Projects 1960 Chevrolet 283ci not firing

You could do a rough check by pulling the pass valve cover. Get both valves for #6 so they were changing position. Timing mark should be on #1
There was an engine that nobody could get to run. They finally found that the masking tape over the manifold carb flanges was still there

 

Might bring it up on compression on number one again and align the timing marks on the damper. Double check the rotor and determine the rotor is indeed coming up on the number one spark plug tower in the cap. Verify the transmission is in park (auto.) or neutral (manual), set the parking brake. Connect the plug wire to the spark plug and ground it to the block, loosen the dist. slightly, turn the key on and slowly rotate the dist. one way then the other by hand until number one plug sparks, snug up the dist. Doing this will get the timing close enough to start, then set the timing with a light.

 

OK, so don't think it is the distributor. Followed Mallory's test procedure:
Removed the cap and rotor, turned ignition on, then measured 12V on the negative coil post (correct).
Placed card into optical slot and voltage dropped to 1.0V (correct).... Module working.
I did have battery tender hooked up when trying to start... this may have screwed with the HEI internals. Going to charge battery tonight and try and start with nothing hooked up tomorrow. BTW thanks for all the help so far.

 

What kind of Mallory do you have. ?
Sounds like a Unilite ?

Tommy

 

Is the coil wires pos to pos and neg to neg?

 

wiring is correct on the coil... yes it is a unilite

 

Okay,,,,Unilite is either good or bad,,,,if the module fails it is done.
On mine,,,,,modules go out,,,absolutely no fire at all.

Only other thing I have seen happen to them is the advance weights sometimes come apart inside,,,,the post come loose,,,and let them wear on the housing.
But,,,it will still fire.

Tommy

 

You are off a tooth when you reinstalled the distributor...try reinstalling it.

 

Also lobsterboy,
The pics of your engine look awesome,,,very nice !
What I can see of the car looks super as well,,,really goood.
The plumbing looks good and everything looks in place.

I just can’t understand what is wrong.

Check the balancer mark,,,it’s on TDC,,right ?
Mark the distributor cap where number 1 wire is.
That mark should line up very close to where the rotor button is aligned to.
Then all wires should be right on the cap top firing order.

There must be something I’m missing.

Tommy

 

I went wire by wire tonight and everything is correct.
The balancer has a mark, but the block doesn’t have a timing tab, that’s why I pulled the valve covers and had compression gauge on #1 to get close... rotor pointing very close to #1 at that point (not 180).
I feel like I just need to not look at it for a while and the issue will pop right out (been saying that for a month).


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Okay,,sounds like you have done everything right,,,IM stumped.
Get you some rest and attack it again tomorrow.
Good luck man.

Tommy

 

Does the dang car got any gas in it

 

You don't have a timing tab? How do you time the motor? By ear? Advance the distributor (counterclockwise) while cranking....does that change anything? I would turn that dizzie a few degrees at time counterclockwise until it either starts or feels like its going to stop while cranking, and then do the reverse of this process (clockwise) and see what happens. Remember that your engine fires every 90 degrees at the crank. If your off even by 25-30 degrees it can cause havoc. If you've confirmed hot spark and adequate fuel, more than likely its the dizzie timing.

 

^^^^And that's just what I was going to ask, what Lloyd asked^^^^!!!!! Does it have fuel??? Is the fuel pump installed correctly with the pump push rod set in place correctly (kinda hard to see if you have a Hurst type front saddle mount that would delete the fuel pump unless it's spaced out appropriately)? It's going to turn out to be something really simple; they seem to be the most difficult ones to run down. If it were me, I'd take a daylong break, and go do something else, then, go back at it starting with running the valves, re-setting the distributor in place, re-checking the distributor settings and wiring, ball-parking the timing, checking for fuel delivery, charging the battery completely, and then firing it off. And like someone else said, it'd sure be easier to be able to reach out to you from across the street or from next door; or even a few houses down, just so we could BE THERE to help. Good luck, and THANK YOU for your service to our country!!!!! You should drop that little engine into the Jeep in your avatar, just to "break" it in! I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

With the engine at TDC one of the slots in the rotor should be aligned with the pickup in the module and it should be close enough to start.

 

A dist don't care where its set as far as tooth wise. As long as you place number one spark plug wire to where the rotor is pointing when number one cyl is at TDC with both valves closed it will still be correctly timed and run perfect. I set dist out of the so called correct position quite often. I do it on purpose to make the next guy pull some hair out if he cant figure it out.

 

Okay, you never said that you really don't have a way to verify TDC. You need to verify TDC on #1 cylinder and mark it. I'll bet you are a tooth off on the distributor. That's sure what it sounds like.

 

Pull the valve cover on #6 turn the engine over until the exhaust valve closes and the intake starts to open when they are open the same amount you are very close to TDC #1 less than 5 degrees off. Then look at post 45.

 

When you finally figure it out, and you will, please post the solution.

 

Have you checked your harmonic balancer to ensure the rubber between the outside ring with the timing marks and the inside ring that bolts to your crankshaft hasn’t broken and let the outer ring slip. Had that to happen one time.


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At TDC...is your balancer mark in line with the water pump bolt, like this? Since you don't have a timing tab, this may give you a reference point.

 

Those heis are a pain. I use a single point distribution to trigger a CD box.

 

Lose the NGKs for a set of Autolites.

 

IS there fuel in the carbs? How old is the gas? After a month or two, it degrades. Fuel filter OK, tank fairly clean?

Make a piston stop from an old spsrk plug, VERIFY TDC on the balancer with a timing tab from the store. Run a ground wire from the distrubutor to the hold-down bolt. You are close enough for us troops to smell it! If the carbs have gas, gotta be TIMING!!! Good Luck, Tim

 

No new post from OP since Thursday at 9:00 Pm.?

 

Starter fluid. If I’d does not try to start, it is ignition. No spark or out of time. Did you lay a plug on the intake and crank the engine. You should see a spark.

 

Maybe he put some gas in it and is kinda' embarrassed to say... We've ALL been there...

 

Updates????

 

Well, I was going to suggest putting a timing light on it and cranking it over, but when he said no timing tab, I decided to bail out on this one..Good luck , boys

 

Is the cam stock? Check the cam degree if not. Check that cap again too