It wont start!!!

[jte8969]

Alright, I'm going crazy here everyone. I have the engine in, and a new wire harness. I have been getting help from everyone here, thanks by the way, but the thing wont start. When I turn the key it sounds like it is going to start but never does. I can hear the starter trying to turn but it doesnt seem like its getting spark or something. I just dont know what to do, I think I have all the wiring done right.

[fordman]

start simple make sure the battery is charged and will turn the starter freely. then make sure the solinoid is enguaging the starter. then make sure the starter is good. you can have it load tested at oriellys or some place like that. once the engine is turning over at a good speed then check for fire from the coil wire to the cap. ground the wire to the block and it should shoot a spark. if you have spark make sure your getting fuel to the carb. if it wont start after all that then i would check timing and proper spark plug wire placement.

[jte8969]

How would I make a remote starter cord???

[Banjo]

you can also jump the posts on solenoid w/flathead

[layedout72]

make sure timing and plugs are all good. timing doesnt need to be dead on, but close helps! we had my plugs wrong at first, so it wouldnt fire, got em straightened out and it's perfect now. if you are getting fuel, spark, and air...................it should fire.

[basketcase0302]

does the nurse coming running when you push it?

She don't have to anymore, I married her 11 years ago!

jte, you can also buy the remote starter cord at most auto parts stores.
You'll find their handy little boogers, (timing operations, starter problems, gapping points, etc.) The screwdriver will work but IMO not as precise as the remote starter switch.

Basketcase

[AustinTom]

Make sure that the connector on the cable going to the starter isn't grounding out on the started body. I had that problem and it took me two weeks two starters to figure out all I had to do was bend the end of the cable a little bit.

[jte8969]

I took my battery to get tested, its getting charge as we speak, hopefully thats the only problem!!

[layedout72]

so what's the deal? if the battery was bad, the motor wouldn't turn over...you would click the key over and it would almost jam the motor. that's what mine was doing. That depends of course how low it is....

is it a new rebuild, or just started going bezerk? did you mess with cap and rotor? when we did mine, I have the electronic conversion. my plug 1 was 1 over, so it wouldn't spark correctly. changed it, lined things up, and all is well. cranks and runs perfect. now.....to have the battery charged!

[jte8969]

Well, I went back to get the battery and it ended up bad, so I got a new one and put it in. Then tried to crank it, but I dont think I am getting spark. I didnt get to spend much time trying to figure it out, I had to come help the wife with some other stuff, I'll be hunting friday and saturday, but sunday I'll be back at it trying to figure it out. It is a rebuild, I put it together myself. New cap and wires and coil. I'm going to doulble check the timing, I dont have a light though. Wires should be correct. followed the firing order on the back of the intake manifold.

[Finleyphoto]

Well, I went back to get the battery and it ended up bad, so I got a new one and put it in. Then tried to crank it, but I dont think I am getting spark. I didnt get to spend much time trying to figure it out, I had to come help the wife with some other stuff, I'll be hunting friday and saturday, but sunday I'll be back at it trying to figure it out. It is a rebuild, I put it together myself. New cap and wires and coil. I'm going to doulble check the timing, I dont have a light though. Wires should be correct. followed the firing order on the back of the intake manifold.

Did you run your wires clock wise or counter-clockwise?

Diagram:
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/20 ... 2467cuRIPd

Should be counter-clockwise


Dennis

[l1k2gadd]

So, did you get it running?

If not....

Make sure the tires are blocked, chocked or secured and the parking brake is set to keep the truck from accidentally running you over if it slips into gear (automatic) while trying this....

With the key in the "ON" position and the battery cables in place on the battery.....

You should have 12 volts on the wire that goes to the + side of your coil (when it is unplugged from the coil). When you plug the wire in the voltage drops to 6-9 volts because the coil is being energized.

Remove the distributor cap and place it off to the side, securely, (with the wires in place on it) so it doesn't spring back toward the distributor or the rotor doesn't catch it when it spins when you try the next step.

Use your store bought (or home made) remote starter switch (or carefully cross the solenoid with a screwdriver from the positive battery post on the solenoid to the first, closest, post on the solenoid that has the red wire with the blue stripe on it). you might have to back the red wire off a bit or remove it to cross (bypass) the ignition key switch start position at the solenoid.

The engine should crank when you cross these contacts on the solenoid, either way. If and when the motor starts to turn look down into the distributor at the points. As the distributor shaft turns and the points open and close you should see the spark coming from the gap that is opening and closing between the points.

If you have spark at the points you have the power needed to start the truck. If not, the ignition switch could be bad.

The 1968 F100 parts truck I have had a bad / dirty switch in it. When I would wiggle the key up and down the truck would get spark.

If you have spark at the points then you have air and fuel to troubleshoot. You might possibly be a little off in the placement of your distributor (where the rotor points to when the cylinders are compressing the gas/air mixture and getting ready to get the spark from the spark plug to run the motor), i.e. ignition timing. That is fairly easy to check too.

Did you stay with the original size motor or did you upgrade to a different size motor, or a newer model motor. Some newer 302s have a 351 Windsor firing order (Mustang 5.0 H.O.).

[l1k2gadd]

If you have no spark you might have a wire or terminal end touching the inside of the distributor too. It could also be the coil but in all of my days of trouble shooting and working on 60s cars (and now trucks) I have only had one or two bad coils show up. If the truck ran before the coil should still be good.

[Banjo]

I had a bad brand new coil, out of the box and after talking around, found out it's not uncommon (nowadays) to get inferior coils. so, quality might not be as good as old days on some coils. My usual lecture: get notepad, take notes to track what did or didn't work.
I'd just about bet you have your firing order correct, but running backwards, I know one guy who did that (me). I also had 1 bad factory HEI (duraspark) box that would almost fire, but not quite. Went to junkyard, dropped another $20 and pulled one, and ran like a champ. You might need to start a list and start checking one by one, because if you don't write it down, you'll forget it. Usually, it's the very small things that nail you, nothing earth shattering.