3rdGenIrocZ

i just cleaned my engine cause my car got painted and some spray got in it and before it was driving like normal then after cleaning it i drove it and then about a block the car died and wont start and me and my grand dad think the front jets arnt getting gas or something like that, so basically goes like this

1) What can be wrong
2) is the gas tank above the exhaust?
3) wheres the fuel pump located?

Apeiron

It would help to know what year it is and what engine it has.

3rdGenIrocZ

1987
had a 305 now a 350 creat. simalar to this
http://www.hawksthirdgenparts.com/350hocrateengine.aspx

Apeiron

Carb? TBI? TPI? What?

3rdGenIrocZ

Holley 4 barrel carb

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

what induction id the car have origionally? carb or fuel injection?

if it was carb, the pulp is monted on the block, passengerside front, down low. If it was a fuel injected car, now carb, it could be many things.

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

That should make troubleshooting easier. When you cleaned it, what exactly did you do? Anything you can think of that would have caused the car to quit/not start? Disconnected any wiring, messed around with any wiring harnesses... disconnected hoses/fuel lines?

T/Atime

Sounds like an ignition issue. I wonder if water found its way in the distributer cap? Was your car running rough before it died?

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

I agree. Sounds electrical. That's why we needs more info on how the cleaning was done. High pressure hose turned on the motor or hand cleaning components with a rag and engine degreaser..etc?

3rdGenIrocZ

idk the id the car isnt at my house i had to run home, but it was fuel injected and now is a carb. i dont want to leave my car there i want it now. and i just cleaned the paint of the cylinder heads and holley air filter, everything was done by hand with a rag with goof off. and i took the air cleaner away from the car to clean it while coving the carb so nothing goes in.

But the way it happed was i started it and it was fine then after a block or so i heard a pop sound? and looked and my rpm read at 1000 and wouldnt move at all and car died so i tried again and wont start.

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

Hmm. I'm not convinced the problem is related to the cleaning. The timing is convenient, but really.. What can a rag and some goof off do to make the engine stop running?

Just to make sure.. Does the car "crank" fine but just not start up?

3rdGenIrocZ

im sure cleaning aint the issue ither, just making chrome shine again. but by crank i think your talking about if it starts up fine? if so when the i start it, it starts really easy no waiting a few seconds. only in snowy weather.

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

What I was getting at is: Does the starter turn the engine over when you try to start it? Any sputtering or other diagnostically useful sounds it makes when you try to start it?

3rdGenIrocZ

ohhh my bad. yeah sounds like its trying to crank it, idk how to describe the sound right now its like starting an engine but with no start, just the whole loud clingy sound? its hard to descirbe.

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

Check for spark at the plugs? Check to see if the carb is getting fuel? Oh... No chance you're out of gas is there?

If both of those are okay, then I don't think it will be an easy curb side fix if the car is stranded.

Anyone else have any advice?

3rdGenIrocZ

car says little under half when i remember right cause i gave it a full tank saturday when i picked it up from the paint shop, pretty sure theres spark, And we dont know if the front is getting fuel. i think he said its not. but i really dont want my car to sit there over night especially with a new paint job.

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

Time to go troubleshoot your fuel system then. Verify that you're not getting fuel to the carb, then troubleshoot from there. Hopefully it is a mechanical fuel pump, which would be a piece of cake to replace (bottom passenger side of the engine). If it is an electric pump in the tank..well...good luck.

Assuming it is an electric pump, do you ever hear it "prime"? It would be a brief humming noise from the rear of the car when you first turn the key on.
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Worst case, pay a towing company to bring it back home tonight. If it's only a block away hopefully the $$ wouldn't be too bad. Or, if it is level ground and in a low traffic area. Push it. Then you can troubleshoot at your leisure.

3rdGenIrocZ

i think its an electric in the tank, i hear it prime wwhich im sure is it. and sometimes at night when im working on it when the car has been off for awhile i hear the tank like filter? it sounds like alot of bubbles

jeffcj

iTrader: (3)

Do you hear the "priming sound" now? That would at least confirm the fuel pump is still alive (at least partially). Hmm. Another thing to check (in case of vapor lock). Open your gas cap and make sure there isn't any pressure built up. Depending on who did the carb conversion, they may have plugged off the vent line. Anything is possible. That's a 2 second thing that couldn't hurt.

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

The pop sound could have been the fuel pump fuse blowing for any number of reasons or the ignition fuse. If you aren't getting gas I would vote pump fuse. Check your fuses then go from there.

3rdGenIrocZ

wut color fuse!!!! i hope thats it what color!!! my fuses dont have anything saying what fuse it is or anything that would be helpful!!!

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

I don't know what color yours is since they might have been different from year to year, give me a second and I will post the link you need to find which fuse it is

3rdGenIrocZ

GOD I HOPE THAT WILL MAKE IT START!!! I WANT MY BABBY!!! you can go to the body form and look at My new paintjob and youll understand why i dont want it out

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBr...3d801eef19.jsp


It looks like your pump is powered through the ECM so check the ecm fuses along with the injector fuses (1 and 2).

3rdGenIrocZ

yikes lol. umm brb im going to the car with the focus lol. be back in like 10 minutes

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

After looking at your posts again I am not sure if the motor is turning over or not. Is the motor spinning when you turn the key just not starting or does it just go click and sit there?

When you key is on does your tach go back to zero is it still just staying at 1000 rpm. If it stays up and the volt meter doesn't move when you turn the key on your gauge fuse is blown. Thats what mine did when it was blown. Just check all the dang fuses!

