Help! Engine still wont start!

[street rod mach 1]

OK, so I have a 351C with a 2V carb. in my 1973 Mustang Mach 1. So far I have added a brand new ProComp distributor with the ProComp coil, a new starter from AutoZone, and new set of MSD plug wires. I have tried countless times to start the car, even jumped it a few times, used starting fluid, dropped a fully charged brand new battery in it too, and it's soo close to starting but it still wont pop! Anyone have any tips or tricks on how to start it easier?

 

[72HCODE]

1) have you tried testing to see if you actually are getting spark?

2) neutral safety switch issue.

3) is fuel getting to the carb and moving the throttle you can see the accelerator pump shot going down the throat?

addition problems:

is firing order correct? 1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8 counter clockwise

distributor installed with timing too far out? usually you bump the engine till you feel air pushing out of spark plug #1, that tells you your on compression stroke, then you either line up the marks on the balancer or if you have a piston depth tool get to TDC, and put the distributor in with the rotor lined up the #1 which is pointing to 1 o'clock. even 180 out it should do something.

does the engine have compression?

if you getting spark and fuel then the next thing is getting them in sync.

 

[street rod mach 1]

1) have you tried testing to see if you actually are getting spark?

2) neutral safety switch issue.

3) is fuel getting to the carb and moving the throttle you can see the accelerator pump shot going down the throat?

addition problems:

is firing order correct?

distributor installed with timing too far out?

does the engine have compression?

if you getting spark and fuel then the next thing is getting them in sync.

1: spark is yellow, getting new plugs hopefully tommorow

2: ill look at that

3: fuel does get in the carb and gets down the throat

firing order is correct

timing is about right on with the distributor

have not checked compression

Thanks for replying, I'll look into some of those issues!

 

[72HCODE]

how old is the fuel you are using?

that is another thing that has caused problems for people.

 

[street rod mach 1]

how old is the fuel you are using?

that is another thing that has caused problems for people.

only about a month old, i dont think thats the issue.

 

[1973grandeklar]

If your spark is yellow it is weak. Are you sure you are getting the full 12 volts to that new coil? If you used the existing wire to the old coil, it is only about half the voltage. You should be getting a full 12+ volts to the Procomp coil. Try hooking the coil directly to a 12 volt source. Could even rig up a disconnect (for safety and being able to quickly shut off the engine) and connect the coil directly to the positive battery side just to get it cranked. Do not drive the car like this, only for diagnostics!

 

[street rod mach 1]

@1973grandeklar There is a new wire to the new coil, I will try to directly connect the coil to the battery

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[1973grandeklar]

Another easy thing to check is to pull off the valve covers and make sure all the valves are opening and closing. If one is stuck, you may have bent the push rod. Or the cam lobe is worn off. Happened in my Pontiac.

 

[street rod mach 1]

I didn't even think of that, I'll make sure that not the reason

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[PADave]

Sounds to me like distributor 180 degrees out or off as mentioned before. Did you mark where the shaft was when you took the old one out?

If not, you might have to align it to TDC on #1 cylinder.

Sorry if you already know this, just throwing this out there. It won't start if timing is way off.

 

[street rod mach 1]

Yeah I marked and made sure I was aligned with my mark

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[Mikes73]

Make sure the distributor rotor is actually turning (counter clockwise) while you have somebody crank on the engine a bit to see if it actually moving.

 

[street rod mach 1]

I did do that mike, seems to move fine

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[Mikes73]

I would try bumping the engine over until you reach top dead center on the balancer and see if the rotor is pointed towards #1 cylinder with the distributor cap off. If it is and still won't start you might try bringing it around to TDC again, pull the distributor and point the rotor just to the right of #1, button everything up and try starting it again. Usually if the timing is way off or 180* out it will backfire through the carb while trying to start it.

 

[will e]

If you used starting fluid and it didn't run for a few seconds then you have a spark issue. You have already confirmed that you have spark so it is most likely timing (or weak spark).

 

[street rod mach 1]

Yeah the spark is yellow and today I'm getting a new set of motor craft plugs, so hopefully that will fix the issue

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[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I doubt that the plugs have anything to do with the cold spark.

Did the car run before you changed all the parts? I would do like many have said just start over. Pull number one plug and crank engine until you feel pressure from compression stroke. Even the exhaust stroke has pressure coming out the plug hole. You might pop the valve cover off and watch the number 1 valves cycle and when both are closed and the timing mark aligns your are at TDC. I don't know anything about your type of distributor but if you do not get it by doing a retime change the coil. If it were an original distributor I would say the condenser is bad but I would expect your new one is electronic. Doing the hot wire from the battery to the coil eliminates any switch issues.

I know once I had been working on my van and could not get it to start. I had put new cap on the distributor and I checked the order a dozen times but I did again and I was off. Put them right and fired right up. Felt like a dummy my excuse to wife was I could not see in the van that good, lol.

David

 

[c9zx]

If it tries to start and you move the key from the start to run position, you might try checking to see if you have voltage to the coil in the run position as well as the start position. If it is not there in the run position, there is a wiring/switch/connector problem. Just a thought. Chuck

 

[Hemikiller]

If it tries to start and you move the key from the start to run position, you might try checking to see if you have voltage to the coil in the run position as well as the start position. If it is not there in the run position, there is a wiring/switch/connector problem. Just a thought. Chuck

+1 to this.

Get a remote starter button, that way you can turn the car over while you are underhood.

Before you continue, I've always found it best that when I get to a point like this, to start over from scratch with your timing.

To verify your timing: pull the power to the coil/dizzy and remove #1 spark plug. Hold your finger over the plug hole and bump the starter over with the remote until the compression pops your finger off. At that point, use a socket wrench to pull the engine over to 10* BTDC and check the location of the rotor on the distributor. Adjust the dizzy as req'd. If done correctly and the engine won't run after this, then you have other problems....