Still won't start

[cwb]

I've posted about this before but still haven't had success...

Overheated and blew head gasket on my '87 60 which has fresh head and carb rebuild, and desmogged. Pulled it all apart, replaced the gasket, put it back together, and now it won't start. Turns over smoothly but won't fire. I pulled the plugs, then reconnected them to the plug wires, and they seem to all be firing. I carefully readjusted the valves. Carb is getting gas (I tried ether, too). What could be wrong?

HELP!!!

 

[Doc]

If you're getting spark, and gas, you should be at least sputtering. Even with the plug wires in the wrong plugs you'd sputter and die, but it'd turn over anyway...

You've got me stumped!

When you try to start it can you smell gas afterwards, like it's flooded? Maybe the gas isn't leaving the carb? But with a rebuild it should be working perfectly.....

Hmmmmm.... I'll have to mull this one over a bit.

 

[cwb]

Haven't noticed any major gas smells. Besides, I've tried letting it sit before starting it again, and I've tried just spraying ether without giving it gas. When I blew the head gasket, could I have damaged other things?

 

[VTCruiser]

hmm....did you try priming the carb with gas? but ether should have worked....otherwise i can only guess that there is still something wrong with the carb (?)...wierd

 

[photogod]

Can't remember if this was asked before but how's your compression? Is your cam turning when you crank the engine? I stuck a couple of valves open an an overheated Modle A once and it would not sputter, turned aver nice but nothing else. Timeing chain or belt o.k.? Distributer shaft intact? You said the plugs "SEEM to all be firing"... have you checked that for sure? Seems like they either are or are not. Silly question but I have done it before... Doh, coil wire connected? I'll keep thinking.

 

[johnny4ever]

Do you have gas in it? Will not a bad vacum leak keep it from starting?

 

[Beanie]

Timing off? Perhaps when you got it back together it was on the exhaust stroke instead of the intake stroke (so off 360 degrees, or would it be 180)

 

[jesterb]

Timing off? Perhaps when you got it back together it was on the exhaust stroke instead of the intake stroke (so off 360 degrees, or would it be 180)

You beat me to it.

 

[cwb]

I put the rotor pointing near the #4 spark plug like the manual says, so wouldn't that put it on the compression stroke for #1? As for timing, it's unlikely it's off since I didn't touch the dist at all. And the plugs are all making a spark. I don't know about the cam--I'll have to check and see if it's turning.

Any other suggestions? I'm at a loss and getting discouraged quickly.

 

[cwb]

I have to admit...sometimes, as much as I love my truck, I'm ready to just give in and go buy something that was manufactured this decade.

 

[jesterb]

I have to admit...sometimes, as much as I love my truck, I'm ready to just give in and go buy something that was manufactured this decade.

SCREW THAT !!

 

[Deep South Cruisers]

I have to admit...sometimes, as much as I love my truck, I'm ready to just give in and go buy something that was manufactured this decade.

it becomes VERY tough to keep the faith after spending so much time and money, I feel your pain! After nearly $1000 a new exhaust and carb. mine is running like absolute s***!

I have replaced almost every component on my truck in the last 7 years and I'm still tring to stop oil leaks and exhaust leaks. After I redid the entire exhaust system I now have a MASSIVE TICKING LEAK in the EGR tube (which is probably causing my crappy low idle).

head up! never give up!

 

[VTCruiser]

Its not that our trucks give us more problems than other people's.......we're just more neurotic about them

 

[cwb]

I'm not ready to give up just yet...It's just that in my weaker moments, I look at my friends who have trucks that start up and run great every time they get in them, get 20mpg, and the paint still shines, and I wonder, what if...especially since the wife tells me weekly that I'd be a lot better off without the old beast in my life. What really gets scary is when she digs out my records file and starts adding up all the repair costs over the last two or three years.

Anyway, I'm off track. So nobody has any other suggestions as to helping me get the old 2F started again?

Would a misadjusted carb still keep it from firing if I'm using ether?

 

[VTCruiser]

so it doesn't fire no matter what? Pop the air cleaner off, and pour gas right down the butter-fly as some one cranks it. If if doesn't fire at all still i would say ignition or timing or something is still off. It is does catch but then stalls when you stop pouring, something is up with the carb and it isn;t getting fuel. If you have already tried this then i don;t know what to tell you, i guess have some one else look at it, maybe they will have some luck...

 

[jesterb]

Not to get to simple but you need three things

1. air.......Are you breathing?
2. fuel.....do you have gas(I do )? Are you getting gas through the fuel pump? Through the fuel filter? Through the carb?
3. fire.....Check it at the plugs. Then check timing.

Sorry I dont have a magic trick. Just take your time, go buy some beer, and enjoy the fact that you are buying repairs and not making payments on a $25k truck that is depreciating

 

[cwb]

It's breathing cause the breather is off. It's getting gas because I've been pouring it down the carb (but I've tried it after letting it sit, too, so it's not flooded). And it's getting spark because I've pulled all the plugs and checked them. The only thing left is timing, but I'm baffled that timing could be off since I haven't pulled the dist. The only other thing I can think of is that I cold adjusted the valves 180 degrees off. I"m going to check both this afternoon and get back with you guys.

Thanks for all your help and moral support.

 

[Deep South Cruisers]

that's the spirit, NEVER GIVE UP!

 

[jesterb]

that's the spirit, NEVER GIVE UP!

But if you do decide to give up I'll give you $500 for the 60 as is . You can use it for a down payment on a truck that gets 20mpgs

 

[jhstatts]

Good luck!