Re: Toasted Starter

["cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxx>]

David,

Lots of good things to check. Some I've done:

1. Tonight, I will do the "finger in the spark plug hole" check. 
I thought if the chains were on wrong, you'd bend a valve for sure.
I followed the book & DMCH to the letter. I'm pretty confident I set 
that part of it right. I also cranked the engine 3 or 4 times by hand 
to make sure nothing would hit.

2. I've cranked it over w/a spark plug. It does spark regularly.

3. Starting fluid has -no- effect at all. That tells me it's timing.

4. The plugs are wet which says I have fuel. I've disconnected the 
cold start valve (electrically) to avoid flooding.

5. I'm going to check the dizzy and wire placement again tonight. I 
think I may know what it is.

Hopefully, by dealing with items 1 and 4, I'll figure it out. I know 
I'm close.

Rich


--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "David Teitelbaum" <jtrealty@xxxx> 
wrote:
> When you have a problem like this start with the basics. You do need
> the starter to turn the motor over at a fast enough speed. When you
> get it to turn over fast enough remove a spark plug and stick your
> finger over the hole. When you crank it over you should feel vacuum
> and compression, this will tell you that at least the valve timing 
is
> close. Now crank it over again with the spark plug attached to the
> wire but laying on the block, you should see a spark at regular
> intervals. If you are getting spark now you have to check you are
> getting fuel. You could try a SMALL squirt of starting fluid (ether)
> and if you atrat getting pops or it runs for a moment then you know
> you have to troubleshoot the fuel system. You need to find the 
system
> that is not working. You could try a compression test. Check the
> ignition wires that they are going to the correct cylinders, this is
> the firing order. Make sure the fuel pump runs. Maybe you forgot a
> plug somewhere like to the distributer? You were in so deep that 
there
> are a lot of possabilites so you need to try to eliminate them one 
by
> one. Try cranking it over without any spark plugs. If it runs much
> better do the compression test. You may have really screwed up the
> valve timing and made the engine too hard for the starter.
> David Teitelbaum
> vin 10757
> 
> 
> --- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "cruznmd" <racuti1@xxxx> wrote:
> > Looks like I burned a vacation day for nothing. This thing isn't 
> > going to start.
> > 
> > I've positioned the distributor both ways and it won't catch. 
Bill, 
> > at DMCH asked how fast the engine was cranking.
> > 
> > Well, the truth is, not very, and it has to have some speed if 
it's 
> > going to catch. I've cleaned all the ground points, battery 
> > connections and such. I've got a new Optima battery @ 700 or so 
cold 
> > cranking amps and a trickle charger that has the 50 amp "start 
> > booster" function on it. None of that makes it crank over any 
faster. 
> > After cranking for only 5-10 seconds the starter is pretty warm 
to 
> > the touch.
> > 
> > If anyone else has any other ideas I'm all ears.