Urgent help!!!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Urgent help!!!
My car won't start...I have just put in a brand new turn key engine and it was working fine, it would turn on right away. I took it to get it painted and it was at the paint shop for 6 months. When I went to pick it up it did not want to turn on. I tried adjusting the timing many times and nothing. I also bought a new ignition control module and nothing. A friend looked at it and tried getting it going, he could not either. He thinks that the guys at the shop took it for a joy ride and floored it. since my new engine had less than 100 miles on and I was barely breaking in the engine he thinks the timing chain jumped which made my timing be way off. Is this possible? When we tried to turn it on the carb spits a lot of gas up from carb but it won't turn on. Anyone out there has any idea of what it could be? Please help....I have been restoring this car for the last 5 years and now that its painted and supposedly ready to go now it won't turn on. I hope it's not what my buddy thinks. Please advise and thanks for your help.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,239
Likes: 74
From: Palatine, Peoples Republic of Illinois
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11-12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-‘18
NCM Sinkhole Donor
You're going to have to give us a bit more information such as what year car, what engine, where you are and what you've done so far.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
My car is a 1980 corvette, I put in a new 350 turn key engine. It is a California car. So far I have just tried working with the timing. I took off the distributor and set the timing again, same result though...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,123
Likes: 433
From: Gladstone MO
C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
First- timing chains don't "jump" they work or they don't. It's physically impossible for the chain to jump one or two teeth and go back to normal. When they get old, worn and loose, they can scatter timing all over the map until the teeth finally come off the gear and don't turn the cam anymore.
If you have spark, and you have fuel, that's 2 of 3. 3rd one is compression- if, especially on a "new engine", someone pumped the crap out of the gas pedal and cranked it, it may have gotten flooded and washed the cylinder walls down, losing ring seal. Pull all the plugs, crank it to air the cylinders out (don't touch the gas pedal), give each cylinder a shot of oil, then put in a set of new plugs. While you have the plugs out, put your finger over the #1 plug hole and bump the starter over until it blows your finger out. Then check the distributor rotor position and make sure it aligns fairly close to the #1 plug WIRE position on the cap.
If you have spark, and you have fuel, that's 2 of 3. 3rd one is compression- if, especially on a "new engine", someone pumped the crap out of the gas pedal and cranked it, it may have gotten flooded and washed the cylinder walls down, losing ring seal. Pull all the plugs, crank it to air the cylinders out (don't touch the gas pedal), give each cylinder a shot of oil, then put in a set of new plugs. While you have the plugs out, put your finger over the #1 plug hole and bump the starter over until it blows your finger out. Then check the distributor rotor position and make sure it aligns fairly close to the #1 plug WIRE position on the cap.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,018
Likes: 9
From: Winston Ga.
What does that mean? Did you pull a plug and see it fire
It's missing either
Fuel, timed spark, or air.
Look down the carb and pump the linkage, is there gas? What's you gas pressure? How,old is it? Will it fire with starter fluid? Could there be water in the gas?
Pull a,plug, turn the engine over and ground the plug, is it firing? Check them all. Do they all fire?
I'll assume it's getting air.
Ain't much to getting these to fire. Tuned is another story but they only need these to fire.
It's missing either
Fuel, timed spark, or air.
Look down the carb and pump the linkage, is there gas? What's you gas pressure? How,old is it? Will it fire with starter fluid? Could there be water in the gas?
Pull a,plug, turn the engine over and ground the plug, is it firing? Check them all. Do they all fire?
I'll assume it's getting air.
Ain't much to getting these to fire. Tuned is another story but they only need these to fire.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,853
Likes: 81
From: Hamilton Virginia
First- timing chains don't "jump" they work or they don't. It's physically impossible for the chain to jump one or two teeth and go back to normal. When they get old, worn and loose, they can scatter timing all over the map until the teeth finally come off the gear and don't turn the cam anymore.
If you have spark, and you have fuel, that's 2 of 3. 3rd one is compression- if, especially on a "new engine", someone pumped the crap out of the gas pedal and cranked it, it may have gotten flooded and washed the cylinder walls down, losing ring seal. Pull all the plugs, crank it to air the cylinders out (don't touch the gas pedal), give each cylinder a shot of oil, then put in a set of new plugs. While you have the plugs out, put your finger over the #1 plug hole and bump the starter over until it blows your finger out. Then check the distributor rotor position and make sure it aligns fairly close to the #1 plug WIRE position on the cap.
