The car is a 1992 Camaro, the previous owner converted the engine over to carb. Its a 305.

Below is a link of what'd been going on with it before this problem.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...oil-mixed.html

It was not having trouble starting before. Now the most I can get out of it is a black cloud of smoke & a drained battery from trying to get it to start....

Got spark & fuel what do I check next? Timing? Correct me if I'm wrong but would'nt the car still start if the timing was off?

Thanks!

 

No. Timing plays a big part in cylinder pressure. Retarded timing = very low pressure. Too advanced = too much pressure and the engine will lock.

 

By this point you likely need new spark plugs.

 

Yeah the plugs look like hell, but would that keep the car from starting up? Even if the car was starting just fine before? Please elaborate a little more on this. I will post a pic of the spark plug.

Thanks

EDIT: Here's the pics

 

I would guess timing. I was just working on a car with same symptoms. had spark and fuel. had me really confused for awhile until i figured out that my distributor was 180 off.

 

I'm pulling all the plugs to check for water as suggested by another member & plug #6 had some moisture on it.

How do I know if my dizzy is 180 off? I put it back the way it was when I took it out, how could that be possible?

 

I had the same problem just no black smoke. I took the distributor out and made sure it was on TDC right where I wanted it and now it's working like it should. Here's my thread if it's any use
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...have-fuel.html

 

New plugs, new wires, still no start!

Its gotta be the timing!

Gsloski your thread has helped. I will attempt to adjust my rotor 180 degrees & give it another shot....


I'm not understanding how this TDC stuff works, can someone elaborate on that a bit? #1 has to be on TDC for anything to work right? How do I accomplish this feat? & how do I find out if it's already on TDC?

 

There are two TDC's...you want TDC on the compression stroke. This is why you can't use the balancer mark to set the distributor in (you have a 50% chance of bein wrong). If you remove the plugs and put your finger over spark plug #1 hole and have someone turn the engine with a breaker bar, you will feel compression stroke. 180 off means it was set with the piston coming up on the exhaust stroke.

 

Sounds like the timing is off. first of all you said that you replaced all of the sparkplug wires. Check to make sure that they are in the right order and the correct rotation. Then bring the balancer timing mark to TDC and check the rotor position. It should be under or close to the #1 wire on your distributor cap. If it isn't, raise the dist just enough to be able to rotate the rotor to the #1 position. snug it back down and try to start it again. If you get backfire or flames up out the carb you are more than likely 180 deg off. Use your starter to "bump" the balancer timing mark back to the TDC position. Remove your dist cap and see where your rotor is. If it is still on #1, loosen the dist, lift it and turn the rotor 180 deg from the position it is at. Get the dist. seated again, snug it down and try to start the car. You will have to rotate the dist. base while trying to start. In one position or the other, the car shouldl sound like it wants to start. (You can also pull a valve cover and see when both valves are closed). When it starts you will need to re-time it.
While it isn't the most effective test, a compression test can also show if you have a blown head gasket. After doing that, I'd drain the oil, buy the cheapest oil and filter that you can, drain and refill the oil. You'll probably have to do that 2 or 3 times to get rid of the "milk". Make sure that you are no longer losing water. when you finally get clean oil, you can put in your regularily used brand. Also remember that a cracked head can also act like a blown head gasket so if you do pull the head(s) make sure that you get the head(s) checked. Good luck with your problem!

 

it must be too advanced, looking at the plugs, the insulation is black on the outside that means high cylinder presure they are leaking

 

just a thought ,you may be barkink up the wrong tree (MAYBE) you say you have fuel . is the pump still in the tank ? If so even though you maybe able to hear the pump kick on and off . do a pressure ck , this is what happens alot to these cars , there is a 2 inch pc of rubber fuel line in the tank conecting the pump to the metal pick up line ,this line after being saturated in fuel for 20+ yrs splist sending minimal fuel to the carb ,and sending must of the pressure back thru the split into the tank . this happened to me . the car was running ok one day the next day nothing but peffs of smoke so if the car was running ,I doubt very much that the timing fairy came out in the middle of the nite and spun the dist. CHECK FUEL PRESSURE just to rule it out ,takes about 20 min with rented gague from auto zone.

 

 

yes friend i just went thru this myself and all i had to do was change the plugs i went back to the delco r45ts plug and my car starts everytime now and hasnt missed a bit before mine done the same things as urs was so change the plugs

 

I oo had lots of trouble with the bosch platnims went bad a week after install on a f -150 drove it that way for a year convinced it couldn't be plugs caus I GOT THE BEST ONES YOU CON GET stick th what the fact put in unless you have a heavilly modded motor. but I still think its the fuel pump conector....... just sayin....

 

also noticed one of the plugs your holding has no gap at all . did you drop it? or did it come out of the car like that!? if so NOT GOOD.

 

The way i found TDC was i took the spark plug out of the number 1 hole, put my thumb over the hole where the spark plug screws in, and had my dad bump the motor until i got a blast of air that blew my fiinger off the hole. Thats just how i did it

 

Alright,

So I found TDC & hooked it all back up. It starts but now its running really really rough. Should I have to re adjust the carb & fuel regulator? What is causing it to run so rough? Also, the dizzy is bouncing up & down when as it idles. I have not bolted it down yet, is this the reason for that? Or is something else wrong?

Thanks

 

Heres a video of what its doing, the clicking sound you here is the distributor bouncing up & down. the car actually fired up and ran well that time.....

So as soon as we can poinpoint why the dizzy is moving around like that we should be able to take it to the next step.....

http://s1056.beta.photobucket.com/us...A2794.mp4.html

 

Why wouldn't you tighten the hold down? Tighten it so that with some effort, you can turn the distributor and adjust the timing. Warm the car up, unhook the vacuum and then turn the idle as low as it will go. Set the timing at 12. Hook the vacuum back up and then. Set the idle speed to normal. Then, see how it runs.

 

You need to always snug it back down to minimize the possibility of damage. The hold down bolt needs to be tight enough to hold it in place but loose enough so that you can turn it to where it needs to be.

 

Timing issue with the distrib

 

Alright so I finally got this thing running, I just needed to find TDC & tighten down the distributor.

One last thorn in my you know what is that I'm leaking oil from the distributor hole. I'm guessing I need to adjust the round gasket that goes there. It might of moved around when I was adjusting it.

Another thing I noticed was water coming out from the rightside of the manifold, but I tigthend down the bolts a little more & it did'nt happen anymore. Once I get that gasket for the distributor readjusted I'm going to change out my oil again & cross my fingers.

I checked oil right after running for about 10 min's & it did not look all that bad, still some water mixed in there but alot better then before. In-fact I pulled the dipstick out a few times & I did not have any water in it at all.

 

It looks like you're on the right track but it doesn't sound like you torqued the manifold bolts down properly. I've always started from the middle bolts to the outer bolts going from side to side. I usually make 3 passes with the last one being about 30 ft lbs. Make sure that you re-torque them after running for awhile. I'm sure there are other ways to do this but this has always worked for me.

 

I also started tigthening from the middle. The car is running fine now. I could not find that damn oil leak tho. It may have been a pre-existing problem that I had'nt noticed....

We'll just have to wait & see how it goes. I plan on getting it put on a lift next wk so that I can get a better look at it..... For now it's back to being my wifes DD, we'll keep a close eye on the oil level. Thanks for all the help along the way peeps.