no spark...I think? ...Anyone live in Frederick? (1 Viewer)

[DustyFJ]

I had a friend help me adjust the valves on the refurbished head on the 2f in my 40.

The tuck started backfiring when I would let off the gas, he said maybe the valves needed adjusting. Now I can't seem to get it to start.

The over rev piece inside the rotor was broken, so Trollhole sent me a new one. I popped that in and it still wont run.

Not sure what else could have changed....

 

[Stumpalama]

Did you pull the dizzy at all?

 

[DustyFJ]

Did you pull the dizzy at all?

Nope. No idea what changed.

 

[DustyFJ]

All the connections seem good.

The wire for fuel cut off solenoid is kind of draped across the valve cover. I have it hooked back up like it was. It should have 12v from the coil right?? I can hear it activate when I hook it up, thinking that's not the problem.

 

[Jakes40]

Go throw the basics. Fuel, spark,and timing!
Don't take some thing for granted. Recheck it.
Pull a plug set it on the head have someone turn it over.
Check your timing.
Good luck!

 

[OTRAMM]

Check for a vacuum hose that's unplugged. Will it run with the choke all the way on?

 

[Stumpalama]

So, to recap for my clarification: The truck was "backfiring" (popping from the tail pipe) when letting off the gas and as a result, your buddy told you you needed to adjust the valves. Is this correct?
2nd, you had a broken piece in your dizzy. Which you replaced. What is an "over rev" piece? Can you take a picture of this piece and post it?
Did you put the dizzy piece in at the same time you adjusted the valves?
Are you 100% that you followed the proper valve adjusting procedure? I.E. TDC compression, adjust; rotate 360* and adjust?We're they close or did they need significant adjustment?

 

[Devilmans Hand]

The dizzy is the most suspicious part in all this. Verify proper function first.

Even with the valves out of adjustment after being "fixed" I'd think that you could get the engine to fire and run like crap if all other things were unchanged.

I'd think spark or fuel is the issue.
What kind of ignition are you running?
Fuel in bowl? Tried starting with foot on pedal? When was the last time you played with the carb?
bust out the multimeter and check power to the coil. I had a slightly loose connection on my '78 on the 12v supply to the coil and ignitor that gave me trouble once upon a time. If that is good double check spark on the plugs. I found a fancy spark gap tester at sears.

 

[DustyFJ]

"Stumpalama, post: 9842987, member: 4704"]So, to recap for my clarification: The truck was "backfiring" (popping from the tail pipe) when letting off the gas and as a result, your buddy told you you needed to adjust the valves. Is this correct?

Yes, he said probably the valves were causing the problem.

2nd, you had a broken piece in your dizzy. Which you replaced. What is an "over rev" piece? Can you take a picture of this piece and post it?

posted below. I got the dizzy from troll hole and thats what he called it. If it spins too fast it opens and wont pass spark he said. If this was broken or came apart the would explain the backfiring I think??

Did you put the dizzy piece in at the same time you adjusted the valves?

yes, the guy that helped me adjust the valves(did it for me) said they looked good, I'm not sure he actually adjusted them at all.

Are you 100% that you followed the proper valve adjusting procedure? I.E. TDC compression, adjust; rotate 360* and adjust?We're they close or did they need significant adjustment?

no, not sure. I pretty much don't know what I'm doing. I need to learn how to do it. But he had it running so well, it normally starts right up first crank and runs smooth.

 

[DustyFJ]

The dizzy is the most suspicious part in all this. Verify proper function first.

Even with the valves out of adjustment after being "fixed" I'd think that you could get the engine to fire and run like crap if all other things were unchanged.

I'd think spark or fuel is the issue.
What kind of ignition are you running?

Electronic from trollhole


Fuel in bowl? Tried starting with foot on pedal? When was the last time you played with the carb?

Yes fuel in bowl, but my friend was backing the mix screw in and out, not sure where it sits now.

bust out the multimeter and check power to the coil. I had a slightly loose connection on my '78 on the 12v supply to the coil and ignitor that gave me trouble once upon a time.

I have 12v on both sides of the coil

If that is good double check spark on the plugs. I found a fancy spark gap tester at sears.

probably yes there is no spark didn't even have time to work on it today, I'll have to get on it right after work tomorrow.

 

[DustyFJ]

Check for a vacuum hose that's unplugged. Will it run with the choke all the way on?

vacuum lines look good.

In the past pulled the choke and truck starts right up on the first crank. Now nothing choke, no choke, gas, no gas.

 

[DustyFJ]

Go throw the basics. Fuel, spark,and timing!
Don't take some thing for granted. Recheck it.
Pull a plug set it on the head have someone turn it over.
Check your timing.
Good luck!

I'm sure you are right, I need to get out there and work on it tomorrow, hard to see for sure if I got spark working on it alone. I'll check tomorrow.

 

[DustyFJ]

If I get it fixed by this weekend think I can late register for cmcc? and wheel saturday???

 

[Stumpalama]

It concerns me that the rotor actually broke. It had to hit something to do that and it looks almost brand new. Pull your distributor cap and check for damage to it. Also, make sure your wires are all in the correct locations.
Check for spark from the #1 plug wire. You can either buy a spark tester thing from you local auto parts store or Sears, or you can pull the wire off the #1 plug, hold the wire near the block or a bolt on the block and have someone crank the engine and look for an arc. You might need a screwdriver or an extension wire from the plug wire to get close enough to the block to get a spark.
If you don't get a spark from that test, you will need to check the coil power to the dizzy.
To check the coil to distributor wire, pull the wire from coil off the distributor cap, hold it near the block or a bolt to the block and have someone crank the engine; check for an arc from the plug wire.

 

[Stumpalama]

You could just go up to Rausch and pay and wheel. You could also use my registration... I want my shirt though.

 

[DustyFJ]

You could just go up to Rausch and pay and wheel. You could also use my registration... I want my shirt though.

Very tempting, truck still really needs a bit of work to pass any kind of safety inspection.



Got it running! there was a bad crimp connector between the electronic ignition and the coil. I was only getting 12v to one side of the electronic ignition. The bad connector was causing 8k ohms of resistance instead of a dead short. Maybe that caused the coil to go bad??? because it was. I had the original coil I replaced when I was initially trying to make it run, I put the old coil in and it ran.

 

[DustyFJ]

so, truck doesn't run again, sound as if spark is gone. I did a bit of reading and texted trollhole, anyone know if his electronic ignitions require a resistor between them and the coil?? Apparently the factory coil with run without one but not for very long? is that true? what I've gathered from scanning in the 40 section.

I need a guru to help me, is it possible the electronic ignition could be burring up coils? this would be number 2.

 

[Stumpalama]

Sounds like something is incorrectly wired.

 

[DustyFJ]

Sounds like something is incorrectly wired.

guess? Maybe like, coil backwards? I don't have a guess.

 

[Stumpalama]

I wish I could get there to help you out. I recommend pulling the FSM and tracing each ignition related wire to confirm they are connected correctly and maybe oming out the questionable ones.