I cranked. Nothing. Filled the fuel line(as it has been sitting a while) and still nothing

 

Only way to post vids is upload to YT, paste link here. GL!

 

Possibly bad or gone fuel pump?

 

Pump worked right up until he threw a rod... but I guess sitting for a few years can destroy one. Still worried about that cranking noise. Has got me thinking that I did the timing wrong. Don't see how, it has compression, and no valves are hitting pistons.

 

I helped a friend do an ls swap...and in the 4 months it took and sat, his went out.

 

I don't hear the fuel pump priming when I flip the key, gonna check relay and then assume pump is dead. But I dont want to fire it up with screwy timing.any thoughts?

 

What do you mean by "timing?" Are you referring to the timing chain and associated line-up marks? If that's off it needs to be corrected before proceeding. There's no distributor to alter timing, it's done electronically...

 

I understand the timing system, just not really used to dohc timing, and 3 chains to time... did it as the book says, and I can crank the engine over smoothly by hand, and I make compression. I just dont know if I was off a tooth or something because of this weird sound. Gonna upload to yt and post it here when I get the chance.

 

finally got around to getting this recorded. Haven't had much time to mess with it.

 

if I can add in my 2 cents did you get the swap bcm? might be locking you out from starting, I agree with Jhc about nats

 

Are the blocks not the same? I used a good short block from a non rev car, and swapped it onto a rev car. Harness, ign and key are all the same. I do not get a steady red light. My question is if the cranking noise sounds like the timing is off? What are other symptoms of NATS failure?

 

engine sounds dead like its not getting any fuel at all, ignition coils are all working? wiring for ignition coils are in order?

 

i said that initially.... take the fuel line loose, crank it....

 

if travlee recommended trying that you should try and report back dont dismiss good advice