Topic: Used engine won't start - Argh - help

[shotgun]

I picked up a used 95 engine with roughly 75,000 on the ticker from a freind who went v-8. the engine ran fine. everything appeared good, doing a visual inspection  while replacing the seals and gaskets and swapping over my 87-90 accessories.

So now she won't start.  We checked for fire and fuel got both of those.  Good pressure as we rotate the engine to check TDC and how we have the dist stabbed. Even though Chiltons and Haynes sound flaky. they have you stab it after the # 1 spark plug. We swapped the CPS and checked with a noid light for signal (maybe the pool of gas is from something else.) Occasionally we get a ?backfire? through the TBI. All my mechanic freinds say its timing, but the computer controlls that and this is the same computer we used to drive the jeep in the garage.

Any ideas where I'm missing the lightning to get my monster back to life?

[Beachbum]

The first thing I would do is recheck the timing, make sure the #1 cylinder is TDC ON THE COMPRESSION STROKE, pull the distributor cap, the rotor botton should be pointed at the #1 cylinder terminal on the inside of the distibutor cap. I've made this mistake myself in the past, hope this helps and good luck.

[Jeffy]

You need to make sure the distributor is on right also.  It could be off by 180*.

[shotgun]

I'm thinking about this all the time today because it has to be simple and staring me in the face.

I'm out of logic as to why it could be 180 out.  When we had the engine out and set to TDC. the timing marks were on.  We did not mess with the timing set other than a visual inspection. The balancer pulley only goes on one way. The flywheel only fits one way. So we are back to the dist. or elsewhere

Alldatadiy,Chiltons and haynes all say to set a disturbed engine to TDC turn the oil pump keyway to just past 3 o'clock, set the rotor to 5 o'clock and seat the distributor. when it's set properly the rotor should be at 6 o'clock.  The contact for 1 is about 5 o'clock. Timing light has fire at 4 Degrees before tdc

The firing order is 1342.

We tried another CPS, Going to try another tonight, Try the spare condition unknown computer, I'm ready to just give it the old downhill start or send it to a shop.

[Beachbum]

A four stroke engine will be at top dead center 2 times, once on the compression stroke, this is when both valves are closed and you want the rotor inside the distibutor cap pointing towards #1 terminal inside the distributor cap. And once on the exhaust stroke the exhaust valve will close just before TDC. What Jeffy said is exactly what I was saying.

[shotgun]

Thanks, guys the light just went on.Let you know more tomorrow.

[shotgun]

That was it we weren't on the compression stroke. I can't believe out of the 10+ times we set the distributor we didn't skip to the compression stroke.

Thanks for that slap to the back of my head Beachbum.  

I still don't get the term 180 degrees out of time. I understand it, but get why the phrase exists.

[Jeffy]

That was it we weren't on the compression stroke. I can't believe out of the 10+ times we set the distributor we didn't skip to the compression stroke.

Thanks for that slap to the back of my head Beachbum.  

I still don't get the term 180 degrees out of time. I understand it, but get why the phrase exists.

The term comes from the when you put a degree wheel on the engine when rebuilding it.



Here's a old trick for next time.  Take the spark plug out.  Then crank the engine over with a breaker bar on the crank.  Hold your finger or thumb over the spark plug hole, sealing it off.  Then you hear a burst of air, that's the end of the compression stroke. Then line it up for TDC.

[Guardian7]

I went through this with a V8 once and if it tries to fire off you can have a carburator fire real easy. The carb caught fire and I quickly grabed my fire extinguisher and killed it. I had another incident in my early years were the distributor was off and ended up wth the carb on fire and we just cranked over the engine some more which sucked the fire back down into the engine, very scary stuff!