Won't Start Woes (1 Viewer)

[Elk Hunter]

Alright. Drove the 40 nearly 1800 miles in three days last week, she ran pretty well during the entire trip. Drove it about an hour yesterday morning and I had a hard time getting it to start after it had sat 15 minutes. It finally started and I was able to get it to the house without incident. Now it will not start at all!

Here's what I've done, replaced the wires and tested the coil because after looking at the carb, it appears there is no fuel delivery prob. Checked to see if I have spark at the end of a plug and I do. Checked the dipstick, and it was obvious that I had fuel in the oil, apparently she was flooded badly.

Removed the plugs which were replaced just before the recent 1800 mile trip. They smelled of gasoline, so I let the plugs and "open cylinders" air-out for about an hour and then re-instlled plugs and re-tried. NOTHING.

Bought a new set of plugs and installed them and still NOTHING. What gives?

 

[Jukelemon]

Elk:

Dipstick and indication of flooding?

What do you mean you looked at the carb? What did you look at? Did you look at your fuel filiter?

 

[Elk Hunter]

Fuel filter appears to be fine, I replaced it with one that I can see through and it looks normal. The carb is getting fuel when the throttle is activated.

 

[CruisinTiger]

Don't know where you're from Elk Hunter, But a few years ago I had a similar problem with my 60. Except mine wouldn't start in the morning. The catch was it was in the winter where at night it was below freezing. I had bought the Cruiser in August and it was now winter. Come to find out the anti freeze was about 10% anti and 90% water, so the water pump was froozen in the morning when I woke up and then in the afternoon it would start up. Happened a few days in a row with me scratchin my head and doin a lot of cussin until I got, I think it's a barometer, and checked the ratio of the mixture. Flushed and filled my radiator and boom that solved the problem. Well if this isn't the cause at least ya got a good story..haha. Good luck with it.

Ok sorry to keep goin but I just remembered another time my Cruiser quit on me. We were out trail riding with a group and I got out to check the next run, and when I got back in tried to start it nothin.. I mean not even a click. We were all sittin there scratchin our heads. Then one of the guys in the club had had the same problem. One of the wires on the starter hadwiggled loose and he came up and pushed it back on and boom it fired up. Hope that helps ya good luck.

 

[Elk Hunter]

The engine will turn over but no STARTY

 

[IDave]

You see fuel in the sight glass at the front of your carb?

If you have spark and fuel delivery (gas on your plugs is a good indication that you do!), but it isn't catching, then I would wonder about timing issues.

Besides smelling of gas, how were your plugs? Carboned up?, burned? Covered with deposits?

 

[Elk Hunter]

Man, this thing was running though, why would my timing be causing this issue, considering that my Dist. hasn't budged? I'm open to ideas, but I'm pretty sure that the timing isn't the issue. I just hooked up my remote starting rig and watched the fuel move through the fuel filter when
I turned over the engine, and I know that fuel is getting into the carb because I've watched it happen. Any other ideas?

 

[CruisinTiger]

possible vacuum hose disconnected somewhere?

 

[IDave]

Vacuum hose yes, and that could affect timing.

Clogged air system, too.

But it is all about getting air, spark and fuel in the right place at the right time. Not much more to it.

Do you have a carb solenoid on your rig?

 

[Elk Hunter]

So you guys aren't very concerned about the fuel in the oil pan?

 

[Recon1504]

I bought a 1971 FJ40 in Boise, ID last winter and drove 2000+ miles in 2+ days. By the time I got home, it was running rough and a couple of days after I was home, it wouldn't start at all. I found that there must have alot of gunk in the bottom of the tank and it plugged up the fuel filter and clogged up the carb. A new fuel filter and a carb rebuild with a good cleaning made it as good as new (or as close as possible). I also reset the points.

 

[IDave]

So you guys aren't very concerned about the fuel in the oil pan?

I wondered about that, but the only way I can think of it getting into there is from fuel going into the cylinder and not igniting, and leaking down past the rings into the engine/oil pan. Unless you have some other homebuilt passageway added in, it shouldn't have another route that I can think of. That still begs the question as to why the fuel is not igniting while it is going through the cylinder.

 

[Elk Hunter]

I agree IDave, I just went out and mapped the existing vaccum lines on the rig. If I could post pics, I'd post them so you could see what I have to work with, it would not surprise me if something is wrong there, because most of the emissions stuff is gone or not hooked up.

 

[Wolfman]

how about a bad fuel pump ,had one go bad on a chevrolet years ago was pumping gas into the oil, bypass the manual pump and rig an electric temporarily see what happens, or try starting it on carb cleaner with an assistant

 

[folsom50]

What's the site glass on your carb look like? If the float sunk then the fuel pump is going to fill the bowl and then squirt raw fuel into the engine. Make sure that the fuel level is at the "dot" on the glass. That's the very first thing I would check at this point.

 

[Romer]

Elk Hunter, remember you bought it at sea level in a warm climate and now your west of Colorado Springs. What elevation are you at? You might try loosening up your dizzy and turn it very slightly while someone tries to start it. Open up your fuel mixture screw a little too. Once you get it running, then set them both to to correct point using the timing light, vacuum gauge and tach (if you have them).

Not sure if this is your problem, but we are brain storming here. Maybe the change in altitude will give someone else an idea.

 

[Elk Hunter]

I'm at 8500 ft ASL. I am going to sheck the site glass for a float status...

 

[Elk Hunter]

Fuel level is at half way point in the sight window...

 

[IDave]

Fuel level at halfway sounds perfect.

Definitely a carb/engine that is tuned for sea level will be running too rich and too retarded at your elevation, which would tend to crud up the spark plugs. Most of us who live above 5000-6000 feet find our engines run better with a bit of advance. The best approach is to use a combination of timing light and vacuum, and tune to the highest vacuum then drop back an inch of mercury. You need to get running first, so I would start by nudging the dizzy forward (advance) and trying to start it.

Ultimately, if I lived at your elevation (and I have at my elevation of 5150) I would switch to leaner jets. Now, I don't know about your setup, what you have or don't, but you may have a HA circuit (High altitude) that is now disabled, and that may be affecting you as well.

 

[Devils Paw 80]

How about rotor, cap and points?