HELP! Engine won't crank
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
HELP! Engine won't crank
The last four weeks have been a terrible time for my Vette. The last of my "adventures" was a new Carb I put on my car which I ran too rich. The carbon built up in my engine and fouled my plugs. To make a long story short I cleaned my plugs ran fuel cleaner and had a friend help me tune the carb. The next day I try to start the car and it started missing horribly and then finally conked out. Afterwords and for the last few days the starter motor turns but nothing is firing. I looked at the spark plugs and they smell of gas but there not fouled and there cold. The distributor is new put in the first of summer. I checked all my connections there fine. Its like the distributor is dead. Please any help is appreciated.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: HELP! Engine won't crank (TTop Tony)
Nevermind
A mechanically minded friend here at work says my Spark Plugs are probably bad from being fouled. I'll replace them and give it a shot.
A mechanically minded friend here at work says my Spark Plugs are probably bad from being fouled. I'll replace them and give it a shot.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
From: Kingston Tn
Re: HELP! Engine won't crank (TTop Tony)
Tony,
Try holding the gas pedal all the way down and see if the car will start. If it does it probably means your carb is still running too rich. Also, you might have changed the gap in your plugs when you cleaned them, so you might re-check that too. All that rough running may have shaken your distributer hold down lose, and your timing may be off. If my car is hard to start, the first thing I usually do is to have somebody slowly turn the distributer as I crank it.This might get it started, and tell you that the timing is off, or you have worn timing gears and chain. Also, take a spark plug out, ground it to the engine and see if you are getting fire. If it isn't, your coil could be bad. Good luck, please keep us posted.
'74 Turbocharged 350 "Molested to Perfection," class of '71
Try holding the gas pedal all the way down and see if the car will start. If it does it probably means your carb is still running too rich. Also, you might have changed the gap in your plugs when you cleaned them, so you might re-check that too. All that rough running may have shaken your distributer hold down lose, and your timing may be off. If my car is hard to start, the first thing I usually do is to have somebody slowly turn the distributer as I crank it.This might get it started, and tell you that the timing is off, or you have worn timing gears and chain. Also, take a spark plug out, ground it to the engine and see if you are getting fire. If it isn't, your coil could be bad. Good luck, please keep us posted.
'74 Turbocharged 350 "Molested to Perfection," class of '71
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: HELP! Engine won't crank (Shutdown1)
Thanks guys it turned out to be the spark plugs. They looked fine visually. I swapped them out and it fired right up. Its still running rough hopefully I just need to take the car on a long trip to clean out the system.
Live and learn I suppose.
Live and learn I suppose.
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 1
From: Mt Juliet TN
Re: HELP! Engine won't crank (Shutdown1)
Me too. I've picked out a cam and new set of heads but I haven't bought anthing yet because of all the problems with the car. I made a deal with myself that I wouldn't buy anything till my car runs ok for at least a month.