Problems trying to start engine first time.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (A C)
Thanks AC, one cap coming up!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 5,237
Likes: 1
From: Newport Michigan
CF Pit Crew
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Almost CI III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
I have a brand new HEI distributor still in the box that came with the engine. If something doesn't "click" soon, the MSD is history. :smash:
[Modified by Rolling Thunder, 1:36 PM 8/12/2001]
[Modified by Rolling Thunder, 1:36 PM 8/12/2001]
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (70L46)
Okay, car still did not start. Now I have removed the distributor, coil and disconnected the MSD. I have installed the HEI and rewired the plug wires to the cap. There are three wires coming out of the HEI distributor to a factory connector. I know one is 12 volt key on power, and I assume one is for an electronic tach. Who can tell me which is which and which are necessary?
Pink
Black
Brown
Dave
[Modified by Rolling Thunder, 3:47 PM 8/12/2001]
Pink
Black
Brown
Dave
[Modified by Rolling Thunder, 3:47 PM 8/12/2001]
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (bob)
Bob - Can you tell me what the other two are? Just guessing I'd say the pink was 12 volt key-on. Is the black a ground wire or what?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 4,466
Likes: 0
From: Paducah KY
Cruise-In I Veteran
Cruise-In II Veteran
Cruise-In III Veteran
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '03
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
HEI is wired and works fine. I guess I'm brain dead. I have now found the other problems and will post what I found after I get it corrected and get over my embarrassment.
Oh what the heck, we're all friends here. I mentioned above that I had compression, fire and timing. I assumed the compression part. We won't go into the phonetic spelling of assumed, will we? At least on the #1 cylinder the exhaust valve was not closing all the way. My guess is, it's not the only one. I used the thumbroll plus 3/4 turn as called for in the assembly instructions for the engine, but that is undoubtedly too tight. When I backed off the intake, it made no change, but when I backed off the exhaust, I had excellent compression.
Somebody just shoot me, I'm too old for this stuff. Guess I should have named it Sitting Blunder. :rolleyes: Now to figure out a new basis for adjusting the valves.
Later guys, I'm back to the garage.
Dave
Oh what the heck, we're all friends here. I mentioned above that I had compression, fire and timing. I assumed the compression part. We won't go into the phonetic spelling of assumed, will we? At least on the #1 cylinder the exhaust valve was not closing all the way. My guess is, it's not the only one. I used the thumbroll plus 3/4 turn as called for in the assembly instructions for the engine, but that is undoubtedly too tight. When I backed off the intake, it made no change, but when I backed off the exhaust, I had excellent compression.
Somebody just shoot me, I'm too old for this stuff. Guess I should have named it Sitting Blunder. :rolleyes: Now to figure out a new basis for adjusting the valves.
Later guys, I'm back to the garage.
Dave
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 6,493
Likes: 6
From: Bloomington MN
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
Hehe :lol: At least it's nothing major. I am sure you are not the first person on this board to overtighten a valve.
AC
AC
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Pro
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 749
Likes: 2
From: Gabriola BC
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
The larger of the plugs has the ground and the pick up wires ( power to pick-up and wire from pick-up, this one from memory so don't count on it ). Glad you found your valve problem.
bob
bob
Pro
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
From: phoenix az
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
Good thing you found it, I was just about to suggest that the cam was put in off time. When I adjust the valves on my BB, I use the thumb method and turn until I just start to feel resistance. Then I go about a third of a turn more. This seems to work just fine and I have had no problems and my valve train isn't noisy. It seemed that if I went past the third of a turn it went past the preload and was getting into loading the spring.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (Rolling Thunder)
Dave,
Are these Crate Engines test run before shipping. I would think so. Just in case though maybe Bubba hit on something. You may want to pop off the water pump and timing cover and make sure the cam is installed correctly. This of course would be a LAST RESORT if you can't figure it out oterhwise.
If you don't get it by tommorow, we're all coming over to your house. :mad
Are these Crate Engines test run before shipping. I would think so. Just in case though maybe Bubba hit on something. You may want to pop off the water pump and timing cover and make sure the cam is installed correctly. This of course would be a LAST RESORT if you can't figure it out oterhwise.
If you don't get it by tommorow, we're all coming over to your house. :mad
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,211
Likes: 6
Re: Problems trying to start engine first time. (78Vette-SA)
FWIW, We started up my newly rebuilt 427BB last Tuesday but not w/o some problems. They put the distributor (I have a Mallory Unilite w/mechanical advance and tach drive) in wrong ("off a tooth", they said). And carb float bowl turned out to be stuck (this is on a Quadrajet). A couple of light taps of a hammer solved the float bowl problem. They primed the carb with some gas down the throat and it finaly fired up, but not before back firing a couple of times before it started. They had turned it over a dozen tomes before they went for the carb "adjustment".Make sure you've recently primed your oil pump also.
After it started it ran o.k. during the break-in even being off a tooth.
I think your valves are likely your problem, but if it still won't start tap on the float bowls and prime that carb with a couple ounces of gas.
Good post! Best wishes on a successful 502BB!
Regards, mark
After it started it ran o.k. during the break-in even being off a tooth.
I think your valves are likely your problem, but if it still won't start tap on the float bowls and prime that carb with a couple ounces of gas.
Good post! Best wishes on a successful 502BB!
Regards, mark
