car wont start

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purplescamper

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I have a 73 scamp with a 360 super thermoquad ( rebuilt by scot smith) a carter electric fuel pump. I have a ready to run hei distributer and coil, I lined up the timing to tdc, made sure my wires are right im getting gas and spark I cant get this thing to run so I can time it. any ideas
 
1st what all did you do/change to car/motor

Check TDC on the compression stroke. Pull dist cap off and confirm which wire the rotor is pointing to #1. Confirm you have spark in the cranking mode and do that thru the key not the relay at fire wall
 
Is it trying to start or absolutely nothing. Just crank crank crank
 
The cam has to be turning and the rotor too,lol. The principle ingredients are fuel AND air, compression, and spark. But if the rotor ain't under the cap, it all takes a dump. You said you have of them.
If you have been using starter fluid or splashing gas down the carb, you may have washed all the oil off the cylinders and the ring seal is gone, and the compression along with it. If so, then you are gonna have to restore the oil. Pull the plugs and squirt some oil in there. Just a little,it doesn't take much. Then crank it over with the plugs out for a few revolutions to spread the oil around, and the rest will puke back out the holes, so do what you gotta do to not make a mess.
Screw the speed screw in about two turns so the engine can get some air.
 
yellow rose said:
Exactly. What happens when you hit the key? Does the engine spin like the knob on a shithouse door and it doesn't pop, bang, snort or anything?

What does it do?
Click to expand...
first im getting spark when I turn the key, just a regular cranking noise...but im getting a lot of fuel mist being shot up...plus if I put my foot down and hold on the gas pedal down it acts like it might want to start, but does'nt
 
purplescamper said:
first im getting spark when I turn the key, just a regular cranking noise...but im getting a lot of fuel mist being shot up...plus if I put my foot down and hold on the gas pedal down it acts like it might want to start, but does'nt
Click to expand...
Hang on, do you mean a stream of sparks from the near-grounded coil tower wire, as the engine is being cranked, with the key in "crank" position?
OR
do you mean every time you turn the key from off to run, not cranking, you get one spark and no more.
BTW; both above are correct for a properly functioning factory electronic ignition system.

If yes to both of the above, then go back to post #2
 
purplescamper said:
first im getting spark when I turn the key, just a regular cranking noise...but im getting a lot of fuel mist being shot up...plus if I put my foot down and hold on the gas pedal down it acts like it might want to start, but does'nt
Click to expand...


You don't have the timing correct from what it sounds like. You need to set the crank at 35* BTDC on number 1 cylinder and then set the distributor in so that when you turn the rotor to full advance it lines up with the number 1 wire.

Don't try and set it a TDC and start it. They don't run at TDC.
 
This is a 4-stroke engine so there two times that the piston is at TDC. You may have the distributer a 180* off. It could be at TDC on #6. Remove #1 spark plug and slowly turn engine over until you feel and hear the piston coming up on compression stroke. Look down on the balancer and you should see the timing marks coming up to TDC. Slowly turn it to TDC and re-install the plug. Look at your rotor, is it pointing to #1 on the cap? If not, re-install distributer to correct. TDC is close enough for it to fire. Later you can adjust the timing.
 
Close enough to fire,
but without knowing how far the throttle is open, maybe not enough to run. With the index numbers now right there, all it takes is a lil twist to 20 or more degrees and with oiled rings it will practically spring to life with almost any transfer showing.
 
Too much fuel pressure overcoming the needle seats. Flooded from the get-go.
 
purplescamper said:
im putting out 6psi, do I need to get a regulator to cut it back ?
Click to expand...

No, flooding was a shot in the dark guess.:D
Have you verified the distributor was put in with the #1 cylinder on the compression stroke?

If not, or you don't know they can only go one of two ways (right or 180 degrees off)
A quick way to check is to pull the distributor, turn the rotor 180 and drop it back in.
 
TrailBeast said:
No, flooding was a shot in the dark guess.:D
Have you verified the distributor was put in with the #1 cylinder on the compression stroke?

If not, or you don't know they can only go one of two ways (right or 180 degrees off)
A quick way to check is to pull the distributor, turn the rotor 180 and drop it back in.
Click to expand...
I think I found the problem....when I installed the electric fuel pump, my gauge was reading 5psi...just checked it before it was reading 25 psi....time for me to buy a pressure regularator
 
purplescamper said:
I think I found the problem....when I installed the electric fuel pump, my gauge was reading 5psi...just checked it before it was reading 25 psi....time for me to buy a pressure regularator
Click to expand...

Well then I guess that shot in the dark was a bulls eye.:D
Glad you found that out.
 
So if you kill power to the pump, and fill the bowls...does it run?
 
If you have 25 psi out of the pump, it sounds like a pump made for an EFI system, which may not be appropriate, even with a pressure regulator. What pump do you have?
Edit to add: Or the gauge is off.
 
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