Hopefully I'm missing something easy here but help me out if you can. I can't get my '71 to start. Had a worn out points distributor and switched to an HEI. Here's what I've done.

Installed HEI and new wires. Ran a direct wire off the battery with a toggle switch so I get a constant 12 volts to power the HEI. Taped off the resistor wire coming from the starter.

Problem is the engine will turn over fine but not start. It turns and coughs every now and then like it wants to catch but it never does. I've sprayed starting fluid in the carb but no luck. I tested and it is getting spark. Pulled all my plugs and cleaned them as they were a little gas rich. Turned the engine over by hand and found TDC on #1 and lined up the wires on the cap accordingly. I've rotated the distributor a little before and after TDC but still won't start. Car has a quadrajet that is new as well. It is getting gas but since it wouldn't even start with the starting fluid I figured it's ignition.

Tested the power wire to the HEI, 12 volts when toggle switch is on, 12 volts when key is on, drops down to 9.5 when engine is cranked over and then back to 12 when key released.

The HEI and all its components were bought new with coil and module included. Could it be a bad coil or module? But it is getting spark. I'm dazed and confused! Any advice you can give would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Ken

 

Sounds like your new dist is not on the correct cylinder, Try turning it 180 degrees, you may be on the exhaust stroke when you lined it up,

Good luck!!

 

To check #1 for compression stroke....remove #1 plug and rotate crank clockwise looking at front of motor. Use a socket and long handled bar.
When you feel compression by holding finger over plug hole look at the timing mark. It will be approaching the timing tab. Stop when zero reaches mark and this will be tdc (or pretty close).
Next pull dist cap off and verify it is at #1 plug wire or actually a bit past it. If not, correct the dist by lifting it up and reengageing the gear teeth and oil pump drive shaft. You should have some rotational adjustment both directions with the dist. Crank engine and adjust dist. until it starts. If starter seems like it is having a hard time cranking, the timing is retarded too much and you need to rotate dist in the other direction. Good luck.

BTW... each time the timing mark comes up the piston is on the up stroke....either a compression stroke which you can feel or the exhaust stroke which you can't.

 

Ok, I know it's probably off somehow and not firing in the right place at the right time. But here's what I've done already....

I took the #1 plug out and took the cap off the distributor. I put my finger over the plug hole and had a friend bump the engine until I felt it suck in - intake stroke. Then I had the friend bump the engine a little more until I started to feel compression - firing stroke. I then turned the engine by hand and aligned the timing mark on the harmonic balancer up with the "0" on the timing arrow. I looked to see where the rotor was pointing, almost directly at the carb, and made a mark, put the cap back on and put my wires on the cap according to that mark with #1 wire at the mark. And it still won't start. Could I have been on the exhaust stroke or ??? That's why I'm so frustrated! Thanks!

 

sounds like you were on the exhaust stroke......if so you have the wires run incorrectly, If I were you I'd start over, I no with my small block the rotor is pointing more to the drivers side than the carb

Good luck!!

 

I had a no start problem the frist time i started up my 406.My voltage went to 10 volts whole the motor was cranking and would not start.
My battery was low.I jumped the battery with my truck,and the car fired right off.You may want to check into this issue with your car.

Marc.

 

or try jumping it and have some one turn the key and move the dist. back and forth a bit till it fires

 

i was having the exact same pprob withmy 71BB after tear down and puttin it back together... timing mark should be lined up at 8* BTDC... then pulled dist cap and see if rotor lines up with #1...may need to walk distributor around till it lines up with #1

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to rotate the distributor a little each way and see if it starts. If not, I'm going to start walking the wires around the cap to see where it really starts! Who knows what Bubba did to my engine before me! I'll keep you up to date.

 

If I remember correctly my #1 wire is at the firewall, more towards the passenger side.
Did you connect the vacuum advance hose ? (This could be a dumb question but... :o)

 

i would just take off the valve cover and turnthe engine over by hand and watch the valves open and close through the 4 cycles and stop at TDC of the compression stoke and then see where the rotor is pointing....being 180* out is really common

 

bobs77, just so I know what to look for the first time!, remind me what the valves should be looking like and doing when I turn it over by hand? I.E., which one is intake and which exhaust, and what are they supposed to be doing on each stroke?

sorry for the obvious question but I want to get this right after getting frustrated for so long! Thanks.

 

Ken, If you want to look at the rocker arms the first one is exhaust and the second is intake. You can verify this by looking at the intake and exhaust manifilds. The valves are in line with the particular tubes or channels.
The intake will close just prior to the compression stroke and when the timing marker lines up with the tab you are at tdc. Stop just a bit short of tdc and see where dist rotor is. This is where #1 will be firing.
If engine is backfiring thru carb. it is because dist is advanced way too much and sparking befort the valve is closed completely. After the explosion and the piston is being driven down the exhaust valve will open and close again on the upstroke. Naturally, the timing mark will be approaching the tab but there will be no air coming out of the sparkplug hole because the exhaust valve is open. As the timing mark passes the tab the intake valve will begin opening so the piston can suck in fuel on the down stroke. Intake valve will close and the piston will start up for compression and AGAIN it will fire a bit before tdc.
It is easy to see when you crank you engine with valve cover off and you concentrate only on #1. Hand cranking is harder but is sometimes easier to see cause it is so much slower.