273 wont start

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poppys67toy

poppys67toy

slow learner
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Mar 11, 2010
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Location
pinole ca
after a little more than a year I tried to start my 273 commando . replaced gaskets and seals tried adjusting timing all I get is backfire advanced motor to 0 deg top dead center on balancer and timing mark at 10 before. double checked wiring firing order .still backfires . any help where to start thanks .larry
 
Same thing happend to me last week pulled the distributor gave it a a half a turn reinstalled it and it fired right up.
 
been there,done that with the 180 degrees out.Also make sure your firing order is set in the right direction,clockwise for small blocks.
 
belmateo said:
180 degrees out?
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100 percent on the money thanks very much and it has been 2 years since i put it on stands . life flys by .any way thanks it started first try. I know I need to adjust the timing it seems gutless and the lifter tapping is normal for a solid lifter engine. what timing setting do you recomend for the 273 commando. thanks larry this site is the greatest and so are you guys.:cheers:
 
Glad you found the problem. If the lifters are noisy then they may be out of adjustment. The stock solids in a 273 are usually pretty quiet.
 
Longgone said:
Glad you found the problem. If the lifters are noisy then they may be out of adjustment. The stock solids in a 273 are usually pretty quiet.
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thanks for the info just to clarify the noise sounds kinda like a chevy tik tik maybe a little louder .larry
 
poppys67toy said:
thanks for the info just to clarify the noise sounds kinda like a chevy tik tik maybe a little louder .larry
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I wouldn`t worry much with it if the ticking is minimal. My 67 273 with solid cam was very quiet though, to the point that you would have thought it was a hydraulic cam.
 
toolmanmike said:
Set the timing at -10 degrees with the vacuum advance hose disconnected and plugged with a golf tee. Lots of good info for you on this post. toolmanmike http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=52721
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hi all have tried several times to adjust valves per your instructions but I must be missing something it is just as bad if not louder than before . any straight forward instructions. or ideas on what I could be doing wrong thanks larry
 
Can you tell which bank is noisy or are both banks noisy? You may have an adjuster that loosens up. I found 4 out of my 16 that are loose. Napa can
special order them from Sealed Power if you need replacements. It is possible you have a broken spring or a bent pushrod. It is messy business but you can run the engine at a slow idle to figure out which ones are noisy. Use a mechanics stethoscope to narrow down the noise. You can adjust the valves tighter but by only a couple thou. It's hard to diagnose noises over the net but I can give you some suggestions that may help. toolman
 
You might not be getting the valves set on the base circle of the cam. Check out Crane Cams website for a sure-fire method of setting your valve lash.
 
toolmanmike said:
Can you tell which bank is noisy or are both banks noisy? You may have an adjuster that loosens up. I found 4 out of my 16 that are loose. Napa can
special order them from Sealed Power if you need replacements. It is possible you have a broken spring or a bent pushrod. It is messy business but you can run the engine at a slow idle to figure out which ones are noisy. Use a mechanics stethoscope to narrow down the noise. You can adjust the valves tighter but by only a couple thou. It's hard to diagnose noises over the net but I can give you some suggestions that may help. toolman
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the bank with cylinders 2-8 the nuts for adjusting them seem to be hard to turn I believe the adjustment is too loose .compression seems good starts 1st try cold just noisy. thanks for the fast reply . any help is appreciated.larry
 
Hard to turn is good. The nuts are supposed to have .001 interference fit so they etay tight. If they are easy to turn, they will loose adjustment. Try to set the noisy ones .002 tighter.
 
I might get ribbed for asking this but how does an engine get 180 degrees out of time? The reason i ask is that I am having issues with keeping my motor running and the idle smooth. A friend said that by the looks of it from the way it shakes it could be 180 out. Could that be if i never touched the distributor before all of my issues arised?
 
DixieCuda said:
I might get ribbed for asking this but how does an engine get 180 degrees out of time? The reason i ask is that I am having issues with keeping my motor running and the idle smooth. A friend said that by the looks of it from the way it shakes it could be 180 out. Could that be if i never touched the distributor before all of my issues arised?
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That`s something you shouldn`t have to consider since you didn`t remove the distributor. The distributor can go in 180* off because with Mopars the gear stays in the block and the distributor is simply slotted. It can easily go back in 180* off. To put it in correctly the engine must be brought back to #1 cylinder on the compression stroke and the rotor set to coincide with the #1 spot on the cap.
 
DixieCuda said:
I might get ribbed for asking this but how does an engine get 180 degrees out of time? The reason i ask is that I am having issues with keeping my motor running and the idle smooth. A friend said that by the looks of it from the way it shakes it could be 180 out. Could that be if i never touched the distributor before all of my issues arised?
Click to expand...

