My 91 MR2 NA doesn't seem to want to start. I've had a few people look at it and they don't know what it is. It almost sounds like a dead battery but, I hooked up another battery and that still didn't start it.
Anyway, I have a spare 5sfe in my garage that can go in if the current engine is bad. Any suggestions on what I should do or look at? or What shop should I go to, to have the spare engine put into my MR2?
Thanks

 

check fuel, spark, and compression before going straight to the motor swap

 

starter might be bad?

 

does the engine crank over?
YES:
- is there gas in it?
- is the engine getting the gas?
-are you getting spark?
-is the timing set properly?

NO:
- are the battery cables clean and well connected
- check all of your fuses spefically large main fuses
- check to make sure starter is properly hooked up
- do you hear noise coming from the starter when "cranking"?
yes: -check battery voltage and amp draw
- pull starter and bench test it ( take it to advance and the test is free) replace if its bad and go from there
no: check battery cables to starter , look for un hooked wires

 

+1.

does it turn over at all?

 

Usually when I attempt to start it, it just clicks. I got it to turn over twice out of a dozen attempts yesterday and when it did turn over it shut down 3 or 4 seconds later.
Thanks for the input.

 

sounds like your starter.

 

did you figure it out man??

 

I put another starter and a new battery in it today. Still no luck. Now, it sounds like the starter is just spinning and not catching instead of just clicking like it was before. But, there are some small wires around the starter that aren't hooked up and I don't know where they go.
Any help is appreciated.

 

did you get the right starter? Compare with the old one. If they are same, look in the hole for the starter and look at the teeth on the flywheel and make sure they are not worn off.