If you have spark, and you have fuel, that's 2 of 3. 3rd one is compression- if, especially on a "new engine", someone pumped the crap out of the gas pedal and cranked it, it may have gotten flooded and washed the cylinder walls down, losing ring seal. Pull all the plugs, crank it to air the cylinders out (don't touch the gas pedal), give each cylinder a shot of oil, then put in a set of new plugs. While you have the plugs out, put your finger over the #1 plug hole and bump the starter over until it blows your finger out. Then check the distributor rotor position and make sure it aligns fairly close to the #1 plug WIRE position on the cap.
Curious to know why you would automatically start messing with the timing just because it wouldnt start. Follow what is written above. get your distributor lined back up with number one cylinder. Check the plugs to see if they are fuel soaked. change them. Make sure you are absolutely getting fuel. make sure you are getting spark. If you are not getting fuel, try starting fluid and see if it fires up, if so chase down your fuel problem. if you are getting fuel, but no spark chase down your spark problem. could be module, could be coil, could be power going to distributor.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 28
From: Burkburnett TX
Hows your oil smell? fuel soaked plugs will not fire. Running really rich and flooding for long enough will make your oil smell like fuel. Might want to change it as soon as you get it running.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,303
Likes: 14
From: Lynn MA
spitting from carb....I am betting timing, check all the basics and lets see pictures of the motor, specifically the location of distributor etc....I am guessing we have to talk about this subject...again
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,303
Likes: 14
From: Lynn MA
lets see pictures...I am not a betting man, but think I am betting on ........you know what
Pro
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 523
Likes: 4
From: Calgary Alberta
My car won't start...I have just put in a brand new turn key engine and it was working fine, it would turn on right away. I took it to get it painted and it was at the paint shop for 6 months. When I went to pick it up it did not want to turn on. I tried adjusting the timing many times and nothing. I also bought a new ignition control module and nothing. A friend looked at it and tried getting it going, he could not either. He thinks that the guys at the shop took it for a joy ride and floored it. since my new engine had less than 100 miles on and I was barely breaking in the engine he thinks the timing chain jumped which made my timing be way off. Is this possible? When we tried to turn it on the carb spits a lot of gas up from carb but it won't turn on. Anyone out there has any idea of what it could be? Please help....I have been restoring this car for the last 5 years and now that its painted and supposedly ready to go now it won't turn on. I hope it's not what my buddy thinks. Please advise and thanks for your help.
Does the car have an choke on the carb? Is it electric or automatic? If it is electric then I would check the wire connection to it.
Try holding the choke open with a screwdriver and putting the gas pedal to the floor while cranking, if it starts then there is likely a choke problem.
Next I would check the grounding of the engine to the frame, bad ground could be the cause of a no start situation.
Check for spark closely, pull the coil wire and check for spark at the coil when grounded to the engine. With no spark from the coil the distributor will not fire the plugs.
If there is no spark at the coil then check the wires running to the coil and test the coil itself. Be careful, as there is a lot of current coming out of the coil.
Let us know if any of these tips produce an engine that starts or at least sputters.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,614
Likes: 350
From: No Where USA
If it worked when you brought it there, and now it doesn't how did they move the car around in the shop. And how did they explain to you that it wouldn't run when you went to pick it up. And did you tell them that it worked when you brought it there and you want it to work when you take it home. If the car is in their shop it is their problem to get it started again. I would not pay them for the work until the car is able to drive out of the shop.
If they floored it and the motor broke because of it I don't think the timing chain would be the problem.
Did they do any other work on the car when they painted it.
If they floored it and the motor broke because of it I don't think the timing chain would be the problem.
Did they do any other work on the car when they painted it.
Last edited by 540 vette; Aug 8, 2013 at 07:31 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 613
Likes: 3
From: Fleetwood PA
Won't turn on? I'm assuming it cranks, but won't actually start?
Are you working on it at the paint shop? If not, how did you get it home? I'd be damned if I took a mechanically sound car to be painted and then have to call a tow truck to get it home.
As stated in another post, make the shop pay to get it running by calling a qualified mechanic.
The fact there has been no reply makes me think it was either something simple like no gas, or this is just a story.
Are you working on it at the paint shop? If not, how did you get it home? I'd be damned if I took a mechanically sound car to be painted and then have to call a tow truck to get it home.
As stated in another post, make the shop pay to get it running by calling a qualified mechanic.
The fact there has been no reply makes me think it was either something simple like no gas, or this is just a story.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,853
Likes: 81
From: Hamilton Virginia
Last post for the OP was last Saturday. I guess we are trying to help someone who isnt around.
Joined the site to get an answer and then walked away. Probably ran out of gas.
Joined the site to get an answer and then walked away. Probably ran out of gas.
Last edited by scrappy76; Aug 9, 2013 at 06:57 AM. Reason: add