cant get it started
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 37
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From: syrcause, Ny, Usa
cant get it started
I just finished putting a 350 target motor in my 85 t/a, to replace the old 305. I also replaced the stock intake with a performer, and the Q-jet with a holley 650. I took my time assembeling the motor, and putting it back in...(about 3 months, start to finish) Now I am ready to set the thing on fire and roll it down the street. I cant get it started. I triple checked the way the distrubitor went in, all the plugs.. valve lash, the carb pumps fuel, new starter... and soon, because of all the cranking... a new battery. I pretty much checked EVERYTHING at least 3 times. Is the engine too flooded?... Could my valve lash be so far off that it wont start?...I had it running for about 1 and a half min. But the valve cover leaked really bad, so i shut it down to fix that. I didnt disturb anything else while the valve cover was off either. ANd now it wont start again! I need help. I want to drive my freakin car. Please Thanks.... Dave
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 43,187
Likes: 43
From: Littleton, CO USA
Car: 82 Berlinetta/57 Bel Air
Engine: L92/LQ4 (both w/4" stroke)
Transmission: 4L80E/4L80E
Axle/Gears: 12B-3.73/9"-3.89
Air, fuel, compression, spark - in the right ratio and at the right time.
Since it did run for a short time, it's probably not valves (why were they disturbed?). A loose wire to the distributor, a fried coil or pickup perhaps (what distributor did you use?).
Pull the plugs and see if they're wet. If so, that could be your problem. Just leave them out for a while to dry things out, then try again. Before you get too far, keep one plug out, connected to the spark plug wire and setting on a ground, and crank the engine and check for spark. If there, check timing again.
If you have spark and the plugs are wet, you're dumping fuel into the intake somehow.
------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlock header mufflers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1/94.6 @ 5800' Bandimere.
Since it did run for a short time, it's probably not valves (why were they disturbed?). A loose wire to the distributor, a fried coil or pickup perhaps (what distributor did you use?).
Pull the plugs and see if they're wet. If so, that could be your problem. Just leave them out for a while to dry things out, then try again. Before you get too far, keep one plug out, connected to the spark plug wire and setting on a ground, and crank the engine and check for spark. If there, check timing again.
If you have spark and the plugs are wet, you're dumping fuel into the intake somehow.
------------------
82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car, now w/86 LG4/TH700R4. 2.93 limited slip. Cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LG4 w/'87 LB9 block, ZZ3 cam and intake, World 305 heads, Hooker headers & y-pipe, 3" Catco cat & 3" cat-back).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. 0.030 over 396, 9.7 CR forged TRWs, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, GK 270 cam, Magnum rockers, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" Hedders & 3" Warlock header mufflers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & Trans-Scat shift kit, 3.08 8.2" 10-bolt w/Powertrax, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1/94.6 @ 5800' Bandimere.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 37
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From: syrcause, Ny, Usa
57 kid... Thanks for the suggestion... I took out the plugs and blew them off with compressed air. THey were soaked in fuel... Probally from me trying to pump the gas and start it. I tryed it again with the dry plugs and it stumbles over to where i think it will go, and i let off the ignition... but then it just dies... I have been playing with the timing and i cant get it any better... HELP!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: syrcause, Ny, Usa
well I tried the starting fluid, I can use carb cleaner right?... THat didnt work... It is so close... It stumbles over and then quits. I have almost gone through a whole nother battery i got out of my truck. I hate this!!!
Supreme Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 3,197
Likes: 10
From: Manassas VA
Car: 04 GTO
Engine: LS1
Transmission: M12 T56
You didn't mention areplacement distributor, only carb and intake. If you are running the stock distributor, case closed.
Your starting problems are mostly due to you probably flooding the *** out of it. Still you did get it to run, which is possible, the stock distributor will still fire, it just won't give you any advance.
Thus, when you did have it running for that brief time, your timing was way off, and thus you probably fouled the plugs even worse there, thus making it harder to re-start.
Get the right distributor in there, then see what happens. Just rememebet to make sure you have clean plugs in it before you kill another battery cranking in vain.
...ed
Your starting problems are mostly due to you probably flooding the *** out of it. Still you did get it to run, which is possible, the stock distributor will still fire, it just won't give you any advance.
Thus, when you did have it running for that brief time, your timing was way off, and thus you probably fouled the plugs even worse there, thus making it harder to re-start.
Get the right distributor in there, then see what happens. Just rememebet to make sure you have clean plugs in it before you kill another battery cranking in vain.
...ed
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