Okay well that's news to me.
Would this change the timing at all?
Would this change the timing at all?
Electronic ignition troubleshooting help
- Thread starter Curt Chambers
- Start date
MoparGuy68
Well-Known Member
How is the No Start issue going?
We need to form a No Start Support Group. For people that own cars that just refuse to run or move around under their own power.
We need to form a No Start Support Group. For people that own cars that just refuse to run or move around under their own power.
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NO....not at all. Because the event occurs instantaneously....spark jumps the first (booster) gap immediately followed by the combustion chamber gap.
BOB RENTON
Curt Chambers
Well-Known Member
Final update.
I took a couple weeks' break to refill my patience bucket and decide what I'm going to do with this car. I want to make one last effort to get it started.
So yesterday and today I worked on it again. I started back at square 1. Put in some fresh gas. Changed the fuel filter. Bought a new can of starting fluid. Double checked all connections. Checked all the spark plugs. Verified timing. Put the battery on a trickle charge overnight. Cranks good but still no start. I bought one of them spark testers someone had posted about and verified that spark is indeed getting to the plugs. As before, cranking voltage at the coil + was a little low so once again I ran a jumper wire to provide 12v directly to the coil. Still no start. This part really bugs me. Because I know about all the places in the electrical system that can lose voltage, that would have to be sorted out if that was determined to be the problem, but when you run 12v directly to the coil that should bypass any electrical issue. The engine should at least make a feeble attempt to start. Am I correct? I am getting nothing. After cranking it awhile I pulled one of the plugs and verified it was wet. So it's getting fuel.
Even though it's a professionally rebuilt engine, I'm starting to think that maybe the timing chain did in fact jump a tooth, or something internal malfunctioned. Even though I'm a year past the warranty, I'm sure he'd be willing to take a look at it but he's going to want me to pull the engine and bring it in. I won't do that. If there are internal engine problems going on, that will be the next owner's headache. I do plan on doing a compression check for my own curiosity. It would be ironic if it did turn out to be an internal engine problem. The engine rebuild was the only part of the restoration that I sourced out to a professional because I wanted to make sure it was done right.
Anyway, since this is obviously beyond my ability to diagnose and/or repair, and I don't know a mechanic that I trust enough to tow the vehicle to their shop, I'm just going to sell it as a non-running vehicle. I'll take a huge financial hit, I know. But it's better than all the frustration the car's given me up to now. Thanks to all for your help. Look for it on the Tucson craigslist in a couple weeks.
Curt
I took a couple weeks' break to refill my patience bucket and decide what I'm going to do with this car. I want to make one last effort to get it started.
So yesterday and today I worked on it again. I started back at square 1. Put in some fresh gas. Changed the fuel filter. Bought a new can of starting fluid. Double checked all connections. Checked all the spark plugs. Verified timing. Put the battery on a trickle charge overnight. Cranks good but still no start. I bought one of them spark testers someone had posted about and verified that spark is indeed getting to the plugs. As before, cranking voltage at the coil + was a little low so once again I ran a jumper wire to provide 12v directly to the coil. Still no start. This part really bugs me. Because I know about all the places in the electrical system that can lose voltage, that would have to be sorted out if that was determined to be the problem, but when you run 12v directly to the coil that should bypass any electrical issue. The engine should at least make a feeble attempt to start. Am I correct? I am getting nothing. After cranking it awhile I pulled one of the plugs and verified it was wet. So it's getting fuel.
Even though it's a professionally rebuilt engine, I'm starting to think that maybe the timing chain did in fact jump a tooth, or something internal malfunctioned. Even though I'm a year past the warranty, I'm sure he'd be willing to take a look at it but he's going to want me to pull the engine and bring it in. I won't do that. If there are internal engine problems going on, that will be the next owner's headache. I do plan on doing a compression check for my own curiosity. It would be ironic if it did turn out to be an internal engine problem. The engine rebuild was the only part of the restoration that I sourced out to a professional because I wanted to make sure it was done right.
Anyway, since this is obviously beyond my ability to diagnose and/or repair, and I don't know a mechanic that I trust enough to tow the vehicle to their shop, I'm just going to sell it as a non-running vehicle. I'll take a huge financial hit, I know. But it's better than all the frustration the car's given me up to now. Thanks to all for your help. Look for it on the Tucson craigslist in a couple weeks.
Curt
Ranger16
Well-Known Member
DAMN! Sorry to hear that.
MoparGuy68
Well-Known Member
Nooooooo! That’s not the end of the story we were hoping to hear.. I’d come by and take a look if I lived in Tucson. I got mine started today. At least one of us got our car running.. Sometimes when you’re ready to throw in the towel the solution is just around the corner..
I'm sorry it hasn't gone well.
Bee1971
Well-Known Member
Man , we got Moparguy post resolved and started
I really was hoping for a second set of eyes in that area to help
So easy to check valve timing/compression stroke on the #1 cylinder by pulling the valve cover , or yanking out the distributor and looking in the hole at the camshaft lobes in relation to the crankshaft
Of course it started fine that one day with a new ECU , and then a no start weak ignition spark ever since
Is it a snappy spark , you can hear it jumping the spark plug while it is grounded ?
I know we repeated everything twenty times , but MAN THIS CAN BEE FIXED
I really was hoping for a second set of eyes in that area to help
So easy to check valve timing/compression stroke on the #1 cylinder by pulling the valve cover , or yanking out the distributor and looking in the hole at the camshaft lobes in relation to the crankshaft
Of course it started fine that one day with a new ECU , and then a no start weak ignition spark ever since
Is it a snappy spark , you can hear it jumping the spark plug while it is grounded ?
I know we repeated everything twenty times , but MAN THIS CAN BEE FIXED
Sixpactogo
Well-Known Member
I'm just getting on board with this scenario. I stumbled through most of the posts but probably missed a few things. I saw where you changed from points to the electronic ignition. It seems to me the problem would be in the distributor. Have you replaced the plate coil? Do you have another distributor you could swap in for testing? When you pull the distributor, pull #1 plug and get the timing up to top dead center on the compression stroke. Check the timing mark on the harmonic balancer. Make sure the distributor shaft slot is inline with the engine before you drop in the distributor and make sure the rotor is pointed to #1 plug wire. If you get spark to the plug wires all you need is gas.
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