My new project

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Number 1 should be: Check for a banana in the tailpipe
Two Potatoes. Not Tomatoes . Go out to your car and hammer one or two up in there. Let me know how that works out for ya. LOL.

We were just taking today about the Brown Duster drag car unfinished project I bought that I am working on. The guy was not a mechanic. We showed up to look at the car after someone just drove it and when he got back it had no power at all it would not rev.
I made him a low ball offer . Thinking the motor had problem I didn't want to take a chance. We got it home after a long ride from NC.. There were two site members here my son and Todd.

My son said why don't we try another MSD Then he noticed the pill was gone.

I could not believe how this 408 sounded. He gave me receipts from a speed shop for a lot of money. The guy who took it for the ride must have pulled the pill. After I took Todd for a ride I needed to take a pill, "For my heart". Fresh 408 , big solid cam , 4500 stall and 488 gears. I was smiling ear to ear. We are going to put the motor and trans in Todd's 68 barracuda. I am going to resell the Duster.
 
Two Potatoes. Not Tomatoes . Go out to your car and hammer one or two up in there. Let me know how that works out for ya. LOL.

We were just taking today about the Brown Duster drag car unfinished project I bought that I am working on. The guy was not a mechanic. We showed up to look at the car after someone just drove it and when he got back it had no power at all it would not rev.
I made him a low ball offer . Thinking the motor had problem I didn't want to take a chance. We got it home after a long ride from NC.. There were two site members here my son and Todd.

My son said why don't we try another MSD Then he noticed the pill was gone.

I could not believe how this 408 sounded. He gave me receipts from a speed shop for a lot of money. The guy who took it for the ride must have pulled the pill. After I took Todd for a ride I needed to take a pill, "For my heart". Fresh 408 , big solid cam , 4500 stall and 488 gears. I was smiling ear to ear. We are going to put the motor and trans in Todd's 68 barracuda. I am going to resell the Duster.

I believe you, I was referencing the scene from Beverly Hills Cop.

Beverly-Hills-Cop-I-Banana-in-the-tailpipe.gif
 
Ok so I had about an hour and half of free time today before work so I tried to inspect the exhaust but it's been replaced sometime in the past and is welded all the way up from the tip to the manifold flange so theres no way for me to see into the muffler without cutting it off which I will do as soon as I go buy a cordless sawsall.
So next I checked the oil and seemed ok no water or coolant, and I checked the coolant and seems ok( looked like 100% water) no oil and clear.
I then decided to pull the valve cover and when I started and pulled the air cleaner off I found this.

20190918_124453.jpg
 
There was a spare carb in the trunk so I pulled the (butterfly shaft?) Part I needed off it and changed it. Boy let me tell you my hands were shaking while trying not to drop any pieces down the carb Lol.
Heres after I changed it.

20190918_132416.jpg
 
Next I did lift the valve cover and inspect the valves while turning the motor over by the belt . All went up and down smoothly and seemed to have some compression in the cylinders.

20190918_125110.jpg
 
So next I decided to investigate why it wont at least crank over. I checked power to the starter and was good. I checked ground and then tried to crank it with the battery jumped off of my truck and it just clicked like the solenoid was engaging but the starter didnt spin at all. I was pretty much out of time so I just pulled the starter out and went off to work. I will test the starter soon as I get some free time then once I get it to spin (or replace it) I'll go back to trouble shooting the motor some more once its able to crank over.
Should I cut off the muffler before I try to crank it over? What do you think?
 
I will ask my fiance again to describe what she saw the other night when it died, maybe she saw flames shooting out the exhaust but is calling it sparks.
 
Oh yeah does anyone know how to bypass the neutral safety switch on this car?
When my 64 wouldn't start after help from you all here on FABO it turned out to be that. Anyone ever have to do that on their 67 barracuda?
 
maybe do a compression test ?

im in the south bay , you can borrow mine if you like
I plan to do a compression check as soon as I get it to crank over. I really appreciate the offer but I will buy a compression tester this week since I really should own one anyways.
Btw I asked my girl to describe better what she saw from behind before it died and she "sparks" I said sparks like a sparkler on 4th of July or bursts of flames. She said " oh yeah like that..flames not sparks" . That makes more sense.
 
Don’t cut the muffler open,
That would serve no purpose.

Continue with getting the motor to spin using the starter.
 
Don’t cut the muffler open,
That would serve no purpose.

Continue with getting the motor to spin using the starter.
Well I plan to check the starter tomorrow if I get any free time. I will definitely make getting the motor able to turn over my first priority. Once I get it able to turn over I was planning to just make one cut before the muffler to disconnect it and inspect to see if it's all rusted out inside. Then after I get the issue resolved with the motor running I could just easily clamp it back together if it was ok or replace it if needed. But yes I agree getting the motor to turn over first then getting it to fire up next. I'll post an update once I get some free time.
 