3rdGenIrocZ

ok switched the fuses, and tried turning it on, started for a second then died. and fuel squirted fromt the top of the carb. waited a minute. tried again fuel squirted

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

Do you have a fuel poressure regulator? Sounds like the bowls are over filling. Maybe your float is stuck. This could cause the car to be flooded and not start.

3rdGenIrocZ

idk much about it, The engine was swapped right before i bought it, like i got the engine with only 200 on it. but the float has been fixed before and that might be it

3rdGenIrocZ

So what do i do? The carb squirted out gas from the top not through the barrels. I think its called the flute?

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

well, its probably due to either, float set too high, bad needle and set in that bowl, a stuck or sinking float, or fuel pressure too high. If it comes out of both bowls then the fuel pressure is most likely too high. If not try backing down the float level by turning the little nut on the top of the bowl.

That much fuel coming out is a major reason that could cause a no start. The fact that the car was running makes me think that the float is stuck or sunk. Take the bowl off and see if the float is full of gas.

3rdGenIrocZ

couldnt i just tap it and hope the float shakes out lol

Jammin'Trey

sound like you have to pull the fuel bowls off and check the float and jets.

3rdGenIrocZ

that doesnt sound fun at all.

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

Its really not bad.... takes like 5 minutes to take the carb of plus maybe 45 seconds to take the bowl off. grab a new carb to intake gasket while your at it...it won't hurt.

If it is only coming out the primary bowl you can pull that bowl and check that without removing the carb. Just be ready for the gas to run out.

By the way you never said if it was spilling out of both bowls or just one. If it is coming out of both it may be more of a pressure issue, kind of weird for both floats to just sink together at the same time. You need to make sure you have a return style fuel pressure regulator on there or you are never going to keep the fuel in the bowls. Follow you fuel line coming off the carb bck and you should find it plumbed into a regulator with TWO other lines in it. 1 as a feed and the other as a return.

3rdGenIrocZ

Whats a good street/performance carb? i want power man lol

Heres a link to my cardomain. hopefully the engine pics can help

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3148021

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

Yeah you have the same regulator I have. You have the right carb you just need to get it running right. If you follow the fuel line to the pass side you can see the regulator.

There is a bolt type thing at the top. Loosen the jam nut and turn thebolt to the left until it comes out. Turn the key and see if fuel still comes out.....if it doesn't turn the bolt to the right like 3 turns and make sure fuel doesn't come out if it doesn't the car shuld start and it should get you home where you can set the pressure correctly.
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You can figure out exactly which holley 4 barrel you have by getting the numbers off the side of the choke horn at the top of the carb and then running them at holley website

3rdGenIrocZ

just turn till the gas dont squirt?

hotrodder89

i was going to say does the loud sound, sound almost like metal grinding and hammering against itself and if so does it happen as soon as you turn the key,but it won't happen everytime if so i'd said you had a starter bindex out dont worry if you do it can wait till you get the car home and only cost about $12 so if it might be a good idea changing it even if it's only happened a few times if you do decide to change the bendex let me jnow i can help with any advice you may need

as far as getting the car home get a tow rope just be careful where you hook it up the focus can pull the camaro no problem, i'm a ford service tech and i can tell you that as long as your not yanking on the rope it wont hurt the focus, also if you have an automatic and you have to pull it more than a 1/4 mile drop the drive shaft if its a standard put it in "nutreul" - (can't spell) it very simple to drop driveline on the auto just 2 u bolts on the rear end and it will slide out the transmission otherwise you will burn up the transmission ps. the trans will leak a little fluid when you drop the drive line.

3rdGenIrocZ

i got me and a couple buds last night at like 2am lol we pushed it back, had to go up a little hill to go over train track but thats it, but some1 said that i just need to adjust the screw on the carb

hotrodder89

glad to hear you got it home but yeah i'd bet the problem is in the regulator just lossen the screw almost all the way and try to start it to check that it wont squire then slowly tighten, trying to start every 1/2 turn or so until it will run without squiring fuel everywhere btw the screw im talking about is on the regulator which should be somewhere on the fuel line in the engine compartment

sweetaq

iTrader: (1)

Your friend might be right, but I would check the regulator first as it is more likely. If you adjust the carb float down but the pressure is still too high the fuel will just blow past the neddle and seat and out the top anyway. You can take the screw out the screw on the regulator all the way out and it wont hurt anything. It probably won't run that way and it would only idle if it did. With the screw all the way out it still allows 2 or 3 psi of fuel to go through. Do you not have a fuel preesure gauge in there somewhere? You shuld it would help things out alot.

Here is what I am trying to accomplish with the check. If you pull the screw all the way out and fuel doesn't come out anymore then the pressure was to high. If it does still come out then either 1. the float is stuck and even 2 or 3 psi is won't keep the seat closed or 2. Your fuel pressure is still high (this is where the gauge would come in handy) because of either a return line that is too small, a bad regulator or a clogged return line.

If the fuel does stop coming out then a gauge would allow you to adjust the pressure to about 5 psi and getting you back on the road. I have a little cheap 10 dollar gauge from schucks inline with my fuel line and it back trouble shooting way easier.

When I switched from efi to carb I had the return line hooked up incorrectlyto the wrong line (too small). No matter what I did fuel whould shoot st8 out the top of both bowls (by the way is it 1 or both bowls, I dont believe you have answered that yet). The gauge made it obvious that even with the screw out I had waaayyyy to much pressure (12psi). Trust me the gauge will help.



From the pics I can see your regulator is on top of your pass fender well bolted to one of the strut bolts.