Emergency!!! stranded.

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Rengo

Rengo

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Fort Scott, Kansas
I am stuck at college 30 miles away from home with no tools and I do not own a cell phone.
I drive a 1975 plymouth duster, 225 904 trans. and 9 1/4 rear.
I have charge, the motor kicks and turns like it wants to start but will not. I have half a tank of gas and can smell the fuel in the carb from the drivers seat.
Could the spark plugs be bad? The motor was running rich for a while, I adjusted the carb to run a little bit better (leaner).
Ignition?
Starter?

noise:
runnnn-t-t-t-t-t-t-t run-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t-t
 
I hope you can find some help closer to you. I would come if I was closer.
 
I would pump the Gas 5 time slowly Then push about 1/4 way down & hold it there and try to start it.
 
Put your foot to the floor and crank it. Sounds like its flooded. After it starts keep on the throttle until it clears out.
 
A few things to try. Are the plugs getting spark? pull one of the wires off of a plug stick a screw driver in the end of it, hold it 1/2" from ground see if you have spark. Check the ballast resister, it may be burnt, you can jump the wires across to see if it will start and get you home. look down the carb WITHOUT cranking, pump linkage and see if gas is squirting. Good Luck
 
I pumped the pedal 5 or 6 times the first time I tried to start it and nothing. I am letting it set for a minute in case I did flood the carb. I would imagine the motor is cold seeing how it has been sitting in one spot since 8A.M.
How can I check for fire? that is vague, so what do you mean? I have no tools with me

carb is 1940 holly one barrel.
 
Remove the breather and make sure gas is getting to the carb and if it is warm you will smell it... if it is flooded, put a screw driver in it to hold the throttle plate and choke wide open and walk away for about 2 hours...
then pull the screw driver out and put your breather back on step in your car and try starting it again (this is if it has flooded and gas fowled your plugs)...
 
J4R3D said:
I pumped the pedal 5 or 6 times the first time I tried to start it and nothing. I am letting it set for a minute in case I did flood the carb. I would imagine the motor is cold seeing how it has been sitting in one spot since 8A.M.
How can I check for fire? that is vague, so what do you mean? I have no tools with me

carb is 1940 holly one barrel.
Click to expand...

Well than if someone is there that can help you unplug a plug wire and hold it about 1/2 to 1 inch away from the plug you took it off of. have someone crank it and listen or watch for a spark.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
Well than if someone is there that can help you unplug a plug wire and hold it about 1/2 to 1 inch away from the plug you took it off of. have someone crank it and listen or watch for a spark.
Click to expand...

x2

Also is the starter spining but not engaging? I spent much of my youth rolling under Chryslers to hit the starter with a hammer to get it to engage
 
J4R3D said:
.................... can smell the fuel in the carb from the drivers seat...................The motor was running rich
Click to expand...



I would bet it is already flooded. Make sure the choke is open, and block it open if necessary. Look down the throat of the carb, with a light if necessary, and give the throttle a LITTLE movement. If the pump shoots out gas, don't pump it MORE, it is probably already flooded.

THEN try this:

Figure out a way, IE pull the boot down, to create a gap in the coil wire at either the coil or distributor. What you want to do is create a temporary spark gap in series with the coil wire. Sometimes this will fire a fouled plug

Hold the throttle at least halfway down, don't pump it until it stops trying to "kick" If it's "kicking" as you say, it's probably trying to fire.

These are antique "spark intensifiers" and they do sort'ha work............sometimes. They've been sold since Model T's and I'm sure if you knew where to look (J.C. Whitney) you could buy 'em today

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/169396.html

Here's one that plugs into the coil

http://oldholden.com/ohfiles/images/gizmo2.preview.JPG
 
Try the ballast resistor bypass mentioned above. Especially if it sounds like it's firing when the key is in start position, then stops running when put in run position
 
OneOfMany said:
Try the ballast resistor bypass mentioned above. Especially if it sounds like it's firing when the key is in start position, then stops running when put in run position
Click to expand...

This would be my guessd,and you probabaly flooded it because it was bad. If Ballast resistor is bad, it will turn over fine but just won't start. In case you don't know the ballast resistor is the white ceramic lookin' thing on the fire wall with wires going to each end. if you don't have a way to take it off to look at the back to see if its cooked, just try to hook the wires from each end together and try and start it,can't hurt anything.I bypassed one once with a large paperclip stuck in-between each of the wiring plugs. Good luck.
 
Yeah I've got no help, everyone is in class.. I called my dad on a cell phone 2hrs ago, it's a 30 min drive.. I don't have a screw driver, I opened the plate and pumped, it is getting fuel. I have no idea on how to cross the wires to get it to start I'm just flat out screwed.
 
Find a stick and put it in there to hold it open.
 
If you flooded it, starting it is easy.

Put gas pedal all the way to the floor and keep cranking until it starts. DO NOT KEEP PUMPING THE GAS! When the car starts, let off the gas to where it stays running.

Check for spark going into the destributor. Take the coil wire out of the center of the distributor cap. Hold it a bit of a gap from a ground and look for spark. Make sure to have key in the ignition and it is in the 'run' position.

To jump the starter relay from under the hood: take a spare key and jump the stud to the other terminal with the square looking connector. It should crank the starter and won't electricute you.

To find the starter relay if you aren't familiar with it: Follow the smaller end of the positive battery cable to a little module/box. That is your starter relay that you use to jump the terminals on to crank the engine. You will not get spark while jumping the starter relay unless the key is in the "on" position.

If you have a spare spark plug, pull a spark plug wire and put the spare plug on it. Hold the bottom electrode to a ground and look for spark while jumping the relay with the ignition switch in the 'on/run' position. Make sure you put the coil wire back to the center hole on the distributor.
 
If you flooded it, starting it is easy.

Put gas pedal all the way to the floor and keep cranking until it starts. DO NOT KEEP PUMPING THE GAS! When the car starts, let off the gas to where it stays running.


X4 ^^^^
 
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