Slant six not starting.

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You may have gas soaked the spark plugs. This can keep it from starting. Also were you on the compression stroke? You could be 180^ out on the dizzy.
Frank
 
Kevin, ill look into a leakdown kit. And Frank My plugs are dry as a bone and im pretty sure that the dizzy is dead on but not for positive. Im takin the car to our clubs clubhouse this weekend and see if any of the guys have any ideas and hopefully we can figure somethin out.
 
Ain't but three things to check when one won't run. Is it gettin gas? Is it gettin spark? Are the two happenin at the right time? It's as simple as that.
 
One thing I ran into after an engine being treated to starting fluid (no I didn't do it)was that every compression ring had basically disintigrated !!Compression and leakdown check should let you know for sure !
 
OK, BASICS---you need three things to run an engine:

Compression, (enough)

Ignition (good hot spark and at the right time)

Fuel---at the least, starting fluid.

Compression---Did you say ?? 50 ??

First, if you have not, check the valve lash, make sure you have some. For a "rough idea" you can actually adjust valves "by eye" and "by feel" That is, make sure the cam lobe is rotated to the rear side, and that the valve lash is "too loose" as opposed to "too tight."

If you think the head gasket is not leaking, low compression can be caused by excessive engine wear, bad rings or sitting "dried out" for long time.

Even if the engine is worn, squirting some heavy--40-50wt --oil into the cylinders can help

IGNITION:

DO NOT trust your timing marks. Dampers can slip, so do this: Make yourself or buy a piston "positive stop"

poslockstop.jpg


You can hacksaw the crimp off an old plug, drive out the ceramic, tap the nose for a bolt, and rig it with a lock nut to adjust. Length is not critical, but it must hit the piston "at some point."

With the stop in no1, gently rotate the engine until it stops. Make a temporary mark on the balancer under TDC on the timing tab. Do the same thing opposite rotation. Now you will have two marks some distance apart. True TDC will be halfway between, and that's where the original mark on the wheel should be.

Now "put your finger in" no1, bump until you feel a "blow out" while watching the marks. You should see the marks "coming up" and rotate the engine until, say, 10BTC or so.

Now look at what tower the rotor is pointing, and that should be no1. Move plug wires as needed, and check for proper points opening/ closing, and that you have a good condenser. Spark "won't happen" without a good condenser.

If you really want to get "tricky" you can time the engine "static" AKA VW beetle. What you do is, with the engine at the firing point, loosen the dist with a 12V test lamp from the neg. dist. terminal to ground. Rotate the dist. against shaft rotation, until the points just open, indicated by the light. Once you learn this, you can do so while just watching the points for a spark, or holding the coil wire to the block while slowly moving the dist. housing.. Key must be in "run" of course.


You should be able to crank the engine and check for a good hot spark.

FUEL

Make sure the plugs are in good shape and dry. Any question, test them as above while cranking. Button everything up and if nothing else, use starting fluid.
 
UPDATE ON THE DART!!! We got her runnin yeasterday and she runs like a top. Now just some fine tunig and we will be ready for a nice little trip.
 
GREAT HEARING THIS. Glad you brought her back to life. I love the idea of another /6 on the road.
 
Me too Hemipar. In my opinion its one of the best engines built. And lowbudget, we had to adjust the valves slightly and the timing was dead on. One of the old guys in the club that is a retired mechanic remembered on the old push buttons you could pull start them in low at about thirty mph and get them to fire. So we pulled it and the first time I put it into low it fired right up. It was runnin a little rough and found out a couple of plug wires got switched. The starter was also so wore out that it was cranking slow enough that it wouldnt start itself. But now she is runnin like new.
 
Very much so!! I have put quite a few miles on it within the past few weeks and now im in search for the fill tube to tank seal. I have read on here dodge dealers should be able to get it. once that is fixed i will be good to go.
 
Sad day for the slant six. I was driving to class yesterday and lost the crank shaft bearings in it. now im thinking about possibly putting a 318 in the dart or buying a used slant six. any ideas?
 
How dat happen? I for one say stick with the /. but I don't know what your plans are for the car. Mine is just a nice little driver, no track time. So no bigger motor needed\wanted. You should be able to find a good / out there for around $200 with a tranny. Mine was$200 with tranny, header and 4bbl Offy intake with a Holley carb. all for 2 bills.
 
Hemipar, Im not sure how it happened. i have been treatin her real good takin it easy but it could be from sittn for six or seven years. Im on the looks for another / to put in it. I really like the 318's but am a huge fan of the /. i would really like to find a / with a four barrel on it, but if i dont find a four barrel and intake i have a stock intake carb and exhaust that was just given to me.
 
When my last / gave out, I found one in OH that came with a 4bbl Offy intake with Holley carb and unknown header. I paid $200 for all and the tranny. Good luck on your search.
 
I fought mine for ages, checking everything and what it has come down to is a bad match between the cap and rotor. I bend the rotor up a bit and "bam" it fires like new, irritating to the max, but something so simple had me pulling the thing half apart for about a month.
 
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