Setting Ignition timing

[Daves69Coupe 10]

When that happens you kinda "drop" the dizzy hard onto the rod a few times and wiggle it at the same time. It is usually enough to bump the rod into the correct position to slip into place.

 

this is what Ive been doing but taking so many tries to get back in. Think the cars just fighting me at this point, cause its close to running.

[69gmachine 15]

Make sure the spring clip in the back isn't dropped down as that will also keep it from seating.

 

Although this shouldn't be an issue in your case, if the bottom of the shaft gets bugered up and deforms the hexagon it can keep it from lining up with the oil pump shaft.

 

Try rocking the crank back and forth while applying gentle pressure to the housing. I like to remove all the spark plugs so the crank is easy to move around.

 

Good luck and let us know when it cranks!

[Daves69Coupe 10]

Sounds like it. Try this. Pull #1 spark plug, then bump the starter until you feel a puff or air come out of the spark plug hole. Then using a wrench on the crank bolt, continue to turn the crank until the pointer is pointing at the 10 degree BTDC mark on your balancer. Now make a mark on your distributor body where the #1 plug wire is on the distrubutor cap. Now pull the cap back off. Then pull up your distributor and then drop it back down until the rotor points to the #1 plug wire location where you made the mark on the body. Put the cap back on. Now hook up a timing light and turn the key on, but don't crank. Now, slowly turn the distributor back and forth with the timing light pointed at the timing marks and pointer. When the timing light flashes, stop right there and tighten down the distributor. Now try to start it. If it doesn't work, try the whole procedure again but with the newer firing order. If you have questions on this, send me a PM with your phone number and I'll call you and walk you thru it on the phone tomorrow (I'm taking the day off.)

the part after getting the crank to 10 degrees advanced... do you mean mark the dizzy where #1 plug wire is or where rotor is?

 

i ask because wont the #1 wire always be in the same place since the cap never changes location.

[jholmes217 65]

Put a mark on the dizzy so you can still see where #1 plug goes when the cap is off. As you drop in the dizzy, the rotor will want to spin some, and you want to make sure it stops where your #1 mark is at.

[Daves69Coupe 10]

ive repeated this method 3 times and still not getting a full start. Im gonna give it a couple more tries.

 

what other reasons could there be for not starting?

 

oversized carb?

 

carb needs tuning?

[Lemon Owner 11]

It will not be the carb if you pour a little fuel down the throat like I have said earlier. I have started an engine on the ground this way and the carby was not even bolted down! Just studs to hold it in place and there was not even any fuel in the carby. It ran for 10 seconds until the fuel I poured in dried up. So it works. It will also run the fuel pump enough to fill the carb with fuel to keep it running longer. Just a couple of cap fulls. Hold the throttle open a quarter and it will fire up. Just keep a blanket handy to throw over any fires. lol jk....

 

Your problem sounds like timing but it is hard to say when I don't know if you have enough fuel in the engine for it to start. Lack of fuel will cause backfires through the carby as well as timing. It could be 180 degrees out on the distributor. You could have the incorrect firing order. Incorrect timing. So many other things.

Edited May 4, 2012 by Lemon Owner

[Daves69Coupe 10]

It will not be the carb if you pour a little fuel down the throat like I have said earlier. I have started an engine on the ground this way and the carby was not even bolted down! Just studs to hold it in place and there was not even any fuel in the carby. It ran for 10 seconds until the fuel I poured in dried up. So it works. It will also run the fuel pump enough to fill the carb with fuel to keep it running longer. Just a couple of cap fulls. Hold the throttle open a quarter and it will fire up. Just keep a blanket handy to throw over any fires. lol jk....

 

Your problem sounds like timing but it is hard to say when I don't know if you have enough fuel in the engine for it to start. Lack of fuel will cause backfires through the carby as well as timing. It could be 180 degrees out on the distributor. You could have the incorrect firing order. Incorrect timing. So many other things.

 

Firing order was correct last week but thats since been fixed and Ive went through the timing procedure a couple times now. Im just starting to wonder if theres something else wrong.

[Lemon Owner 11]

I think you need to throw some fuel down the carby. This will quickly eliminate fuel as your problem. One of the reasons is that a cold engine needs alot of fuel to start. One that has been sitting needs more. That's why if you don't have a choke you need to give the throttle a couple of pumps to start. The accelerator pump adds a big dose of fuel to help. If it then does not start you know it is not the carb preventing it from starting.

 

It is likely you have 3 or 4 problems. But by adding fuel it takes away a big part of the trouble and allows you to look at the other areas. Once you get the engine to at least run, you can look at the fine tuning of the carby and ignition system.

[Fordrevhead 29]

running and running well are two different things. You only need air, fuel and spark at somewhere in the neighborhood of the right time and it should start. Wish I was there to help.

[Rcodenewf 44]

If you find that the distributor wont drop right in and won't line up with the oil pump then try this as it works for me.

 

Point your rotor at #1 on the cap and drop it in. When it stops and wont drop in fully, hold light pressure down on the distributor while having someone make a few short bursts with the key. The rotor will turn but don't worry about that as it is already in the helix of the camshaft gear and will then line up with the hex in the oil pump and drop right in.

 

When i don't have someone to crank the key i just jump the solenoid switch with one hand while holding down on the distributor.

 

Hope this helps.....John

[Pakrat 1,043]

I still think you probably have an issue with your points, the gap or the condensor or all. If you aren't ready to step them up to something like pertronix then at least replace them to eliminate them as an issue, they are super cheap. I used to have dual points before changing and when they were off my carb would backfire like crazy.

[Daves69Coupe 10]

I still think you probably have an issue with your points, the gap or the condensor or all. If you aren't ready to step them up to something like pertronix then at least replace them to eliminate them as an issue, they are super cheap. I used to have dual points before changing and when they were off my carb would backfire like crazy.

 

think im definently gonna invest in the petronix setup. Gotta get my battery tested after work and see if its shot tho. It wont re-charge anymore. So I gotta fix that first before even playing with timing again.

[70mstang 11]

I had the same issue you are having and it was all timing. I actually had my timing 180 degrees out. When I dumped gas down the carb it tried to start, a few times and even ran some but died and spit fire out the carb. It really sounds familiar to me

[Daves69Coupe 10]

I had the same issue you are having and it was all timing. I actually had my timing 180 degrees out. When I dumped gas down the carb it tried to start, a few times and even ran some but died and spit fire out the carb. It really sounds familiar to me

 

Yea its super frustrating finding that initial spot where the car will run. Im sure Ill have it after a couple more attempts.

[Daves69Coupe 10]

The timing pointer for an 87 should be on passenger side of engine right? I know the older 302's were on driver side.