I know this isn't an a body but there is a lot knowledgable people on hear. My coronet has been sitting for about 2.5 years in a climate controlled shop. The rad started leaking and that is why I parked it. I finally got a new rad and know the car won't start. It won't even fire. It has spark fuel and compression. It has good oil pressure when cranking too. I don't know if the spark is weak? It has a mopar electronic ignition. The car ran flawlessly when it was parked. I put in a new set of autolites with no difference. Any ideas?
My 440 won't start
- Thread starter ike61
- Start date
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Are you sure that you're getting a good spark?
Get a spare plug, disconnect a wire from the engine and put it on the spark plug, then have someone crank the engine over while you hold the bottom electrode to a good ground and look for spark.
If you get spark, fuel, it should start.
Did you try to pull the distributor cap and crank it over to make sure that the rotor was turning?
What about the distributor timing? Could that have been bumped while in storage? Put the crank at 10° advanced, then pop the distributor cap and line up the rotor with the proper #1 terminal on the distributor cap (basically putting the timing at 10° BTDC) then try to start it...
Get a spare plug, disconnect a wire from the engine and put it on the spark plug, then have someone crank the engine over while you hold the bottom electrode to a good ground and look for spark.
If you get spark, fuel, it should start.
Did you try to pull the distributor cap and crank it over to make sure that the rotor was turning?
What about the distributor timing? Could that have been bumped while in storage? Put the crank at 10° advanced, then pop the distributor cap and line up the rotor with the proper #1 terminal on the distributor cap (basically putting the timing at 10° BTDC) then try to start it...
ssba
Well-Known Member
Put a small amount of fresh gas in the carb to get it lit off.
2 1/2 year old gas can't be good.
2 1/2 year old gas can't be good.
OldmanRick
Well-Known Member
No spits, pops, anything? After sitting all this time, and if the ignition is electronic, could it be a grounding issue somewhere, like at the ign. box?
Timing is good, I do have spark but I don't know what is "good" spark. I will pull the cap and look,at the rotor
I tried this
Small back fire out of carb once
dagocrazy
Member
Bad gas for sure unless you used stabil. Probably going to need to flush the tank and rebuild the carb. Change oils,check brake lines fluid. There are lists out there for bringing vehicles out of long term storage. Lots of stuff degrades . It's hard on parts being stored wrong.
I put fresh gas in the carb and darn thing wouldn't even fire:banghead:
hangn0ut
Well-Known Member
Good spark is blue. And you can hear it as a small pop. Weak spark is yellow. And if your holding that plug when its cranked you might just feel the quality of that spark.
OldmanRick
Well-Known Member
Well, a cheap trick would be to loosen the dizzy, give it a little advance and give her a try?
ssba
Well-Known Member
Sometimes it helps to pull the plugs and squirt a shot of oil in the chamber to wetten up the rings. Raises compression.
Let it spin over a few times to push out the excess oil before putting the plugs back in.
Clean/dry the plugs while you have them out.
If you have any doubts about the timing its a good time to locate while plug is out of # one
cylinder.
Let it spin over a few times to push out the excess oil before putting the plugs back in.
Clean/dry the plugs while you have them out.
If you have any doubts about the timing its a good time to locate while plug is out of # one
cylinder.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
AS above, you need to check spark, but there are some pitfalls
1.....Checking spark using the factory (radio) coil wire or plug wires can seem like the spark is poor, as radio plug wires just make the spark look "ill."
2....The opposite can happen.......you can have a bad coil wire, and check the spark by some other method, plug in the old coil wire.......and "no" spark. So be aware
3....You must understand the difference between (a properly working) system, when cranking the engine "using the key" against jumpering the starter solenoid. Sometimes you can have a problem and mask it by jumpering the solenoid. When using the key, the ign switch supplies hotter voltage to the coil, making a hot spark. Jumpering the solenoid does not, and you may decide the spark is weak
If you don't have one, or can't build one from a plug, get yourself a parts store spark tester. Lisle makes one, that is adjustable, and not expensive.
Mine is this one: They are 8.50 at O'Reallys
"Rig" this tester so you can see it through the hood gap, and crank the engine using the key. "Rig" it using some solid wire at first, right out of the coil. You should get a nice blue, rythmic spark, at least 3/8" long and typically 1/2"
If this is OK, test continuity of the plug wires and coil wire. "Less than" 1000 ohms per foot of wire used to be the target standard. Good wires are usually much less
Inspect the cap and rotor, for moisture, grease, dirt, wear, damage. Look the rotor over carefully for spark "punch through."
