Ignition?

[pb4ugo]

Fortunately, it still takes a little while till the overflow, so i can put that on the top of the list after I get to drive it again.

This is crazy and extremely dangerous. You're risking your life along with the others around you. It's probably best to buy a new master. I've had minimal success rebuilding them. The cylinder walls usually will have deep low spots that can be seen after honing and the new parts won't seal properly in the cylinder.

 

[Pighead]

Haha. Completely agreed, but it stops great and it takes a little while for the fluid to push forward. Its an issue, but not a problem at this point.

Famous last words. I've worked hard on my brakes and I take more pride in how well I stop than how well I accelerate. Your rig, do as you please. I've done my duty

 

[sggoat]

Sorry for my lengthly post. Earlier on in this adventure, right after the carb cleaning (for my first large carb rebuild, I always have questioned myself about my work there) I did work hard on the idel mixture screw setting but it was still running rough enough it was hard to create change. BUT I did purchase an advanced timing light because besides the BB, I can't find any other markings so other than running smoother, I had no idea where it lived. Now i can set it to tell me whats up. I set it to 11deg BTDC. I think i Need to restart here in a mechanical way to eliminate questions of history. I tried a static setting process I found on the webs, but dont know if its the best process for this rig. Anyone have a process for that? What i did was:

Found BB (which should be 7 deg BTDC, close enough to start and run at 5,500 ft?)

Made sure it was on the correct turn of the flywheel because the rotor was pointing at the #1 post on the cap. (Is that the compression stroke?)

Adjusted the dizzy in the retard direction to right before the points opened. (Left side of the nearest flat face on the armature.)

Is that correct? Maybe the dizzy was removed at some point and it's a tooth off and I need to put something in #1 and find it's highest point?

Thanks for the help.

The first thing that happened was you were out on a 'washboardy" road when the issue started--is the dizzy tight?--almost like it's moving around

 

[Tigger72]

The first thing that happened was you were out on a 'washboardy" road when the issue started--is the dizzy tight?--almost like it's moving around

Yes, it was... i had the same thought, but the timing never changed from where I set it. I check it constantly. It would move when the clamp was loose and id pressure the dizzy in one direction or another, but once clamped down it was there.

 

[charliemeyer007]

Just use new brake fluid as your honing oil. I'd wash it out with denatured ethanol first, hone/inspect/rinse - repeat until smooth. You can only do this so many times until its worn out, there are no oversize kits. Wet new guts with new brake fluid into a wetted with new brake fluid bore.

 

[Tigger72]

Famous last words. I've worked hard on my brakes and I take more pride in how well I stop than how well I accelerate. Your rig, do as you please. I've done my duty

Thank you and I appreciate your words and input and safety is very important to me, I really do believe that. But right now the heart of the machine, starting and running, is at the top of my list. Before I pull it out from under the shade tree, it will continue to stop well. I learned to drive in this rig at 13, my son is learning to drive it, starting at 13. Safety is king. But I cant be worried about stopping until it moves forward. Once it does, brakes next!

 

[DeskJock]

Tried to test clamping off the vacuum at the booster. But couldn't even get her going today. Popped and tried, but wouldn't run. Hadn't tried to start it since I needed to turn it off after the last adjustment attempt. I did clamp off the hose though, and tried to start it, but no change. Thought again about fuel, but when before i tried to start it, window was empty as usual, but after a couple cycles when first turning over, the fuel in the float widow is in the propper place without me pumping the pedal.

Tried to test clamping off the vacuum at the booster. But couldn't even get her going today. Popped and tried, but wouldn't run. Hadn't tried to start it since I needed to turn it off after the last adjustment attempt. I did clamp off the hose though, and tried to start it, but no change. Thought again about fuel, but when before i tried to start it, window was empty as usual, but after a couple cycles when first turning over, the fuel in the float widow is in the propper place without me pumping the pedal.

When trying to start can you smell gas at the exhaust tip?

 

[Tigger72]

When trying to start can you smell gas at the exhaust tip?

Not sure... what is the exaust tip? Exaust Pipe? I'd say if anything, there is more of a gas smell in the exaust when running.

 

[sggoat]

Sounds like the timing has been rendered moot at this point, correct?, and the consensus has moved to a fuel/vac issue? here's a one page guide for vac issues-mostly for running -

 

[jembourbe]

Not sure... what is the exaust tip? Exaust Pipe? I'd say if anything, there is more of a gas smell in the exaust when running.

