Still no luck with the '69 Charger 383. Hasn't fired once.

[Virg464]

Is it possible that you've burned the teeth off of the distributor drive gear and it's not turning at all? A quick bump of the starter with the cap off will check that off the list of possibilities, if you didn't already check.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Does it have an all steel camshaft timing gear? I had an old Chevy nylon gear disintegrate on me, with the same symptoms you're have. Also, when I tore down the 383 I bought, there was a small handful of nylon cam gear teeth lodged in the oil pickup. It can happen! Good luck, and please update when you figure it out.

 

[WileERobby]

Does it have an all steel camshaft timing gear? I had an old Chevy nylon gear disintegrate on me, with the same symptoms you're have. Also, when I tore down the 383 I bought, there was a small handful of nylon cam gear teeth lodged in the oil pickup. It can happen! Good luck, and please update when you figure it out.

Crank it with the cap off.

 

[1STMP]

Is your battery up to full voltage (while
cranking) ? My truck suffered the exact same
symtoms. Charged the battery and it started
running correctly.
Weak spark at the plugs.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Is it possible that you've burned the teeth off of the distributor drive gear and it's not turning at all? A quick bump of the starter with the cap off will check that off the list of possibilities, if you didn't already check.

Does it have an all steel camshaft timing gear? I had an old Chevy nylon gear disintegrate on me, with the same symptoms you're have. Also, when I tore down the 383 I bought, there was a small handful of nylon cam gear teeth lodged in the oil pickup. It can happen! Good luck, and please update when you figure it out.

X3 had the same thing happened to mine.

 

[chtampa]

Threats sometimes work. Do you have a gun?

 

[dvw]

If the motor isn't grounded the engine would not crank. If the distributor wasn't turning there would be no spark. Could you possibly have spark during crank only? Yes. Make sure the coil has voltage with the key in the run position. It may only have voltage in the crank position. As stated if it has a tach, the tach wire could be grounded or shorted to voltage. For now disconnect it. If you have decent spark and fuel that leaves 2 possibilities. No compression or spark at the incorrect time. Does the rotor point near the #1 or #6 position at the at aprox 10 BTDC? If it isn't close the timing is incorrect. Check these items and report back.
Doug

 

[Don Frelier]

If the motor isn't grounded the engine would not crank. If the distributor wasn't turning there would be no spark. Could you possibly have spark during crank only? Yes. Make sure the coil has voltage with the key in the run position. It may only have voltage in the crank position. As stated if it has a tach, the tach wire could be grounded or shorted to voltage. For now disconnect it. If you have decent spark and fuel that leaves 2 possibilities. No compression or spark at the incorrect time. Does the rotor point near the #1 or #6 position at the at aprox 10 BTDC? If it isn't close the timing is incorrect. Check these items and report back.
Doug

I made these same suggestions in the previous thread.
Dumping gas down the carb is not going to fix it.

 

[WileERobby]

Threats sometimes work. Do you have a gun?

You, too ? And I thought I was the only one over the years that yelled, cursed, and threatened whatever it was I was fixing. I've actually destroyed some parts years ago in violent frustration.

 

[Dennis H]

For good measure only, spray the bulkhead connector with electrical contact cleaner. Until the can is empty. Then gently jiggle it.

 

[Mark Barnes]

Just spitballing, but I had this problem once and it cost me a lot of unnecessary time and money.
Check the inside of the distributor cap for carbon tracks, will cause a lot of the issues you're having.

 

[joe smith]

You, too ? And I thought I was the only one over the years that yelled, cursed, and threatened whatever it was I was fixing. I've actually destroyed some parts years ago in violent frustration.

NEVER admit that in Divorce court....

 

[1STMP]

For good measure only, spray the bulkhead connector with electrical contact cleaner. Until the can is empty. Then gently jiggle it.

Jiggle the can, or the connector? (just kidding).
You could also check your ignition and
neutral safety switches.

 

[Moms68]

Is it possible that someone wired in a kill switch somewhere under the dash?

 

[DaveyG]

Could it be that ceramic resistor on the firewall has failed?

 

[Robert Hodges]

It was running great then started backfiring and losing power. Limped it home and can't get it to fire once. On advice from here, changed the points and condenser. Changed the coil. Changed the plugs. Changed the ballast resistor. Set the timing at 13 degrees.

It cranks well. I'm pouring gas or starting fluid down the carb. The plugs get wet after cranking. I've got spark, at least at the plug wires. It won't fire once.

The wiring at the bulkhead is kind of hinky. There's a jump wire going from a brown wire that isn't connected to the box to a sprig of a wire shoved in next to a purple wire at the box. I took off the jump wire and I got nothing. No crank, lights, anything so I put it back.

One weird thing. When we were limping it home and it was running terrible, it ran well for two blocks then ran terrible again.

View attachment 1266661

I see a few folks have mentioned the wiring. On my 67 with a 383, there is a brown wire that goes to the transmission. It is the neutral safety switch. You may want to address the wiring and if the brown wire is to your neutral safety switch, make sure it properly connected and that the switch has not gone bad.

 

[eldubb440]

run a hot wire to the coil, jump the starter, make it run and work from there

 

[R413]

run a hot wire to the coil, jump the starter, make it run and work from there

That was mentioned on Friday, but no reply yet, maybe he got it running and has been out driving it since?

it sure bypasses a lot of Potential problems doing it that way.

 

[lanfrda]

The sudden onset of the backfiring and rough running sound exactly like the problem I had with my old 68 Buick 350, namely a skipped timing chain. Removed the timing cover and found the chain had skipped a tooth on the cam gear. Removed and replaced both cam gear and chain and all was good.

 

[Old Sparky]

It was running great then started backfiring and losing power. Limped it home and can't get it to fire once. On advice from here, changed the points and condenser. Changed the coil. Changed the plugs. Changed the ballast resistor. Set the timing at 13 degrees.

It cranks well. I'm pouring gas or starting fluid down the carb. The plugs get wet after cranking. I've got spark, at least at the plug wires. It won't fire once.

The wiring at the bulkhead is kind of hinky. There's a jump wire going from a brown wire that isn't connected to the box to a sprig of a wire shoved in next to a purple wire at the box. I took off the jump wire and I got nothing. No crank, lights, anything so I put it back.

One weird thing. When we were limping it home and it was running terrible, it ran well for two blocks then ran terrible again.

View attachment 1266661

]
The last time I had a problem like this the cam chain had jumped a couple of notches...had spark and gas to every cyl. but no run....make sure you don't have one of those hinky plastic tooth cam sprockets...