S.O.S. I need some help here....

-
D

DragginMAster

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
620
Reaction score
3
Location
Fayetteville, AR
so heres my situation.

i got the dart 98% of the way back together, missing only putting the hood and front bumper on and adjusting the body panels correctly.

am trying to bring the engine back to life, but I have to get the distributor positioned correctly.

how do I do this all by myself?

I have a timing light, not exactly sure what to do with it though, my brother has done most of the electrical tuning of my motor for me, so i am really rather in the dark as to what to do.

and i want to get it going sooner rather than later if i can.

i have thus far managed to make itback fire. but that is not very helpful.

how do i bypass the key turning process so that I can attempt to start the car without sitting in the driver seat? that would make distributor adjustments easier... and if the timing light helps, how can i see what it does if i am in the inside of the car?


*bangs head against the table*

I just want to make her go vroom vroom again.

360, 4 barrel, 904 : 68 dart vaccum advance, non points.
 
I'd start with this.

Find TDC of firing stroke for no 1 cyl. Easiest way to find that is by
pulling the plug and see or feel it. Verify it's on "0" on the damper.
Then pull the disty cap off and make sure rotor points to the tower
where no one plug wire it. Should be in the area of pointing to front
intake bolt on passengers side. That should be close enough to get it
started and keep her running why you jump out and check disty
position and timing. Did this about 10 times a week or so ago when i
was recurving my disty.

You can use a remote starter switch or just jump the hots on the
firewall relay switch also.
 
You have a 360 engine in you car I think and all you need to do is take the cap off the distributor and take # 1 spark plug off place your finger on the hole and turn the engine over slowly till you feel air coming out, That would be your completion stroke. Look at your rotor and make sure it is pointing to #1 plug wire. If it is pointing away from the 31 plug wire just pull the distributor up about an inch and turn the rotor 180 degrees and drop in back down, There is only two way a 360 distributor will go in.
A back fire sounds like it is 180 degrees out.
Do you have a rv or hp cam shaft in it ?
 
Cool :cheers: idrift and I same time posting :clock:8)
 
pull the number one spark plug and jump across the starter relay till compression comes out of the number one hole(use finger tip over the spark plug hole) then pop off the distributor cap and make sure it is pointing to #1 cylinder,install itermediate shaft then distributor so rotor points to #1 then turn distributor so that the points are just about to open or pickup is pointing to proper place on electronic ignition cars.then pop the cap on and run your plug wires,snug down the distributor to where you can still turn it.then set the emergency brake and chock the wheels...turn ignition switch to the on position and then you can jump across the starter relay terminals to start the engine.....should fire right up! hope this helps
 
thanks guys for your help

i know I got some gold here. I think my head might not have been working right yesterday.


I was still unable to get her running yesterday.

will be taking a more zenful approach today after work

*keeps fingers crossed*
 
you dont lift the distributor mike you turn the body or you will disengage the key
 
LOL, Daredevil. I think Memike is giving directions for a dizzy that is 180 out. I guess you could try to turn it 180 without pulling it but you better have alot of firewall clearance if your running a vac advance.
 
thanks for the help guys, still aint got it, but thats because I still haven't tried again, busybusy, such is life, will let you know when I succeed, in case any of ya'll r4 waiting for results.
 
okie dokie.

i learned that when the #1 piston is a t.d.c. that the rotor is pointing to the front of the car.


mine was pointing towards the rear.

we had moved the gear that the distributor connects to when i had my motor apart to align it correctlym it was several degrees off.

today i removed the distributor and turned it around, making the rotor point forwards when in t.d.c.

however, still no dice. or running motors either. a timing light does not show the timing mark on the harmonic balancer when trying to crank it over.

something bad has gone awry somewhere.


any ideas from the idea crew?
 
ok, you moved your drive gear so now the rotor can be pointing anywhere.
no biggie

go back to TDC and see where the drive is pointing.
now install the dist and see where rotor is pointing compared to what plug wire its pointing to on the cap. my guess is its on the wrong wire.

easy way to fix is lift the drive out until you can get it lined up to #1 on the cap or leave the drive where it is a rewire the plug wires starting with #1 as to where the rotor is pointing. remember clockwise rotor rotation for small blocks
 
Yes there is. You want the compression stroke. It is the one that blows your finger out of the hole as described above.

If it backfires you are 180deg. out. Pull your dizzy straight up with the cap off and rotate the rotor button 180 deg, drop dizzy back in and try again to start it.

I just installed a new 318 in my Duster and my wife helped me yesterday by sticking her finger in the hole while I turned it over by hand. It was still enough to blow her finger out of the hole.
 
i did it!!

i took the spark plugs out and turned the engine by hand and found t.d.c. just like ya'll said then fixed the distributor. put everything back together and I can get her to run, not well. if i take my foot off the gas she dies, but thats more than I have heard for over a year now.

so close :)


thanks for your help guys, i hope this is a lesson i will remember.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top