I also just swapped out my starter, old one is still good if you need it
Thank you for the offer you rock. I already pulled mine out and will swing by O'Reilly auto parts tomorrow on my way to work to have them bench test it for free. I'll post the results. If you dont mind me asking, why did you replace yours? Did you get a mini starter or something?
 
Pick and pull had a Dodge truck with a mini in it , so I grabbed it . Just an upgrade
 
So next I decided to investigate why it wont at least crank over. I checked power to the starter and was good.
Should I cut off the muffler before I try to crank it over? What do you think?

My quicky starter test is to put the starter on the floor, hold it down with my foot, and apply 12v with a jumper cable. Little gear should jump out and starter should spin.

If you're not sure of the exhaust system, there are 2 nuts or bolts that hold the head pipe to the exhaust manifold that can be removed to separate the pipe. For short test sessions only!

I have a used mini starter on mine. Less weight, faster speed, compact, easy to repair. What's not to like?
 
My quicky starter test is to put the starter on the floor, hold it down with my foot, and apply 12v with a jumper cable. Little gear should jump out and starter should spin.
That's exactly what I just finished doing . When I woke up today (I'm working nights) I used my jumper cables and my truck (67s battery is dead) when I connected the power the solenoid activated and kicked the gear over but the starter motor wouldn't spin.im picking up a starter on my way to work today autozone had a rebuilt one in stock. I'll try to find time to put it in tomorrow and go back to trouble shooting things.
If you're not sure of the exhaust system, there are 2 nuts or bolts that hold the head pipe to the exhaust manifold that can be removed to separate the pipe. For short test sessions only!

I have a used mini starter on mine. Less weight, faster speed, compact, easy to repair. What's not to like?
 
So now I'm optimistic about the possibility that my motor is ok. Heres a possible scenario that I hope is the case.
Sometime in the way home the carb choke butterfly shaft broke and the butterfly started blocking the barrel so it ran super rich causing the flames that my girl saw and killing the motor. Also the starter died along the way (worked when I got gas at 1am) so once the car died and I pulled off I was unable to attempt restarting it. This would be a good case scenario. I'll find out soon, maybe tomorrow.
 
Thank you for the offer you rock. I already pulled mine out and will swing by O'Reilly auto parts tomorrow on my way to work to have them bench test it for free. I'll post the results. If you dont mind me asking, why did you replace yours? Did you get a mini starter or something?
If you have a set of jumper cables, you can test the starter yourself.
Place the ground on the starter case, where it bolts on is a good place, put the hot on the big stud.
Use a screwdriver and jump across the big terminal and small terminal.
 
If you have a set of jumper cables, you can test the starter yourself.
Place the ground on the starter case, where it bolts on is a good place, put the hot on the big stud.
Use a screwdriver and jump across the big terminal and small terminal.
Did just that today, starter was bad so I picked up a rebuilt one on my way into work. I'll put it back into the car tomorrow and then jump the battery to my truck (car battery is dead) and then see if it will crank over. Keeping my fingers crossed.
 
I was also able to pick up a compression tester kit so I'll be able to do a compression test tomorrow hopefully too. I'll post an update .
 
Yaayyyy! Success!
Ok so today I installed the starter and tried the key and got nothing. So I jumped my battery to my truck and pulled the headlight knob out and got lights and horn and everything. Everything worked but the ignition. I seemed to have lost my ammeter so I just cut a peice of wire to length and looking back on my posts about my 64 Barracuda neutral safety switch I jumped the brown wire on my starter relay to ground and tried it again and after a short cranking over there was a big backfire and it started right up! I let it warm up and drove it around my parking lot a bit and it runs and idles perfectly now.
I ran out of time so I couldn't do a compression test today but plan to next week when I get a day off.
So the problem was actually a combination of small things ( carb, NSS, starter) and seems that it was a best case scenario after all, now I can start doing small things before I drive it to work like change oil, radiator coolant,spark plugs and definitely get a bigger better battery. And maybe get a manual choke. Thanks again everyone for all the help you all are the best!
 
Update time.
So today I changed the oil and filter. 10w30
Fram extra guard filter.
Then I changed the coolant. And changed the spark plugs NGK (I forgot which model)I gapped them to .035/36.
I used the opportunity to do. Compression test and these are the results cylinder 1(closest to Radiator ) cylinder 6 (closest to firewall).
1=125psi
2=122psi
3=125psi
4=80psi (retested multiple times)
5=122psi
6=103psi (retested 1 time)
Runs smooth with no smoke. Can anyone give me a good order of ways to trouble shoot cylinder 4?
I'm thinking easiest to hardest ie, check valve clearances, put alittle oil in the cylinder then retest to see if compression bumps up, I'd rather try to avoid pulling the whole head off until last resort.
 
Never mind the question part of my last update, I've been able to find plenty enough threads on here about this exact problem no need to beat a dead horse Lol.
I'll post an update once I get around to troubleshooting it and have some results. Thanks again all.
 
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