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Would you be willing to find TDC (compression stroke) for cyl #1 and scribe a mark on the crank pulley with a tiny rat tail file or similar and make a corresponding mark on the timing cover with a sharpie, for example?
If so, then a timing light would show you if you were in the ballpark.
Does the starter spin the motor at the speed that you remember as normal?
Would you be willing to siphon out a pint of gas from the bottom of the tank and run it through your lawn mower?
Last edited by 94z07fx3; Jul 16, 2008 at 06:14 PM.
I have thought about fabricating a pointer and marking the balancer. After thinking about that for some time though I realized that I am only eliminating the possibility that the engine had jumped time. Since the timing chain and gears are fairly new, 10K I think this is not the case.
I have not considered the possiblilty that the ICM actually amplifies the spark. If this is true then that could be the reason that the engine will not start. Can you confirm if this is the purpose of the ICM?
I have a battery charger on the battery so the engine is rotating at an adequate speed.
Thanks for the advise and the comments. I may end up rigging it up to use a timing light but I sure hate doing that.
93cruiser
I have thought about fabricating a pointer and marking the balancer. After thinking about that for some time though I realized that I am only eliminating the possibility that the engine had jumped time. Since the timing chain and gears are fairly new, 10K I think this is not the case.
Not needed this is an Lt1 and you have a good installed optispark right?This engine will not "jump time"
Originally Posted by 93cruiser
I have not considered the possiblilty that the ICM actually amplifies the spark. If this is true then that could be the reason that the engine will not start. Can you confirm if this is the purpose of the ICM?
The coil amplifies the spark. The ICM fire the coil.
Originally Posted by 93cruiser
I have a battery charger on the battery so the engine is rotating at an adequate speed.
I highly doubt that is your issue if you turn on the key and the digital gauge says above 12.1V it is not.
Originally Posted by 93cruiser
Thanks for the advise and the comments. I may end up rigging it up to use a timing light but I sure hate doing that.
93cruiser
You could try a timing light to see what happens but I would pull a plug and ground it and watch the spark. It should be a good strong spark not a weak yellow one.
The ONLY reasons I know of for a backfire out of the TB is a stuck valve or a misaligned distributor or wires. This is not to say an ICM could not do it if it were firing at the wrong time but I doubt that too. It seems there are some places that test ICMs who have no clue what they are doing and they fail them when they are good. I have read some threads where this happens.
Not to But your issues sound like either the MSD is bad or installed/built wrong. I would suggest you send it back to them for replacement/analysis.
Last edited by Redeasysport; Jul 16, 2008 at 07:56 PM.
Do you think that 93Cruiser should try to start the car with the adjustment moved first to one extreme and then the other?
I guess it would not hurt anything but he needs to remember where he started from. Might be a good idea to call MSD about where it should be in the first place. You do not get a whole lot of adjustment degree wise from these like a regular distributor.
You DID keep the bad one right? Some of the guys don't get the test right with a new machine procedure, and it might not be bad...
If you're gonna' try to modify the timing, FIRST find out what range the adjuster has. THEN, before you turn the adjusting screw, note the position of the screw/socket driver on the screw/bolt (put a mark on the handle), and screw it one quarter turn at a time and see how many quarter turns it CAN go IN. Write it down too!
Then go halfway back to the original position, and see what happens.
Then if no joy, go back to the original position, AND KEEP GOING THE OTHER WAY equal to halfway of the screwed in amount.
Say for example you were first able to screw it in 2 whole turns. You backed it up 1 turn for the first test. If no joy, unscrew it 1 whole turn more (to the original position), then 1 turn additional to the 'other' side of the original position. See what happens.
Yes, I did keep the bad one. I am not confident that it was tested correctly at either store. I should know tonight if the new ICM and coil will fix the problem. Thanks for the replies and help.
93cruiser
Thanks everyone for your help. After replacing the ICM and coil the 93 runs once again. Remember the car had spark with the bad ICM. Apparently the spark was not occurring on time. I have a couple of vaccum leaks to deal with butit should be back on the road today.
93cruiser