Engine is running now!

[Cantedvalve 128]

My and the boy went to fire up the engine today.  It would start up, run like crap then die... sometimes flaming out of the carb (carb actually caught fire once... wish I had that on tape).  When it would run for a bit, it seemed to run okay, but we couldn’t get it to run for more than 15 seconds.  I had tried retarding the timing... that didn't seem to help.  So I advanced it.  That did the trick.  It ran on its own until I shut it off (no belt on the water pump, had to be safe).

 

[Cantedvalve 128]

OK so I went back over and tried it again.  This time I advance the timing double what I had retarded it, and it fired up and ran on its own until I shut it off.  I’ll time it tomorrow. 

[barnett468 418]

I sure hope you have a roller cam. I always set the timing first.

[Cantedvalve 128]

No.. no roller cam.  Why?  This isnt a new engine, and we have kept it running even though the car wasn’t being driven.  And I primed the system since it had been about a year science running it last.  I had the distributor out anyway as I was replacing it.

What am I risking?  I normally get the car running on its own first then set the initial timing.  I will get that done tomorrow.

[barnett468 418]

1 hour ago, Cantedvalve said:

No.. no roller cam.  Why?  This isnt a new engine, and we have kept it running even though the car wasn’t being driven.  And I primed the system since it had been about a year science running it last.  I had the distributor out anyway as I was replacing it.

What am I risking?  I normally get the car running on its own first then set the initial timing.  I will get that done tomorrow.

ah, ok, since it's not new it's not a big deal.

why do you have to keep setting the timing every time you get it running?

[Cantedvalve 128]

Hehe... no.  So story time.  Back in 2010 I decided to convert to EEC-IV fuel injection.  It was largely successful, but unwieldly and overly complicated for what the car was.  I think I did it just to say I had done it.  Part of that swap was swapping in a distributor.  Shortly after, I parked the car and didnt drive it for 7 years... mostly because of kids, but also because of that fuel injection that I just didnt want to deal with.  My dad and I would start it up and let it run every week.

Fast forward to August of last year, and (due to my son's influence), I got back into the car.  I pulled all the fuel injection stuff off.  I sold or scrapped most of it (still have the distributor and ignition module if anyone wants it).  I put in a Pertronix distributor, and this is the first time I have fired the engine since.  So no... not timing it due to getting it running, but due to putting in a new distributor.

[Mach1 Driver 560]

On 11/25/2018 at 10:01 PM, barnett468 said:

I sure hope you have a roller cam. I always set the timing first.

barnett, you set the timing first- can I assume this is immediately after starting for the first time, or do you have some trick way to time it before starting?

[barnett468 418]

54 minutes ago, Mach1 Driver said:

barnett, you set the timing first- can I assume this is immediately after starting for the first time, or do you have some trick way to time it before starting?

on new engines i set it before i start it and also fill the fuel bowls with gas.

i first mark the end of the pointer then the damper with white out where i want the timing to be.

i then remove all the plug wires except for number 1.

then i connect the timing light and jump the solenoid to see where the timing is.

with the engine off, i then rotate the distributor to get the timing closer so i don't have to keep spinning the engine while trying to set it.

once it is set, it is good enough to start.

after starting i run the engine up to around 2200 rpm and maintain that rpm for a few minutes.

i then try rotating the distributor until it makes the most rpm. this reduces the chance that it will get hot during break in.

then i reset the rpm to around 2200 and let it run for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mach1 Driver 560]

29 minutes ago, barnett468 said:

on new engines i set it before i start it and also fill the fuel bowls with gas.

i first mark the end of the pointer then the damper with white out where i want the timing to be.

i then remove all the plug wires except for number 1.

then i connect the timing light and jump the solenoid to see where the timing is.

with the engine off, i then rotate the distributor to get the timing closer so i don't have to keep spinning the engine while trying to set it.

once it is set, it is good enough to start.

after starting i run the engine up to around 2200 rpm and maintain that rpm for a few minutes.

i then try rotating the distributor until it makes the most rpm. this reduces the chance that it will get hot during break in.

then i reset the rpm to around 2200 and let it run for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

ingenious, thanks