Pull the plugs and inspect them, for oil / fuel fouling.
===========================
SUSPECT fuel. Maybe the float stuck and the carb is severely flooding. Look down the carb throat and open the choke. Crank the engine and look for fuel draining over into the bores.
^^As above inspect the plugs for fuel wet or dry^^ Try priming some known fresh fuel down the carb throats ANY engine should fire, pop, bark, do "something" with a tablespoon or two of fuel "in there."
1.....Checking spark using the factory (radio) coil wire or plug wires can seem like the spark is poor, as radio plug wires just make the spark look "ill."
2....The opposite can happen.......you can have a bad coil wire, and check the spark by some other method, plug in the old coil wire.......and "no" spark. So be aware
3....You must understand the difference between (a properly working) system, when cranking the engine "using the key" against jumpering the starter solenoid. Sometimes you can have a problem and mask it by jumpering the solenoid. When using the key, the ign switch supplies hotter voltage to the coil, making a hot spark. Jumpering the solenoid does not, and you may decide the spark is weak
If you don't have one, or can't build one from a plug, get yourself a parts store spark tester. Lisle makes one, that is adjustable, and not expensive.
Mine is this one: They are 8.50 at O'Reallys
"Rig" this tester so you can see it through the hood gap, and crank the engine using the key. "Rig" it using some solid wire at first, right out of the coil. You should get a nice blue, rythmic spark, at least 3/8" long and typically 1/2"
If this is OK, test continuity of the plug wires and coil wire. "Less than" 1000 ohms per foot of wire used to be the target standard. Good wires are usually much less
Inspect the cap and rotor, for moisture, grease, dirt, wear, damage. Look the rotor over carefully for spark "punch through."
Pull the plugs and inspect them, for oil / fuel fouling.
===========================
SUSPECT fuel. Maybe the float stuck and the carb is severely flooding. Look down the carb throat and open the choke. Crank the engine and look for fuel draining over into the bores.
^^As above inspect the plugs for fuel wet or dry^^ Try priming some known fresh fuel down the carb throats ANY engine should fire, pop, bark, do "something" with a tablespoon or two of fuel "in there."
GEO
Sarcasm Inc.
Have you checked to see if the tank is empty , gas probably evaporated away over the years.
Does the accelerator pump spray fuel when you work the carb linkage?
Does the accelerator pump spray fuel when you work the carb linkage?
I have my electric pump wired to a toggle switch and the fuel system and carb are working good. One thing I forgot to mention is it seems to be cranking over harder than normal. It will crank normal and then if I put a little fuel in the carb it will crank hard almost like the battery is almost dead. I do have the battery in the trunk which doesnt help. Before I could have started the car using an crank handle. It would pop right off
mguner
How many is too many?
As mentioned above I would definitely pull all the plugs and squirt some ATF in each hole. It has a lingering penetrating effect and will help those dry cylinder walls and help the rings seal. Spin it over a few times with the plugs still out to let everything get loosened up again and then give it a shot. Some starting fluid could help get it lit with a weak spark....
Breadburner
Well-Known Member
I would say that carb is good and varnished up.....
I would add corrosion to that list. After sitting as long as it has, the end of the rotor and the contacts inside the cap may be visually corroded. Clean that up and see if it fires, if it does fire and run, replace the cap and rotor.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
That is an indication that the timing is really really advanced, or that cylinders are trying to hydrolock. Might pay to pull the plugs and inspect for oil, water, or fuel in the cylinders. First, pull and ground the coil wire to "kill" the spark, and test crank it. If it spins over no problem, then it is timing, and not hydrolock.
zac_F71
Well-Known Member
PM sent
I finally figured it out. The rotor and reluctor assembly moved up in the distributor causing the whole thing to disengage from the advance weights, which of course caused the whole thing to be out of whack. fired right up. thanks to all who took the time to respond and help me out.
Glad you found it.
Thanks for the update...
Thanks for the update...
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Thanks, geez I didn't know there was enough room "in there" for that. Be sure you get the roll pin into the correct slot. there's an arrow on top of the reluctor. One slot is for CW direction---small block v8, and the other is for B/ RB, CCW
ssba
Well-Known Member
Well, never seen that happen before. Them reluctors are generally a very tight press fit.
A drop of loc-tite couldn't hurt on a problem one.
Glad you found it.
A drop of loc-tite couldn't hurt on a problem one.
Glad you found it.
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