If it is running, it is not 180 out. Each piston has two upstrokes, one for compression, and one for exhausting. You want the one for compression when the exhaust valve is closed (both are closed, actually). To be sure, pull the number one plug, or if no plugs, leave it out. Stick your finger or a compression gauge in the spark plug hole and rotate the motor with a socket on the crank pully ( or for adventurous folks, pull the distributor wire completely off if it is already assembled- trust me, it will somehow draw back to it's normal position and may allow the motor to fire, not good) and when you feel/measure compression, you are on the right stroke. Then insert a screwdriver or similiar tool with a long stem and a HANDLE TOO BIG TO FALL INTO THE CYLINDER (don't ask) and rotate the crank until it stops rising. You can then check the timing mark on your balancer and it should be close to zero. At zero, you are at TOP DEAD CENTER. the distributer should be pointing at the number one cylinder. If it is pointing away, it is "180* out". Occasionally in a build, the intermediate shaft that goes in to the oil pump (and the distributer is inserted into) will be off by a gear of two. When inserting this shaft, you have to rotate it backwards by two "gear teeth" before you drop it in. it will turn as it meshes with the cam gear (that drives the shaft that turns the distributor and the oil pump) to line up this shaft correctly. If it is out of line, i am told that you can rotate the distributor to compensate, although I have never tried this as my intermediate shaft has always been in line.

Hope this helps.
 
DixieCuda said:
I might get ribbed for asking this but how does an engine get 180 degrees out of time? The reason i ask is that I am having issues with keeping my motor running and the idle smooth. A friend said that by the looks of it from the way it shakes it could be 180 out. Could that be if i never touched the distributor before all of my issues arised?
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Dixie, a good tune-up will probably help a lot as far as getting things smoothed out. Check your timing and check and/or replace your plugs, wires, rotor, points/stator gap and dist. cap. Set your valve lash if you have a solid cam. If you`re still running rough then have someone familiar with fuel delivery check your carburetor for the proper settings.
 
Thanks guys for not ribbing me. I actually used a magnetic parts grabber that extends like an antenna as a guide to help with TDC. Worked alright. I was curious about the timing because of what my friend had said. and after the fact that my adventure started when my car had a dead battery. me being me though instead of just buying a battery,I decided to change the battery,plug wires,plugs,rotor,cap,points,condensor,coil,voltage regulator,starter relay,starter,plus thermostat,temp sender,oil pressure switch. Started but had a rough idle and wouldn't stay running. So I just rebuilt the carburetor and added new fuel filter. I have a new fuel pump to install but am wondering if I have just opened a can of worms instead of updating 45yr old parts. After all the parts I have changed you would think it would run like a top. What should be next on my list to change after you have read this and read my issues? The kicker to this whole adventure is that 2 days before the dead battery it was running great. I am at a loss. Any info and pointers are very much appreciated.
 
My 273 has a lttle lifter noise for the first 15 minutes or so. Once it gets hot it quites right down. Solid lifters have always been a little noisey. Hydrolic lifters run quieter and even if 1 or 2 leak down, their noise goes away much faster. My next cam and lifters will be hydrolic.
 
DixieCuda said:
Thanks guys for not ribbing me. I actually used a magnetic parts grabber that extends like an antenna as a guide to help with TDC. Worked alright. I was curious about the timing because of what my friend had said. and after the fact that my adventure started when my car had a dead battery. me being me though instead of just buying a battery,I decided to change the battery,plug wires,plugs,rotor,cap,points,condensor,coil,voltage regulator,starter relay,starter,plus thermostat,temp sender,oil pressure switch. Started but had a rough idle and wouldn't stay running. So I just rebuilt the carburetor and added new fuel filter. I have a new fuel pump to install but am wondering if I have just opened a can of worms instead of updating 45yr old parts. After all the parts I have changed you would think it would run like a top. What should be next on my list to change after you have read this and read my issues? The kicker to this whole adventure is that 2 days before the dead battery it was running great. I am at a loss. Any info and pointers are very much appreciated.
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I know it`s too late for this but you would have been better off simply replacing your battery and then doing your tune up (one step at a time) so if something was to go wrong you would know what to look for. Of all of the things you`ve changed out, that may be causing a problem I would check your points for the proper gap/dwell and make sure all of the plug wires are fully inserted. I`ve also known of brand new condensors being bad so you may want to check that too.
 
Had the gap/dwell checked and it was ok. I should have listened to the boss(wife) and do just the battery also,but being hard headed as most of us are I thought 'why not do it while i am there so i can save me numerious trips to the parts store'. Now of course after my trips to the store since they know me and have my info pulled up when I walk in the door. If I didnt know better I would think she phones ahead when I leave the house. Thanks guys for putting a feather in her cap. Now its going to be hard to live this one down. She has a great story to tell next time we are out with friends about how even the guys on the forum think I should have just done the battery also. well wish me luck today when I try it again.
 
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