1970 won't start

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May 7, 2014 | 08:06 PM

1970vert

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: May 2014

Posts: 2

Likes: 0

From: Hagerstown md

1970 won't start

hello
looking for help getting the 1970 running. It sat from nov until yesterday. It was completely dead. I switched the 10 year old battery out It now turns over but will not fire/run. What is my next step(s)? Appreciate any help I can get.

May 7, 2014 | 08:12 PM

garygnu

Burning Brakes

Joined: Sep 2012

Posts: 818

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From: coon rapids mn

check for spark . it mite take some cranking to get fuel to the carb .you could check and fill the float bowl with gas if needed .keep the new battery charged ,don't drain it too much .

May 7, 2014 | 08:15 PM

LS4 PILOT

Melting Slicks

Joined: Jul 2009

Posts: 2,091

Likes: 40

Spark first

See if it's getting fuel into the carb

May 7, 2014 | 09:59 PM

johnt365

Drifting

Joined: Dec 2004

Posts: 1,714

Likes: 42

From: Austin Texas

After sitting that long, the carb bowl is probably dry. I would remove the air cleaner and work the throttle and check to see if you have fuel squirting out the accelerator pump. If you are unsure what to look for, you could give a quick shot of starting fluid down the throat and hit the starter. This would help rule out a fuel issue. If you get it started this way and it wont stay running unless you give it a shot of starting fluid, you may have a fuel delivery issue.

May 8, 2014 | 11:44 AM

Brcmpbl

Drifting

Joined: May 2012

Posts: 1,353

Likes: 44

From: Calgary Alberta

Check for spark as the others have said. If you don't have a timing light, you can do this by removing a plug wire from the plug end and inserting an old plug in the wire. Ground the plug out to the exhaust manifold or something. Then bump the ignition over and see if you get any spark at the old plug you inserted.

If you have that, look down the bowl of the carb and flick the throttle linkage by hand to see if fuel squirts in there.

Then report back if you want. No-start conditions are usually a lot easier to diagnose and fix than crappy-start conditions.

May 9, 2014 | 05:36 PM

KRUST

Cruising

Joined: May 2014

Posts: 12

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If you have been pumping the carb a lot you might have flooded it big time like I did last week. It was so bad that it wouldn't fire one time. I looked on the forum and found that wet plugs will not fire, even though they spark outside the heads. I changed out the plugs and half a revolution it fired right up. Check to see if plugs are wet.

May 13, 2014 | 02:04 PM

1970vert

Thread Starter

2nd Gear

Joined: May 2014

Posts: 2

Likes: 0

From: Hagerstown md

Thank you all for the advice. I finally got to play with it yesterday. Poured a little gas into the carb and it fired right up. I appreciate everyone's input

May 13, 2014 | 10:48 PM

68/70Vette

Team Owner

Joined: Jul 2004

Posts: 40,408

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From: Redondo Beach, California

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1970vert

Thank you all for the advice. I finally got to play with it yesterday. Poured a little gas into the carb and it fired right up. I appreciate everyone's input

Good it started....A hint for getting engines to start. Buy a spray can of diesel engine starting spray..it's sometimes marketed as engine starting fluid. It's at autoparts stores and a necessary use is for diesel truck drivers trying to start their engines in extremely cold temperatures.

The aerosol can will be spraying ether. If you spray this into a spark plug engine, the engine will start and run on the ether spray. If the engine runs on the ether spray, you know the engine spark is OK, but gasoline is not getting to the engine. If the engine will not run on ether spray, this means there is no spark. Ether is really a dynamite diagnostic. Got a reluctant week-wacker or lawn mower...ether is your friend.

It's labelled as diesel starting fluid and the contents are diethyl ether. It's been a really great help to me over many years.

Last edited by 68/70Vette; May 13, 2014 at 10:50 PM.