Help Needed - 1F Won't Start.

[oldfj40]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

I went out today and got a new coil to try.Maybe not a proper coil? Anyway it made no difference.
I rechecked all gaps and timing - good.

Solution for me was a carb clean/rebuild.

If all else fails I'm going to take the carb off one of my running 2F's and see if that does the trick.If so I can then tackle the carb.

How about the idle solenoid? Does it click when you turn it on?

Still sounds electrical to me.

I have never seen a plug that would arc to air. The plug MUST be grounded in order to make a spark.

Showing my ignorance - idle solenoid? I hear no clicking,just a motor on the verge of starting.

The plug thing is nagging me.It should be grounded to get a spark.I hold the end of the plug about 1/8" from the block/valve cover and it sparks and arcs to the engine.If I ground the threads of the plug to the block/valve cover I get nothing.

Something wrong with this picture?

I'll try a dizzy ground wire.

 

[e rock]

The plug thing is nagging me.It should be grounded to get a spark.I hold the end of the plug about 1/8" from the block/valve cover and it sparks and arcs to the engine.If I ground the threads of the plug to the block/valve cover I get nothing.

Something wrong with this picture?

You're right - this is weird. There are only two reasonable explanations that I can conceive of.

1) The arc from electrode to ground on the plug itself is so much smaller than when it's separated from the block that you are not noticing it.

2) All of your spark plugs are bad.


Get an old spark plug (just in case you break it) and open up the gap to 1/4" or so and see if that makes a difference in being able to see/hear the arc.

 

[oldfj40]

One of these can be had for less than 10 bucks and it's pretty handy for checking spark. Sounds like you have not verified good spark just yet ---plug should be grounded to block and have a nice blue/yellow cracking spark.

Check the gap on your new points

Check the wires are in the correct firing order

If in fact you have a good spark and fuel and igntition and valvetrain timing is right and not 180 out on the dizzy and nothing else is obvious wrong it's time to look for compression problems----oops I see you have done compression and it looks okay

I would still look at the possibility of antifreeze leaking into the cylinders from the head gasket

seems more likely you have an electrical prob though---even with no fuel it should fire when you pour gas in the carb or use ether so sounds like fuel is not the prob

A buddy at work was intrigued by my problems and came over tonight.We double checked everything and tried all the regular trouble start routines;turn dizzy during turnover,restrict airflow to carb in case of flooding,turned #1 to top dead center and the rotor was pointing right at it,virtually what everyone has suggested here.Wires are 1,5,3,6,2,4 in the proper rotation.

He also said I should get a spark tester just to be sure so that is on tomorrows shopping list.

More and more I'm convinced it's electrical and the plugs aren't sparking properly.You'd think there would be change when I use the ether or pour the gas in the carb.

 

[oldfj40]

You're right - this is weird. There are only two reasonable explanations that I can conceive of.

1) The arc from electrode to ground on the plug itself is so much smaller than when it's separated from the block that you are not noticing it.

2) All of your spark plugs are bad.


Get an old spark plug (just in case you break it) and open up the gap to 1/4" or so and see if that makes a difference in being able to see/hear the arc.

I've got some good spare plugs around.I'll try that now.

Thanks,

 

[oldfj40]

It's alive!!

The beast is breathing again.

Thanks for the tip to try an old plug e rock.Here I've got two engines sitting in vehicles less than 10 feet away and it never occurred to me to pull a plug when I first saw the weird sparking.

I took a pic of a plug from each set.The clean new looking plug is what was in the motor.I didn't change them out originally cuz they're good right? Nope - lesson learned.

Still some work to do to get it running smooth and that may or may not include a carb rebuild.The exhaust manifold needs replacing first - I can almost fit a credit card between the gasket and the manifold.Don't know how available that will be in this town.

Thanks to all who threw in their two cents here - you all helped get this thing going.

 

[Coolerman]

Glad you got her going!

The idle solenoid is attached to the firewall side of the carb with a single wire. When you turn the key on the solnoid opens allowing the idle circuit to function properly. If the solenoid is not working the truck won't idle but will run at anything above idle.

 

[FJ40Jim]

There is not an idle solenoid on that Rochester carb.

The plugs are too cold. combined w/ a flooding rich carb and that's a recipe for plug glazing.

Rebuild the carb and jet correctly. Install new W14EXR-U or BPR4EY plugs. Be happy.

 

[Coolerman]

Ooops... Totally forgot the rochester part...

 

[n2666s]

Steve, that is a nice looking pig; congrats on rescuing her and getting her running;

Lou

 

[oldfj40]

Rebuild the carb and jet correctly. Install new W14EXR-U or BPR4EY plugs. Be happy.

I'll have it out of the truck so I'll rebuild it and get it working right.Thanks for the plug #'s.

Steve, that is a nice looking pig; congrats on rescuing her and getting her running;

Lou

Thanks Lou.It was pretty well taken care of and,with a little work,it'll be a good regular driver while I build up one of the others.Lots of fun driving one of these things around with all the reactions you get.

 

[cardinal fang]

It has to be either fuel or spark. Your are getting fuel and you tried starter fluid. You replaced the coil, so I would check the dizzy to be sure it is not 180* off.