HELP!! Wont start fo break-in!

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64physhy

64physhy

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I just got my stroker dropped in my duster, and I'm trying to start it to break it in. It cranks slow (sounds like dead battery). The battery is reading 12.6 volts, and as an added measure when I went to crank, I hooked up my charger in the "start" mode. I only tried a couple times so I don't wipe all the assembly lube off everything, so I really don't know if I'm getting spark, etc. I should be because I just took the other engine out, and everything worked then.
 
Don't get in a hurry. 12 volts out of the battery is not enough especially with a new motor which is tight. Charge the battery for at least a few hours. The voltage should be 13.5-14 when the battery is fully charged. Unless your charger is a big professional model, the boost setting is only around 50 amps. Not enough to do much good. Your assembly lube should be good for a few spins. Did you pre-lube it before starting?
 
Ok. I have the battery hooked to the charger now. I swapped in the battery out of my Barracuda, which has more cranking amps, but I'm still going to keep it on the charger for a couple hours. I did pre-lube before trying to start.
 
do you have an electric fuel pump? Once i looded a motor and it made it hard to turn over. If the distributor is too far advanced it can be hard to turn over also. try retarding it a bit.
 
It needs fuel also. I use a tiny funnel to fill up the carb fuel bowls, if its a Holley just remove the sight plugs until fuel runs out and replace the plugs. On Carters / Edelbrocks I just guess the amount for each side.

Be sure to pour a little gas down the carb and go fire the motor up..so long as the timing is set close to right. I like having a timing light ready to check the total timing once the motor starts. Once it fires up keep the rpms between 2,000 to 3,000. I keep the garden hose ready to hose down the rad after 10 mins to keep it cool.
 
To fill the carb, go to the pharmacy and have them give you a syringe for giving kids liquified medicine. Works great.

You may have to give it a bunch more advance than you think to initially fire it. Once you get it started, bring up the rpm to break in the cam immediately then get the timing set at 32-36 and let it run. Not enough timing will get the exhaust temps way up.

I put 2 box fans in front of the car if breaking it in. Keeps the air moving.
 
crackedback said:
To fill the carb, go to the pharmacy and have them give you a syringe for giving kids liquified medicine. Works great.

You may have to give it a bunch more advance than you think to initially fire it. Once you get it started, bring up the rpm to break in the cam immediately then get the timing set at 32-36 and let it run. Not enough timing will get the exhaust temps way up.

I put 2 box fans in front of the car if breaking it in. Keeps the air moving.
Click to expand...

The carb it squirting, and I poured some in before I tried firing it up. I have it set with only 5 degrees initial advance right now, with another 26 degrees at 2600 RPM. So I guess I'll try a little more advance tomorrow.

I don't think I'm getting any spark. I hooked a timing light up when I was cranking it, and nothing. So I've gone back and double checked everything, and still can't figure out why.
 
Try cranking it without spark plugs and measure your compression.
If the compression is too low squirt some oil in each cylinder and measure again.
If it is still low then you may have a valve or valve timing problem.
if it the compression improves, then you have just sealed your rings temporarily, and you should have better luck starting now.
 
Starter could be old. Got a newer started laying around? (Non reduction type?)


I totally disagree on the "tight motor" theory, never put one of those together before, they all were easily turned with a short 1/2" ratchet. The rope seal motors are a tad stiffer, ,but still, the stater shouldn't be affected much.
 
dodgetkboy78 said:
Starter could be old. Got a newer started laying around? (Non reduction type?)


I totally disagree on the "tight motor" theory, never put one of those together before, they all were easily turned with a short 1/2" ratchet. The rope seal motors are a tad stiffer, ,but still, the stater shouldn't be affected much.
Click to expand...

An old starter could create a slow crank problem. Even the new style Mopar starters are gear reduction. They are permanent magnet motors. That's why they are so small, no field coils. A freshly rebuilt engine will be tighter when new than it will ever be. (unless you are building a race engine with loose bearing clearance, loose pistons and low tension rings.) Once the break in moly grease gets replaced with engine oil in the bearings and the rings get seated and everything wears into each other the engine loosens up.
 
Make sure your distributor is set as shown here...I have used this before and they are right.

http://www.hughesengines.com/Upload/productInstructions/Enginestarting.pdf

As for your not having spark...I dunno.
If the carb squirts you're good there, but don't get any excessive fuel into the engine.
I wouldnt pour any into the engine either.

With spark, fuel and the rotor positioned as shown in that PDF, it should start.
 
I have the hughes directions for easy starting, and did that.

The starter is a brand new starter from Mancini.

I ran most of the grounds yesterday, and sanded paint to bare metal on all of them.

I don't want to turn the engine any more than absolutely necessary until it's broke in.
 
you don't have to crank the engine over to check for spark,simply loosen the distributor,pull the cap and line up the pickup then replace cap and move the distributor back and forth wile checkin with an old spark plug touched to a ground,once you have the spark issues repaired then reset timing and fire that puppie up.doing it this way will keep from wiping all of the lube off the cam before it fires up
 
I think it's no spark. I have power to the coil, but I hooked up a timing light while I cranked it, and it didn't flash. So I'm missing something between the coil and plugs.
 
waggin said:
you don't have to crank the engine over to check for spark,simply loosen the distributor,pull the cap and line up the pickup then replace cap and move the distributor back and forth wile checkin with an old spark plug touched to a ground,once you have the spark issues repaired then reset timing and fire that puppie up.doing it this way will keep from wiping all of the lube off the cam before it fires up
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll have to give that a try. I didn't know it would work like that.
 
Re-did the timing the way Hughes recommends, and verified that I have power to the coil with the key on, to include with the key turned all the way forward in the crank position. So with power to the coil, why would I have no spark?

I tried what you said, Waggin, and I got nothing.
 
if you have power to your coil you might have your distribuitor turned backwards where it is firing on the exhaust stroke instead of the compression stroke.
 
I'm positive that the distributor is in the right way. When I had the timing cover off, I put it at TDC (cam and crank timing marks both at 12 O'clock) and lined up and marked the distributor then.

I tried Waggin's advice, and when the rotor is lined up with the plug terminal, I get nothing at the plug end, but if I run a jumper from the coil terminal inside the cap to the plug terminal inside the gap, I'm getting voltage at the plug end of the wire.

Could it be that I need to adjust the rotor terminal so it's closer to the cap terminals? I really suck at troubleshooting anything with the ignition system.


Edit:
Not so positive anymore. I've started second guessing everything.
 
Ok. I'm going to verify that the distributor is in right. I have a dumb question due to a massive brain fart. When the #1 cylinder is at TDC, are both valves supposed to be closed, or is that when it's 180 out from TDC? Right now, with the rotor pointing to #6, both valves on #1 are closed.
 
Did you say the timing marks on the cam and crank are both at 12:00?
The cam mark should be at 6:00 and the crank gear mark at 12:00. they should be pointing at each other.
 
both at 12 is #1 firing.

If you put it at crank 12, cam 6 it's #6 firing.

Guess where the cam timing dot is when you rotate the crank 1 revolution?

Watch the #1 intake valve when you roll over the engine, when it starts to close, look for the timing mark/cover, it's on compression that time by.
 
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