• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

BJ8 Start Issue

Share this page

G

GiuliaSprintGTA

Freshman Member
Offline
My Healey ran perfect last summer, but won't start now. Battery is new, replaced condenser and rotor in distributor, and turns over good but won't fire. This car was subject to a frame-off restoration in 2002 so should be something simple.
 
Yep sounds simple. Just pull a spark pug lay it on theengine and see if you get a spark. Pllfuel line off and see if fuel runs into a container when you turn the ignition on. both should be good. Also revisit how you hooked the condenser up you may have shorted the low tension circit out we have all done it at least once.--Fwiw--Keoke
 
Also check that the rotor hasn't broken underneath where the tab indexes the distributor shaft. Took me a while to find this problem because it looks fine from the top.
 
GiuliaSprintGTA said:
What is the correct way to hook up the condenser?
Click to expand...

HI at the contacts electrical post inside the distributor make sure all the low tension wiring [ connection from coil and condeser] is installed under the plastic insulator at the top and none are connected on top of it. Also make certain the little black ground wire is in not broken. -Fwiw-Keoke
 
I put a new condenser and rotor on to rule that out. Do coils go bad very often? Wondering if I should try that.

I was looking at the fuel line and wondering where the best place is to disconnect to limit fuel spillage. I see where the 1/4" line meets the braided 1/2" by the carbs. Would that be the best place?
 
Even though you replaced your rotor and condenser again they could also be bad as the aftermarket stuff from India and Asia is junk.

Is your battery cutoff switch connected?

Also, try replacing those plastic bushings. I was getting power to the distributor but one was just nicked slightly and it was enough to ground out the plate.
 
Scot said:
Even though you replaced your rotor and condenser again they could also be bad as the aftermarket stuff from India and Asia is junk.
:savewave:
Is your battery cutoff switch connected?:
IF IT IS DICONNECT THE BLACK/WHITE WIRE ATTACHED TO IT AND SEE IF THE ENGINE WILL FIRE.--KEOKE :laugh:

Also, try replacing those plastic bushings. I was getting power to the distributor but one was just nicked slightly and it was enough to ground out the plate.
Click to expand...
 
Back
Top