Stupid question

This is a total newbe question, but I am at the hit reset and start over stage of the game. The car was running ok when I took it to the body shop, and brought it home. (it did die on the way home, but then restarted, could be related, but I am guessing that one is the fuel pump).

I straightened out the wiring, replaced the cap and rotor, finished up most of the body work, etc. Tried to start it up last night. I will not go. Adjusted the timing, nothing. If I advance the crap out of it (turning clockwise) I can get it to run at high RPM, but it won't stay lit at low RPM.

So I checked firing order. In proper order. Decided to set static timing. With the hash mark more or less at the point it should be the rotor is at ~8:00. When I look at my cap, however this makes it firing the cylinder second from the front.

I assume that 1 should be the front most cylinder. Is that correct? If so does Number 1 go approx 8:00 on the cap?

It was 12:00 last night and I figured I should sleep on it before I started screwing with timing.


Paul.

It doesn't really make any difference which way the rotor it pointing when #1 fires. If the distributor was installed with the rotor pointing the wrong way the plug wires could have re-arranged to make the rotor be pointing to #1 when that piston is up on compression and ready to fire. The spark plugs don't know nor care how the wires are arranged so long as they get spark when they need it. If the car runs good don't mess with it until you have th remove the distributor for some other reason.

It sounds like your plug wires are out of order. The #1 wire should be at around 2:00, the #4 at around 8:00. Depending onn which engine stroke you're on (the engine rotates twice for every distributor rotation) it will be at one of these two settings when the timing marks are lined up. Remember the firing order is 1-3-4-2 COUNTER clockwise, with 1 being the front plug and 4 closest to the firewall. If it won't run at all, you should suspect a bad rotor or condenser. Either can develop a fault that makes the car run extremely poorly.

switch on and no fuel pump click....be sure to attach the wires to the trunk latch. switch on again and it should click. In any case ground the wires by the trunk latch.

B-racer Wrote:

You may need to readjust the point gap. It could be something that simple. If you have a spare rotor or condesner to try, its probably worth your time as well, provided the point gap is set right. Its quite likely that the poitns closed up a bit after break-in and need to be readjusted though. And keep in mind that even new condensers can go bad on occasion, so keeping a spare around is a great idea!

to start from scratch: (which is sometimes necessary)

remove valve cover. Turn the engine over by hand until both the following conditions are met: (a) the timing marks are aligned pretty bunch at TDC AND (b) both intake and exhaust vales in #1 cylinder (the one at front) are closed.

When they are closed you should be able to wiggle the rocker arm. If you cannot, (because one valve is being held open by that rocker arm) then look at #4's valves. can you wiggle them? If you can, then rotate the engine another 360-degree turn. At this point you should be able to wiggle the rockers on #1. If you still cannot, there's possibly a valve adjustment problem.

Because when #1 (or any cylinder) is ready to fire neither of the valves for that cylinder should be open (fully or partly). With std lash setting, both rocker arms should have play (be loose, i.e. not trying to hold a valve open)

Both #4 and #1 will fire when the crank is near the TDC marks, only 360 degrees of crank rotation different from each other.

Anyway, when you have both the timing mark at (or near) TDC and #1's valve loose, you are ready to look at the wire position in the cap. Look at the rotor...that position is where the plug wire for #1 should be inserted in the cap. Then counter-clockwise, #3, #4, and #2. (firing order is 1-3-4-2).

At this point it is immaterial whether the exact static timing is TDC exactly or a little +/-. It will start (or the issue is not timing). And at that point you can set the dynamic timing you want.

I will post the answer as a new thread, but it appears to have been a faulty wire. I had replaced the wire that goes from the points to the spade lug that attaches the Dizzy to the coil. I did that back at the beginning of all this (spring). It appears that the replacemnt, which is a cloth covered wire was shorting. I wrapped it in elctrical tape, twiddled with the position of the dizzy, and voila, the engine runs.

I just hope this was the answer to the problem of it dying after a short time running.