Wits End With A 318

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dustermaniac said:
Try this, pull the #1 spark plug out of the block and then crank the engine over by clicking the key and "bumping" it Hold your finger over the spark plug hole while having someone else bump the engine over. As soon as you feel the engine push your finger up from the hole you should be at top dead center on the compression stroke. Then do not turn it over any further. Remove the distributor cap and peek under the cap and see where the rotor is pointing in relation to the wires on the cap. The rotor should be pointing at the plug wire that leads to the #1 cylinder. if your rotor is not pointing to the # 1 plug wire you need to check to see if either the rotor is advanced 180 degrees out or if the wiring is wrong where the wires plug up to the cap. Hope this helps and Merry Christmas!!!
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x2 ,that's how I set my engines to TDC also
 
Good morning brother. Check to see if the rotor was put in backward. Happened to me once when I was in a hurry. If that's the case, it will never start. MMG
 
herschel said:
Have you checked to see if the distributer is 180 off. 50% you could be.
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yep thats a very disturbing thing that happens from time to time dont ask me how i know LOL

have the threadstarter tried this yet?
 
dustermaniac said:
Try this, pull the #1 spark plug out of the block and then crank the engine over by clicking the key and "bumping" it Hold your finger over the spark plug hole while having someone else bump the engine over. As soon as you feel the engine push your finger up from the hole you should be at top dead center on the compression stroke. Then do not turn it over any further. Remove the distributor cap and peek under the cap and see where the rotor is pointing in relation to the wires on the cap. The rotor should be pointing at the plug wire that leads to the #1 cylinder. if your rotor is not pointing to the # 1 plug wire you need to check to see if either the distributor/rotor is advanced 180 degrees out or if the wiring is wrong where the wires plug up to the cap. Hope this helps and Merry Christmas!!!
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This is also basically how I do it, with a couple more parts to be more precise so it starts easier. After feeling the initial rush of air, put a socket on the balancer bolt and turn it until the timing marks are at TDC. Make sure the rotor is under the correct post on the dist. for number one cylinder, then turn the dist. if needed to line up the reluctor post to the sensor. If they are lined up exactly and the rotor is pointing at the proper post I've never had one fail to start on the first try.
 
look over your wiring harness when i put my motor in my truck it would not start just like that cranked for days with a good battery. then one day really disgusted looking down in the fenderwell around electronic box i seen a bad spot in my wiring harness put a wirenut on it and it started right up
 
Suck,Squeeze,Bam,Blow
you said its getting fuel did you check the plugs? sounds to me like your Bam is weak if all its doing is just cranking over and no wanting to fire i'd check the condition of the spark like others have said the color of the spark should be a pretty blue not a weak yellow/orange once you get that solved coil or ECM dry the gas off of the plugs then try to start it
 
Do a compression test. Did you prime the lifters before installing them? If you are getting spark and gas and your timing is out you will get backfiring. With no intake valves opening you will get nothing. Pull a valve cover to see if the valves are opening. Worth a try.
 
It is time.......to start with the BASICS

Time to run a compression check, and this gives you a chance to check the plugs which may be FOULED. You can get some idea by listening to the starter. Know what a "normal" cranking engine sounds like? You can hear the individual cylinders labor the starter. An engine with cam/ etc problems (no or little compression) will just "spin."

Next, check the spark AGAIN. First check the coil wire and make sure you have a nice fat blue spark. Crank the engine long enough that you see a nice series of rythmic, multiple sparks, not "intermittent. Then check again down at the plug

REALLY check the timing:

Remove no1 plug, stick your finger in there, and bump the engine 'till it pushes your finger out. LOOK at the marks, they should be "on the way up." Wrench or bump the engine until the marks are say, 10BTC or so. Pull the cap and verify two things:
The rotor should be approaching or "on" the no1 plug tower, and the reluctor should be right at the center of the pickup core. On a small block, the dist runs cw, so you can spring the rotor cw a little against the spring to see better if necessary.