Next time you get it running, take the brake booster vacuum hose off the intake manifold, and tightly cap off the port on the intake manifold. See how it runs. It's easy and just takes a second. Your symptoms of rough/wandering idle, rich stinky exhaust (esp at idle), and popping/pulsing at idle in combination suggest exhaust leak causing incomplete combustion in at least one cylinder. As others have said, a brake booster failure can cause a massive exhaust leak that basically turns off cylinders 5 & 6 from consistent firing due to excessive lean condition. (Although not likely to be caused by hitting bumps in the road, also make sure that your PCV valve isn't plumbed to the port that is supposed to provide vacuum for the brake booster. I've seen that.)

Bucking on acceleration suggests carb acceleration pump not working so good or timing issue. But rough driving over washboard shouldn't bother the acceleration pump or engine timing. And what's with the carb fuel bowl draining overnight? Where all that gas going? (A: straight to your crankcase where it's diluting the motor oil)

 

[diesellibrarian]

I just posted this in another thread. I don't think it's come up in this one, but since it's a cheap/free potential fix, it might be worth checking.

"I've had it happen where I've forgotten to reattach the engine ground after working on the engine and it ran like garbage until I realized my mistake. Cleaned the contacts and reconnected the ground wire and it went back to normal. Your ignition grounds through the distributor and engine, so a bad ground can definitely cause rough running, misfires, etc."

Remove and clean all of your main grounds: battery to frame, engine to frame, engine to firewall, transmission to frame....any that you can see. Get both the connector and the mounting surface down to shiny, bare metal for the least possible resistance.

 

[Tigger72]

Ok, checked the threads and found conflicting info so I want to toss it out directly related to this thread as the saga continues.

Without to many any added words, I followed through on above suggestions, no new find, but thank you. I maticulasly rebuilt the carb again and I did miss the power pump, its now clean. But won't start and back to ignition because of process, spark is scarce. Question is, is my new dizzy with the electronic points compatable with the basic coil for the original mechanical points replacement? Did I fry the coil? Ive read, it should work and I've also read it won't. Its the pertronix set up in an OEM vacuum advance dizzy from cruiser outfitters.

Im going back through the previous suggestions but wanted to toss out that directly. I was not instructed to replace the coil and didnt think about that, but have a feeling.

Thanks

 

[charliemeyer007]

You can check a coil easy enough. No clue what a electronic points needs. Not a fan of black box ignition, real points aren't too hard to deal with IMHO. I only had one points fail completely; the arm broke off, and it was a highway dept dump truck. All the other times I could file and reset them enough to get to the store. I keep an extra set in glove box along with a points file plus fuses.

 

[Tigger72]

As I run back through some things, I've developed a question. I am at TDC as seen in one of the photos.

Another thread says, when reinstalling the dizzy from scratch, align the rotor to the #1 wire on the cap. That is the blue mark on the dizzy in the photo. And also align the mark and the rotor the #4 plug. If I do that the clamp won't allow me to advance. Cant I keep the rotor pointed to the #1 wire and put the dizzy in how ever I want so i have clearance to adjust? I cant think of or see a reason why not. Am I wrong?

Timing is in question which is why I came back here.

Thanks!

 

[Tigger72]

Who has experience with a pertronix conversion? Still not running past idol. Called pertronix customer support and they sent me a test list. Such good customer service!

Load tested and it appears there is a hidden resistor. My load test shows under voltage at crank and balast is removed and no other resistor seen. When multi meter is set up per their guidlines, I got a touch over 7v. When I jumped the battery to the positive terminal on the coil, in range. Anyone experienced this? Know where the hidden resistor is?

Thank you!

 

[Pighead]

Cant I keep the rotor pointed to the #1 wire and put the dizzy in how ever I want so i have clearance to adjust?

Yes.

 

[Tigger72]

Ok, anyone still watching this thread... we are back on the road! For education of myself and maybe future lookers, here is the short version of what I believe to be the resolve.

Initial problem: washboard road drive, ran well, stopped wanting to idle, got home, parked, cooled, points adjusted from past experienced, idled, but ran bad!

Points were the idling issue, but poor running was a clogged carb and fouled plugs.

I believe it was a 2 part problem as we passed through on this thread. Points definitely closed, but also, dust and crap in the tank clogged the carb, and all the testing killed the plugs.

Said and done. Solved the ignition issue and upgraded with pertronixs. Cleaned the carb really well and readjusted the float. What hung me up at the end was fuel fouled plugs. Newish plugs, looked good, but internaly fouled from all the rough running and idling trying figure it out i guess. Put a set of the cheapest copper plugs in that I could buy to test this, and bang, after some adjustment, took the fam for its first drive in the dirt since may! More adjustment to do, and another set of better quality plugs needed, but THANK YOU for all your words of experience and advice. I have learned alot. On the road again!