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Tips
Tips

TR6 Starting

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sundown

sundown

Jedi Hopeful
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Hi I need some help trouble shooting a starting problem. The car was running fine. Now it turns over but will not start. It is getting gas to the carbs. How can I check if it's getting spark. Thanks
 
You said you have gas to the carbs but it may not be getting into the carbs.

Your first test should be to spray a shot of starting fluid into each carb throat and try again to start the engine. If the engine fires, runs very briefly, then stops... you have a fuel problem. If the engine does not fire on starter fluid there may be an ignition problem.
 
One test for spark is to remove one spark plug, put the wire back on it, then lay or hold it against the cylinder head so the metal shell is touching the metal of the engine. Then get someone else to crank the engine while you watch the plug gap for spark.

Not a 100% test, but a good start. If you don't have a helper available, rig up a remote starter switch so you can crank the engine from under the hood. They're pretty simple, I built my own back in high school; but also not too expensive to buy even if you only need it once.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-volt-remote-starter-switch-35448.html
https://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Push-B...925630&hash=item4432534cd9:g:lAQAAOSwjwZcLsUd
 
Don't hold the wire at all; hold the metal shell of the spark plug firmly against the engine head or block and you won't get shocked.
 
You said "The car was running fine". What did you do between then and now ?
 
It was running fine last fall but started to smoke like crazy,. I removed the head and had it rebuilt. The valve guides were shot about .015-.020 slop. Then I decided to replace the rings and connecting rod bearing while the head was being rebuilt. What I'm getting at is I never disturbed the carb settings or points. I put new plugs in and now it just keeps cranking. THANKS
 
Assuming the carbs weren't flooding or dripping fuel when you tried starting the engine go ahead and do the 'starting fluid' thing and let us know what happens. The next step in trouble shooting depends on those results.
 
With our carbs you'll need to lift the air valve a bit when you spray so that the starting fluid gets to where it needs to.
 
Hi I just went out and tried the starting fluid.i did lift the air valve and sprayed. It did not even cough like it wanted to start?
 
You took the head off and put it back on? Did you remember to adjust the valves. On pushrod engines the valve lash has to be set after a new head gasket is installed because not all head gaskets will have the same installed thickness.
 
Now see if you have spark...Put a spark plug, ANY spark plug from ANY type engine will do, (including one for the TR6 engine) into one of your engine's spark plug wires as previously described and see if you have spark.
No need for new points as long as they are still gaped at about .015"
If you don't have spark, you'll have to troubleshoot a bit more to find out why...but first see if you have it or not.
 
Ok Poolboy, I am going to try that I'll definitely get back with the findings. Thanks for helping me trying to figure this out.
 
Have a look at the condenser and wire from the coil to make sure they are under the plastic sleeve and not on top of the stud.
 
You can also test the low-tension side of the ignition system.

Make up a test light. Connect one if its leads to coil (+), the other to coil (-). Crank the engine. The test lamp should flash on and off if the low-tension side of the ignition system is working.
 
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