I went out today to take my car out for spin and could not get it started. It started at first after cranking for a while and ran like crap, real rough and would not stay running. Then I wore the batt down trying to get it started, it felt like it wanted to catch but no go. I throught I flooded it so I charged the batt and let it sit. Each time i went to start it it would crank but not catch. I can see and smell gas so it has to be electrical. The car has sat for about a month but last week I started it with no problem. I changed resistors and same thing crank crank but no catch. I checked voltage at the coil at it was about 7 volts with the key on, the batt shows 12.47 Any ideas?
What distributor? i assume Points? If so, When you crank the car, does the neg side of the coil 'pulse'? If not, it maybe a point problem.. Might check there if you havn't already. Maybe check to see if they are badly burnt, and clearence..Or, just toss another set in for good measure.
ha this reminds me of an old chevy truck my dad had, parked it in the backyard, for a month or two just like you said, started fine last time he parked it, he wanted to sell it so I went out to move it to wash it and such, and it wouldn't start!!.. I was like... hmm... cranked it over and over and over and over and nothing, poured some gas and it would catch, then shut off.. turns out the gas line that came from the tank had a crack in it, maybe from the month of sitting ? You couldn't see it until you bent the hose alittle, but when I sucked on the line from the front I would get gas so I didn't know it at first.. changed the fuel pump and all before I realized it was the line.. weird.. ran great after that!! Damn cars... -Anthony
I can see the gas cause I have one of those glass filters before the carb and with the electric pump on I can see the filter fill up with gas. the primaries are wet with gas too.
If you have a point system, check the condensor. They're dirt cheap, so just put in a new one and try it, as long as you are changing points..........
Also check all your plug wires and make sure they are good. They might be arc'ing off of something and causing it to ground out. After that, go to the exhaust. It could be blocked up. You say it's turning over but won't fire, start the process of elimination of the most simple things. It's usually one of these that make's our manhood deflate. Mott
I dislike points, I'd swap in a petronix or similar if I had a points dizzy. I've never had anything but headaches with them. Anychance your distributor clamp is loose or can turn it by hand? I had a hotstart problem that turned out to be a bad dist. clamp, i'd dighten it and it'd still turn by hand. New clamp solved the prob.
You know, the dizzy does turn somewhat easily by hand, but as long at it is where it is supposed to be it shoudl start unless it moves when cranking...
That dist. should be locked down tight if the clamp is good . You might try turning the dizzy a little then trying to start it, and if it doesn't work try it in the other direction. It was fairly surprising to me what a difference just a ffew degrees turned either direction made. Regardless, since it's a known problem I think you gotta replace that clamp just so you can rule it out or don't have probs with it down the road. I didn't think it was a big deal LOL live and learn
I had this problem last week my car was running fine the day before and the next day not at all. I changed points, condensor, checked the coil, still no luck, then i took out my recently replaced rotor and replaced it with the old one that i had taken out about a month ago and started right up even though it looked good i guess it was bad
This may not be your problem but i have a buddy with a small block in his Bronco and he has random no start problems. Oddly enough if he pulls the dist. cap off, lets it breath for a second, then puts it back on its starts rite up. Not sure why exactly and its probably not going to cure your problem but it takes five minutes to try.
Well, this morning I tried again and no start. I just choked it no gas, and I can here the pump run (eletric) and can see the gas in the filter and smell it. I put another plug into the plug wire and it sparks but seems weak. it almost caguht but then nothing. I have a mark on the intake where the number 1 plug goes so i know I am in the ballpark as far as timing. Like I said, last week I started it very easy by just choking it and running for a while and it idled down fine. I also replaced the ballast resistor and rotor with no change.
Do that first. Do you have a resistor bypass wire from the starter to the coil? It needs a full 12V when you are cranking the engine. The no bs steps that I would take at this time. 1. Pull Number one plug (the front one on the drivers side) and while holding your finger tip over the plug hole have someone bump the engine over so you can bring it up on compression on number one. The timing mark should line up with 0 on the tab or at least pretty close to it at this time. 2. take the cap off and make sure that the rotor is pointing at the location of #1 plug wire. The points should be open at this time or just opening. 3. Tighten the distributor clamp so the distributor doesn't turn. 4. Put things back together and it should fire if the plugs aren't fouled or wet. 5. Then you can use a timing light to properly adjust the timing. Electronic distributors and conversions are great but there is a reason that a lot of people in third world countries still like point type ignition. (they are simple and easy to troubleshoot).
Depends if that is during start or run. there should be a resistor in line during the run position unless it is HEI.
I had the 7 volts at the coil with the key on... The dsit has not turned that much, and I have the mark on the manifold when I timed it. The rotor was pointing there. I may have a bad batt, and maybe some loose connection at the starter... I have the bypass on the resistor that is supposed to give all 12 volts to the ign when cranking I had wet plugs yesterday and cleaned them, but I may add a new set today, since the are due for replacement.
I didn't hear you say that you replaced the points and condensor though. You might do that especially if you may have left the ignition on for a while without realizing it.
I picked up a crane XR-i conversion, since I was planning to do so anyway, and will replace the plugs as well.
Jumper 12v directly from the batt to the coil this eliminates all wiring the switch and the resistor in the system. This should give you 12 solid volts to the coil.
OK with the key on I am getting 2 volts to the coil and 9 volts when cranking. My old plugs were soaked with gas, so they are out and I am planning on putting the new ones in. Since I changed from points to electronic Crane XR-i should the gap change? I am gong to try to reset the dist on TDC and see what's up.
I had a similar type problem with a 70 International, 232 six.. the last thing I did was change the plugs..........bingo.. I was good to go, it also had been sitting for a few weeks and had started the last time I tried..
I wonder if all of this was just complicated by "upgrading" to electronic Crane XR-i before replacing the points and condensor just to see if that would work. Sounds identical to my SBC issues last Spring. SH0-nuff, threw the new set in and blammo, started like a champ.
Yea I agree, I changed the plugs and dropped the dist in it started but ran like crap. I was in a hurry, so it could have been that the timing was off, plug wires crossed etc. I have to pull the dist out and find tdc again, and try it again. But she did fire...
Ok an update. I put the crane igniton conversion in, and re set the dist. Started fine, idles fine, let it sit for a mintue or two and went to take it for a spin. Got out of the driveway and it started bogging under load, and backfiring through the exhaust. Got it in the garage and it starts great and idles great but kinda dies when revved, when I first started it today it sounded great and reved great, it also wants to run better w/o the vac advance on, and I have the crane advnce limiter and adjustable vac can. I can go start it with a light click of the key but at 2000rpm she goes off and backfires through the exhaust. Any ideas?
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