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Tips

3 now won't start

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Last eve I swapped out the Pertronix, installed new points and condensor, set the point gap and static timing (as best I could). No joy. After much cranking it finally fired, ran rough for about 30 seconds, died and would not restart.

I have lost all confidence in my ability to resolve this. It's amazing how a great running car went down hill so fast.

Hopefully the Chief Boffin from Soggy Bottom facility will pay a house call.
 
Ed,

After having made it thru a 15 month dead car,
I'm thinking you somehow messed up the timing
pretty badly.

Me? I would start over from scratch- pull the valve
cover gasket, find TCD, static time the car and only
then begin further diagnostics.

I used to crank my engine until the battery dried up.
Every once in a while a sputter and pop, nothing more.

Then I did the above tasks and got the engine running
just enough to get into diagnostics and fine tuning.

Help is probably nearing your door as i write.
Keep us posted on how, what and where!

Maybe a few photos

d
 
Dale, thanks for the suggestions as well as the moral support....I am nearing hanging a sign over the shop door "Crypt II".
 
Well Ed as they say:

"I feel your pain"

I've been thru exactly what you are going thru.

Finally got the Crypt Car running and the dizzy blew up.

Rehabbed dizzy; finally got the Crypt car running and
the coil blew up.

Replaced coil; finally got the Crypt car running and
the third coil blew up.

The Crypt Car is again back on jack stands; with a busted
trailing arm this time.

"I feel your pain"

D
 
Will it fire right up for a few seconds on starting fluid?

If so, disconnect the fuel line from the tank and try to run it directly from a fresh can of gas.

(Remember ~50% of all ignition problems are fuel~)

and you DID swap out the rotor, and replaced the wire from the coil to the dist cap...

just thinking ...
 
I haven't tried the starter fluid since swapping to points from Pertronix. I had tried it when the pertronix was in. Did not fire right up, eventually fired with a big KAPOW and died.

I had aleady put in new rotor and cap. I have not tried replacing the wire from coil to dist cap. Could it be the coil? How can I test?
 
TRclassic3 said:
Hopefully the Chief Boffin from Soggy Bottom facility will pay a house call.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, The Chief Boffin is staying at home and awaiting a call from the local garage about his Infiniti. It was serviced on Wednesday and quit running on Thursday. Do you know what it's like to have your car worked on and then it runs worse? Oh, wait, you do.

The problem may be due to something they screwed up or could be something unrelated. Also the rollback tie-down chain broke the bumper cover the rest of the way off. If they get it fixed soon, I can still get there today. Or if it's going to be in the shop for days, I can drive Dale, the RED truck.
 
OK John, look forward to your assistance whenever you are able. Sorry to hear of the infinity problems.
 
The garage just called. They are delivering the Infiniti. It was their screw up. No charge.

I'll be over after a bit.
 
Hi Ed well it sounds like the timing chain is not broken, the fuel pump is working, and you are back to points with a good coil, rotor and condenser. From a distance, it sounds like all this stuff is working kinda ok or it would not have fired for moment, but it is hard to tell. Perhaps the needle and seat in one of the float chambers is not working properly. It could either be stuck open or closed; most likely open because you mentioned you had wet plugs. It only takes a little to foul the plugs, so make sure that when trouble shooting you have extra, clean, and nice plugs to keep adding until you figure this out. Also if you have an electric fuel pump, make sure that it is set for maybe 3 pounds psi or you could be pushing too much gas in. Right now if I was you, I would go out and take the tops off the float bowls and see what the fuel level is in them. Good luck and keep us posted because I love this diagnostic stuff.
In addition, when you get it running and if you had a fuel flooding problem and used a bunch of starter fluid and had a bunch of extra gas dump in the pan change the oil because the oil could be very contaminated.


Sp53
 
1-3-4-2 ... which on the cap would be #1 top left #2 top right #3 bottom left #4 bottom right, and spark plug at front of engine is #1.

Check to see the coil wire is tight. Doubt it's the coil.

When you put in the points, did you pay attention to use the little plastic piece to prevent the points from grounding? Is the little wire lead in the distributor intact and not shorted anywhere?
 
I am *really* looking forward to how this resolves.

I'm betting on loose dist and/or coil wire connections, and/or plug leads mixed up. First thing I did to the engine after getting my 3 in the garage for the first time - put a label on each plug lead.

Paranoid Tom
 
My brain hurts!
 
Twosheds said:
My brain hurts!
Click to expand...

Me too, If either of use were on-site I bet would could get that thing running like a top. TAG, you're it since you're much closer than I am.

Plus, we're finally going to have some great weather and the 3 apron is still off. So I gotz to get goin' and git 'er dun.
 
John's head hurts because he spent the afternoon with it under the 3's bonnet. He verified everything I had done. He tried different cap and plug wires, swapped out the coil for a used one he had. Again checked the static timing. Attempted to verify that strong spark was reaching the plugs, but I'm not sure we are convinced of that. Removed the plugs, dried and tried again. Did I miss anything John?

Definitely pumping a lot of fuel in. Oh, I had also recharged the battery just to be sure it was delivering well. Plug wires are definitely correct order. John had also checked my point installation to be sure that the plastic thing was there and should not be grounding out.

this is turning into far more of a challenge than it seems it should be. Any testing techniques to verify that the spark at the plug is strong. When pulling a plug and checking spark I'm not covinced it is consistant or strong.
 
Now that Dr J has verified the ignition, assume that it's good and move on. I think we need to change focus to fuel, at least for a moment ot two.

You said the gas in the tank was old and put new in. Try running straight from new gas in a can. Drain the bowl in the carbs. Clean out with carb cleaner too.

Also, did John pull the valve cover and check the settings? and verify the TDC at rock?

Is there a ground strap on the engine - look for it at the driver side engine mount bolt to bolt at front cover plate?
 
The gas was a few months old. I had added stabil to it early winter. I had driven the car without incident on this same gas just 2 or 3 weeks ago. Still seem like potential problem? I will check and clean the bowls.

Dr John wanted to pull the valve cover but we opted to wait as I did not have a replacement gasket. Now on order

I will check the ground strap

thanks
 
Hi Ed make sure you swap out for a new rotor I had one with a spark arc right through the top once and you could not even see it.

Sp53
 
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