If you have points, you want the points to "just open"

Next DO NOT TRUST what is in the tank. Has it been sitting awhile? How long? Six months? A year? (gag) Longer?

Get some fresh gas or starting fluid. Squirt a little right down the carb.


If you do this right, it should fire as if you parked it last night.
 
If it has spark at crank, fuel, and nothing; time to check tdc and timing chain position. Get correct tdc, and check position of rotor.
 
Valerie6708,

I have been following the thread. Do you have any updates? Is the engine running? Did you find the problem?
 
I've been following too (learning a little), and dont wana steal thread but may I ask if its a good idea to just check the spark at the plug gap it self?

just pull the plug from the engine, connect spark plug cable and crank it.

at least this way you know spark gets all way down in cylinder. ( and plug aint bad)
opinions?
 
my guess is distributor out 180 degrees
but seeing as this is a re-man motor it could be anything, did someone put the timing chain on at 4:59 PM on a friday?
 
See if you can get it to start from the relay on the firewall. Jayson
 
cudadriver said:
Do a compression test. Did you prime the lifters before installing them? If you are getting spark and gas and your timing is out you will get backfiring. With no intake valves opening you will get nothing. Pull a valve cover to see if the valves are opening. Worth a try.
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Awesome thinking.. I had that very same thing happen 15 years ago while doing a cam swap in my Dart.. Being young is not always a smart thing to do :/
 
I came back days later to see what the problem turned out to be, anyone ever hear anything?
 
StrokerScamp said:
You said you checked for spark. You did not say you have spark. Have you stuck a screwdriver in a plug wire, held it close top a ground and spun the engine to SEE the spark? Hell, I always just hold the screwdriver in my hand. It ain't gonna hurt you. Just give you a little jolt. Sounds to me like there's no spark. IF it is getting fuel.....even if it's out of time, you will get SOMETHING. whether it's a running engine or a pop through the exhaust or carb, if theres fuel AND fire, SOMETHING will happen.
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x 2 it will fire someway or another even out of time,with all the fuel it will go boom
 
"Big Green" is back on the road, my friends!!! Our problem was a combination of two vacuum lines crossed, the fuel mixture was off a little bit, and my timing was off by a hair. (But how big of a difference it made!)

I had wrong information about the requirements for the timing. I'd set it correctly, according to the information I had, but with my new correct information we'd realized it was off by two degrees. I guess that's what we get for owning a truck previously owned by both A) The US Government and B) the Steven's County (Washington State) Fire Department.

Doing all the fine tuning and working out the little snippets. But by God, gentlemen, SHE'S ON THE ROAD!!! : )

I want to thank you all that gave me helpful information. I know it's hard to diagnose when you're not looking at the thing. I really do appreciate all the help.

Pictures to come soon, of the truck, the old engine and the BEAUTIFUL new 318 she's got. : )

*Drool* I LOVE me some Mopar.

I'm an A-Body girl myself (duh) but the old man likes the bigger girls. : P A 67 Valiant Signet 4-Door with a 225 S6 lowered to the ground is all the girl I need. : P **RIP VALERIE. 1967-2008** Beware of the drunk-driving-and-texting-no-shoe-wearing-stuck-up-snobby-***** driving the Mini Cooper. She got my Valerie. : ( Pictures of my ol' girl coming soon too.

And by the way, if anyone gets wind of a 67 Valiant for sale on my half of the country, please send that wind my way. I'd do anything to get another Valiant. I was very emotionally and physically wounded by the loss of my Valiant.

Thanks guys!

XoXo
Ashley
 
caferacerx said:
my guess is distributor out 180 degrees
but seeing as this is a re-man motor it could be anything, did someone put the timing chain on at 4:59 PM on a friday?
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thats great,dont go reman,do it yourself,if at all possible!!!!!some sh*tty work goes on in factories/building operations.
 
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