318 Issues

[Dart_Dodgers]

Hi, I recently bought a 1973 Dart with a 318. It ran a little rough when I bought it, but it just needed a tune-up. So I bought plugs, wires, cap and rotor, oil change. Well, I put all of the new parts on, and it will not start. I have checked several times, and All of my plugs are gapped correctly, and the wires are in the correct order. I have spark to each plug, but it still refuses to start. Every now and then while trying this or that (I noticed the ignition ballast was cracked and replaced it, and my fuel pump was not functioning well, so I replaced it and the filter) but I notice a slight smell of fuel and have turned the carb mixture down a bit to see if that would help, but no go. Every now and then it pops like it is going to start, usually when I have the gas pedal to the floor for a little but never does. I cleaned where the plugs go on the head so that they have a good contact and they are in there tight and not cross-threaded. I feel it is just something really stupid I have overlooked. Please help with comments or ideas. Thanks.

 

[bayyum]

Is there lots of gas in the tank?

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

Well, between a 1/2 and 1/4 tank

 

[sbknut]

Have you moved the distributer?

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

I did today, not much, slightly advanced it and then slightly retarded it, then put it back to about where it was originally when neither action gave any better results

 

[sbknut]

Guess I should have asked, did you remove the dist?

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

Nope, it has not been removed just adjusted

 

[Snake]

How old is the gas,if it is bad it will not start.

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

The gas is good, It was pretty well empty when I got it, so the first place I went was a gas station where I put 1/2 a tank of 91 in it

 

[sbknut]

Look down in the carb and move the linkage to full throttle, gas should be seen coming from the accelerator pump nozzles. If not try pouring 1/2 oz of gas down the carb and try to start. Check spark from coil by removing coil wire from dist cap and placing wire about 1/2" from ground a crank the engine. Spark should be bright white or blue. An orange spark or less than 3/8" is weak.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

Hold the gas pedal to the floor and give it a try.

make sure the points are set right and the condensor is good.

if those don't do it, a lil starting fluid in order to make sure the ignition is set and working right, then you can narrow it down to the carb and so on..

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

The spark at the coil was good, but I could not see fuel coming from the nozzles, though I know I have gas up to the carb, and I can smell fuel all around there, and pouring the fuel down the carb did not do anything different.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

do you know your factory firing order?
=18436572

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

A lil splash is all thats necessary, pouring will flood it.

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

The car has an electronic ignition and it all has checked out fine with a multimeter. And yes I have made sure about 7 times now that I am in the correct firing order and all that

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

see if the plugs r wet.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

If not, dbl check placement of the no 1 wire and firing order, then advance[counter clockwise] the timing till it fights the starter to crank over.

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

They were last night, but I then cleaned and dried them, then turned the carb down a little in case it was dumping fuel

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

what? the float setting?

what carburetor?

 

[Dart_Dodgers]

It's a 2 barrel carter, the only number I could find that could possibly be a model number was 0-2361 I think I saw a similar one referred to as a BBD? and I adjusted the screws on the front of the carb inward a bit.

 

[jrlegacy23]

I am not trying to be an @$$, but make sure the firing order is counter clockwise on the distributor.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

ya can't dump fuel unless the float was too high to begin with, it'll only run rich with too much idle mix adjustment, or idle high with too high an idle setting.

you may have closed the the needle/seat off.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

It's a 2 barrel carter, the only number I could find that could possibly be a model number was 0-2361 I think I saw a similar one referred to as a BBD? and I adjusted the screws on the front of the carb inward a bit.

They usually are around 4 turns 'out' on those things.

the pumps go bad on them if they sit.

you might have to pull the top off of it and change the pump or 'plunger'as most call it.

BUT if you say dripping gas down the carb doesn't help then that wouldn't be your problem.

 

['64 Cuda]

I had a similar problem a few months ago on my daily driver. Ended up parked for 3 months while I tried to figure it out. Turned out to be the coil. I swear it had good spark whenever I checked at the coil or the plug, but when the plugs were screwed into the head & I was trying to start the car I had symptoms almost exactly like yours.

 

[1wild&crazyguy]

resistance test it.

wiki =coil testing.